Monkey Business by Anna Wilson

Author:Anna Wilson [Wilson, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781447236665
Publisher: Bolinda Digital Pty Ltd

11

THE TRUTH

ABOUT ADOPTION

Mum was unusually cheery when Felix came back downstairs. She was beaming all over her face and even occasionally chuckling to herself as if she’d just heard a fantastically funny joke on the radio. She often chuckled at the radio, although Felix could never understand what it was that she found so amusing. Most of the radio programmes she listened to were decidedly un-funny in his opinion.

It turned out it wasn’t the radio, though, that had made her laugh.

‘I have just had the most hilarious conversation with Flora’s mum!’ she announced.

Felix felt all the blood drain from his face and an icy-cold hand grasped his insides. He did not like the sound of this ‘hilarious conversation’. Mum and Mrs Small weren’t even friends. They only ever rang each other to talk about the school run or whether or not it was a school trip or a spelling test that day.

Was Mum playing a trick on him? He shot her a very nervous glance. Or – much worse – had Flo Given the Game Away about Reggie?

He swallowed dryly before answering, ‘Oh?’

‘Yes! You wouldn’t believe it, but Flora thinks you are getting an orang-utan for your birthday – as a pet to come and live with you here!’ she guffawed.

Felix’s icy innards did a double back-flip. What was Flo thinking of?

‘Yes,’ continued Mum cheerfully, ‘apparently you were worried you didn’t have enough food for it, so she’s going to be getting all the Brussels sprouts from her dad’s allotment that (and I’m quoting Flora here) “no one in their right mind ever wants to eat”.’

Felix felt intensely sick. He had been betrayed! He realized now that he had not thought about the details of it, but he had assumed that Zed would bring Reggie round on his birthday and that Mum would not be able to do anything about it, because the orang-utan would come with all the information from the charity about how mistreated he had been and that would mean Mum couldn’t be cruel and send him back.

But it was never going to work now. Mum was cross enough about Dyson and Colin and Hammer and the snails and the spiders and every other animal Felix had ever had anything to do with. She would never say yes to Reggie. Except, she was still smiling . . .

‘Erm, but you’re not cross?’ Felix ventured.

Mum laughed again. ‘Cross? How can I be cross? It’s funny, that’s all – and rather sweet.’

‘Sweet?’ Felix was puzzled. Was Mum starting to talk like Uncle Zed? Did she mean ‘sweet’ as in ‘it’s cool that you are getting an orang-utan’? Or did she mean ‘sweet’ as in ‘it’s so cute’?

‘Yes,’ Mum went on, beaming. ‘It’s lovely that you and Flora play so imaginatively together. When I was your age I played “making house” or “cops and robbers” or things like that. But coming up with the idea of having an imaginary orangutan – and opening your own zoo – it’s amazing!’

Imaginary?

Then Felix

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