|
http://20six.co.uk/underbrella
powered by
20six.co.uk
|
family
A New Beginning and New Focus
It's started. It's taken time and we've been waiting for it to begin. There has been as sense of anxiety and excitement whenever we've talked about it, but now that part of the waiting is over and the process has begun. We have taken the first steps towards adopting a child or, maybe, children. We're prepared for the intrusiveness of social workers asking questions about our life, values and relationships. For our initial assessment meeting the social worker came and asked us about our past, “Tell me about your childhood?” “Was it a happy experience?” “What about support from your parents?” We've had to sign a statement asking questions about fertility treatment, mental health and criminal convictions. There were questions about what sort of child we were looking for, how old? Would we consider siblings? What about children with disabilities? Questions which don't necessarily have answers which are neither definite or comfortable, which awake many of our hopes, anxieties and dreams. It's a bold step. A step that will transform our lives. Change the routines and patterns of our behaviour. Move us out of our stable and secure tracks into the unknown. It is full of opportunities and possibilities. Why are we doing it? Altruistically, it could make a huge difference to the child/children involved. We'll offer them a stable and secure home and family in which to grow up and develop. We would like to provide a loving, supportive and caring environment where a child can become a balanced and secure adult. More selfishly, it'll provide us with an opportunity to nurture and parent a child or children from an early age. Over the next few months we plan to document our experiences, explain the adoption process and it's affect on us as we negotiate our way through it. We may even allow guest appearances from the beautiful BG and the impact it has on her. To finish this entry we'll leave the last word to the delightful BG. When we discussed it after the social worker had left she announced “Right I'd better start looking for mi own place then – if we 'av a couple they'll be all over mi stuff!”
|
|
|
Was it all a dream?
The problem parents and brat girl had a
rare family night out yesterday. The evening began with a meal.
“It has to be Chinese or Thai”
insists brat girl, “cos that's wot I've been lookin forward to all
day. I've been tellin everyone that's wot we'd be 'avin.”
The problem parents pick a south asian
restaurant they have been to many times, but never with brat girl.
After much dithering brat girl and evil stepmother each have one of
the soups and crap dad has a tofu dish with rice.
“Oooh – this is hot” says brat
girl “eeerg – the noodles look like jellyfish” comes out a few
slurps later, “I like it though” she says reassuringly.
20 minutes later brat girl admits
defeat and confesses that she can eat no more – it's just got too
many odd flavours and she's become so snivelly with the spices that
she has rubbed the foundation off her nose. She does manage to have
a go at the remainder of the problem parents food and the family
leave replete and ready for the gig that is the whole point of the
evening out.
Brat girl has steadily been getting
more and more excited as the evening has progressed.
“You'll have to chill a bit”
advises evil stepmother laughingly as they approach the club “it is
an adult club you know, you're supposed to be 18!”
“But I'm so excited” gushes the
girl “I'm going to see Terri Walker. I don't care that none of mi
friends have eva 'erd of 'er. She great!”
They arrive in good time, and after an
initial hesitation when the show begins, she is soon dancing in the
middle of the crowd next to her dad.
Ms Walker is signing copies of her new
CD at the end of the gig, so brat girl queues up for a copy and even
has a picture taken, on her mobile phone, of her with the star.
On the bus on the way home evil
stepmother asks for marks out of 10 for the evening.
“7 out of 10” he says after a
moment of pondering where Terri comes between The Clash at Victoria
Park (10 out of 10) and Prince at Sheffield Arena (a generous 5 out
of 10).
“Are ya mad?” exclaims brat girl
... “It were at least 10 outta 10!”
|
|
|
One door closes, another ...
Evil Stepmother - “Well we never see
brat girl any more. She's moving onto her own things.”
Crap dad - “Yeah. She's becoming an
independent adult.”
Evil stepmother - “We're going to
have to do something ... brat girl just isn't giving us much material
at the moment.”
