Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 985.
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(aka Bike) Part 985 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad
All Rights Reserved. |
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I vented my anger on my chores, charging round with the vacuum cleaner, slinging things into the washing machine, banging pots around in the kitchen. I emptied the bread machine and began another loaf.
Simon called towards the end of the morning. “Is it safe to come home?”
“You’ll always be safe with me, my darling,” I purred down the phone.
“Is Julie going to be safe?”
“If she apologises, I might spare her, why?”
“I’ve given her a stiff talking to, she’s sitting in the car now sobbing her heart out.”
“Why?”
“Because I gave her a talking to, I’ve sacked a few people in my time you know.”
“Okay, how long are you going to be?”
“An hour tops, I hope–depends on the traffic.”
“I’ll make some soup.”
“Any fresh bread?”
“Yes, but you’re not to eat it all.”
“I’ll try not to.”
I made a thick soup with chicken stock and loads of veg plus quite a bit of pasta. I cooked some rice separately and flavoured it with more stock. After the soup was cooked, I zapped it with my hand blender and kept it warm on the hob, the rice I kept warm by cooking it very slowly.
I heard the Jaguar come into the drive. I waited, blocking the stairs–I was going to have it out with her one way or another. I noticed Stella disappeared as soon as it became obvious that High Noon had come to Portsmouth–only in my version, Grace Kelly was carrying a gun, not a parasol.
The back door opened and Simon said something quietly, presumably to Julie. Then the door shut. “Hmm, that smells good, Babes.” He strolled into the hall and saw me standing with my arms folded in front of the stairs. He stared at me, “No rolling pin, then?”
“Where is she?” I spat.
“Julie, you might as well come out and get it over and done with.” He stepped back into the kitchen and pulled her out into the hallway. I felt like a hungry tigress about to devour a goat.
“I’m sorry, Mummy,” She burst into tears and ran towards me catching me completely by surprise because the next thing I knew I was hugging her tightly while she convulsed with sobs against my chest. “I wanted to help her, she looked awful, like a horror movie.”
“Did you do any healing on her?”
“No, Mummy, I couldn’t bear to see her, all black and blue and bandaged. I had to leave because I was sick.”
“Oh, do you feel alright now?”
She nodded, still sobbing. “Daddy took me for a cup of tea,” she gave a huge shudder.
“Did he tell you off?”
“He didn’t need to, I feel so awful. Maureen needs our help and I couldn’t...” She burst out sobbing again.
“You deliberately disobeyed me and led Daddy into thinking I’d allowed you to ask him to take you. You lied to him, Julie.”
“I’m really sorry, Mummy.”
“Apologies are not enough, I’m afraid, you’ve broken the trust we offered you. In my eyes that’s a serious offence.”
“I’m sorry, Mummy, please don’t make me leave, even if I deserve to. I’d rather die than leave you.”
“I wish you’d thought about things like that earlier.” I continued to hold her although I was trying not to feel too soft and sensitive even though this was breaking my heart as much as hers.
“So do I; I’m sorry, Mummy,” she sobbed and pushed herself from my arms, “Shall I go and pack?”
“And just where are you going?” I challenged.
“You told me I don’t deserve to stay here.”
“No I didn’t, I told you that you had deceived us and disobeyed me.”
“I’m sorry,” she sniffed, “I assumed you wanted me to go.”
“A while ago, I told you that you had a home here as long as you wanted to stay. Unlike some people, my word is my bond.”
“You mean I don’t have to leave,” she rubbed her eyes and looked at me in gratitude.
“That’s what I said. However, neither Daddy nor I will tolerate such behaviour without some form of consequences.”
“Oh, you’re not gonna make me go back to being a boy, are you?” Her face fell.
“Don’t be ridiculous, but you will be punished.”
“Yes, Mummy.”
“You’ll lose all privileges for a whole week and you will work unpaid for that week. If I don’t consider you have learned your lesson sufficiently, I might extend that to a second week. I will brook no dissent, is that understood?”
“Yes, Mummy.” She sniffed and shuddered again.
“Now go and clean up and be down here in ten minutes for some lunch.”
“Yes, Mummy.”
“Oh, and Julie, just because you’re a silly little fool, doesn’t stop me loving you. However, loving you doesn’t stop me disciplining you. In fact, it makes it necessary. We have boundaries to maintain, I can’t have you trampling over mine when you feel like it.” I nodded at the stairs, “Ten minutes.” She fled up the stairs still sniffing and sobbing.
“You missed your calling, you should have run a military prison.”
“Simon, she committed numerous offences–serious ones.”
“She’s a kid, with an abusive background–give her some leeway, will you?”
“I have, she needs strong boundaries to hold her. So do I. You’re not here most of the time, I have to keep her safe until she grows up–and I mean that in several senses. She is very vulnerable and at times very headstrong.”
“Yeah, so were you.”
“Exactly, so I know what I’m doing.”
“That’s a matter of opinion,” he said as he walked away.
“Simon, we need to be united on how we bring these kids up.”
“I thought you just told me I’m never here.”
“Don’t split hairs, I need you to back me up.”
“Do you? I think you could have frightened a company of Royal Marines–she’s a kid, just a kid.”
I stormed into my kitchen, shut the door and burst into tears, leaning against it. Was I too hard on her? Am I out of touch? Am I a bully?
Why did she have to provoke me, to challenge my authority and to do so in such a devious way, involving Simon as well–or was that part of her plan, to involve him to try and minimalise the consequences? Was she clever enough to do that? I wasn’t at all sure.
I wiped my eyes, warmed the soup and drained the rice, then began to dish it up. “Lunch is ready,” I called. I wondered how many of them would come for it.
