A Mother's Duty by June Francis

Author:June Francis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473501331
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Chapter Fifteen

‘Wow-wee!’ exclaimed Ben, leaping off the bed and causing sweets, fruit, a jigsaw, a printing set and several toy soldiers to slide to the floor. He pranced around the tricycle wrapped in brown paper which stood on the linoleum before tearing off the paper and chanting, ‘A bike, a bike, I’ve got a bike!’

‘Shut up, Ben,’ groaned Mick but Teddy sat up and rubbed his eyes. ‘He has. He’s got a bike!’

‘What!’ Mick lifted drooping eyelids. He watched Ben a moment before exchanging looks with Teddy, who said in disgust. ‘Spoilt! He’s spoilt rotten. We never got a present anywhere near as good as that!’

‘You can have a go on it,’ said Ben generously. ‘As long as you don’t break it and get off when I tell you.’ He glanced anxiously at Teddy. ‘Aren’t you going to open your present?’

‘What present? Father Christmas doesn’t visit us,’ said Teddy.

‘There’s something on your bed!’

Teddy and Mick both peered through the grey morning light and saw that Ben was right. There were four parcels. One was long and narrow and lay alongside a small square one on Teddy’s side of the bed. The other two were rectangular and oblong and were on Mick’s side. They reached out and untied labels which read Love Ma and Dad. They pulled faces at each other and tore off green tissue paper. Teddy’s presents were a rod, reel and the rest of the paraphernalia needed to go fishing. Mick’s were a box of calligraphy pens, nibs, bottles of different coloured ink and a good quality drawing pad.

‘Damn!’ said Teddy savagely.

‘Ditto,’ said Mick, gently fingering a nib. ‘The big fella must have helped pay for these. Ma wouldn’t have had the money and she wouldn’t have known what to choose and where to go for them either.’

‘Yeah! We’ll have to bloody thank him.’ drawled Teddy.

‘You can send him a letter up the chimney,’ said Ben who had only caught part of the conversation.

Mick smiled but said nothing, only lying flat on his back with the box of pens clutched to his chest.

‘You’re a dope,’ said Teddy, grinning at Ben. ‘Father Christmas isn’t going to have time to collect a billion letters. He’ll be beddy-byes at the North Pole by now. Besides it’s Ma and the big fella who bought you the bike and us these things.’ He slid from beneath the covers and shivered as he stood on the cold linoleum. ‘Let’s see you ride it then.’

Ben did not need telling twice. He climbed onto the tricycle and ding-a-linged the bell before pushing the pedals with his bare feet. He narrowly avoiding crashing into a chest of drawers.

Teddy laughed. ‘Here let me have a go?’

‘Not yet,’ said Ben, straightening the handlebars.

‘I can show you how.’

‘No! It’s mine.’

Teddy seized the handlebars and Ben yelled, ‘Let go!’ and attempted to push his hand away.

‘Leave him alone, Ted, or you’ll have Ma and the big fella in,’ said Mick. ‘Play with your fishing rod.’

‘It’s not a toy.’ Teddy frowned but picked up the box with the reel in and began to read the instruction leaflet inside.

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