(aka Bike) Part 1717 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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Out on the bike I did a mile or two to loosen up, then headed for Portsdown Hill... back home again one hour and ten minutes later, I felt exhausted, very sweaty and smelly, but exhilarated. Sammi was playing dolls with Cate and I wasn’t sure who was having the most fun.
I went and showered and it seemed my presence broke the spell and little C wanted big C to spoil her, so I fed her while Sam made the tea. “You look so natural doing that,” trilled Sammi.
“Of course it’s natural.”
“I didn’t mean it that way–oh, I’m just messing this up–what I meant to say is that you look like her mother feeding her, I mean her natural mother. Julie told me what happened–it’s very sad.”
“Yeah, the whole family died except this little baggage. Maria asked me to look after her, so I’m trying to honour that request.”
“You’re very big on honour, aren’t you?”
“Yes I am–d’you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all, it’s a bit quaint in today’s world but very–um–honourable.” She blushed, “I like it actually. There’s something decidedly old fashioned about this family, but it’s nice to see and feel.”
“I didn’t think love was old fashioned, I thought it was timeless.”
“It is in an abstract form, but you draw the family in around you–you’re the scaffolding that holds it all together.”
“I think you’ll find most mothers do that.”
“Not today they don’t–they’re too busy chasing toy-boy boyfriends after their second divorce.”
“We obviously experienced things differently as we grew up. In my family and immediate circle, people stayed married and mums stayed at home and looked after the kids.”
“Both my parents stayed home, living off benefits which meant there was never enough for new clothes or anything else new for that matter.”
“I’m sorry, by comparison my life must have been much easier.”
“Yeah, but then you’ve seemingly dedicated it to helping others.”
“I didn’t go out looking for it–it simply happened.”
“You’re very special, d’you know that.”
“Yeah yeah, so they keep telling me.”
“Who is Billie?”
My blood froze, “What d’you mean?”
“I just got this impression of a little girl standing beside you.”
“If this is your idea of a joke–it’s not very funny.” I felt a degree of shock and anger.
“No, honestly, this girl was standing beside you and looking at you with such love, then she smiled at me and just vanished.”
I felt tears fill my eyes, “Excuse me,” I rushed out to my study and shut the door. Surely she can’t still be around here? No, I was shown categorically that she was safe, so why has she come back and why can I never see her? I had a little cry wiped my eyes and went back to the kitchen where Sammi was again playing with little Cate.
“Sorry about that,” I said as I attempted to breeze back into the kitchen, and my tea had gone cold.
“Let me get you a fresh one,” offered Sammi, “I’m sorry if I upset you, I only mentioned it because she was showing you so much love.”
“Okay, can we change the subject?”
“Sure, was that your daughter who died?”
“Yes.”
She made me some fresh tea and poured herself another cup.
“So have you decided about your future?”
“Yes, I’m going to restart my course next year.”
“You mean, next academic year?”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“Have you got yourself a shrink yet?”
“Um–no, I’ve been self medicating. I found a genuine pharmacy on line and have been buying hormones from them.”
“Right, presumably you have a doctor, a GP I mean?”
“Yeah, never see them though.”
“You need to go and see them and ask for a referral regarding your gender problem.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Do it now.”
“Do what?”
“Make an appointment.”
“I’ll do it later.”
“Do it now–please, for my peace of mind.”
“You really do sound like my mother.”
“Sorry,” I shrugged.
“I wish you were.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Really, in a day or so you’ve done more for me than she did.”
“Please can we not compare parenting models? She might have had very good reasons for how she handled things.”
“Yeah, like being a total dip-stick, who was so lazy she’d wait for me to come home from school to switch the telly on rather than cross the room and switch it on herself.”
I decided I wasn’t going to get caught up in this stuff.
“How about some soup for lunch?”
“It’s a bit warm for soup, isn’t it?”
Someone was turning down my staple–what sort of monster had I unleashed on the world?
“Okay, how d’you fancy a roll?”
“Yeah, fine–got any tuna?”
Suddenly the day seemed brighter. I prepared tuna with onion and mayonnaise and chopped some salad and placed that in the rolls as well. They went down very well.
