(aka Bike) Part 1884 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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It took me several minutes to recover from this surprise. It felt bittersweet: I was delighted that Billie had been remembered, but saddened that she was no longer with us.
“How long have you known about this?” I accused Tom.
“A wee while.”
I glowered at him and he smiled back.
“I thocht it wis a guid idea.”
“Yeah, how can I be the director of a research facility and teach at the university?”
“Och, that’s easy, ye can do yer teaching in thae research centre, and yer ecology fieldwork in thae woods.”
“Ecology relates to more than woodland species.”
“Aye, I ken that, but some o’ yer precious dormice are in that wood.”
“How d’you know?”
“Some o’ yer research project students did a survey, they foond signs o’ dormice.”
“If I have to drive to North Hampshire every day, how will I have time to take the girls to school?”
“Ye’ll hae twa assistants, the bank is funding one and we’re paying fa’ thae other.”
“I’ll have staff to manage as well?” This sounded like more work.
“Cathy, ye’re a PhD noo, ye’ll hae tae supervise post grad students and guide their research, ye’ll hae tae find funding an’ put t’gether funding applications.”
“I’ve done some of that already, not the supervision, but the applications.”
“This is going tae make us one o’ thae leading woodland research establishments in thae whole o’ Europe. There’s planning permission to double thae size o’ thae research centre, we might be able tae attract forestry sponsors tae.”
“How much is all of this costing?”
“Aboot ten million poonds.”
“You’re joking?”
“No aboot that sort of cash.”
“The bank is paying for it all?”
“No, we’re splitting it doon thae middle.”
“You’re spending five million pounds for a research centre for me?”
“It’s no jest fa’ ye, it’s fa’ thae university, but ye’re a shoo in fa’ thae director’s job, an before ye get all cross with me, it wisnae ma idea, but yer pa in law’s.”
I glanced across at Henry who was chatting up Sammi and Julie, while Monica talked with Jacquie. I wandered casually across to Henry.
“Your presents seem to overwhelm you?” he said looking sympathetic.
“Wouldn’t they you?”
“Possibly.”
“Henry, you’re committing ten million pounds to this?”
“Probably fifteen by the time we’re finished, and we’re trying to stimulate our customers to donate to the projects.”
“Fifteen million?”
“Yes, you have a problem with that?”
“I don’t know.”
“The capital outlay is a couple of million for each building, then there are revenue implications for overheads and staffing, but I thought you’d like some memorial to Billie?”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea, I’m just flabbergasted by it all.”
“Well don’t be, and congratulations to my clever daughter in law.” He bent down and kissed me on the cheek–“I still think you should dump the doofus and elope with me,” he said and chuckled.
“That doofus is my husband,” I said sounding a little cross with him.
“I know that.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because Tom suggested it was needed, Gareth also thought so, it’s just a pity he didn’t live to see it happen. He was the original proposer of you as director, especially if you got your doctorate.”
“It might have been nice if I’d been consulted.”
“What for? Your excessive modesty would have imperilled the whole deal. We couldn’t tell you, Cathy–you’d have killed it.”
“I’m sorry you think that, I don’t remember killing the survey.”
“Because you had Tom backing you up–Cathy, this project is the most important one of its sort for fifty years.”
“I know, which is why I’m apprehensive.”
“Don’t be, see it as exciting and brand new.”
“Perhaps that’s why I’m apprehensive?”
“C’mon, Cathy, you’re more than capable of running both these centres and teaching. We’re arranging to shoot images of the woodlands live and simultaneously and put them on the bank’s website.”
“I don’t have a problem with that.”
“We want it to generate loads of interest for places here, like your documentary did.”
“That’s okay as long as you don’t want me to teach them to look for the teddy bear’s picnic.”
“What a good idea...” I walked off and heard him chuckling loudly behind me, I could see where Stella got the habit from. I sat down feeling exhausted and I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up to lots of sniggers and found the whole family stood round me in a semi circle, some with cameras, watching me sleep.
Ignoring them I stood up and stretched and approached Simon, “Could we go home now?”
“It’s not ten o’clock yet.”
“Fine, could you organise a cab to take me home then?”
“What?” he gasped.
“I’ve had enough of my birthday and would like to go home to my bed.”
“Stay here, the family suite is available.”
“Simon, I don’t want to stay here. I’d like to go home, and either you arrange a cab or I’ll go through to reception.”
“All right, all right, I’ll get you a blessed cab.”
“Thank you.” I was asleep before the wretched thing arrived and again before I got home.
Comments
Sorry, I have to say
Cathy, get your head out of your a$$ and THANK these people! They've gone all out for you and yes, it is a shock and they seem to have chosen your career for you but stop the hurt and put-upon act. You're HURTING your family who loves you!
I think Cathy's right to have reservations.
The project might be step too far in Cathy's life. With all the other stuff going on I seriously think she's doing too much. Still it's a lovely thought and a 350 hectare patch of forest is a fair bit of real estate just for forest research.
Glad to be back Ang. Russia was fun but it's getting bloody cold there now.
Still loving it and I missed the ephisodes as we ploughed up and down the Baltic.
