The Pole Renovacy Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Today Tad was trying another recipe. He slid the tin in carefully. And looked at the mess on the bench rather ruefully. Maybe he’d clean it up after these had cooked though. He didn’t want to burn them. The pancakes had been easier – they were under his eye all the time. Nope, these had come out okay. Two-nil to him! “What do you think? Have I cracked it?”
“They’re not bad. Can we go to the festival today? There are free things to do.”
As long as we don’t bump into Miss Chandler, Tad thought grimly.
Aloud, he said, “Yeah, why not? Might as well.” It wasn’t the most enthusiastic of responses, but it was the best he could give her. Better than saying no just because he was still angry with her. Maybe cleaning up this lot first might be a good idea though. Before it grew legs and walked over the entire kitchen. May bumped into a friend from school. “Can I play horseshoes with Loki?”
“Yes, why not?”
But what have you told him about us? And Tad suddenly realised why he was so mad at May. It was this feeling of not being able to trust her that annoyed him so much. He watched her for a little while, but she was fine, and so he picked Ice up again and went to have a look around for himself. Ice charmed everybody. “See my dada,” he announced to a passer-by.
“Your son’s gorgeous! What’s his name? Hello, Ice, I’m Indrina.”
“Dina!” Ice shouted happily, making them both laugh.
“You’ve only just moved here? So have I, though both my housemates have been here for a couple of years now…” She was friendly and fun, and it was nice to chat to a female who didn’t disapprove of him. May met another schoolfriend – “Hi, Linn!” – and again Tad wondered what she’d told this friend about their family. Ice flirted outrageously with someone else, and Tad was grateful. It was an easy way to meet people. On his own, he’d not have gone and chatted to ChangChang, but with his son in his arms, he was unthreatening. And Ice was cute. “It’s been nice meeting you both! I have to go home and work again now. I’ve a mountain of forms to sort through for Monday morning – glad this is just a once a year event! But it always clashes with the festival! Goodbye gorgeous.”
The last comment was definitely aimed at Ice!
“Bye bye Chuff Chuff,” Ice said, smiling at her irresistibly. As he went over to collect May – “Last round, mind,” – Tad suddenly thought of something. Forms. He’d filled in a form for school – he’d filled in hundreds, it felt like – with his details. His only. Not Star’s. Miss Chandler knew that Star was dead. May’s registration details said so. And he’d given May all the forms together in one big envelope to hand in. So what was the woman playing at? Was she some kind of psychopath? Maybe May hadn’t said any of those things at all. He was going to see her principal about this. Tad would have loved to still own his easel, his oils…but he figured he could probably afford a sketchbook and see if he could make a little money with some pencil sketches. And this was his treat to himself before facing May’s principal this afternoon. May had after-school club so it was the ideal time to go. He walked in angry. Angry enough to get a very odd look from someone just leaving. He walked out totally confused. Now what was he going to say to May? And why had she done this?
The head had shown him the family details form. Neatly filled in, in May’s handwriting, with both his name and Star’s on it. And their old address for Star.
“She came in really upset – almost in tears – and said she’d got this form caught in the zip of her bag and ripped part of it. And could she write it out again, as you’d be cross with her. She was so upset, we said yes. Your address was still legible, and matched the new form, and we had your signature against this address…”
Tad just didn’t know what to think. Maybe he was too busy worrying about what to say to May. In any event, the ratatouille was a bit of a disaster! This wasn’t going to be the best start to the evening. “I know it’s not great…”
“Two-one,” May said.
“I’m going to have to try this again when I’m not so worried…”
May had been valiantly forcing down the burnt food, but she paused mid-forkful. “Worried?”
“About you.” She pushed back her chair. “I don’t think I can eat any more. Can I go to bed, Daddy?”
“Not yet,” Tad said, kindly but firmly. They were going to have to have this conversation. At least now he had all the facts. “But I don’t want Mummy to be dead!”
“Neither do I, sweetheart. But she is.” Tad was very gentle.
“But I can’t look after you. I’m not old enough!” It was a despairing wail, coming from the depths of her soul. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to look after me. I’m here to look after you. What gave you that idea?”
“Mrs Harbottle. She said with Mummy gone, I’d have to look after you because men were hopeless. But I don’t know how to, and I don’t want to!” “Mrs Harbottle is an interfering old…trout,” Tad said crossly, his voice muffled by his daughter’s hair. “And if she was here, I’d biff her one on the smeller for telling you such rubbish. You are far too young to look after me. I will look after you and Ice until you are both all the way to grown up. Okay?” Looking down at his sleeping daughter, Tad could indeed have cheerfully hit Alicia Harbottle. His poor child had been thinking that she was supposed to take Star’s place! No wonder she’d been all over the place.
He supposed that he owed Miss Chandler an apology too. Bother.