The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1747 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

The girls were full of the fact that they only had one more week in school, then it was holidays. “Are we going away on holiday, Mummy?” Asked Livvie. “Sarah Pratt is going to Greece and Katy Hull is off to Majorca,” she added for good measure.

Now I felt guilty and stressed. I could do with a holiday but they’d need to go elsewhere–no, disregard that–it’s like having pets, unless they’re cats who adopted you, then the chances are you invited them to stay, so you have to look after them. They’re my children, I therefore have to look after them.

It’s ridiculous in some ways, but I’m too busy to take a holiday and unlike some people I can’t blame it on having no money–I’ve got plenty. I wonder if I could organise something, perhaps the during the TdF–nah, that won’t work either. Oh boy, perhaps Henry has a cottage I could rent for a week or two? I’ll have to ask him.

It was quite a coincidence that just as we arrived home the phone rang and it was his noble father in law self. “Hi, Cathy, what happened to Stella, I called the hospital and she’d been discharged?”

“Um–yeah that’s my fault, I brought her home the night before last, she obviously hasn’t phoned you.”

“No she hasn’t. I take it she’s okay?”

“Yes, I’ll call her, but before I do, I’d like to ask a favour if I might.”

“Ask away, dear girl, you’re not going to leave that indolent son of mine are you?”

“Simon isn’t lazy, he works hard for the bank.”

“Darling girl, don’t confuse output with hours spent at the workplace. He spends hours there, he doesn’t actually do very much.”

I began to feel uncomfortable at the ease with which he grumbled at Simon, at least he did do something for a living which was more than Stella did, and even the new improved one didn’t seem to do very much. “I’ll call Stella for you, hang on.”

“What was this favour you wanted?” he said before I take the handset away from my ear.

“Oh it’s nothing–it’ll keep.”

“What was it, Cathy? You don’t ask for favours very often, so pray do say.”

“It really was nothing.”

“Spill the beans, woman.”

“Oh, okay: I was wondering if you had a cottage I could rent to take the kids away for a week or two for a holiday?”

“Cottage? I have a whole bloody castle you can borrow.”

“I don’t need anything as grand as that, Henry, besides, it holds a few less than happy memories for me.”

“What if someone offered to take them off your hands for a week or two?”

“You mean someone who wasn’t demanding ransoms to give them back?”

“I mean Monica and I–we’re going to Menorca for a couple of weeks the week after next.”

I didn’t know about the kids but I’d love to go to Menorca and they have dormice there, albeit not as cute as our ones.

“That’s imposing on you quite a lot.”

“No problem, we’ll have a couple of helpers as well, the villa will sleep up to about ten if they don’t mind sharing, so we could take your six, Stella and her two and possibly Sammi or Jacquie. Up to you, let me know.”

Goodness, I’d have to organise passports and other things. I called Stella and went off with my head spinning. A while later, Stella came and found me as I was making tea, “Got a spare cup?”

“Of course,” I poured her one as well.

“So, you going to let them go?”

“Let who go?”

“The kids.”

“To Menorca, you mean?”

“Yeah, what did you think I meant?”

“I wasn’t sure.” I wasn’t either, Henry could have made another offer for all I knew, jet skiing in the craters of the moon or something equally outlandish.

“He’s offered to take everyone to give you and Si a break–I’d take it if I were you–you won’t get a better one.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

She sipped her tea, “Look I know you have a problem with authority and charity, but this is neither of those.”

“I didn’t think it was; no, I’m reeling at the suddenness of the offer. All I wanted was a cottage for week or two somewhere different to here.”

“Yeah, well I think Menorca constitutes different to this rat hole.”

“Thanks.”

“I meant Portsmouth generally, not this house.”

“Oh, Portsmouth is okay.” If you hate it that much why do you stay? Nah, better not ask her that.

“If you have to live here.”

“I work here, and so did you.”

“Well, I’m going anyway, so you’ll be rid of me and mine for a couple o’weeks.”

Livvie popped in to get something to drink and Stella told her. “If you want to come to Menorca with me and Grampa Henry, you’d better convince your mother you want to go,” with that she left the kitchen, me with my arms full of vegetables and a child with an expression on her face that couldn’t have been any more full of wonder if she’d just found the holy grail.

She looked at me went to say something and then changed her mind, skipping off presumably to get reinforcements. They arrived about five minutes later.

“We goin’ on howiday, Mummy?

“Can we go, too–with Auntie Stella I mean?” asked Livvie still skipping around the place.

“Yeah, can we like go, Mum?” Danny had been party to the discussion.

“You’ll have to wait until I’ve talked it over with Daddy.” See pass the buck–or in corporate speak–delegate.

“Awwww,” came back the grunts.

“Look, I’m already going nuts with you lot, trying to make cottage pie with new potatoes–which is sacrilege in my book.” Danny had asked for it for tea and the girls had agreed. As I had some minced beef in the freezer, I agreed as well–then remembered I only had new potatoes.

They went off presumably to plot and grumble–not necessarily in that order–until Simon came home. Part of me wanted to send him a text telling him to stay out until after ten, but they’d still be awake and lying in ambush for him.

The children swarmed over him as soon as he set foot inside the door. Trish had spoken to either Henry or Stella because she had some idea of what the holiday was about. He looked at me and I shrugged, “I told them I needed to talk it over with you first.”

“Can we go, Dad?” asked Danny, “We never go anywhere.”

It wasn’t entirely true, I took them to Bristol now and again, though abroad didn’t happen very often.

“Let’s have dinner first and I’ll talk it over with your mother and we’ll let you know then.”

“But, Daaad,” whined Danny.

“I’ve told you what we’ll do, now any further dissent and I’ll say no without discussion, got it?”

A chorus of, “Yes, Daddy,” erupted and they left us alone.

“I’m impressed by my masterful husband,” I said kissing him.

“We could go and discuss it in the bedroom, you know?”

“Let’s stick to plan A, shall we? Trish, tell everyone dinner’s ready.”