Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 226

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Easy As Falling Off A Train
by Angharad
part 226.

The next morning we were all buzzing with the prospect of Stella coming home. I cleaned her room and changed her bedding and Tom came home with some flowers for her. I got the job of arranging them - why? 'Cos I'm a girl! The logic of men sometimes drives me crazy.

Anyway I did arrange them and was very pleased with the result, now it was only a question of getting her home before they died!

Tom and I went to the supermarket and bought another chicken. "You don't think this is tempting providence?" I asked him.

"About what?"

"Well, we don't know for sure she's coming home today, do we?"

"It's friday."

"I know that."

"She will."

"How can you say that?"

"How can I say what?"

This is the man who accuses me of being obtuse! "That she'll be home today."

"Because it's friday."

"Aarrrghhhh! We've been here before. What has friday got to do with it?"

"They kick 'em out on fridays if they can, reduces staff need over the weekend."

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," it kind of made sense.

"That is obvious, women, ha!" He walked on down the aisle of the supermarket.

One of these days Tom Agnew! I turned around and suddenly realised he'd gone plus the trolley, damn this icecream was cold!

He was in the dog and catfood aisle stocking up on tins of food for Kiki.

"You spoil that dog."

"Of course I do. She's my pet and she doesn't talk back."

"When I get a place of my own, I want a cat."

"So it can kill all the dormice?"

"Very funny. Cats are very unlikely to do that, the dormice are more at risk from stoats or even rats."

"Bloody things!"

"Which?"

"All those bloody buck toothed things. Da, What's up Doc?"

"Very funny. How did you manage to get the funding to lead this mammal survey, you're not even into field biology?"

"No but I know a woman who is, plus I'm a better bullshitter than the others."

"You got the contract because of...."

"I have two, well one good and the other reasonable field workers."

"Who's the other one?"

"You are."

"What?" I stopped in my tracks.

"So who is the lead one?"

"She isn't now, she went to the States, but she was when I put in the bid."

"Oh!" I felt very dejected, I thought I was on the payroll because I was a competent field worker, surely my dormouse survey had shown that.

"Cathy, sometimes you are so gullible. You are my lead fieldworker, now dry your bloody eyes and lets go pay for this stuff."

"Sometimes you can be quite horrible, Tom agnew!"

"I'm the grumpy professor, got to keep up my appearance, so stop sniffing. Women!"

"Make that, sometimes you aren't horrible."

He looked at me and shook his head, "What's the difference?"

"Baseline state."

He rethought about what I had said. "Bitch!"

I smiled my response, even more so when he paid for the groceries.

"Simon's car has gone," I announced as we turned into the drive.

"I can see that, there's actually room to park now."

"I thought there was room before."

"For a diddy little thing like this there is, not for my Landrover."

"Maybe some people are better parkers than others."

"I think everyone is compared to the Camerons, couldn't park a flea on a dog's back."

All I could do was laugh, though sadly it was true.

Back in the house, we saw Simon's note, he'd gone to collect his sibling. I continued putting the shopping away. It suddenly struck me the drive had looked empty.

"Where is Stella's new car?" I shouted rushing out to the drive.

"Round the back," said Tom, "Do you have to shriek in my ear like that?"

"I'm sorry."

"Women!"

"Tom if you say that once more I am going to stuff you in the chicken!"

"Ho ho, fighting talk!"

"Yes. I can't help what I am anymore than you help being a grumpy old git. I know what I am, I don't need reminding."

"Only a woman would say that."

"Aaarrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhh!" I screamed and banged my head on the door, several times.

Once I had calmed down, I got on to prepare the lunch, parboiling the potatoes for roasties and preparing the chicken with my magic anointment. Then I popped the spuds in the oven, stuffed an onion inside the chicken and put that in the oven too. Then prepared the other veg, carrots, broccoli, mange tout,celery and some parsnips. I can't stand the latter, but the others seemed to like them.

Simon came back with Stella and Tom trotted out to help her in. It was near enough mid day so the chicken had another hour to do. I put the kettle on, I knew Stella would like a cuppa.

We hugged and she said she was glad to be home. Simon carried her bag.
"Hmm, something smells good."

"That'll be Cathy's chicken, she's doing Christmas dinner, the practice on Christmas day was quite good." Simon kept Stella between us so I couldn't hit him.

"Cuppa?" I asked her.

"Oh yes please." I went off to make it.

We drank our tea and by then it was time for the veg to go on and I was kept busy for the next hour cooking. Then I called Tom to carve the fowl while I put the veg in dishes on the warming tray. I'd laid the table earlier. Simon went off to get some wine and came back with two bottles of Moet & Chandos which made a loud noise when they popped.

"Here's to Christmas and to being all together," said Simon when we all had a glass of the champagne.

