The Bad Mother's Handbook by Kate Long

Author:Kate Long [Long, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

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SOMETIMES it’s hard to see what a woman sees in a feller. I loved my dad ’cause he were my dad; we didn’t see him so often, but when we did he were grand wi’ us. He made Jimmy a boat out of wood wi’ a mousetrap inside it, so’s when you pressed a button at t’ side it flew apart. We used play wi’ it for hours out on t’ flags at t’ back. For me he made a little chair – I have it now – wi’ spindles an’ turned legs. When I got too big for it, it did for my dolls. An’ although he could be sharp-tongued, he only twice laid a finger on me an’ that was for sayin’ ‘Good shuttons’ to the milkman – I didn’t know it was rude – and for mouthin’ ‘What a face our cat’s got’ at my mother; she saw me in the mirror. He would never have touched our Jimmy, he thought the sun shone out of him; we all did. He had his father’s charm wi’ none of the arrogance.

But when I grew up, an’ especially when I got married, I began to see what a terrible time he’d given my mother. Grandma Florrie hated him; hated the way he’d turn up at the house an’ expect to stop the night, but she never said no because Polly’d be beside herself wantin’ him to stay and so would we. Sometimes his mother, Grandma Fenton, would come round an’ the two owd women would sit on the horsehair sofa and moan about his behaviour.

We felt sorry for Grandma Fenton. Fancy havin’ produced a son who hated women. She’d been in service when she got caught and she’d never say who the father was, although it was pretty obvious it was the chap who employed her; he wouldn’t have owt to do wi’ it, I suppose. So when Harold was young she had a poor time of it, no benefits in them days, of course. She used have a stall again’ the Victoria where she sold nettle beer, brandy snaps and treacle toffee. An’ she were a nice woman, it was a shame. She’d have done anything for Polly. She never got much love from her son.

I know I’ve been lucky. Bill were a wonderful husband and father. And the more I see of the world, the more I think there aren’t so many on ’em about.

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