Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1429
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(aka Bike) Part 1429 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad
All Rights Reserved. |
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The sun streamed through the window of my workshop and I watched particles of dust moving in it–to think we’re breathing these things all the time. Trish, snuggled against me once again, her hands round my waist.
“I like being a girl,” she said.
“What prompted you to say that, missy?”
“I dunno–I like cuddling with you–an’ girls can do it easier than boys.”
“That would seem like a lot of fuss to go through just so you could cuddle your mum.”
“Yeah, but it’s worth it.”
“As long as you think so, that’s okay.”
“Oh I do, Mummy. I’d never want to be a boy ever, ever again.”
“It’s okay, Trish, just calm down–no one is expecting you to become one ever again. Besides you’re female legally as well–so you couldn’t become a boy if you wanted to.”
“Do you ever wish you were a boy again, Mummy?”
“I don’t think so, sweetheart, I can’t say I ever think about it.”
“I’m glad you’re a girl too, Mummy.”
“I expect you are, sweetheart–look, I’ve got things to do.”
“Why did you break the cup?”
“I dropped it on the table, it broke.”
“Jenny said you threw it on the table.”
“I did not, I threw the handle but it was already broken then.”
“Are you going to buy a new one?”
“I’ve got plenty in the cupboard, Granny Monica, gave me a pile yonks ago.”
“Are you going to choose one, a special one for you?”
“Not this time, Trish, I keep breaking them or they get dishwasher damaged. If I use different ones all the time, it should reduce the risk of one cup breaking.”
“Yeah, you could break them all,” she laughed.
“I’ll have to take that risk–anyway, let’s lock this up and you can help me choose a cup for today.”
We shut the garage up and headed back to the kitchen, Stella was feeding Fiona. “Can I watch?” asked Trish who was fascinated.
“If you like and your mother doesn’t mind you associating with dangerous drivers.”
“Stella, don’t involve the children–any issues are between you and I.”
She looked angrily at me, then agreed. I owed her quite a lot–in clothing alone–half my wardrobe originated in hers.
“I owe you quite a lot, Stella, you gave me the push I needed to jump-start me; by myself I was going nowhere fast.”
“Dunno–if you hadn’t saved my life at various times I wouldn’t be here now, would I?”
“I don’t think I can answer that on the grounds that if I hadn’t been there, you may not have been at risk in the first place.”
“I hadn’t thought of that–yeah–it’s all your fault,” she looked at me and laughed, waking the snoozing Fiona who began sucking like a vacuum cleaner.
“So are we quits?” I asked.
“Yeah, quits.” We shook on it which once again woke the baby who began turbo suction once again. “’Ere, Fi, don’t suck my nipples off, there’s a good girl.” I laughed, been there done that got the stretch marks–they don’t mention that do they when they talk about breast feeding?
“Choose a cup, Mummy,” urged Trish.
“I’ll use this one today,” I said picking down a mug with a picture of a black cat on it. “It reminds me of Inky.”
“Can we have a cat, Mummy?”
“I’d be worried about the main road, darling. Cats tend not to have much road sense.”
“A bit like me,” said Stella winking at Trish.
“What’s road sense?”
“It’s knowing when it’s safe to cross a road.”
“I could teach a cat to do that, Mummy–we learned in school, Look left, look right and then left again, looking left and right and listening all the time until you are safely across.”
“You certainly know how to cross the road, but I doubt you could teach a cat–they’re far too independent.”
“I’m sure I could, Mummy.”
“I think I know a bit more about cats, darling, so the answer is no.”
“’Snot fair,” she said and stamped out of the kitchen.
“That was you, twenty or thirty...”
“Can’t be thirty years, I’m only twenty seven now.”
“I was going to say minutes,” said Stella who laughed at her own joke and woke Fiona up who started crying–serve her right.
“Are you going to put the banshee to bed?”
“Yes, why?” she tried to comfort the little one who was playing at inconsolable.
“I need to start doing dinner–may I?” I held out my hands for the squealing baby, who Stella handed over to me while sighing.
Rocking her a little over my shoulder and whispering in her ear she went from screaming to listening in about ten seconds, followed by a massive burp and then a series of aftershocks. Two minutes later I handed her back to Stella who stood transfixed.
“How did you do that?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Get her to shut up?”
“I had a feeling she might have some trapped wind, but by squealing she’d resist me breaking it for her, so I just whispered to her. Did they teach you about arguing–when people get louder, you get quieter–they have to shut up to hear what you’re saying–works with babies too.”
“So I see.” Stella took her off to sleep for an hour or two. “Once I’ve got her settled, d’you need a hand?”
“Yeah, come and help me do the veg and we can chat.” Stella and I hadn’t talked like we used to for ages–one of the changes which comes with children I suppose. She arrived back about ten minutes later. I gave her the broad beans to shell.
“What’s happening with Gareth?”
“I wondered when you’d get round to asking.”
“When are you going to get round to answering–we are concerned you know?”
“Yeah, I know–okay–the truth is–no idea. He hasn’t phoned, written or texted, emailed used jungle drums or carrier pigeon.” To add emphasis she sighed then gave a great shrug.
“Oh dear, sorry about that–I’d hoped it was going to work out for you this time, Stel.” We stopped and had an impromptu hug.
“All men are bastards,” she said.
“Some are bigger ones than others.”
“Yeah, like dicks.”
Her comparison confused me for a moment then I felt embarrassed.
“Is Simon okay in that department?”
“I’ve got no complaints,” which was very true–he could have loads but not that was aware of.
“Gareth was huge...” she offered then snorted, “...for a fieldmouse.”
“He gave you Fiona,” I tried to defend him a little–he had seen her at her worst and I wasn’t surprised he’d gone.
“Did he? Without blood tests I’m not sure,” she fired back.
“Were you seeing someone else as well then?”
“I had some catching up to do, did a few one night stands.”
“Oh, Stella, you silly goose–you could have picked up anything from HIV to Hep B, especially with your training, you should have known that.”
“I did know that–okay–okay, it was stupid.”
“What were you trying to prove?”
“Nothin’ in particular–why?”
“I just wondered. I love you, Sis, please don’t mess yourself up again–I don’t have the blue light to sort things anymore.”
“Yeah, so you said–must have upset Shekinah quite a lot.”
“There are no gods, Stella, just our need for something bigger than us and a laziness in moral thinking.”
“Not just fear of death then?”
“Perhaps that as well–those beans ready?”
