I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for managing to get some of those yummy, part-baked croissants from the supermarket and was setting the table for a lovely, civilised breakfast. I felt like we'd all earned it after suffering the crusts of old loaves and bloody Pop Tarts for the last couple of days. I threw open the patio doors and opened my mouth to call John and Cleo in. The next thing, all hell let loose:
- John strode up the garden and stomped in, crimson in the face.
- Cleo was close at his heels, with a face like a slapped arse.
- The kitchen became loud with stamping feet and slamming doors, causing the cat to run up the curtains, fur standing on end.
"They've been meeting at the bottom of the garden!" he shouted.
"What are you on about? Who?"
"Cleo has been meeting Callum!"
"But how?"
"It's no big deal, Mum. He's been coming to the lane behind the house."
"No big deal!" I thought that John's now purple head was going to burst. "You've put us all at risk, Cleo. I can't believe you've been so stupid!" he ranted.
"Ok. Calm down John!"
"Yeah. Take a ….."
He waggled a warning finger at her. "Do not …. even think of telling me to take a chill pill today, Cleo!"
"Right, let's all sit down and get to the bottom of this ….. calmly, " I said, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table.
The other two grudgingly followed suit. I cleared my throat. "Cleo, if you've been doing this then at least tell me that you've been doing it responsibly and safely. That you've taken …. precautions."
"Mum …. "
I looked at John for help but he obviously couldn't even look at Cleo. He was staring out of the window into the garden.
"Cleo, I need to know. You have been practising ….. social distancing, haven't you?"
"Yes." John and I exhaled loudly in perfect sync. "Mainly."
"Mainly?" John was looking from Cleo to me now, his eyeballs practically popping out of his head.
"What do you mean, Cleo?" I ventured.
"There was just one time...."
John erupted, banging his fist on the table. "Goddamn it, Cleo! It only takes one time!"
"For Christ's sake, John! Go on, babe."
"He brought me a ….. Magnum."
"And you took it?" John seethed.
"Yes."
"And then you ate it!"
"I'm sorry," she said and burst into tears.
"Well," said John, and his voice was cold now. "I hope that it was worth it young lady, because you could be paying for that bloody Magnum for years to come."
"John! That's enough. Go to your room, Cleo. It's gonna be ok. Your father's just a bit disappointed, that's all."
Cleo skulked off towards the stairs, snuffling into the sleeve of her hoodie.
"That was a bit harsh, John."
"A bit harsh! I've got a good mind to phone that boy's parents and tell them what their son's up to. I wonder what they'd think about him coming around here, slipping young girls a Magnum around their back lanes."
"Come on John. Can't you remember what it was like to be 16? Give them a break. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll have a word with her later to check if they behaved responsibly on the other occasions. With a bit of luck, they kept to their own sides of the fence."
"You know as well as I do though, that a fence isn't always enough protection, Daisy."
"Ok. Ok. I'll ask whether they kept two metres apart, then ….. we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed John. Like I said, It'll be fine I'm sure."
"What's that smell?" said Molly, skipping into the kitchen. "Is something burning?"
"Oh no! Not my croissants!"
There was a tension in the house for the remainder of the day. Cleo stayed in her room and John bashed about in his shed. Every so often something would come flying out of the door - a trowel or a plant pot. I busied myself cleaning the kitchen in preparation for my video conference on Monday, wondering what the hell Olivia had done to get herself arrested. My guess was some sort of fraud. She'd told me many times that money was her god!!
After an awkward family dinner which quite frankly I wish I hadn't bothered cooking, I turned my attention to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp group 6.30pm :
Karen: Dave's driving me mental. Shall we try a houseparty tomorrow????? I need some female conversation.
Vyshali: Thought you said it was dodgy
Karen: Apparently that was a hoax
Me: Cleo deleted mine for me
Sarah: You can reinstall
Vyshali:😕
Sarah: Once you download/ reinstall send me your usernames then I'll invite you all
Vyshali: Username?
Karen: Yes remember. We all picked a username last time
Vyshali: I can't remember mine😬
Me: Me neither 😬
Karen: Pick a new one then
Vyshali: Remember to put in fake details just in case
Karen: Ok
Sarah: Anyone managed to do it??
Karen: Think so
Sarah: Whats your usename Karen?
Karen: Kiki
Sarah:😂
Sarah: Anyone else?
Me: Nope😵
Sarah: When you 2 do it, send me your usernames so that I can send friend requests
Vyshali: Its gone wrong girls😭
Karen: Where are the kids Vyshali?? Get the kids!
Me: I'll ask Cleo. She's self-isolating in her bedroom so it'll be an icebreaker❄
Karen: Trouble?
Me: Yep ☹ Tell you all tomorrow
Me: If we can get this thing to work
Sarah: We can 💪
Vyshali: Thought I did it for a second but no 😭 I'll try to sort it out by tomorrow. What time?
Sarah: 11?
Me: 👍
Karen:👍
Vyshali: 🤞
I popped into Cleo's room before heading to bed and she was surprisingly communicative. She assured me that the Magnum incident was a 'one time thing' and that she wasn't stupid and neither was Callum. They both watched the news thank you very much and didn't need any lectures on social responsibility. While she acknowledged that she shouldn't have gone behind our backs, she was furious with her father for humiliating her in front of Callum and was surprised that he was even messaging her tonight after the big scene this morning, during which John had apparently 'acted like a nutter'. She did agree to sort out my Houseparty issue though, if I promised to go away and stop asking her questions about her 'relationship'. Oh and to keep 'that man' away from her!
