up.’
‘Yer don’t know, son, yer might be lucky,’ Jimmy said, feeling good inside because he had thought of something funny. ‘One of them might have turned a bloke down because his clothes were covered in cat hairs.’
Danny slapped his father on his back as he passed the back of his chair. ‘Nice one, Dad, ye’re on form tonight.’
Monica’s head gave a little shake. ‘Yer all think ye’re funny, but ye’re not. My friend said there’s something wrong with people who don’t like animals.’
Danny’s head appeared round the kitchen door. ‘Is this the same friend who has the little kitten that’s lovely and playful, and as good as gold?’
Monica glared at him. ‘Yes, it is. Why?’
‘I thought there was method in her madness. How long has she had this sweet little cat?’
‘A week.’
Danny nodded knowingly. ‘I thought as much. I bet yer any money that tomorrow she’ll ask yer if yer want a lovely cuddlykitten. She’s probably been told to get rid of it, and she saw you as a likely sucker.’ With that his head disappeared.
Ada saw the colour rise on her daughter’s face. ‘Is our Danny right? Has this so-called friend asked yer to have the kitten?’
Monica lowered her head. ‘Yeah. Her mam won’t let her keep it.’
Danny’s head appeared again, this time with shaving foam on his chin. ‘Ay, this friend of yours will go far in life. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up being a managing director in a big factory.’
Ada winked at Monica and was glad to see a smile appear. ‘I don’t think the girl will end up in a factory, sunshine. My money would be on her working in a pet shop. With her gift of the gab, if someone came in to buy a rabbit, she’d talk them into taking a rat, saying it was a baby rabbit what hadn’t started to grow yet.’
‘I don’t know this school friend of yours, Monica,’ Jimmy said, ‘but she’s been the topic of conversation here for the last fifteen minutes. And that’s pretty clever, seeing as we’ve never set eyes on her.’
Monica quickly saw the chance of getting her own back. Not that she wanted the kitten now, for she’d been put right off it with all the talk of hairs and sharp claws. And if it made puddles on the floor, she’d be the one who had to clean it up, and she certainly didn’t fancy that! ‘Yer’ll see her tomorrow night, Dad, ’cos she’s bringing the kitten here. And she said we can have the box it sleeps in, and the blanket.’
The hot retort on Ada’s lips died when she saw the sparkle in her daughter’s eyes. ‘That’s very generous of her, sunshine, and yer can tell her I said so. But explain that we can’t take her up on her offer as there’s no room at the inn.’
When Ada opened the door to Hetty on the Monday morning, she asked, ‘Will yer give me a hand with scraping the walls today, sunshine? I’ve moved all the furniture into the middle of the room and covered it over with old sheets.’
Hetty looked up with raised brows. ‘Is that why ye’re barring me from coming in? If I say I won’t help I won’t be allowed in? Yer know I’ll help without asking, and I don’t care whether the room’s in a mess or not! So can I come in now?’
‘Well, I was going to suggest we go straight out, sunshine, so we can get our shopping over with before we get stuck in. I only need to put me coat on, so shall we be on our way?’
‘Are yer asking me or telling me, girl? Since ye’re blocking me entrance, I’d say ye’re telling me and I don’t have any choice. So I’ll stay here while yer put yer coat on, and then we’ll be off.’
Ada turned her head to take a coat from a hook behind the door. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and stepped down on to the pavement. ‘I had me coat ready for when yer knocked, and I’ve got me purse in me pocket. All ready, so I wouldn’t keep yer waiting.’
‘Aren’t yer forgetting something? What about yer basket?’
After pulling the door shut, Ada
‘Yer don’t know, son, yer might be lucky,’ Jimmy said, feeling good inside because he had thought of something funny. ‘One of them might have turned a bloke down because his clothes were covered in cat hairs.’
Danny slapped his father on his back as he passed the back of his chair. ‘Nice one, Dad, ye’re on form tonight.’
Monica’s head gave a little shake. ‘Yer all think ye’re funny, but ye’re not. My friend said there’s something wrong with people who don’t like animals.’
Danny’s head appeared round the kitchen door. ‘Is this the same friend who has the little kitten that’s lovely and playful, and as good as gold?’
Monica glared at him. ‘Yes, it is. Why?’
‘I thought there was method in her madness. How long has she had this sweet little cat?’
‘A week.’
Danny nodded knowingly. ‘I thought as much. I bet yer any money that tomorrow she’ll ask yer if yer want a lovely cuddlykitten. She’s probably been told to get rid of it, and she saw you as a likely sucker.’ With that his head disappeared.
Ada saw the colour rise on her daughter’s face. ‘Is our Danny right? Has this so-called friend asked yer to have the kitten?’
Monica lowered her head. ‘Yeah. Her mam won’t let her keep it.’
Danny’s head appeared again, this time with shaving foam on his chin. ‘Ay, this friend of yours will go far in life. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up being a managing director in a big factory.’
Ada winked at Monica and was glad to see a smile appear. ‘I don’t think the girl will end up in a factory, sunshine. My money would be on her working in a pet shop. With her gift of the gab, if someone came in to buy a rabbit, she’d talk them into taking a rat, saying it was a baby rabbit what hadn’t started to grow yet.’
‘I don’t know this school friend of yours, Monica,’ Jimmy said, ‘but she’s been the topic of conversation here for the last fifteen minutes. And that’s pretty clever, seeing as we’ve never set eyes on her.’
Monica quickly saw the chance of getting her own back. Not that she wanted the kitten now, for she’d been put right off it with all the talk of hairs and sharp claws. And if it made puddles on the floor, she’d be the one who had to clean it up, and she certainly didn’t fancy that! ‘Yer’ll see her tomorrow night, Dad, ’cos she’s bringing the kitten here. And she said we can have the box it sleeps in, and the blanket.’
The hot retort on Ada’s lips died when she saw the sparkle in her daughter’s eyes. ‘That’s very generous of her, sunshine, and yer can tell her I said so. But explain that we can’t take her up on her offer as there’s no room at the inn.’
When Ada opened the door to Hetty on the Monday morning, she asked, ‘Will yer give me a hand with scraping the walls today, sunshine? I’ve moved all the furniture into the middle of the room and covered it over with old sheets.’
Hetty looked up with raised brows. ‘Is that why ye’re barring me from coming in? If I say I won’t help I won’t be allowed in? Yer know I’ll help without asking, and I don’t care whether the room’s in a mess or not! So can I come in now?’
‘Well, I was going to suggest we go straight out, sunshine, so we can get our shopping over with before we get stuck in. I only need to put me coat on, so shall we be on our way?’
‘Are yer asking me or telling me, girl? Since ye’re blocking me entrance, I’d say ye’re telling me and I don’t have any choice. So I’ll stay here while yer put yer coat on, and then we’ll be off.’
Ada turned her head to take a coat from a hook behind the door. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and stepped down on to the pavement. ‘I had me coat ready for when yer knocked, and I’ve got me purse in me pocket. All ready, so I wouldn’t keep yer waiting.’
‘Aren’t yer forgetting something? What about yer basket?’
After pulling the door shut, Ada
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