Magenta Monster

The weekend – Mandy had been waiting for the weekend, it was the only thought that had kept her going throughout the week. They where going to lay the new floor in the kitchen after the flood had destroyed the old one. The last year had been frought with disasters, first her illness during the pregnancy (thank god the baby had been fine), then the continued ill health and the move. Lots of things had been broken thanks to helpful friends and relatives but how could she say she was ungrateful for their help?

No job to go back to, she had missed too much time so money had been tight, now however things were improving even if the inlaws hated her and they seemed to be under some sort of curse.

Even if they suspected the voodoo doll with the fine chocolate brown hair in the MIL’s possession. A ‘priestess’ who had estranged her own son because of his wife. Mandy sighed none of that mattered they were together they wouldn’t starve and they had a beautiful son.

Mandy’s postnatal depression and post traumatic stress were almost forgotten in the golden rays floating in the window, she stretched in the snugly bed, ‘so what first?’ asked Bill.

‘B&Q to get those missing tools’ he said.

‘I wonder if they got left in the shed during the move?’ she said, seeing the smile slip from her hubby’s face she regretted mentioning it. ‘I’m sorry’ she whispered.

‘It’s ok I just feel I let you down I forgot to pack so much stuff, the bbq and hose pipe…’ ‘It doesn’t matter, you did what you could, I’m amazed anything got packed at all!’ They laughed a bit tensely, this sort of talk had the possibility of plunging her into self loathing.

‘Anyway we need to feed the cats and the baby first,’ she said with excitement, ‘I’ll get brekki you wake the kraken and change her nappy!’

Happily dreaming of their home coming together, Mandy hurried down the stairs, a little black and white kitten sat on the bottom stair, mewing at her approach. ‘Morning Mercury’ she said. The kittens where an effort on Bill’s part to cheer her up with the enforced homeness of her life. The kitten mewed guility at her, ‘ what’s wrong?’ she asked then saw the shreds of her morning post on the door matt. ‘Ah kittens!’ she exclaimed, oh well probably not to bad just a few bills or something.

She scooped them up and put them on the table, rushing back to the kitchen she prepeared their morning meal.

A sparkly eyed baby complete with loving coos arrived waving her chubby little hands, ‘mmamama.’ She gurgled. Mandy smiled, they set the babe in her highchair and then placed her brekki in front of her, half way through feeding her they became distracted by the opening of the shredded letters,

‘What!’ Bill almost screamed.

‘Whats wrong?’ Bill was a calm guy something must be wrong.

‘This can’t be right! Look at this.’ He handed her an electricity bill for over £1000.

‘No,’ she said in shock and sat down.

‘Hun you did phone them and get them to change the tariff didn’t you?’ Mandy looked at him non-plussed.

‘What tariff?’

‘Oh no!’ he almost sobbed.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said now very unhappy.

A squeal of delight caught her attention just as the bolw of milky cereal was hurled across their living room/dinner, she shouted but the bowl moved in slow motion as it pirouetted through the air artfully spray painting and arch of milky goo over everything. Closing her eyes and praying for strength she went to the cupboard. ‘Bad baby!’ came bills voice behind her.

Wearily she reached into the cupboard under the sink for the cleaning supplies, ‘what the…’ came her startled voice, ‘Bill its all wet under the sink again!’ she was near hysteria, ‘I thought he’d fixed this!’

Bill came jogging into the kitchen.

‘Can you see where its leaking from?’

Half and hour latter and they had the water switched off and the plumbing in pieces again! The baby was wailing and now the carpet and trod in cerial and would need a proper shampooing.

‘I can’t take much more of this Bill.’ She said quietly.

‘I know,’ Bill said he was angry but she knew it wasn’t at her, he thought his mother was cursing them and blamed himself, as for her she didn’t really think it could be voodoo, she hoped.

‘Lets go get some lunch out and some rubber seals aswell as those tools though will have to wait for the floor to dry again.’

She started nodding, ‘erm, actually Bill we can’t get the tools,’ she blushed, ‘we need the kitchen money to pay the electricity bill.’ He sighed, ‘I’d forgotten that, but it wont be all the kitchen money so we can start we just wont have the whole amount.’ She nodded agreement – she really wanted a nice working kitchen.

‘I think I’m going to have to have a walk after all this Bill,’ he nodded she had loved hiking before the pregnancy and had been really down as crutches and styles don’t really mix, but that was over now and she took her walks when and were she could, they were her gentle exercise and her alone time. They were a life line for her as were the weekends with Bill. The crutches were gone now and she was determined to make the most of her mobility.

The little car stood on the drive waiting for them, it was her mothers, there’s had died a death and was currently being fixed. Baby secured they were off, except they only got to the top of the road, ‘We’re over heating!’ Came Bills incredulous voice.

‘Are we low on water?’ Mandy asked him

‘We shouldn’t be unless we have a leak.’ They both looked at each other fearing the worst.

‘If it’s the engine blocks cracked the cars so much scrap!’ she wailed.

‘Yeah but surely it’ll just be a rubber hose,’ he said doubtfully. He hit the dash board, ‘this is too many things! Too many things keep going wrong’

They walked back to the house, Mandy’s dad was coming to rescue the car via B&Q to get what they needed. A guilty looking kitten sat on the door matt mewing at them, ‘what you done this time Tungsten?.’ Mandy asked. Tungsten wasn’t quiet house trained yet so she had a quick hunt but to no avail.

‘Hi Mandy hun!’ her Dad called as he came up the drive waving his tool kit.

‘Thanks dad sorry to call you out again, it’s a different thing leaking this time!’ she laughed because it was that or cry.

She left him to it as she settled the Kraken down for her afternoon nap, so much for the nice relaxing weekend of DIY they had planed. As she came out of the baby’s room Bill stood there looking solom.

‘You dads very sad,’ he started, ‘he knocked over that glass vase you won, you know the one that sits on the window sill.’ He looked pale as if he’s got the shot straw in telling her. ‘It’s er in pieces.’

She looked at him, and then rushed to see the damage, finding the kittens misdamenear on route, she slipped on it hitting her head on the fall down the stairs. She swore, and in tears was help to her room to change and clean up.

Her headache began to ease, she put on her hicking boots, grabbed her daysack, water bottle and camera, stormed past the carnage of her kitchen and living room, ‘I’m sorry love,’ came her dad’s voice.

‘Hey Mandy what you doing hun,’ came Bill’s voice.

‘Get your ‘preist’ person in to un-voodoo us Bill I don’t care how silly it all sounds, your right, now however, now it is time for a walk!’

Posted: Thursday, October 13th, 2011 @ 9:22 am
Categories: Short Stories.
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