Postby KP Presents » Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:58 am
“She’s pregnant? Good grief, Alicia - you’re going to have a little brother or sister. Guess that means you’ll have to be an Angela to her as well!”
Jenny looked at me as we sat at the dinner table the next day, eating our lunches. I said “Don’t - it’s the thought he or she will be thirteen years younger that scares me. Angela nearly freaked out as well.”
“I can imagine,” Jenny said with a chuckle. “So I guess your new found game times are going to be curtailed?”
“Not really - just differently managed, I think,” I said with a smile. “Anyway, we almost got caught by Bobby yesterday. Mum forgot to tell me he was coming, and he nearly walked in on Suzie and Angela trying to free each other.”
I looked at Jenny, who had a strange expression on her face. “Why would Bobby not know what’s going on? Didn’t you say he was a Scout?”
“Yeah?”
“And Scouts know Ropes?”
“And?”
“So you really think Suzie hasn’t been pestering him? If she’s anything like Cassie, and we both know she is, she will have been asking him about his badges at the very least.”
That made me stop and think for a moment. ”Yeah - you may have a point there. Anyway, how is the little dynamo?”
“Cassie? As bright as a button and as cute as always. Last night she got Dad to help her, me and Mum to play a game of Find The Knife.”
“Find The Knife? What does that involve?”
Jenny looked round and leaned forward. “Well, since that gang took us all hostage, Dad has been concerned that we should find ways to free ourselves, so we came up with this game. We changed into our night clothes, and then put socks over our hands.
“He then made us lie on the floor of the front room, and trussed us tightly. We each had our wrists crossed and tied together with rope, and then secured round our waists as usual. Cassie and me had our arms tied to our stomachs, while Mum had rope round her arms, tummy and shoulders. Our ankles were crossed and tied, our legs below our knees, and then we were hogtied.”
“Sounds fun already,” I whispered conspiratorially. “So what happened then?”
“We had a piece of cloth in our mouths, a scarf between our lips, and tape around our heads, and then he blindfolded us with silk scarves. He put somewhere in the room a plastic picnic knife, and told us we had to try and find it. Hilarity, as they say, ensued.”
I looked at the smile on Jenny’s face and had to laugh. “I bet it did,” I said as I picked up a sandwich and took a bite.
Mary walked over and joined us, saying “So, how are the most popular pair of girls in the school?”
“Don’t,” Jenny said with a grimace, “I know they were your friends, Alicia, but some of them seem determined to claim me as their own now.”
“They’re not that bad once you get to know them -well, most of them,” Mary said with a grin. “So, what are you two talking about?”
“Oh, family secrets,” I said as I smiled at Mary. “How was Economics today?”
“Tough - we had another new female teacher. Mrs Jenkins.”
“Strange that,” Jenny said, “There have been an awful lot of new teachers this term - that makes the sixth one. And they all seem to take at least one of our classes.”
I sat and thought about that. Apart from Dr Wolfe, there was Miss Hampton in English, Miss Curtis in Maths, Miss Eaves in PE and Mrs Dunston in Home Economics.
“Oh come on,” Jenny said with a laugh, “We always get a lot of new teachers - it’s probably just coincidence.” She looked at her watch, before saying “Lord is that time - I need to get to Art.”
“Oh yeah - what’s the hurry?”
Jenny stopped and looked at me. “Believe it or not, another new teacher - Mr Bennett. He’s a stickler for time keeping.”
“Aren’t they all,” Mary said as Jenny walked off, but I was thinking - this was getting a bit more than funny, and I wanted to talk to someone about it.
Thursday night was when Grandma was coming to visit, so after we had eaten I took her aside for a few minutes and told her about the new teachers.
“I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about, Alicia,” she said as she next to me on my bed, “it sounds like it is just all coincidence.”
I nodded as Grandma put her arm round me. “Don’t let it worry you, Alicia - you have a lot of changes coming this year, and this is just a bunch of them coming at the same time. Just enjoy what is happening now, and let others worry about other things.”
“Thanks Grandma,” I said as I hugged her, while Mum came into my bedroom. “Mum,” she said as she sat down next to us, “Amy Strong is on the telephone, and would like to talk to you.”
