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Authors: Anne Stormont
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prints on the kitchen floor.
I walked through to the hall to hang up my jacket and saw that the answer machine was blinking. There were two messages. I wandered back to the kitchen as I listened to them. The first made my heart thud. It was from Robbie. He sounded awkward, saying he was leaving a message for Rosemary McAllister and that he hoped I was all right and had got over the shock of meeting him.
The second was from Tom. “I hope you got my note. I thought I’d give you some space. I’ll be back tomorrow after work. I hope you’ve got over it all – seen sense. We’ll talk tomorrow evening. Oh, and could you try and get my dry cleaning tomorrow? I need the suit for a conference on Monday. And my car is due a service. Can you book it in? Bye.”
I put the phone down on the worktop, turned to the table and swept dishes, food and cutlery onto the floor. I threw back my head and laughed – a horrible, cackling laugh that changed to a howl, and then I sank down onto a chair and cried messily and loudly.
Adam came running to the kitchen accompanied by Toby who was barking loudly at the commotion. “Mum, Mum, what’s happened? What’s wrong?”
I stared at him. I couldn’t form any words.
“Mum, what is it? What should I do? Mum!” He held me by the shoulders and shook me. Then he went to the kitchen door and called out, “Sam, Jenny!” He came back to me. He took my hand and said, “I’ll call Dad – it’ll be all right.”
“No!” This was all I could say. No, no, no!” I shook my head slowly from side to side.
Poor Adam looked distraught.
“Sam, Jenny!” he shouted.
“What?” Sam called from along the hall. “What do you want? We’re watching something on TV.”
“Come here!” Adam bellowed back over the dog’s barking. “Shut up, Toby. Go to bed.”
Sam gasped as she stepped into the kitchen. “What’s up - Jesus! What’s happened? Mum, my God, Mum. Adam?”
Jenny followed her sister into the room. She looked scared as she surveyed the scene. “Mum, are you ok? Adam, did you do this?”
“No! I was just coming out of the loo when I heard a crash and Mum laughing like a witch. I came to see what it was and found Mum like this. Didn’t you hear it?”
“No, we’ve got MTV on. Did Mum do all this?” Sam pointed at the debris.
“I suppose so. She was sitting there howling and crying when I came in.”
“Mum, what’s the matter?” Sam came over and sat beside me. I couldn’t stop shaking my head and I couldn’t stop the tears. She put her arm round my shoulder. “Jenny, Adam, you two start getting this lot cleared up. I’ll get her a cup of tea and phone Dad.”
I grabbed her arm. “No!” She put her hand on mine as I gripped her.
“I suggested that already,” said Adam. “She said no to me too.” He put the broken bits of crockery onto some newspaper and retrieved the cutlery and unbroken dishes.
“Why does she not want Dad?” Jenny asked, as she mopped up the mixture of jams and milk.
“I think they had a bit of an argument after Robbie left last night. Dad’s staying at the hospital tonight. There was a note,” said Sam.
I could see and hear the children, but it felt like it does in a dream. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t. I tried to move, but I seemed to be paralysed.
“I knew this would happen,” said Adam. “Him turning up and telling her all that crap. What’s he after, for Christ’s sake? It’s not like Mum’s his mother. And did you see Dad? He certainly didn’t want him around! And then Mum hit me and now she’s like this, and Dad’s left home.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Ad, don’t go over the top. She shouldn’t have hit you. I’m sure she knows that,” said Sam. “Robbie didn’t mean any harm. He thought Mum knew about him. She just needs to get used to the idea. And Dad’s obviously in trouble for keeping Robbie a secret. It’ll be fine.”
“Oh will it? Well, I don’t want anything to do with the creepy
I walked through to the hall to hang up my jacket and saw that the answer machine was blinking. There were two messages. I wandered back to the kitchen as I listened to them. The first made my heart thud. It was from Robbie. He sounded awkward, saying he was leaving a message for Rosemary McAllister and that he hoped I was all right and had got over the shock of meeting him.
The second was from Tom. “I hope you got my note. I thought I’d give you some space. I’ll be back tomorrow after work. I hope you’ve got over it all – seen sense. We’ll talk tomorrow evening. Oh, and could you try and get my dry cleaning tomorrow? I need the suit for a conference on Monday. And my car is due a service. Can you book it in? Bye.”
I put the phone down on the worktop, turned to the table and swept dishes, food and cutlery onto the floor. I threw back my head and laughed – a horrible, cackling laugh that changed to a howl, and then I sank down onto a chair and cried messily and loudly.
Adam came running to the kitchen accompanied by Toby who was barking loudly at the commotion. “Mum, Mum, what’s happened? What’s wrong?”
I stared at him. I couldn’t form any words.
“Mum, what is it? What should I do? Mum!” He held me by the shoulders and shook me. Then he went to the kitchen door and called out, “Sam, Jenny!” He came back to me. He took my hand and said, “I’ll call Dad – it’ll be all right.”
“No!” This was all I could say. No, no, no!” I shook my head slowly from side to side.
Poor Adam looked distraught.
“Sam, Jenny!” he shouted.
“What?” Sam called from along the hall. “What do you want? We’re watching something on TV.”
“Come here!” Adam bellowed back over the dog’s barking. “Shut up, Toby. Go to bed.”
Sam gasped as she stepped into the kitchen. “What’s up - Jesus! What’s happened? Mum, my God, Mum. Adam?”
Jenny followed her sister into the room. She looked scared as she surveyed the scene. “Mum, are you ok? Adam, did you do this?”
“No! I was just coming out of the loo when I heard a crash and Mum laughing like a witch. I came to see what it was and found Mum like this. Didn’t you hear it?”
“No, we’ve got MTV on. Did Mum do all this?” Sam pointed at the debris.
“I suppose so. She was sitting there howling and crying when I came in.”
“Mum, what’s the matter?” Sam came over and sat beside me. I couldn’t stop shaking my head and I couldn’t stop the tears. She put her arm round my shoulder. “Jenny, Adam, you two start getting this lot cleared up. I’ll get her a cup of tea and phone Dad.”
I grabbed her arm. “No!” She put her hand on mine as I gripped her.
“I suggested that already,” said Adam. “She said no to me too.” He put the broken bits of crockery onto some newspaper and retrieved the cutlery and unbroken dishes.
“Why does she not want Dad?” Jenny asked, as she mopped up the mixture of jams and milk.
“I think they had a bit of an argument after Robbie left last night. Dad’s staying at the hospital tonight. There was a note,” said Sam.
I could see and hear the children, but it felt like it does in a dream. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t. I tried to move, but I seemed to be paralysed.
“I knew this would happen,” said Adam. “Him turning up and telling her all that crap. What’s he after, for Christ’s sake? It’s not like Mum’s his mother. And did you see Dad? He certainly didn’t want him around! And then Mum hit me and now she’s like this, and Dad’s left home.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Ad, don’t go over the top. She shouldn’t have hit you. I’m sure she knows that,” said Sam. “Robbie didn’t mean any harm. He thought Mum knew about him. She just needs to get used to the idea. And Dad’s obviously in trouble for keeping Robbie a secret. It’ll be fine.”
“Oh will it? Well, I don’t want anything to do with the creepy
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