"So, after a pointless ten minute meeting which I could have participated in from my home laptop, the upshot is ……. I'm going back into the office on Monday. Lockdown is technically coming to an end for me," I told Karen. "Victoria's a parent herself, so in fairness to her, she's keeping our hours flexible to start off. She's keen to get us all in together as a team as much as possible, as she wants to get the new project up and running for when everyone comes out of lockdown and flocks to department stores for skincare products," I said.
"Hold me back!" joked Karen.
"I know. Another planet, Kaz. Another planet."
"Well, we're getting ready to open schools by the end of the month, so hopefully you and John can work childcare out between you. You've got Cleo, after all."
"I know. Another planet, Kaz. Another planet."
"Well, we're getting ready to open schools by the end of the month, so hopefully you and John can work childcare out between you. You've got Cleo, after all."
"Yeah. It'll be fine, I suppose. "Those two fuckwits though, Karen ….. Antonio came in with a bloody bag of party food. Cupcakes …. the lot! They were both so excited to be back in the office. And social distancing just wasn't happening. Olivia didn't even know that it was still a thing!"
"Knowing you as I do, Daisy, it's always been a mystery to me how you've managed to keep from strangling the pair of them."
"I think I deserve some sort of job in a diplomatic corps after working with those two for so long."
"Well, talking of fuckwits ….. Dave's going back to work next week too. Just saying those words gives me butterflies. I've already planned my week. It's gonna be amazing. Back-to-back Netflix, bubble baths, wine …..."
"Get yourself ready to face all those teenagers again."
"Yep. Plenty of wine."
For the last couple of days, Cleo had barely let up with the sarcastic comments about her parents' misspent youths. I dreaded the next occasion when we'd have cause to discipline her because she knew that there was very little that she could do that was worse than all of the things that we'd got up to, back in the day.
"Remember the way that you reacted when Marcus broke the fence when he kicked his football into it? And there's you, blowing up vans, Mum! A bit hypocritical isn't it?"
"That's not how parenting works, Cleo," was my lame answer.
So of course, this evening, when she informed John and me that she was going to the 'Black Lives Matter' protest on Saturday, we had a tricky job on our hands. I threw him a Please don't lose your shit, look and I think he got it, as I saw him take a deep intake of breath. In a surprisingly calm voice, he said, "Now please don't think that I don't respect your right to protest, Cleo …… because I really do ….."
"Good," she said curtly.
"However ……"
"No Dad. There is no however. It's my duty to go."
"Under normal circumstances, I'd be right there with you, but there's a pandemic going on out there, Cleo. A protest is a mass gathering."
"Yes, Dad. I do get that, but this is bigger."
"Bigger than a bloody pandemic?"
"Yes. You've watched all the stuff in the media, Dad. This can't wait for the pandemic to be over. It's my duty."
"Tell her, Daisy!" he said, clearly exasperated.
I looked from John to Daisy, then back to John. "I'm sorry John, but I can't. We should be proud of her for making a stand against racism. I think if we just set down some ground rules ….. "
"Thanks Mum," said Cleo. She turned and left the room, clearly not wishing to stay to witness her father's reaction.
"Have you gone mad, Daisy?"
"Let me remind you," I said, pouring him a large glass of red. "When I first met you, you were involved in quite a few protests against the war in Iraq. I recall your father being most unimpressed, and it causing loads of arguments."
"True. There wasn't a pandemic going on though, was there?"
"Would you have let that stop you?" I said, handing him a glass. "And didn't you once tell me that back when you were a student that you organised a twenty four hour sit-in at some government office or other? You should be proud that she's got your spirit to …. to stand up for what's right." I saw a twitch of a smile. "We'll talk properly tomorrow. Just think about it tonight please, John. There's things that we can do to keep her safe from the virus. She's a sensible kid when we give her ground rules. Way more sensible than we were."
John's brow was furrowed as he took a swig of wine. He definitely had his thinking face on. I topped up his glass, before adding, "Perhaps we should all go."
"Well, talking of fuckwits ….. Dave's going back to work next week too. Just saying those words gives me butterflies. I've already planned my week. It's gonna be amazing. Back-to-back Netflix, bubble baths, wine …..."
"Get yourself ready to face all those teenagers again."
"Yep. Plenty of wine."
For the last couple of days, Cleo had barely let up with the sarcastic comments about her parents' misspent youths. I dreaded the next occasion when we'd have cause to discipline her because she knew that there was very little that she could do that was worse than all of the things that we'd got up to, back in the day.
"Remember the way that you reacted when Marcus broke the fence when he kicked his football into it? And there's you, blowing up vans, Mum! A bit hypocritical isn't it?"
"That's not how parenting works, Cleo," was my lame answer.
So of course, this evening, when she informed John and me that she was going to the 'Black Lives Matter' protest on Saturday, we had a tricky job on our hands. I threw him a Please don't lose your shit, look and I think he got it, as I saw him take a deep intake of breath. In a surprisingly calm voice, he said, "Now please don't think that I don't respect your right to protest, Cleo …… because I really do ….."
"Good," she said curtly.
"However ……"
"No Dad. There is no however. It's my duty to go."
"Under normal circumstances, I'd be right there with you, but there's a pandemic going on out there, Cleo. A protest is a mass gathering."
"Yes, Dad. I do get that, but this is bigger."
"Bigger than a bloody pandemic?"
"Yes. You've watched all the stuff in the media, Dad. This can't wait for the pandemic to be over. It's my duty."
"Tell her, Daisy!" he said, clearly exasperated.
I looked from John to Daisy, then back to John. "I'm sorry John, but I can't. We should be proud of her for making a stand against racism. I think if we just set down some ground rules ….. "
"Thanks Mum," said Cleo. She turned and left the room, clearly not wishing to stay to witness her father's reaction.
"Have you gone mad, Daisy?"
"Let me remind you," I said, pouring him a large glass of red. "When I first met you, you were involved in quite a few protests against the war in Iraq. I recall your father being most unimpressed, and it causing loads of arguments."
"True. There wasn't a pandemic going on though, was there?"
"Would you have let that stop you?" I said, handing him a glass. "And didn't you once tell me that back when you were a student that you organised a twenty four hour sit-in at some government office or other? You should be proud that she's got your spirit to …. to stand up for what's right." I saw a twitch of a smile. "We'll talk properly tomorrow. Just think about it tonight please, John. There's things that we can do to keep her safe from the virus. She's a sensible kid when we give her ground rules. Way more sensible than we were."
John's brow was furrowed as he took a swig of wine. He definitely had his thinking face on. I topped up his glass, before adding, "Perhaps we should all go."
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