“Have you ever used a bread machine?” I asked.
“Um–no–I’ve heard of them.”
“This is how this one works,” and I showed her how to load a straightforward wholemeal loaf.
“Crikey, that’s easy, innit?”
“Yes, given the dumbing-down of everything these days, what d’you expect? Mind you this one has a recipe book with it and you can make all sorts of cakes and things as well.”
“Can I try that some time?” she asked.
“Of course you can.” I looked at the kitchen clock. “Have you done much ironing?”
“A bit, why?”
“I have a mound of it over there–if I show you how I do it–you could do some when I go to fetch the girls.”
I think I saw a look of distaste cross her face, “Or you could clean the bathrooms?”
“No, ironing is fine,” she smiled suddenly converted to the lesser of two evils school of decision making.
I showed her where I kept the iron and the pile of laundered clothing.
“You iron sheets?” she asked in disbelief.
“Just a bit, they look so much more inviting when they’re fresh.”
“You’re only going to sleep in them,” she protested.
“Yeah, I just happen to like to sleep in ironed sheets, okay?”
“Fine by me,” she said almost taking a step backwards.
I showed her what to do and she gingerly copied me, using the excuse that it was a different iron to the one she was used to, but it was obvious to an old hand like me, that she’d never ironed much before in her life.
Looks like I’ve acquired another pupil for domestic studies.
Comments
The return of Billie
Sam saw Billie, who hasn't been seen in quite some time. Curiouser, and Curiouser.
++ VOTE ++ ++ VOTE ++
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
Brought up as a boy.
If the poor kid was forced to live as a boy, it's not surprising she can't iron. She's got a steep learning curve ahead of her.
Nice chapter Ang.
Thanks and goodnight.
I'm to bed.
Bev.
OXOXOX
I'm with Sammi ...
... and so is my wife :) Never seen the point of ironing sheets, or underwear, or most things come to that. My stepmother on the other hand ironed everything including socks and acted the martyr. I think it's true that some women (and some men too) have the housework gene - we, OTOH live in relatively luxurious squalor LOL I tend to the Quentin Crisp school of dusting, I'm afraid.
Sometimes I wonder how Cathy maintains her determined agnosticism in the face of the evidence. I think if I could magically cure people and experience ghosts so convincingly even I might consider climbing over the fence she sits on and believe in the supernatural.
Robi
We are like feral cats.
Nice ones, and we just need a bit of mentoring.
G
Out of Fashion
Just because something has gone out of fashion does not diminish it's correctness. We tend to have absorbed in the modern culture idea that things that are old , and not from now, have lesser or no worth. IMHO it is time to do things because it is the correct way to do them. Things like love, Loyalty, Truthfulness, Honesty, Respect, generosity Etc Etc Etc are not old they never age they are just the correct thing to do. Another reason why I love Catherin as a character.
Here I stand, and this I will defend.
Michele Whitewolf
A classic at 58
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
How come I'm...
How come I've always been the one to do the ironing... LOL
Fascinating discussion... I see Sammi managed to postpone calling her GP looking for a referral.
Thanks,
Annette
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1717
I am sure that Billie was there to help Sammy
May Your Light Forever Shine
Billie is showing Catherin
That Sammi has the gift of sight and is well worth the work. I wonder if Sammi can also do the Blue light projection. I think this may be the Goddesses way of trying to help with the loss of such a dear child and give Cath a student that will help Catherin understand her place in the big picture.
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
Did Sammi just get Billie's blessing?
Or a message about Cathy?
Full circle?
In a way Cathy is becoming sorta a Stella to Sammi's Cathy though she did not have to knock Sammi off a bike to do it. It would have been too heavy handed in any case.
As for Billie's presence, I agree it is a blessing by proxy from the Goddess to both Sammi and Cathy really.
Sammi has a way to go in the way of domesticity. Hope Sammi will learn not to complain about house work even if it is not liked.
Kim
At Last
Cathy has a Tuna soulmate (or should that be a sole mate?)Mind you she needed that pick me up after Sammi thought it was too hot for soup, Silly girl will soon realise if she wants to eat in the Cameron household she had better start liking soup...
Kirri