The dinner was okay and so was the champagne, or it was to my uncultured palate. Stella grumbled, but Simon's sharp glance shut her up. To me champagne is champagne, it's fizzy and over rated. We cleared the meal and got the dishes in the washer. Then it was present time.

I gave Stella her mirror and she was delighted. Simon loved his socks and even more the pen. Tom loved his wine, so all in all I felt quite good.

Tom gave Stella a bracelet and to me he gave a silver bangle. It was diamond cut and very pretty, I put it on my wrist immediately, the safety chain tickled my skin.

Tom gave Simon a bottle of port and Simon gave Tom a bottle of single malt whisky. They both seemed very pleased with their presents. Then Simon took Stella outside to her new car, she squealed with delight and hugged him.

When they came back in, she said, "What about Cathy, didn't you get her anything?"

"What for?"

"Christmas, you dipstick!"

"Nah, she said she didn't want anything."

"I don't believe you."

"Okay, it's in the garage, she's seen it once."

"Well I haven't," she said, "Come on Cathy, come and show me."

"It's only a complete bike workshop outfit." I said, "Worth a small fortune, many shops have worse set ups."

We put on coats and went out into the cold, I unlocked the garage door and opened it, the switching on the light saw my bike on the main stand and a second bike on the other stand.

"What the hell!" On the second, portable stand was a Specialized S Works Ruby.

"I didn't know you had two bikes," offered Stella.

"Neither did I. SIMON!"

"It came with the set," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't be stupid, that's near enough four thousand quids worth of bike."

"It's the same size as the other one and we have the same pedals and everything. The chappy from the bike shop set it up for you."

"But why, the tools and things were enough." I was crying with a mixture of emotions, including frustration.

"I thought you might need another bike to ride if you have the one in pieces."

"Oh Simon, I don't know what to say." I hugged him and cried all over him.

"You'd better give it a ride tomorrow or it might be a while until you can again." Trust Tom to get to the nitty gritty, but it made us all laugh.

We went back in and Stella reached out some small packages for the boys. Tom got a ride on a steam train from London to York, he was pretty pleased with that, especially as it included a guided trip around the railway museum and a flight back. Simon had a day trip to Brands hatch and a driving lesson in a F1 car. His eyes lit up.

Then Stella gave me mine, a small envelope. I opened it and inside was a voucher for a weekend pampering at a spa, with a whole list of treatments included. "Don't worry, I'm coming too," she said and we hugged.

I suddenly remembered my father had given me an envelope before I left the hospital. I ran up to my room and fished it out of my bag. It was a cheque for a thousand pounds. This had to be the best Christmas I had ever had and with my day of judgement just three more days away, it was going to be the most eventful for some time.

########################

Feel free to carp, I mean comment.

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Comments

Aaaaaaahhhhh, Sweet.

What a nice episode with a happy ending. Do I suspect some wishful thinking in the Specialized S Works Ruby? You'll have to find yourself a Simon, Ang! I thought the presents showed a lot of imagination.

Very pleased Stella's back home again.

Hugs,

Gabi

Gabi.


“It is hard for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thomas Hardy—Far from the Madding Crowd.

This entire chapter was so

This entire chapter was so sweet and I just loved the banter back and forth between Cathy and Tom. He definitely treats her like his daughter. Perhaps with the new bike and equipment she will cross paths with Gaby and her Mum, Jenny at a bike race or rally. That would be a real fun chapter. Oh yes, what is mange tout? Would I know it by another name, just wondering.
Hugs all round to you Angharad, Janice Lynn

Carp?

A dirty bottom feeder
But I can't carp about the story.
As there are only 3 days left, I sure hope Cathy can take it easy.
She wouldn't dare get hurt and cause her to miss her date, would she?
Holly

One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness.
It usually comes back to you.

Holly

sounds fishy

I'm feeling a little too koi to carp.

In many ways, I like....

... the one gift a person tradition - where it is one special gift specially picked out and appropriate to the recipient...

That said. I think my 11 yr old still subscribes to the theory that "the more presents the better" and who cares how fancy or special each one is... She does like to craft gifts though. I got an oblong piece of clay - that turned out to be very useful - It props the back of my lappy up at a better angle for typing. And that's what she intended! Smart kid!

Thanks for the story Angharad...

Mange Tout

http://www.waitrose.com/food/cookingandrecipes/cookinglibrar...

Mange tout

From the French words mange (meaning eat) and tout (meaning all), the flat pods of mange tout are eaten whole. They are actually young peas still in the pod and picked before they have a chance to develop.

Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Delicious blanched and tossed in salad dressing, or steamed or stir-fried and served hot, they are extremely versatile. They can also be eaten raw in salads.
To store: Best eaten fresh, they can be kept in the fridge for a day.
To prepare: Top and tail the pods. Leave whole or slice, according to your recipe.
To cook: Cook in a steamer for 5-10 minutes or stir-fry until they are tender but still have some 'bite'. They can also be boiled in salted water for 2 minutes.

