The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2721 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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“David said it was wrong for me to want to call you mummy.”

“It is none of David’s business what you call me. What else did he say?”

“That my mother would be upset if she heard about it.”

“So what d’you think about that?” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to hear but I felt miffed by David’s intervention, it really is none of his business.

“I told him it wouldn’t be the first time I’d upset her, as she seemed to think I was mostly a nuisance anyway.”

“We can all get in people’s ways at times, to do it regularly means either you have a talent for it or your mother was more concerned with her life than yours.”

“I was always in the way, I think she’s probably glad to be shot of me.”

“I suspect she has reasons for being that way...”

“Yeah, she’s a selfish pig, who never really loved me,” tears were rolling down her cheeks.

“Hey, come on now, we love you,” I put my arm round her and allowed her to hug me.

“I know you do, Mummy, and all my sisters, they love me too. I never want to leave here.”

“I think never might be rather a long time, so shall we deal with just the foreseeable future?”

“What does that mean, Mummy?”

“It means looking into the future, so perhaps we could say, you’re invited to stay until you finish school.”

“Can’t I stay longer, Mummy?”

“I expect after school you might want to go away to university...”

“No, I wanna stay with you an’ my sisters.”

“But they’ll be going to university or some other form of education or training.”

“Why can’t I go to Portsmouth University, like you do?”

“I work there, Hannah, that’s why I go.”

“Can’t I go there too?”

“As you’re only ten, I think other things might happen which may cause you to want to go to other places instead or even as well.”

“No, I wanna be with you, Mummy.”

“You can’t be with me all the time, Han, you have to go to school.”

“I’m safe there.”

“Safe, what d’you mean, safe?”

“She can’t get me there can she, the teachers won’t let her.”

I nearly said she could do it more easily here, given she once worked for me, but I doubted she’d have the nerve to turn up here. However, I could be mistaken. In which case, I’d have to play it by ear.

“What d’you mean by ‘get you’?”

“Take me back with her or try to make you give her money.”

“Children aren’t saleable goods—that’s illegal.”

“Won’t stop her, she tried it once before.”

“She tried to sell you?”

“Yeah some old bloke she knew, he offered to pay lots of money for me. Dad found out and threatened to call the cops, said the old man was a prevert or something, no a pee-dum-fie.”

“A paedophile?”

“Something like that.”

“And she was going to sell you?”

“She said the old man was nice, he got really cross when she said she’d spent his money—she gave half to my dad, cause he hit her until she did.”

“When did this happen?”

“Oh ages ago.”

“You didn’t get his name, the old man, I mean?”

“No, but he smelt like old cheese.”

“A bit smelly was he?”

“Yeah, big and fat and smelly.”

“If I was able to get a picture of him, d’you think you’d recognise him?”

“I dunno, Mummy, I don’t wanna see him again, he frightened me a bit.”

“Okay, sweetheart, let’s go and see what the others are doing.” They were doing some colouring and she happily went to do some with them. Apparently it’s now the in thing for adults, only they give it some highfaluting name like therapeutic pencil work. It’s just colouring, which I enjoyed as a kid but think after doing it for maps of various animals, I’ve had my fill of it. I expect jigsaws will be next to be elevated to adult leisure toys or Fuzzy Felts or maybe doll’s houses.

I left Hannah with the others and went back to make myself a cuppa. David was virtually snubbing me in my own kitchen. Apart from being very bad manners, it isn’t good policy to piss off the boss however good you are at your job. I spoke to him and he ignored me.

I made my tea. “Is this childish behaviour still about Hannah.” He bustled past me. “David, I have neither the time nor the energy for these silly games.”

“Silly are they?”

“Right, stop what you’re doing and let’s have it out in the open—c’mon speak your mind.” I closed the kitchen door and the others knew not to enter.

“I don’t think it’s right that you should let her call you mummy, you’re not her mother, Ingrid is.”

“I’m well aware of that, but I take it you agree I’m better fixed to help her get a good education than Ingrid is?”

“Yeah, you’ve got more money.”

“I have indeed and I intend to use it to make sure that women never comes near her again.”

“Oh so now it’s coming out is it?”

“Yes, the past abuses that child suffered. She lives in fear that Ingrid will try to snatch her back or ask me for money for her.”

“She’s mistaken.”

“I think you’ll find it’s you who are mistaken. Did you know her mother tried to sell her to a paedophile ring and only her father stopped it?”

“Come off it, Cathy, that’s pretty low even for you?”

“I shall be talking to the police and social services about it.”

“To queer her pitch—really, you take the prize for underhandedness, don’t you?”

“Hannah just told me about it, some old man, fat and smelt of old cheese.”

“You just planted that in her head didn’t you?”

“If that’s what you really feel about me, David, I’m extremely disappointed because I thought you knew me better than that.”

“I take it you want me to leave?”

“I’d hate for you to leave, because you’re a damn good cook and because I thought we were friends.”

“I can’t watch you poison that child’s mind.”

“So call social services.”

“She’ll tell them whatever you taught her to say.”

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“It’s true though, isn’t it?”

“I think you’d better go. Obviously your loyalty to a woman who dumped you and robbed both of us is greater than to your friends. You can stay at the cottage for one month or until you find somewhere else. I’m happy to give you a reference. Now please go.”

He took off his apron and tossed it on the table and left without saying anything. I felt devastated. After all I’d done for him he treats me like this. Simon will be gutted as no one will be as good as David, his cooking was something else.

I checked in the fridge, oh well, cottage pie for dinner tonight and soup for lunch. I pulled on the apron and started making lunch.