Eunice sat opposite me in our favourite coffee shop and allowed the tears to run down her face unchecked, ‘what on earth am I going to do with him?’ she whispered. ‘I’m so ashamed Mandy.’
‘Well,’ I said briskly, ‘let’s order……… my treat and it’s definitely that nutty looking carrot cake with our coffee. We’ll share,’ I added hastily knowing that cake wasn’t on her list of things to eat. She worked hard to keep her slim figure. She nodded a trifle more happily and dabbed her face with the tissues I had ready in my bag.
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‘Why? In the name of all things good,’ I thought for the millionth time, ‘do people always unburden their souls to me? Is it my face, well worn and comfortable? My rounded figure? What is it that has me regularly packing my bag with tissues to meet Eunice, Mary, Shelagh or even a time or two, Barry!’
I patted her hand reassuringly.
‘Firstly Eunice lose the embarrassment. He’s your son and growing up testing your and Pete’s values. It’s natural and happens in all families. When I think back to the time that our Robbie grew “weed, dagga, marijuana before it was legal, as an experiment on the roof of our garage! And now he is head of department in the bank. A pillar of society,’ I said fondly.
She burst out laughing and looked beautiful once again. ‘Oh yes, I’d forgotten, and didn’t the police arrive with their lights flashing?’ She reached for an elegant silver fork and plunged it into the delectable piece of cake groaning under its topping of lemony whipped cottage cheese. ‘Tell me the story again Mandy………….did he serve any jail time?’
Inwardly I sighed but the retelling reminded me that life was for living and all experiences added colour and texture to an existence that otherwise would be quite boring. I should write a book about all the shenanigans our kids put us through! Earn some money?
‘You’re such a comfort to me Eunice…….to all of us “girls”.’
‘Well with our Emma being almost expelled from the nursery school for refusing to tidy up a mess she reckoned she had not made and Robbie’s leading a march at school objecting to bullying on the playground, I’ve been around the block a few times Eunice.
I simply say, it ALL comes to pass.’
Shall we order a small slice of the Lemon Meringue and how about another cuppa?’
Eunice sighed with pleasure, amazed that they’d passed over two hours at a table in the elegant courtyard of the Café Noizette.
‘What a card Mandy is,’ she thought as she unlocked her car with a beep, ‘she always makes me laugh! She’s as good as a holiday.’
She resolved to take Eunice’s advice and drop the story of young Brett’s escapade of lighting a fire in his bedroom into the conversation at her high profile dinner party on Saturday. 'Yes.. That will steal the thunder of any old busybody hoping to shame me.
Mandy always has excellent suggestions,' she thought smiling.
I’ll get on the phone and invite her and all the girls over for a lunch,’ she thought, ‘if the weather holds we’ll have it in the garden.’
Mandy got into her somewhat battered car and drove to the nursery school to pick up the twins to take them to their swimming lesson.
Her face brightened as she looked forward to their excited chatter. She knew that their grandfather was also looking forward to taking them fishing and she would teach them to bake biscuits.
The weekend sleepover was going to be a treat.