Crap dad - “She's out so much, it's
not like it'll effect her very much will it?”
Evil stepmother - “No, and she was so
supportive about baby girl last year.”
Crap dad - “OK. Let's go in then.”
............
Conversation held outside adoption
meeting.
|
|
|
Happy New Year
New Years Day 12.30am
Text from crap dad to brat girl, “Happy
new year. Hope you're having a good time.”
New Years Day 3.00pm
Text from crap dad to brat girl, “Hi
love, we haven't heard from you. When are you coming home?”
New Years Day 6.00pm
Evil stepmother to crap dad, “I'm
getting a bit worried now. We've not heard from her all day.”
She calls brat girl on her mobile which goes straight to voice mail.
New Years Day 6.05pm
Evil stepmother texts bob's mobile, “Is
brat girl with you bob? Could you ask her to get in touch with us
please or let us know if she's not with you? We are getting worried.”
New Years Day 7.00pm
Evil stepmother rings brat girl's
friend, “Hi it's brat girl's mum. We haven't heard from her all
day. Do you know where she is?”
Brat girl's friend, “Well, she stayed
at bob's last night.”
New Years Day 7.02pm
Evil stepmother phones bob's house
phone, “Hi, it's brat girl's mum. Is she there? Can I have a word
with her please?”
Brat girl, “Hello”
Evil stepmother, “Hi, I was just
phoning to check that you are safe, I assume you are.”
Brat girl, “Yes”
Evil stepmother, “Do you intend to
return home today?”
Brat girl, “No, I'm gunna stay 'ere”
Evil stepmother, “Were you planning
on letting us know this at all. We've been trying to contact you all
day, why haven't you been in touch?”
Brat girl, “I were gunna call!”
Evil stepmother, “So when were you
going to call?”
Brat girl, “I were gunna call!”
Evil stepmother, “Yeah, right. See
you tomorrow.”
Click, brrrrrrrrr.
|
|
|
Another Mystery
Wednesday 28th December
10.15pm.
“Right, I'm off to bob's in a bit”
announces brat girl.
“Erm, I thought you were staying here
with so-and-so?” asks crap dad.
“Nah, I'm off t' bob's”
“What about so-and-so? What's she
going to do?”
“I asked her if she wanted to stop
and she said nah it'll be alright. Anyways, I ave something serious
to talk to you two about, but it'll wait till tomorra” says brat
girl worryingly.
“What are you on about?” enquires
evil stepmother.
“Oh, it'll wait until tomorra. I
don't wanna talk about it now cos it's too late and it'll only wind
you's up. Anyways, I'm off to bob's in a minute. I ain't got time.”
explains brat girl.
“It isn't fair that you announce
something like that and then refuse to tell us” states crap dad.
“Chill. It'll be alright.” is brat
girl's only explanation, as she saunters up stairs.
20 minutes later brat girl leaves the
building
Crap dad turns to evil stepmother and
asks, “What do you think she was on about?”
“I don't know. I've sat here for the
last 20 minutes worrying about what it could be. Pregnancy? Leaving
home? Leaving college? I don't know. And there's all the usual stuff
that 16 year olds get up to. I can hardly bare to think about it. I
suppose we'll just have to wait until tomorrow.”
To be continued...
|
|
|
Revenge is a dish best served cold
Crap dad watches:
As brat girl teases and plays with the
cat using a piece of string;
Brat girl stamp her feet as she passes
the cat, who jumps in the air and darts out of the room;
As brat girl pretends to squirt a water
pistol at at the cat, who cowers under the table;
Brat girl pick the cat up and roughly
chuckle him under under the chin before he squirms and escapes;
As the cat, hiding in a doorway,
pounces on brat girl's leg, plays at biting her, and runs off at
breakneck speed up the stairs.
“Ouch! That bloody cat's a nutter!”
yells brat girl.
Crap dad, who is still sitting at the
computer, just laughs.
|
|
|
[next page]
|
