Mumnesia by Katie Dale

didn’t seem quite
herself.’
    I hesitate.
Should I tell him the truth?
After all,
maybe if I explain how secretly upset Mum is about the divorce,
they’ll get back together and that’ll fix
everything.
    ‘Actually she’s been off work this week,’ I
begin.
    ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Dad frowns.
‘Maybe that’s why she hasn’t returned any of my
calls.’
    ‘That’s probably why she forgot about dinner today
too,’ Ingrid adds.
    I grit my teeth. She
did
forget! That and everything
else from the last three decades!
    ‘Well, we made it in time, and the three of us are going
to have a lovely meal together.’ Dad smiles as we pull into
the car park. ‘That’s all that matters.’
    The three of us. Ugh! If Mum and Dad are going to get back
together, I’ll have to get Ingrid out of the way first . .
.
    Operation Break-Up is on.

38 SHAZZA
    I have never felt so lonely in my entire
life. Sitting here on an unfamiliar sofa, in an unfamiliar house,
in an unfamiliar time, everything just feels so WRONG. I find
Zebby and hug him tight, breathing in his comforting smell
– the only familiar thing in this entire world.
    Except Lucy. She’s the only person I know
here, and the only person who understands what’s happened
to me. But she’s the last person I want to talk to. She
lied to me. She treated me like a child, not her friend.
Especially not like her mother.
    Mother.
    My throat swells. I miss Ma and Pa so much. What
if I never see them again?
    But wait – maybe I
can
see them!
I’ve only travelled forward a few decades after all; maybe
they’re still around, still at the same address.
    I grab the phone and quickly dial the one number
I know off by heart, then cross my fingers tight.
    ‘Hello,’ a familiar voice says.
    ‘Ma!’ I cry, my heart leaping.
‘Ma, it’s me!’
    ‘You have reached the phone of Sheila and
Alfred Miller.’
    My heart plummets. It’s just the –
what’s-its-name –
voicemail
.
    ‘Please leave your message after the
tone.’
    I hang up. I can’t explain what’s
happened on a machine! I need to see them. I need a hug! I need
Ma to make everything better, like she always does.
    I need to go home.

39 LUCY
    I need to get rid of Ingrid.
    ‘Do you have something in your teeth?’ I ask her
as we sit down, hoping she’ll go to the loos to check.
    ‘Gosh, how embarrassing! Thanks, Lucy!’ She pulls
a compact mirror from her handbag and my heart sinks. ‘I
can’t see anything . . .’
    #Fail
    ‘Are you ready to order?’ the waiter asks,
hurrying over.
    ‘Goodness, I haven’t even read the menu
yet!’ Dad says.
    ‘You don’t need to!’ I quip. ‘You
always have steak and chips!’
    Dad laughs. ‘I do love a good steak!’
    ‘How about
salmon
steak instead?’ Ingrid
interjects. ‘Much healthier, and just as tasty!’
    ‘Sounds good,’ Dad says with a sigh.
    ‘But you
always
have steak and chips!’ I
gasp. I can’t believe he’s going to let
her
choose for him! #Irritating
    ‘I’ll have the same.’ Ingrid beams at the
waiter. ‘What about you, Lucy? Shall we make it salmon all
round?’
    I scan the menu quickly. ‘I’ll have the
double-decker gourmet cheeseburger and chunky chips,
please,’ I tell the waiter. ‘With extra bacon, cheese
and onion rings.’ I shoot Ingrid a triumphant look. She
might have Dad under her thumb, but not me.
    ‘Oh to be young!’ Ingrid titters. ‘You can
eat anything at your age, you’re so lucky!’
    ‘You’re not
that
much older than me,
Ingrid,’ I reply, not missing a beat.
    ‘Oh please, you flatter me!’ Ingrid pats my hand
and I snatch it away. That
so
wasn’t the intention.
#Uber-Irritating
    ‘Actually, fish is great for keeping skin looking
youthful,’ Ingrid continues. ‘I get my love of
seafood from my father – he loves fishing. There’s
nothing like being out on the open sea, no one else for miles
around.’
    #Boring
    ‘It sounds amazing.’