She didn't have to worry, he was downstairs licking his wounds in front of back-to-back 'Police, Camera, Action'. Those sorts of viewing habits didn't do him any favours. It was no wonder he was always on the alert for disaster!
"What are you on about? Who?"
"Cleo has been meeting Callum!"
"But how?"
"It's no big deal, Mum. He's been coming to the lane behind the house."
"No big deal!" I thought that John's now purple head was going to burst. "You've put us all at risk, Cleo. I can't believe you've been so stupid!" he ranted.
"Ok. Calm down John!"
"Yeah. Take a ….."
He waggled a warning finger at her. "Do not …. even think of telling me to take a chill pill today, Cleo!"
"Right, let's all sit down and get to the bottom of this ….. calmly, " I said, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table.
The other two grudgingly followed suit. I cleared my throat. "Cleo, if you've been doing this then at least tell me that you've been doing it responsibly and safely. That you've taken …. precautions."
"Mum …. "
I looked at John for help but he obviously couldn't even look at Cleo. He was staring out of the window into the garden.
"Cleo, I need to know. You have been practising ….. social distancing, haven't you?"
"Yes." John and I exhaled loudly in perfect sync. "Mainly."
"Mainly?" John was looking from Cleo to me now, his eyeballs practically popping out of his head.
"What do you mean, Cleo?" I ventured.
"There was just one time...."
John erupted, banging his fist on the table. "Goddamn it, Cleo! It only takes one time!"
"For Christ's sake, John! Go on, babe."
"He brought me a ….. Magnum."
"And you took it?" John seethed.
"Yes."
"And then you ate it!"
"I'm sorry," she said and burst into tears.
"Well," said John, and his voice was cold now. "I hope that it was worth it young lady, because you could be paying for that bloody Magnum for years to come."
"John! That's enough. Go to your room, Cleo. It's gonna be ok. Your father's just a bit disappointed, that's all."
Cleo skulked off towards the stairs, snuffling into the sleeve of her hoodie.
"That was a bit harsh, John."
"A bit harsh! I've got a good mind to phone that boy's parents and tell them what their son's up to. I wonder what they'd think about him coming around here, slipping young girls a Magnum around their back lanes."
"Come on John. Can't you remember what it was like to be 16? Give them a break. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'll have a word with her later to check if they behaved responsibly on the other occasions. With a bit of luck, they kept to their own sides of the fence."
"You know as well as I do though, that a fence isn't always enough protection, Daisy."
"Ok. Ok. I'll ask whether they kept two metres apart, then ….. we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed John. Like I said, It'll be fine I'm sure."
"What's that smell?" said Molly, skipping into the kitchen. "Is something burning?"
"Oh no! Not my croissants!"
There was a tension in the house for the remainder of the day. Cleo stayed in her room and John bashed about in his shed. Every so often something would come flying out of the door - a trowel or a plant pot. I busied myself cleaning the kitchen in preparation for my video conference on Monday, wondering what the hell Olivia had done to get herself arrested. My guess was some sort of fraud. She'd told me many times that money was her god!!
After an awkward family dinner which quite frankly I wish I hadn't bothered cooking, I turned my attention to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp group 6.30pm :
Karen: Dave's driving me mental. Shall we try a houseparty tomorrow????? I need some female conversation.
Vyshali: Thought you said it was dodgy
Karen: Apparently that was a hoax
Me: Cleo deleted mine for me
Sarah: You can reinstall
Vyshali:😕
Sarah: Once you download/ reinstall send me your usernames then I'll invite you all
Vyshali: Username?
Karen: Yes remember. We all picked a username last time
Vyshali: I can't remember mine😬
Me: Me neither 😬
Karen: Pick a new one then
Vyshali: Remember to put in fake details just in case
Karen: Ok
Sarah: Anyone managed to do it??
Karen: Think so
Sarah: Whats your usename Karen?
Karen: Kiki
Sarah:😂
Sarah: Anyone else?
Me: Nope😵
Sarah: When you 2 do it, send me your usernames so that I can send friend requests
Vyshali: Its gone wrong girls😭
Karen: Where are the kids Vyshali?? Get the kids!
Me: I'll ask Cleo. She's self-isolating in her bedroom so it'll be an icebreaker❄
Karen: Trouble?
Me: Yep ☹ Tell you all tomorrow
Me: If we can get this thing to work
Sarah: We can 💪
Vyshali: Thought I did it for a second but no 😭 I'll try to sort it out by tomorrow. What time?
Sarah: 11?
Me: 👍
Karen:👍
Vyshali: 🤞
I popped into Cleo's room before heading to bed and she was surprisingly communicative. She assured me that the Magnum incident was a 'one time thing' and that she wasn't stupid and neither was Callum. They both watched the news thank you very much and didn't need any lectures on social responsibility. While she acknowledged that she shouldn't have gone behind our backs, she was furious with her father for humiliating her in front of Callum and was surprised that he was even messaging her tonight after the big scene this morning, during which John had apparently 'acted like a nutter'. She did agree to sort out my Houseparty issue though, if I promised to go away and stop asking her questions about her 'relationship'. Oh and to keep 'that man' away from her!
She didn't have to worry, he was downstairs licking his wounds in front of back-to-back 'Police, Camera, Action'. Those sorts of viewing habits didn't do him any favours. It was no wonder he was always on the alert for disaster!
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