Mange?

That's a skin disease, who'd want to eat that. ;)

Karen J.

"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"
Janis Joplin


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Oh Angharad, This Chapter Was One Of The Best

Now with everything that has happened in this chapter, There are still unanswered questions. But I know that you will answer them all in good time. I for one want to know who it was that was beating up on that Russian woman. I agree with the sentiment of seeing Cathy and Drew/Gaby racing together.
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

My bike stand

IS a retired bike shop stand that must weigh a hundred pounds. But I can turn a bike to any position on it, even upside down and it holds it very securely. Can't complain, got it cheap at a going out of business sale.

but good for Cathy! gotta love a girl who does her own bike maintenance.

Woody

Carp??? Carp???

Isn't that what we're supposed to do? and every day, too??? Isn't that what "Carpe Diem" means????

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

x

Yours from the Great White North,

Jenny Grier (Mrs.)

Finally

KevSkegRed's picture

I've finally caught up, yippee, oh no, that means I've now got to wait for the next chapter. Ohhhh, what will I do with my days now?? I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms already. I might have to start from the beginning again. A delightful read, yet again.

Kev [Ρĥàńŧāśĩ»ßő™], Skeg Vegas, England, UK.

KevSkegRed, Skeg Vegas, England, UK.

More bikes

With less use. Of course, Simon could always get a bike, or Stella. Now there's a thought, Stella driving a bike!

Perhaps a bit too much reality

Aljan Darkmoon's picture

Set in modern times, a large part of this story has to do with gender roles in an intensely globalized, mercantilized, consumer culture. A lot of what men and women do, and buy, we do because we are constantly telling each other that these things will make us feel more like men and women. Fashion, makeup, perfume, fast cars, Land Rovers, power politics and finance…they are all artificial (though the animal drives they represent are not), yet we are constantly told that this is the stuff of “real” men and women, all in the name of selling each other things we don’t really need and soon throw away in order to keep the money moving.

Equally artificial is the constant “battle between the sexes,” which an increasing number of people are realizing has escalated into an all-out shooting war. As another increasing number of people are going public to point out, this is no more necessary (but perhaps even more wasteful) than consumerism.

In some parts of Bike, the battle takes the form of edgy banter and coup-counting:

Tom and I went to the supermarket and bought another chicken. “You don’t think this is tempting providence?” I asked him.
 
“About what?”
 
“Well, we don’t know for sure she’s coming home today, do we?”
 
“It’s Friday.”
 
“I know that.”
 
“She will.”
 
“How can you say that?”
 
“How can I say what?”
 
This is the man who accuses me of being obtuse! “That she’ll be home today.”
 
“Because it’s Friday.”
 
“Aarrrghhhh! We’ve been here before. What has Friday got to do with it?”
 
“They kick ’em out on Fridays if they can, reduces staff need over the weekend.”
 
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” it kind of made sense.
 
“That is obvious, women, ha!” He walked on down the aisle of the supermarket.
 
One of these days Tom Agnew!

“One of these days, Alice, BAM! to the moon!”?? (Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners)

Played here for comedy, it elsewhere becomes a source of drama, such as when Simon and Cathy’s breakup suddenly becomes all about “what men are” when Simon cannot express what is really troubling him…and nearly every person who left a comment for that part of Bike was taking sides. Let’s all bash Simon, he’s such a man! Women never have trouble saying what they really feel, now do they?!

Angharad’s storytelling is powerful because she writes what’s real, what really happens in Real Life™. I suppose that, in some places, there are still men like the characters in Bike, though in my neck of the woods many have been beaten into submission and are assuming politically correct postures to keep beneath the radar. Simon tells us that he keeps his armor polished and fears to open his heart because of what he has suffered at the hands of Stella and her nurse friends. I have met real casualties of this war being waged in the courts, media, and other institutions that have been left barely functional from it.

My mom wanted a boy; I get to pay the price. I can only change who I become, but people respond to me according to what I am, or appear to be on the surface. I do not do well in this environment of anger, hostility, and conflict; it is toxic to me, so I stay home most of the time. I really don’t want to read about it, when I can experience it for real just by opening my front door. Bike is some of the best storytelling I have seen on any amateur fiction site, but the unremitting sniping and male-bashing (including in some of the characterizations) is getting me down. Much as I don’t want to, I think I may have to move on before I become even more depressed. Sorry…

Insulting Authors

I asked , who's on first Who. That's what I asked who's on first? I told you, Who. What? second base. Only a Yank gets that.
Cathy has Simon around her little finger. Go Girl !

Cefin.