Hugs and kisses.
Bev.
XX
She Can Be Such a B***h At Times
But I guess that's a woman's prerogative.
Portia
Are we sure ....
That she's not pregnant?
I know! It's not possible. Yet, ....
Red MacDonald
I'm counting on it!
and I suspect there might be a thriller cycle involved soon after her child is born: that nasty villain that fled to South America? He will make an appearance and kidnap Cathy's new baby ^^
And the new baby's name? Billie :)
Sephrena
Oi!
Don't give Angharad ideas! :)
However, personally, I think reconfiguration of Cathy's innards is a step or two beyond what Shekinah's willing to do - after all, given Shekinah seemingly agrees with the concept of keeping BLH a family secret, covering up a possible pregnancy would be exceedingly difficult since she didn't previously have the necessary equipment (if she had any 'stealth' organs, they would have been discovered during her SRS). I'm pretty sure baby Catherine will be the closest Cathy gets to a genetic child, with Pud and Fiona coming a close second (since although they're Stella's children and she's their primary carer, Cathy's seen them almost every day from birth onwards and they're part of the whole extended family).
I imagine Cathy's just a combination of overwhelmed, tired and probably still not 100% following her brief illness earlier in the day. After all, finding out the bank and university have clubbed together to purchase two stretches of land at opposite ends of the land (almost in two different countries!) for nature reserves complete with research centres, named after her and Billie - not to mention finding out the cost of the entire project - would probably blow almost anyone not born into great wealth off their feet. It will probably take a few days to sink in, and quite probably longer to work out how to arrange things since travelling to the North of the county will obviously be a longer commute than just nipping a few miles down the road to the university.
Thankfully, being winter, she's probably got a few months to scout out the territory (literally!) and start putting (organisational) structures into place before the flora and fauna get active. Eventually, with the help of the 'net and video conferencing software, she'll probably be able to get away with visits every couple of weeks or so, while keeping in contact with what's going on from home or an office at the uni.
Maybe even in the summer she'll be able to get around to the harvest mouse film, while if the (much delayed) wedding blessing up at Stanebury ever happens, that would be an excuse to recce the stretch of woodland up there.
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Cathy is tired, tired, tired!
And well she should be, what with her nervous sickness prior to the orals, and just as it ended. She didn't even hear them tell her because she had passed out. She did get some rest at home before the big dinner, and the Dr's treatment helped her recover some beyond that. And then, all the excitement at the dinner! Simon was right to insist she go, as it could have difficult to put together again. Cathy was ready for some much needed rest! And she does need to thank everyone for the nature preserves they have bought and their (Bank, and University) desire for her to be the teaching director of them.
A big WAY TO GO, CATHY!!!
After considering my pondering about the Doctorates for Bonzi and Izzy yesterday, I realized they don't need doctorates in "How To Manipulate Your Human". They are born with all that intact! Anyway, scritches, scratches, and tummy rubs for both Bonzi and Izzy!
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
Time with the Family
It is her choice really. It sounds like 4 or 5 men have little respect for the desires of a Mother. It is not possible for a hired assistant to do the job of a Mother. I think it is quite nice that she was able to get her shingle, but they should have given her a little time to catch her breath before moving on to other things.
On the whole, she is having a very nice life.
Gwendolyn
Lighten up on Cathy!
The first 16-18 years of her life she was abused by her parents. Given that start on life it would be stranger if she wasn't unsure of herself and her abilities. Her last several years haven't really made a serious dent in the baggage she is burdened with. She expects everything to come crashing down around her because that's what always happened during her formative years.
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
BINGO! Nailed it in one, Karen!
Could not have said it better myself, Karen.
-- grin --
I try to keep that always in mind when I read Bike, Cathy's near toxic upbringing.
Cathy was badly treated as a child and teen. Not only beaten nearly to death on at least one occasion but had it constantly drilled into her head by her parents nutter faith that *pride* is a terrible sin. You are not worthy. You are a disgrace for not accepting who GOD, who NEVER makes a mistake, made you..
And so on.
I'm amazed she ever prospered at all, ever bloomed given what shi*s her parents were. Mom was at best neutral and a worst looked the other way when her husband beat up her only child.
He ONLY came to love his child after the massive stroke that made him weak and all but helpless. I am still not convinced he truly accepted Cathy as his daughter and not his freak son.
That she is loving yet full of nearly crippling self doubts seems inevitable. And seeing Billie die in front of her did NOT help.
I wish the Shekena makes her whole but as others have said how would she explain it. But then money can buy almost anything including perhaps a pet surgeon? IE her SRS surgeon could say she was intersex and he wasn't sure the dormant female organs would work but is elated they did.
But Disney Happy Ending TM or not IE the mundane rules except for the Shekenia/BLH , I am happy.
Ang has Bike *cycling* smoothly so who am I to complain?
Bravo Bonzi and co also.
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Cathy... One word ... delegate !!!
John in Wauwatosa
Cathy is overwhelmed
by everything. So, she is in retreat.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Not Surprising
that Cathy wanted to leave when she did, Its been a busy time for the new Doctor ... Time i think for a little me time
Kirri