CBB Advent Calendar: December 4th
The CBB -> Cookies & Drabbles
#1: CBB Advent Calendar: December 4th Author: CBB Triumvirate,  PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 10:56 am

This refused to go anywhere but where it wanted to go!


Len Maynard regarded her reflection in the mirror gravely. At the age of twenty-eight and the mother of three young children, she had decided it was time for a change of image. She sighed as she considered some of her previously disastrous attempts to change her image, suppressing a small shudder when she recalled unwillingly the mini-skirt phase she had gone through while eight months pregnant. Mini-skirts and pregnancy definitely did not go together.

Len rummaged through her none too small make-up bag and eventually scattered the contents out on her dressing table. She counted. How had she managed to accumulate thirteen eye shadows, four mascaras, fifteen blushers, seven sets of false eyelashes and twenty-six lipsticks? Considering she had never worn any make up at all until after her twenty-fifth birthday, it was actually pretty scary.

Brushing all these accoutrements into a drawer (which would have scandalised dear old Matey had she still been around to see it) Len crossly began twisting her long hair this way and that in an effort to find a style she was happy with. Suddenly, letting out a chuckle very similar to the kind she had been blessed with as a youngster, Len grabbed a handful of hairpins and twisted her hair into earphones, much as her mother had always worn up until the tragic “affair of the quads” as it was known in family circles.

Having reminded herself of this painful episode in the Maynards family history, Len drifted off into a series of daydreams, recalling all the details of that terrible and turbulent time . . .

It had been hard for all of them she recalled. No one had expected Joey to get pregnant again, and she herself had been surprised. It was a bigger shock as Len was pregnant at the same time, and there had been a lot of jokes in the family about aunties or uncles who would be younger than their nieces or nephews.

Len felt the tears rise to the surface again as she looked at herself in the mirror, and realised that she could never wear her hair like that. Putting it up with a chuckle, realising how like her mother she had looked, despite the physical differences between them had released something, and now she pulled out the pins and as her hair fell down her back, the tears fell down her face.

There had been a general rejoicing when Len and Joey had gone into labour on the same day. They had been in adjoining rooms and Jack and Reg had both paced the corridor together as they waited for news. As the hours passed they shared a packet of cigarettes, ignoring the scandalised looks from passing nurses. By seven that evening they were slumped onto the hard chairs that lined the corridor, jumping every time one of the doors to the rooms holding their wives was opened.
“Dr Maynard, could you come please,” asked a serious looking nurse. Jack had jumped up and dashed into the room without a backward glance at Reg who was stood, uncertain whether to go to assist his father-in-law, or to carry on waiting for news of his own wife. His uncertainty was ended when almost simultaneously Len’s door opened and a small grinning face that he recognised as one of the junior midwives beckoned to him.

Len and Reg had rejoiced in the birth of their quads. They had known it was to be a multiple birth, although they had not expected four babies, They spent the next hour delighting in their new family, counting fingers and toes, forty of each and cooing over eye and hair colour. They found differences and likenesses to many family members and for the time being forgot the drama that was being played out in the room next door. The same junior midwife came to help Len feed the babies, and Reg found that with four, he was not be left out as he nursed each one in it’s turn, winding them on his shoulder with a practised hand.
“It’s obvious you have spent some time with babies,” grinned the midwife, “We often have to convince fathers that they won’t drop or hurt their babies, especially when they are as small as these.”
“That’s my wives’ family to thank for that, there always seems to be a baby somewhere in the clan. As for small, well they maybe, but they certainly have healthy appetites. And good lungs,” he added as they all started to cry together. The three smiled as they comforted the four new-borns and soon they were all swaddled and asleep, head to foot in two of the hospital’s large cribs.

Len had just began to drowse off herself, and Reg was wondering if someone would be able to give him news of Joey, when there was a tap at the door. Len roused up and smiled as Hilda entered the room.
“Auntie Hilda, whatever are you doing here at this time of the evening. Have you had a peek at the babies.”
“Not yet, I wanted to see you first dear.”
Hilda walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it, reaching out for Len’s hand. She looked at the girl she had known since she was born and her heart ached. Len tightened her grip with a sudden fear as she stared into the deep blue eyes that had never yet needed glasses and saw the compassion written there.
“Auntie Hilda,” she began, and then faltered.

