Under The Clock

UNDER THE CLOCK

 

‘Sorry I’m late, Mum.’

‘Sorry I’m late, Ducks.’

‘Child Minder didn’t turn up.’

‘It’s such a job getting buses.’

‘I had to park Nicky with Ann Thomas.’

‘You don’t know what it’s like.’

‘She wasn’t very pleased, but I didn’t know what to do.’

‘Stuck out there at the back of beyond.’

‘I’ll have to have her Billy now.’

‘You all think I’m all right out there.’

‘He’s so much more trouble than my Nick.’

‘So far from the station, Launderette… everything.’

 

‘Let’s have coffee here.’

‘I thought I’d show you that new place I found.’

‘Oh, go on then.’

‘It’s this way. Oh, let me hold your arm.’

‘Don’t show me up. And your slip’s hanging down.’

‘Stop picking on me, I told you – I had a rush.’

‘Steve got that new job.’

‘Did I tell you about my new club?’

‘It’s a big pay rise.’

‘Ever such nice people.’

‘We’ll be able to go to Florida now.’

‘Ever such fun. Cups of tea and cakes.’

‘We may be able to move more upmarket.’

‘I met a nice lady there.’

‘Stop shouting. And stop clicking your teeth.’

‘Don’t go on at me. How are the others?’

‘I am bit worried about Sammy. He gets bullied at school.’

‘Oh, yes. My legs’ve been playing up.’

‘I keep meaning to do something about it.’

‘I keep meaning to go to the doctors.’

‘How to teach him to stick up for himself. You know…’

‘But doctors don’t bother much these days.’

‘Oh, you never listen to me.’

‘I don’t know how you can walk in those shoes.’

‘I want to look nice, Mum.’

‘But you want comfortable shoes, Duck’

‘Oh, you, you… old bag. What do you look like?’

 

‘Here we are, then. Now, have a nice cake or something.’

‘I’m on a diet.’

‘But I want to treat you. Buy you a cream cake.’

‘I just want to go Christmas shopping, Mum’

‘Come, on, have something. I want to treat you. You need a break.’ ‘I’m all right, Mum.’

‘It must be so hard for you.’

‘I have it pretty easy, Mum.’

‘I know what it’s like with young children.’

‘They’re not too bad.’

‘You need spoiling. Does you good to get away for a day.’

‘I like my home. Just cause you didn’t want us.’

‘Oh, that’s not fair. I had it hard, that’s all.’

‘Couldn’t be bothered, you mean. Oh, there’s Jean…’

‘Isn’t that your actress friend?’

‘I forgot she was shopping too, this morning. Yoo hoo!’

‘Why don’t you ask her to join us?’

‘Look, Mum… I know she’s found this super new toy shop. I mean, if she asks me, I mean, well… we’ll want to nip around quickly. Your legs and everything. Why don’t I just see you in Oxford Street in about an hour or so?’

Pamela Pickton

 

Pamela Pickton‘s novel Neverland is on sale on amazon now, and on all good ebook websites, and read about her travails and worldly challenges in her Zitebooks collection of short stories, Reasons, which is also available to download from Amazon.