Read Online The World's Worst Mothers by Sabine Ludwig - Free Book Online Page B

confided to Bruno. ‘But don’t give me away.’
    Bruno never let on. Nor had he told his father that Aunt Anna never ate with him. She was probably on a diet. His mother was always doing that, and then in between meals she stuffed herself with chocolates and cake. Women were just weird.
    With Aunt Anna’s arrival, a whole new life had begun. After she’d thrown the key of the piano down the loo, she’d said, ‘I’ve heard that you are a very good boxer. Do you want to show me?’
    Bruno had borrowed Jim’s punchbag, and since then he’d been training every day. And every day he was getting better and better.
    On the third day, a postcard had come from his mother, with a picture of a seagull on the front.
    My dears,
Don’t worry, I’m very well. I’m enjoying the sea air and I’m looking forward to seeing you in four weeks’ time.
    Bruno wasn’t in the least bit worried about his mother, but about something else entirely.
    â€˜What did Professor Griebel say?’ he asked anxiously now.
    â€˜He asked if you would be coming today.’
    â€˜And what did you tell him?’
    â€˜I said that you wouldn’t be coming today, or tomorrow, or ever again.’
    Bruno didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
    â€˜Mum will explode when she finds out,’ he said.
    Aunt Anna’s smile got wider.
    â€˜Don’t fret, my dear. You won’t know your mother when she comes home.’
    Bruno often thought back to these words later.

    â€˜Would you like something to drink or maybe a few biscuits?’
    Aunt Anna was standing in the door of Sophie’s room, passing her in a tray.
    â€˜Super! Thank you,’ said Sophie and bit into a cookie.
    â€˜Enjoy!’ said Aunt Anna and disappeared again.
    No ‘When are you going to tidy your room?’ or ‘Have you done your homework?’ No complaints that she had forgotten, yet again, to empty the dishwasher or to put the clean clothes in the wardrobe. No orders to comb her hair or not to chew her nails. Since Aunt Anna had been in the house, Sophie had all the time in the world.
    She licked the biscuit crumbs from her fingers and logged in to Allfriends.
    Dragon Monster had written to her: Hey, how are things? Everything OK with you?
    Sophie answered: Better than OK. My mum is gone to a health farm, and our auntie is looking after us. My stepfather wasn’t too pleased at first, because Mum had said nothing to him, but I think he likes Aunt Anna too. My mum’s probably gone to one of those wellness thingies where you can lose weight too. And do you know the best thing? Aunt Anna is the first one that Nicholas hasn’t been able to wind around his little finger. He can cry buckets, as much as he likes. She just looks kindly at him and says nothing. Then he totally explodes. She’s super nice to me. Never nags if my room is not tidy, lets me listen to as much music as I like and to spend as long as I like online.
    Dragon Monster wrote back: Hey, send that auntie over to me, sounds really cool.
    The door burst open and Nicholas came in. ‘When’s Mummy coming home?’ he asked for about the hundredth time.
    â€˜I told you. She’s gone to a health farm and she’ll be back in three weeks.’
    â€˜What’s a health farm?’ Nicholas wanted to know.
    â€˜It’s like going on your holidays,’ said Sophie.
    â€˜Will you read it to me again?’ Nicholas pressed a thoroughly crumpled postcard into Sophie’s hand.
    â€˜You must know it off by heart by now,’ said Sophie. ‘Oh, well. “Dear George, dear Nicholas, dear Sophie.”’ It always irked her that she came last in the list. ‘“It’s lovely here and I’m relaxing hugely. Lots of love from Mum/Marie.”’
    She’d scribbled in the margin: Give Nicholas a kiss from me. So far, Sophie had left that bit out when she read the card to