Widget Drama (aka Bike) Part 606 by Angharad

We parted amicably, or maybe that should be politely. I still have much affection for Sam Rose, he is one of nature’s gentlemen, as my mother would have said–a truly good and kind man.

Somehow, Karen seems to put my back teeth on edge, as if she’s trying to catch me out, or is she trying to work out what Sam and I aren’t telling her. Well we all know that, don’t we? If she has access to the internet, she’ll find me one way or another. I haven’t exactly kept a low profile, have I? Anyway, my judgement about her will wait until after she meets with Trish. I won’t leave her alone with the child, which I suspect Trish will find helpful.

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, when the Queen used to give Maundy money to so many pensioners, one for each year of her life if I remember correctly. Don’t know if they still do it, but the money was specially minted for the occasion and they were paid in groats and things–a groat was four old pence, which is less than two new ones.

I wonder where that came from–attending a church school; I suppose. I parked the car and went up to see the baby. “Do you know, as soon as you enter the unit, this child starts to brighten up?”

“Eh?” sometimes my power of oratory is mind boggling.

The nurse/midwife spoke again, “This child knows when you are near.”

“Yeah, like when I walk up and tickle her belly, or speak to her.”

“No, before that. She began to move about and chuckle to herself about five or ten minutes ago.”

That was about the time I parked the car. “Well, I’ve probably been in the hospital for an hour, so that shoots your theory down, doesn’t it?” It was a total lie, but I didn’t go for this ESP stuff. I thought that applied to pets not kids.

“If you say so,” she said giving me an ‘I don’t believe you, you lying bitch’ sort of look. I shrugged a non verbal reply of, ‘bugger you then’. I told you my powers of oratory were legend.

We stopped the war of attrition and she handed me the bottle of milk and I fed my little darling. She gulped it down and was promptly sick. I helped clean up the mess, changed her nappy and gave her a small second bottle. After which I talked to her and rubbed her over as much of her body as the wires and things would permit. She seemed to enjoy it.

“She’s starting to gain nearly every day, I hope by the weekend, we might be able to let you have a little cuddle.”

“Shouldn’t her mother have the first one?”

“Possibly, but I’m thinking of the baby.”

I let it go, I’d love to cuddle her as I’m sure she would to. However, loyalty and friendship demand that should go to Stella, and it might help her feel better and start the bonding process. If she declines, I would consider filling the breach on a temporary basis. Oh why does life have to be so complicated?

As I tickled and talked to Puddin’ my mind went back over the lunch, I sniggered when I thought of Sam and his Kosher ham, that man is priceless, mind you a friend of my dad’s who was in the RAF for years, spoke of Muslim house boys who used to eat any left over meat irrespective of what it was. If it was pork or ham, they called it holiday meat.

I played with Puddin for a while longer, then went off to see Stella and Henry, I was beginning to feel like a social worker or hospital visitor–which was an old term for hospital social workers.

Once again, I walked Stella round the corridor and back a couple of times. She sat down exhausted and puffing. She’d put on a bit of weight since the birth and she needed to get that off before she got well or she would top herself. She had quite a thing about her appearance, unlike me, a natural slob unless I’m trying to impress, then I can dress reasonably well. I suppose too, that I have to make myself a bit more tidy to encourage the girls to do the same–without it going crazy.

“Stella, your baby is possibly going to be able for you to give her a cuddle in a day or two, would you like me to take you up to see her?”

Stella looked at me, obviously running my message back and fore in her brain. “Can you do it for me, I feel too tired at the moment.”

“It isn’t today, Stella, it might not be for two or three days, but sometime soon. I’ll take you up to see her.”

“No, you go, I’m too busy.”

“Stella, this is your baby, baby Desi, we’re talking about, not some anonymous child dumped by a teenage mother. It’s you she needs, not me.”

“I can’t cope at the moment, okay?”

“But it might help you feel better, and I’m sure it would help your baby. She desperately needs a cuddle and who better than her mummy, to do it?”

“I want you to go now,” she pulled her hand from between mine and walked away from me. A nurse who’d been sitting nearby and overheard the conversation, shrugged at me, as if to say, ‘better luck next time.’

I walked up to her, “Does Stella get much exercise?”

“She wanders about a bit some days, usually if she’s agitated.”

“Agitated? Gosh, I hadn’t even thought of that, I thought she was just very depressed.”

“Depressed people can get agitated.”

“Oh, you learn something new every day.”

“Come back and try again tomorrow, one day you might get through.”

“Gosh, I hope so. She is one of the most vivacious people I know, or she was before this hit her.”

“Sad, innit?” suggested the nurse.

“A complete tragedy in one act.”

“Hey, that’s clever.”

“What is?”

“What you just said.”

“Nah, if I’d said something clever, she’d have leapt out of her depression and back to the sister in law I know and love so much.”

“So you’ve known her a long time?”

“Long enough to know she’s quite ill.”

“Sadly, yes she is–but it’s amazing how some people get over this sort of thing.”

“Only some?” I queried.

“You know what I mean,” she blushed.

“Yeah, I suppose I do.” I bade her goodbye and walked out of the ward, as I did so, my mobile peeped to indicate a text message.

‘Prezi cmin sat am. Wil cum wen I can. Luv S. xxx’

I replied, ’ will b here to get it. Come soon. Lol C xxx I wondered what it would be, and was it from him or Henry. I decided I could possibly find out from the horse’s mouth.

I walked briskly over to Henry’s ward, breezed in and walked into his room, to be met by a complete stranger lying in his bed. “Who are you?” he asked.