“All right,” Grandma said as she stood up and walked to the door, “Have fun on Saturday, Alicia.”
“Thanks, Grandma, I will,” I said as she walked out. “As for you, Alicia,” Mum said, “Bed - you still have school in the morning.”
“All right, Mum,” I said as I retrieved my nightdress from under my pillow. I was getting tired, and i wanted to get a good sleep.
Something told me that I would not get much sleep on Saturday night.
I looked up from my work desk when I heard the car coming up the driveway. Standing up, I looked out of the window and saw Uncle Alexander and Aunt Susan get out of the car, dressed in casual clothes, and then Suzie and Bobby. I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed in a blue pinafore dress over a white long sleeved top.
“Alicia,” I heard Dad call up, and I put my English homework away before coming down the stairs. “Hi Ali,” Suzie called up as I came down, smiling as I went and hugged her parents.
“Thank you for doing this, Simon,” Uncle Alexander said when I let him go, “I have to attend this dinner tonight, and Bobby is still too young to leave on his own.”
“it’s no problem,” Dad said as he rubbed his hand on Bobby’s head, mussing up his light hair. “I’ll take him to the game tomorrow, and then drop him off at your place after that. The girls are staying over, anyway, so he won’t be too embarrassed.”
“I already am,” Bobby said in a sulk, “I have to spend all day with the girls, don’t I?”
“You might learn something,” Uncle Alexander said as he winked at us. “Right - I have to go. We’ll see you both tomorrow.”
We all stood in the door and waved as Uncle Alexander helped Aunt Susan into the car and drove off. “Right then,” Dad said a she closed the door, “Angela and your mother won’t be back for another hour, so you’ll have to amuse yourselves while I get on with the mowing.”
“Let’s go up to our room,” I said as I walked up, the others following me. As we walked in and I closed the door, Suzie sat on my bed, swinging her legs as she did so. Her blue pleated skirt was just covering her knees, and she was wearing a matching short sleeved blouse on top. Bobby had on a brown t-shirt and khaki shorts.
“So,” I said as I sat down in my chair, “what do you two want to do?”
“I want to play a game,” Suzie said with a big smile on her face. Bobby rolled his eyes and said “Don’t tell me you wan to play that knot tying game again?”
“Oh yes,” I said as I looked at Suzie, “what is that?”
“She’s been bugging me all week to show her how I can tie two sticks together - I learned it at this week’s meeting, and she just keeps asking me to do it. I’m telling you, it gets boring.”
“Well, how would you like to make it more interesting,” Suzie said as she smiled at me. “Tie my hands together.”
“NO,” Bobby almost shouted, “the Scout Master said we must never do that.”
“Oh - and you do everything the Scout Master tells you,” Suzie said as she stuck her tongue out at him. I could see Bobby bristling at this, as he looked at both of us.
“Look,” I eventually said, “I won’t tell your mum or dad if you do this, and it will keep Suzie quiet. In fact here,” I said as I stood up and went to the dressing gown that was on the back of the door, “Use the belt from this. Just do it and she’ll stop pestering you.”
Now, I knew, and Suzie knew, that Uncle Alexander and Aunt Susan would not say anything, but Bobby for some reason either did not know, or was not sure, so he was hesitating. I took the belt off and put it in his hands, saying “Just do it and get it over with, Bobby - what’s the worst thing that can happen?”
I watched as he took the belt and walked over to Suzie, who was holding her hands out in front of her. He wrapped it round her bare wrists, making several passes before he tied the ends together and let them hang together under her arms.
“There now - happy?” he said as he looked at her.
“Not really,” she said as she pulled her wrists free in less than 10 seconds. “I thought you said you were good at tying things together?” I had to stop myself laughing at the look on Bobby’s face, as Dad came into the room.
“Kids I - ah,” he said as he looked at us. “Mum and Angela are back, so if you come down we’ll have some lunch, and then I’ll run you over to the Craig house.”
Suzie smiled at me, then stuck her tongue out at Bobby as she walked out of the room. I heard her running down the stairs, calling out “Hi Aunt Anne,” as Bobby looked at us and then followed her.
“Want to tell me what that was all about,” Dad said as he looked at me.
“I think Bobby is going to find School is in session this afternoon,” I said with a smile. “Come on, let’s eat.”