Hilda could see the fear in her eyes, but had no means to allay it. “Len my dear, you must prepare to be very brave. Your mother is very ill. They are doing all they can, but you must brace yourself for the worst.”
“But what has happened Auntie Hilda?” she managed to ask.
“As you know my dear, your mother was also expecting a multiple birth. As ultrasound hasn’t been invented yet it was difficult to predict how many she was having.”
“I know all that Auntie Hilda! It was the same for me. Please hurry up!”
“Well the babies are all fine, but she has lost a lot of blood.”
“But surely she can have a transfusion?”
“If you will let me finish what I was saying Len! She has had a transfusion, and now we must hope for the best. She is asleep and you must go to sleep too. If you have a good night’s sleep you may be able to visit her in the morning.”
Despite her worries Len drifted off the sleep with little difficulty and stayed well away until the morning. Reg was with her when she awoke and her first thought was for her mother, for Reg was looking distraught.
“Your mother is absolutely fine Len, and so are her babies. They have all slept well and you will be able to visit her when you have had your breakfast.”
“Won’t the quads want feeding?”
“The nurses have given them bottles this morning so that you could have a good sleep.”
“Then why are you looking so serious Reg? Something has happened hasn’t it? Is it the babies? Are they OK?”
“They are all fine, both ours and your brothers and sisters. You haven’t asked how many there are yet you know,” Reg said, hoping to divert her.
“Well? How many are there? Another set of twins?”
“OH no! Nothing so ordinary Len. Brace yourself my dear. She has outdone you and produced quins!”
“Reg Entwistle! You’re having me on!”
“It’s a good job Hilda isn’t here to hear that bit of slang Len. I’m not kidding you know, she really has done it. Eat your breakfast like a good girl and I’ll take you to visit her. There’s a chair waiting outside the door so that you can travel in luxury.”
Having successfully redirected her train of thought Reg left her to eat and returned to the Search HQ, though like everyone else, including the local Police, he was very much afraid they were too late. The first train down the mountain had left at 4.30. At least, her thought, they had some idea of the person they were looking for, though the description had been rather vague. The mystery surrounding the whole affair was where the woman had surfaced from, and why she had done it. She had left the Chalet School unexpectedly one Christmas, when she had come into some property overseas and nothing had been heard from her since. She had appeared at the San yesterday evening, given her name at the Reception Desk and been directed to the Maternity wing, since she had asked for Jo Maynard. She had never arrived at Jo’s room, but had visited the Nursery where the babies were all sleeping soundly. At some point the nurse had been called away and the Nursery left unattended. When she returned the woman had vanished and so had one of Len’s babies! The nurse had not realised this until she had begun the night feeds and found the empty crib. She had raised the alarm, but by then it was far too late. Loveday Perowne had vanished into thin air, and not been seen again.
Tears slid down Len’s face as she remembered that time. She had never seen her youngest daughter again though they did have the photographs they had taken that first day. Photographs were all she had to remind her of her missing child, for Loveday had never been found and the Police had given up hope of ever doing so. A photograph had arrived each year since, showing that the child was healthy and seemed happy, but it was impossible to trace them. Now that Len was expecting again, the hurt and loss had resurfaced.
A ring at the doorbell interrupted her thoughts and she went downstairs to open the door. A woman was standing there, smartly dressed, and a few years older than Len herself. She had clearly arrived in the car that was standing by the gate, and Len’s eyes were drawn to the child that was sitting in the back seat, staring out of the window.
“Yes, that’s your missing daughter,” said her visitor. “You have probably guessed who I am. May I come in? Suzy will be all right for a few minutes, as her Nurse is with her.”
Len numbly opened the door wider, and Loveday stepped into the house. When they were sitting in the salon, Len turned bewildered eyes to her guest.
“Why?” she asked. “Why did you take her? What did you have against me that made you take my baby?”
“Against you? Nothing at all! I don’t know why I took her. I did come to visit your mother you know. When I saw the babies I acted without thinking and it was only much later that I realised what I had done. Nearly a year in fact. That’s why I started sending the photos - my conscience started acting up. But by then I couldn’t return her. I loved her too much, and I didn’t know what to say anyway. She knows she’s adopted, by the way.” Loveday ground to a halt.
“Have you come to give her back?” asked Len hopefully.
“I don’t know! How can I - she’s like my own now. And yet - she’s really yours, I know that. But she doesn’t know you. She doesn’t know why I’ve come here today or who you are. How do you think she’d feel if she had to leave me now?”
“I understand what you are saying, but she is mine. Will you let me meet her?”
Loveday nodding and left the room, returning with Suzy who was looking around her with interest. She looked very like her Grandmother, with the same pointed little face and black hair and Len’s heart went out to her.
“Hello Suzy,” she said.
“Hello. Are you a friend of Mummy’s?”
Len swallowed a lump. “Yes,” she said faintly. “Yes I am.” She could see that the two were very close and that it would break the child’s heart to separate them.
When Loveday finally rose to leave Len looked into her eyes. “Keep in touch properly from now on,” she said, careful to say nothing to upset the child. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

