The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2558 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

“I only said I’d leave and take the dormouse project and mammal survey with me.”

“An’ get thae bank tae withdraw sponsorships no tae mention calling in mortgages. I canna believe ye said that.”

“I can’t remember if I did or not, they got right up my nose and I just wanted rid of them. It worked.”

“Aye but if they complain, yer position here cud be difficult.”

“What d’you want me to do—resign?”

“No of course not.”

“I’m not apologising. My courses are some of the few making profits for the university, I won’t stand for some numbskull laying down the law about making cuts.”

“Aye, that wis a wee bitty unfortunate.”

“Oh sod it, if he wants to complain let him. I’ll leave and take my toys with me.”

“And destroy the university?”

I shrugged.

“Whaur’s thae young lassie who wis worrit aboot her students jest a few weeks ago?”

“Still here, but I don’t know for how much longer.”

“If ye feel that way perhaps ye shud resign.”

He went to leave my office where the drama had taken place. “Daddy.”

“Whit?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s no me ye need tae apologise tae, is it?”

“I’m not apologising to that cretin.”

“Sae yer no sorry, then?”

“I’m sorry I involved you in unnecessary bother.”

“Aye, sae am I.”

“I’ll resign then.”

“Aye.”

“When d’you want me to go?”

“Efter, July.”

“But that’s six months.”

“Aye, sae it is.” His eyes sparkled and he closed the door. “I needed to mak ye see how inappropriate yer behaviour wis. Noo ye’ve let thae penny drap, I can tell ye tae apply f’ thae job f’ next year.”

“What about you—are you not coming back?”

“I’ve telt them, I’ll dae thae dean’s job f’ anither year then I want tae retire.”

I nodded then felt sad. This place will be much lonelier when you do leave.”

“Och, I’m only one cog in a huge engine.”

“Well you taught me a great deal.”

“Guid, perhaps that’s why it’s called a university?”

“Very funny.”

He chuckled at his own joke, “Ye’ve taught me things tae.”

“How to mess things up without really trying.”

“No, aboot love an’ haeing a family aboot thae place.”

“That could be a mixed blessing.”

“Aye, it cud be, but it wisn’t.”

I glanced at the clock, “I’ve another tutorial in ten minutes, Daddy.”

“Ye’re a good teacher, Cathy, ye’ll mak a guid professor once ye learn tae avoid confrontation—an’ learn hoo t’ mak a decent cup o’ coffee.”

The tutorial dragged on. Robert Kirk was hard work. I did make him smile for a few moments but that felt like weeks ago. He took everything so literally that you had to be careful what you said. I’d had him as a struggler when I was a reader in the department and I didn’t have the heart to transfer him to anyone else.

Eventually the hour was up and I could disappear to get ready to take Danielle up to Reading for the football training. The forecast was still ominous, today being the supposed transition day when the weather changed from being mild and damp to cold and wet or even snow. I collected her from school and we drove home to get some lunch which David was organising for us. To my delight he did Spanish omelettes which I absolutely love, so I forgave him the lack of tuna. Though when we left an hour or so later, he’d made us up a picnic to take with us which included tuna salad rolls—all home baked—flasks of hot water for tea or coffee, plus I have this gadget you can run from the cigarette lighter point which you place in a cup and it heats the water. I suspect it would flatten a battery if the engine isn’t running, but he’d packed it in this hamper he’d packed for us. I reminded him we girls didn’t eat that much but he just laughed and said Danni ate her share of food. It’s true she still eats like a boy, even though her figure is definitely female.

My car as you know is a Jaguar XRF estate and by the time we left it was piled with warm clothes, a folding shovel, a piece of old carpet, blankets, the food hamper and the water heater thing, plus a couple of litres of water. I felt like we were heading off on an expedition to the Antarctic, the only thing missing were the dog teams and the crevasse ladders. So I think we were pretty well prepared for anything—except earthquakes and tsunamis and they don’t have many of either round Reading way. Having said that Winchester apparently had two minor shocks this week.

I also had my iPad, my sat nav and the Guardian, just in case I didn’t watch the training. On the way out of Portsmouth we filled the tank of the car which seeing as we weren’t going that far was enough to do the journey two or three times.

We chatted en route and Danni asked if I’d seen that Jaguar had brought out a new model, the XE which is smaller than mine to compete with the executive car market, especially the BMWs. I hadn’t seen the reports so she called it up on my iPad and read the specs to me as I drove. For the money they sounded quite a lot of car, but then, I’m a Jaguar fan—not as bad as Simon—can you believe he has some boxers with the Jaguar logo on them, I ask you.

Being early, we stopped at the services near the football stadium and had a cuppa and a biscuit, neither of us that hungry after a substantial lunch. She registered and I enquired about the next school girl game. It was at this stadium in February against Germany. They gave me the website so I could order tickets then told me Danni would be able to claim a couple if she was picked as a player or reserve. She disappeared into the building to change and begin warming up, I went back to the car and listened to the weather forecast, it was not encouraging.

We’d had the odd shower, the next one was accompanied with sleet and then a couple of snow flurries—wonderful, just what I need. I wondered if perhaps we should have packed the dog team.

Danni returned three hours later. “When do you get to hear if you’ve been selected?”

“They’ll be in touch, the match isn’t for three weeks.”

“Okay, ready to go home?”

“Oh yeah, I’m knackered now.”

“D’you want a sandwich or roll before we set off?”

“Nah, they gave us a few biscuits earlier.”

As we left Reading so the snow began to fall making it difficult to see where we were going and also changing the landscape. We were only driving back the way we came but it looked so different. Danni had nodded off so it was the radio for company and the swish of the windscreen wipers. It looked like the return trip was going to present certain challenges—oh poo.