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Authors: Margaret Thomson Davis
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clinging on to her mother, was happily admiring all sorts of articles on display. Suddenly, Mae felt guilty and hurried over to take Mrs McIvor’s other arm.
Doris said, ‘This is great. Even Mother is interested and enjoying looking at all the lovely gifts. She’s never been so quiet and well-behaved for ages.’
‘It’s the colours and sparkle of everything. There are so many gorgeous things. Copies of paintings, and exhibits, and look at that jewelry.’
Doris said, ‘It’s so wonderful to have Mother quiet like this. I confess I often feel like murdering her when she keeps repeating things over and over again at me. It drives me absolutely frantic at times.’
‘It’s understandable, Doris. But it shows you that you need to get out and about more.’
‘I do too,’ Mae thought. She was afraid to be in the house, that was her problem. What would the robbers do if they found the money had gone? She was going to save up as hard as she could and as fast as she could, to replace all the five pound notes.
But that had not happened yet and so she believed she had good reason to be afraid. Very afraid indeed.
17
‘It did your mother and you so much good to get out and have a bit of fresh air and exercise,’ Mae told Doris later that week. ‘So let’s do it again another day. We can take an arm each and have a walk around the park, then go to the Art Galleries as we did before. You must get bored stuck in the house so much.’
‘Gosh, I do. That would be wonderful, Mae.’
‘Well, come on. No time like the present.’
So after Doris had smoothed her mother’s glossy white hair with a brush and secured it with a couple of kirby grips, they set off.
Mae was afraid to be in the house by herself in case the robbers broke in. At the same time, she was glad to be able to help Doris and her mother.
Once more, Doris and Mae were pleased and relieved at how well-behaved the old woman was during their walk. Mrs McIvor gazed at everything with obvious interest and pleasure. There were no violent struggles.
Doris said, ‘Poor old thing. She must get bored as well.’
‘Would you look at that.’ Mae indicated a crowd of youngsters hunkered down and passing a bottle of wine from one mouth to another. ‘They can’t even have reached their teens.’
‘Surely their mothers don’t know what they’re up to.’
‘Jack says most of the mothers are either alkies or drug addicts.’
‘Alkies?’
‘Alcoholics.’
Doris sighed. ‘My mother was always so good to me. She just lived for me and Alec, when we needed her. That’s why I try to be as good to her now that she needs me.’
‘You keep saying that, Doris, but you’re going to ruin your health and be of no use to your mother or to anyone soon. You wrote to him again, didn’t you? A pleading letter?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, once your brother arrives, he’ll see for himself what’s needed. He’ll get your mother into a good nursing home. She won’t be bored there, Doris. She’ll be happy and well-cared for, as I’ve already told you several times.’
‘You’re right, Mae. My health’s cracking up with the strain of never being able to relax and even get a decent sleep at night. Goodness, look over there.’
Several youths had begun to fight and Mae saw the flash of razors.
‘Let’s get out of here. And as quick as we can.’
They hurried away in the direction of the Art Galleries. Once they had safely arrived there, Doris said, ‘I remember that park being so peaceful and respectable. What a difference now.’
‘Jack says it’s going to be sorted out soon. He says a clear message is going to be sent to gang members or anybody misbehaving in Kelvingrove Park – we’ll come after you.’
‘Well, I hope they do. One thing’s for sure, Mae. You’re never likely to be bored, married to a police officer. And he’s so handsome too. I’ve never seen such a handsome man.’
‘So you keep telling me.’
‘Oh dear, am I getting as
Doris said, ‘This is great. Even Mother is interested and enjoying looking at all the lovely gifts. She’s never been so quiet and well-behaved for ages.’
‘It’s the colours and sparkle of everything. There are so many gorgeous things. Copies of paintings, and exhibits, and look at that jewelry.’
Doris said, ‘It’s so wonderful to have Mother quiet like this. I confess I often feel like murdering her when she keeps repeating things over and over again at me. It drives me absolutely frantic at times.’
‘It’s understandable, Doris. But it shows you that you need to get out and about more.’
‘I do too,’ Mae thought. She was afraid to be in the house, that was her problem. What would the robbers do if they found the money had gone? She was going to save up as hard as she could and as fast as she could, to replace all the five pound notes.
But that had not happened yet and so she believed she had good reason to be afraid. Very afraid indeed.
17
‘It did your mother and you so much good to get out and have a bit of fresh air and exercise,’ Mae told Doris later that week. ‘So let’s do it again another day. We can take an arm each and have a walk around the park, then go to the Art Galleries as we did before. You must get bored stuck in the house so much.’
‘Gosh, I do. That would be wonderful, Mae.’
‘Well, come on. No time like the present.’
So after Doris had smoothed her mother’s glossy white hair with a brush and secured it with a couple of kirby grips, they set off.
Mae was afraid to be in the house by herself in case the robbers broke in. At the same time, she was glad to be able to help Doris and her mother.
Once more, Doris and Mae were pleased and relieved at how well-behaved the old woman was during their walk. Mrs McIvor gazed at everything with obvious interest and pleasure. There were no violent struggles.
Doris said, ‘Poor old thing. She must get bored as well.’
‘Would you look at that.’ Mae indicated a crowd of youngsters hunkered down and passing a bottle of wine from one mouth to another. ‘They can’t even have reached their teens.’
‘Surely their mothers don’t know what they’re up to.’
‘Jack says most of the mothers are either alkies or drug addicts.’
‘Alkies?’
‘Alcoholics.’
Doris sighed. ‘My mother was always so good to me. She just lived for me and Alec, when we needed her. That’s why I try to be as good to her now that she needs me.’
‘You keep saying that, Doris, but you’re going to ruin your health and be of no use to your mother or to anyone soon. You wrote to him again, didn’t you? A pleading letter?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, once your brother arrives, he’ll see for himself what’s needed. He’ll get your mother into a good nursing home. She won’t be bored there, Doris. She’ll be happy and well-cared for, as I’ve already told you several times.’
‘You’re right, Mae. My health’s cracking up with the strain of never being able to relax and even get a decent sleep at night. Goodness, look over there.’
Several youths had begun to fight and Mae saw the flash of razors.
‘Let’s get out of here. And as quick as we can.’
They hurried away in the direction of the Art Galleries. Once they had safely arrived there, Doris said, ‘I remember that park being so peaceful and respectable. What a difference now.’
‘Jack says it’s going to be sorted out soon. He says a clear message is going to be sent to gang members or anybody misbehaving in Kelvingrove Park – we’ll come after you.’
‘Well, I hope they do. One thing’s for sure, Mae. You’re never likely to be bored, married to a police officer. And he’s so handsome too. I’ve never seen such a handsome man.’
‘So you keep telling me.’
‘Oh dear, am I getting as
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