The Mummyfesto: A Laugh-Out-Loud, Heart-Warming Story of Family, Community and Hope by Green Linda

Author:Green, Linda [Green, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary
ISBN: 9781780875231
Amazon: B009P1WDZU
Goodreads: 18900332
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2013-01-29T08:00:00+00:00

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in the Eureka car park was the BBC television van. Parked next to the Yorkshire TV van.

‘Fuck,’ I muttered, as I ran up the yellow brick road to the front door, aware that I was out of breath, dishevelled and very late.

I burst through the main doors and hurried up to the reception desk.

‘I’m here for the Lollipop Party launch,’ I said.

‘They’re in the town square,’ the young receptionist said. ‘Just around the corner to your right.’ I realised she thought I was one of the guests, not one of those presenting it.

‘Thank you,’ I said, holding out my hand for the dinosaur stamp I always got when I came here with Alice. The receptionist looked at me, clearly trying to stifle a giggle.

‘Just testing,’ I said, laughing awkwardly. I pushed through the turnstile. It was weird being here after closing time. The complete lack of children was unnerving, as was the quietness and stillness of it all. Like stumbling on to the set of Justin’s House when everyone had gone home for the night. I took a deep breath before rounding the corner, but I still wasn’t prepared for the sight which greeted me. There were two television cameras set up with lights glaring, a couple of dozen journalists holding copies of the mummyfesto and assorted microphones on the table at which Sam and Anna were sitting.

‘Sorry,’ I mouthed to them. They both gave rather strained smiles. I sat down heavily next to Sam, feeling awful for letting them down and thinking what a shame it was that my fifteen minutes of fame should come at a time when I probably looked like some bag lady they’d dragged in off the streets.

‘Apologies again for the unavoidable delay, folks,’ said Sam. ‘Thank you all for your patience. I hope you’ve had a chance to look through our mummyfesto. We’re now ready to begin.’

She paused for a second and glanced at Jackie and me in turn. I could see it on her face. Exactly what I was feeling inside. A rush of adrenalin that this was actually happening, that we were going public and there was no going back now, coupled with a cramping feeling in the stomach as the enormity of it all sank in. We weren’t sitting around Sam’s kitchen table, winding each other up and stuffing our faces with Pringles any more. This was real. I nodded at Sam. She nodded back and turned to face the media.

‘We decided to launch the Lollipop Party because we, like many people, were so disillusioned with what the mainstream political parties had to offer. In particular, we wanted to give a voice to the weakest and most vulnerable people in society: the children, young people, elderly people and those with disabilities who successive governments have treated with scant regard. Our mission is to put those people at the heart of everything we do.

‘We are not in this because of our egos, or because we’re on some power-kick or simply to line our own pockets.

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