the gates is you’ve been fired and a right honey has got your job for now.’
‘For your information, Meester Gay Gordon, word at the gates is wrong, I left the ungrateful bitch. And now I have no money, so can you spread the word please?’ She handed him some leaflets outlining her babysitting services.
‘I could use some help at the girls’ party tomorrow if you’re free. I’ll pay your going rate; say from two till six,’ Gordon said kindly.
‘I think I may love you,’ Inga crooned.
‘From afar, sweetie, from afar.’ Gordon flicked his wrist camply. Inga laughed out loud.
‘Where you staying anyway?’ he asked her.
‘I am sleeping on a friend’s bedroom floor. I sneak in when the family she is au pairing for have gone to bed.’
‘Oh, Inga darling, that’s no good. Come to me tomorrow. I will feed you too.’ He scribbled down his address and handed her a £5 note. Inga squished her face up. ‘Pre-payment for your bus fare. See you.’ Before she could object, the Mini whizzed off.
‘See you – wouldn’t wanna be you,’ the girls shouted in unison and waved wildly out of the back window.
Joan rounded up her brood. She was feeling so much better now she knew what was actually wrong with her. She had had visions of being seriously ill and constant nightmares of dying and having to say goodbye to her family. Rosie ran out to greet her too. Joan had happily said yes to Mo, when she had asked if she minded taking her in on the extra afternoons she was at the surgery until five.
‘Have a lovely weekend,’ Mr Chambers shouted after her. He had a soft spot for Joan and her brood; they were such a delight to teach.
Tommy stood inside the class waiting for Dana. She was unusually late, and came running up the path at full pelt.
‘So sorry I’m late!’ She addressed both Tommy and Mr Chambers, who noticed a different spring in her step.
‘By seconds, that’s all,’ he said kindly. ‘Enjoy the weekend.’ The dedicated teacher then walked back into his classroom.
Emily Pritchard reached the end of the road, then pulled up beside Inga, who was walking on the pavement, and opened her car window.
‘Still OK to babysit tomorrow, dear?’
‘Oh, yes of course Mrs Pritchard. I’m helping at the twins’ birthday party first. So I can be with you for sevenish, if that’s all right?’
‘Birthday party, you say?’ Emily said acerbically. ‘Maybe Joshy forgot to give me the invite.’
‘Oh...um, I am late,’ Inga said hurriedly. ‘I must go fast, see you tomorrow.’
Why did all these English mums have to be so bitchy, she thought as she headed back into town to place an advert in the newsagents’ window. She hoped she never ended up like that!
– Chapter Six –
‘Rosie’s mum is coming up the path,’ Skye shouted to Joan, who was just putting Cissy to bed.
Strange on a Friday evening, Joan thought. She kissed her younger daughter goodnight, relishing the scrumptious scent of baby, and made her way downstairs.
Mo almost fell through the front door. She was completely breathless.
‘I am so sorry to bother you,’ she managed to get out. ‘It’s just...’ She did her best not to cry. Skye, Clark and Kent appeared at the kitchen door and Joan stood in front of Mo to shield the blood-sodden towel that was wrapped around her friend’s wrist.
‘Carry on watching telly you lot, we’re just having a cup of tea.’
‘Where’s Daddy?’ Skye whined.
‘He’s working late, sweetheart, he’ll be back soon.’ Joan too felt like whining. Colin in all the years she had known him had never worked late on a Friday – and by the look of Mo, she could really do with a man here.
Joan put the kettle on, got a bowl of warm water and gently removed the towel. Neither of them needed to speak; Joan knew that proud Mo must have been in a bad way to knock on her door. The two women had struck up a strong friendship since the night of the diabetes incident, when Joan had got herself
‘For your information, Meester Gay Gordon, word at the gates is wrong, I left the ungrateful bitch. And now I have no money, so can you spread the word please?’ She handed him some leaflets outlining her babysitting services.
‘I could use some help at the girls’ party tomorrow if you’re free. I’ll pay your going rate; say from two till six,’ Gordon said kindly.
‘I think I may love you,’ Inga crooned.
‘From afar, sweetie, from afar.’ Gordon flicked his wrist camply. Inga laughed out loud.
‘Where you staying anyway?’ he asked her.
‘I am sleeping on a friend’s bedroom floor. I sneak in when the family she is au pairing for have gone to bed.’
‘Oh, Inga darling, that’s no good. Come to me tomorrow. I will feed you too.’ He scribbled down his address and handed her a £5 note. Inga squished her face up. ‘Pre-payment for your bus fare. See you.’ Before she could object, the Mini whizzed off.
‘See you – wouldn’t wanna be you,’ the girls shouted in unison and waved wildly out of the back window.
Joan rounded up her brood. She was feeling so much better now she knew what was actually wrong with her. She had had visions of being seriously ill and constant nightmares of dying and having to say goodbye to her family. Rosie ran out to greet her too. Joan had happily said yes to Mo, when she had asked if she minded taking her in on the extra afternoons she was at the surgery until five.
‘Have a lovely weekend,’ Mr Chambers shouted after her. He had a soft spot for Joan and her brood; they were such a delight to teach.
Tommy stood inside the class waiting for Dana. She was unusually late, and came running up the path at full pelt.
‘So sorry I’m late!’ She addressed both Tommy and Mr Chambers, who noticed a different spring in her step.
‘By seconds, that’s all,’ he said kindly. ‘Enjoy the weekend.’ The dedicated teacher then walked back into his classroom.
Emily Pritchard reached the end of the road, then pulled up beside Inga, who was walking on the pavement, and opened her car window.
‘Still OK to babysit tomorrow, dear?’
‘Oh, yes of course Mrs Pritchard. I’m helping at the twins’ birthday party first. So I can be with you for sevenish, if that’s all right?’
‘Birthday party, you say?’ Emily said acerbically. ‘Maybe Joshy forgot to give me the invite.’
‘Oh...um, I am late,’ Inga said hurriedly. ‘I must go fast, see you tomorrow.’
Why did all these English mums have to be so bitchy, she thought as she headed back into town to place an advert in the newsagents’ window. She hoped she never ended up like that!
– Chapter Six –
‘Rosie’s mum is coming up the path,’ Skye shouted to Joan, who was just putting Cissy to bed.
Strange on a Friday evening, Joan thought. She kissed her younger daughter goodnight, relishing the scrumptious scent of baby, and made her way downstairs.
Mo almost fell through the front door. She was completely breathless.
‘I am so sorry to bother you,’ she managed to get out. ‘It’s just...’ She did her best not to cry. Skye, Clark and Kent appeared at the kitchen door and Joan stood in front of Mo to shield the blood-sodden towel that was wrapped around her friend’s wrist.
‘Carry on watching telly you lot, we’re just having a cup of tea.’
‘Where’s Daddy?’ Skye whined.
‘He’s working late, sweetheart, he’ll be back soon.’ Joan too felt like whining. Colin in all the years she had known him had never worked late on a Friday – and by the look of Mo, she could really do with a man here.
Joan put the kettle on, got a bowl of warm water and gently removed the towel. Neither of them needed to speak; Joan knew that proud Mo must have been in a bad way to knock on her door. The two women had struck up a strong friendship since the night of the diabetes incident, when Joan had got herself
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