The Mum-Minder Read online

  'I don't think I am fine after all,'

  she sobbed. 'And I phoned Nan to see if she can take over tomorrow 29

  but Grandad's really bad and she's starting to sneeze all over the place herself.'

  I felt ever so ever so ever so mean. I hadn't helped Mum one little bit.

  Gemma's mum finished at court

  early and came round to see how Mum was.

  She took one look and shook her head.

  30

  'You've definitely got flu. Go on up to bed this instant. I'll look after the kids until the other mums get here.

  Sadie will help me, won't you, pal?'

  'Yes, of course.'

  'Well, all r i g h t t h e n , ' M u m groaned. 'But I'll be better tomorrow, I promise.'

  'That's nonsense,' said Gemma's mum. 'You'll have to take to your bed and stay there.'

  'But what about the babies?' said Mum, sniffling.

  'We'll sort something out, won't we, Sadie?' said Gemma's mum.

  'You bet,' I said. 'Us girls have got to stick together.'

  31

  You'll never guess what! I've been a real policewoman today. Gemma's mum took me to work with her. And her Gemma. And our Sara. And

  Vincent and little Clive. All of us.

  My Mum has got flu. Gemma's

  mum drove her to the doctor's last night. Mum's got to stay in bed today and tomorrow and the next day. So has Nan. She's got it too.

  1 can't have flu. I'm never ill,'

  Mum moaned. 'I can't let you all down. I've got to look after the kids.'

  32

  'Well, you are ill, whether we like it or not,' said Gemma's mum. 'And you've never let us down before.

  You've always looked after our kids.

  So we've got to stick together, like Sadie said.'

  'That's right. And it's OK. I'll look after the babies,' I said. I was feeling bad about leaving Mum to cope on her own and I was desperate to make up for it.

  'It's sweet of you to offer, Sadie, but you're only a kid yourself, love,' said Gemma's mum.

  I got a bit annoyed at that. I'm not a kid, I'm nearly nine for goodness sake, and Mum says I'm old for my age. I look after Sara enough times. If you can cope with our Sara then other babies are a doddle. Gemma's quite a sensible little kid at times, and Vincent's OK if you keep an eye on him – well, two eyes plus one in the back of your head – and baby Clive doesn't yell all the time.

  But Gemma's mum and Vincent's

  33

  mum and Clive's mum and even ray mum wouldn't listen to me. They said I couldn't cope.

  'We're the ones who are going to have to cope,' said Gemma's mum.

  'But how?' said Vincent's mum. 'I can't leave Vincent with a neighbour because they go out to work too.'

  'My mother-in-law always said

  she'd look after any babies if I had to go back to work, but the first time she looked after Clive he cried all the time and she said Never Again,'

  said Clive's mum. 'She just couldn't manage.'

  'We're going to have to manage,'

  34

  said Gemma's mum. 'It's only for this week. Can't anyone take three days off work? I would, but I've used up all my leave.'

  Vincent's mum and Clive's mum

  couldn't take time off either.

  T h e n just this once we'll have to take the kids to work with us,' said Gemma's mum.

  'How on earth could I have the

  babies in my office?' said Vincent's mum.

  'You can't have kids cooped up

  behind the chocolate counter all day,'

  said Clive's mum.

  'I'll look after them as usual,' my mum croaked. 'I can go to bed when they have their naps and —'

  'Nonsense,' said Gemma's mum.

  'Now listen. Tomorrow I'll have the kids. They can come to the police station with me. Then Thursday they can go uptown to your office and Friday go to the shop. I know it's going to be difficult but we'll just have to give it a whirl,'

  I still feel like I'm whirling. And it's great great great!

  I got up ever so early and gave Sara a baby bottle to keep her quiet while I got washed and dressed, and then I made Mum a cup of tea and some toast for her breakfast. Then I heated up some tomato soup at the same time and poured it into a

  vacuum flask.

  'That's your lunch, Mum,' I

  explained, when I'd woken her and propped a couple of pillows behind her. 'And look, I've brought some 36

  apples and biscuits up, and the kettle and the coffee and Sara's Ribena because I think you need the vitamin C more than she does.'

  'You're a real pal, Sadie,' Mum mumbled. 'So where are you going today then? Round to Rachel's?'

  'You must be joking! I'll have to go to the police station with Gemma's mum. She'll never cope with the babies on her own.'

  You can say that again.

  She looked a bit fussed when she came to pick us up.

  37

  'Me and my big mouth,' she said. 'I haven't a clue what my boss is going to say. I don't think there's anything in Police Orders about not bringing your children and all t h e i r little friends to work with you, but I kind of get the feeling it's going to be frowned on.'

  Gemma's mum's Police Inspector

  boss did frown when he saw all of us.

  His eyebrows practically k n i t t e d together.

  'What on earth are you playing at, WPC Parsons?' he said.

  'Oh, Sir,' said Gemma's mum, and s h e s t a r t e d g a b b l i n g t h i s long, involved, apologetic e x p l a n a t i o n , 38

  while Gemma scuffed her shoes and Vincent picked his nose and Sara struggled in my arms and Clive cried in his carrycot.

  'This is ridiculous,' said the Inspector. 'You're a policewoman, not Mary Blooming Poppins. I can't have my police station turned into a nursery, not even for one day. You must take them all home with you right this minute.'

  Sara had stopped struggling. She was staring up at the Inspector. Then she gave him a big sunny smile.

  'Dad-Dad!' she announced delight-edly.

  The Inspector looked shocked.

  'I'm not your Dad-Dad,' he said.

  'Dad-Dad!' Sara insisted, and held out her chubby arms to him.

  It's not her fault. We don't often see our dad. Sara's only little and she makes mistakes.

  T h e Inspector w a s big a n d he looked as if he'd never made a mistake in his life – but he made one 39

  right that minute. His arms reached out of their own accord. Sara snug-gled up to him happily.

  'Dad-Dad,' she announced smugly, patting his cheek.

  He still tried to frown, but he couldn't stop his mouth going all smiley.

  'Is t h i s y o u r little girl, WPC

  Parsons?' he asked.

  'No, Sir. This one's mine. Gemma.

  Say hello to the Inspector, Gemma,'

  said Gemma's mum.

  Gemma wasn't going to let Sara

  get all the attention. She smiled determinedly at the Inspector, tos-sing her curls.

  'Hello, Mr Inspector Man. I've

  come to work with Mummy.'

  'Well. J u s t for today,' said the Inspector, picking her up too.

  Gemma's mum winked at me. It

  looked like it was going to be OK

  after all.

  'How would you like a ride in my police car, eh?' said the Inspector.

  40

  'Me too, me too, me too!' said

  Vincent, tugging at the Inspector's trouser leg.

  Clive let out a long, loud wail from his carrycot.

  'He's practising being a police siren,' I said.

  41

  The Inspector looked at me.

  'You're not one of the babies,' he said.

  'I should think not,' I said indignantly. 'I'm here to keep them all in order.'

  'I'm glad to hear it. It looks as if it's going to be some undertaking,' said the Inspector. 'We'd better give you a bit