 

#2:  Author: Amanda M, Location: Wakefield PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:46 am

I'm sure these are all wrong Smile But here's what I think:

Reg Entwhistle
Quads
"deep blue eyes that had never yet needed glasses"

Thanks for this Triumvirate Very Happy

Star Wars

 

#3:  Author: Alex, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:58 am

CBB Triumvirate wrote:
That’s my wives’ family to thank for that


How many wives has Reg got?

Loveday Perowne
Earphones
Eyes that had never yet needed glasses

 

#4:  Author: Mihiri, Location: surrey england PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:17 pm

Loveday perowne
Quads
Eyes that had never yet needed glasses

 

#5:  Author: Ellie, Location: Lincolnshire PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:48 pm

I'm too tired to guess anything, but thaanks for trhe story, triumvirate.

 

#6:  Author: Helen P, Location: Cheshire PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:57 pm

Len Maynard (by the way - did she keep her maiden name or are she and Reg not married? Shocked )
Quins
"Loveday Perowne had vanished into thin air, and not been seen again. "

That was great, thankyou Triumverate Smile

 

#7:  Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 5:07 pm

“As ultrasound hasn’t been invented yet it was difficult to predict how many she was having.”- ROFL Mr. Green at Auntie Hilda

Most baffled by Loveday’s mysterious reappearance! Did the search party think to check Argentina?

ummmm....Confused

Loveday Perowne
mini-skirt
You must brace yourself for the worst.

Laughing

 

#8:  Author: Nell, Location: London, England PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:18 pm

Loveday Perowne
Earphones
eyes that had never yet needed glasses

 

#9:  Author: CBB Triumvirate,  PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 2:06 pm

The threesome (stop giggling) for this one was:
Len Maynard
Hair Ribbons
"Joey Maynard has gone to be with her"


Love the comments about Reg's wives' (oops, that was me, an unintentional error, that will be staying because it is funny) and the ultrasound!!

 

#10:  Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:27 pm

CBB Triumvirate wrote:
The threesome (stop giggling) for this one was:
Len Maynard
Hair Ribbons
"Joey Maynard has gone to be with her"


Love the comments about Reg's wives' (oops, that was me, an unintentional error, that will be staying because it is funny) and the ultrasound!!


Me thinks that this was the group for yesterday's drabble. Either that or I am totally confused (not an unlikely scenerio).

 

#11:  Author: CBB Triumvirate,  PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 9:18 pm

Chelsea wrote:
Me thinks that this was the group for yesterday's drabble. Either that or I am totally confused (not an unlikely scenerio).


Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed
Oops, yes you are totally right. The real answer is:
Loveday Perowne
Earphones
Eyes that had never yet needed glasses

At least Chelsea is awake! Even if I'm not. (insert sleeping smilie)

SOrry folks if I confused you, and sorry to the other Triumvirate members for messing it up.

 

#12:  Author: CBB Triumvirate,  PostPosted: Sun Dec 05, 2004 11:57 pm

This is NOT spreeing, just another of us!!

It's impossible to get the staff these days, isn't it? Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

 

The CBB -> Cookies & Drabbles


output generated using printer-friendly topic mod, All times are GMT

Page 1 of 1

Powered by phpBB 2.0.6 © 2001,2002 phpBB Group