Homeward Bound

Homeward Bound Chapter 24

Mum had clearly not gone out of the bungalow because she was still crocheting the blanket with the radio, quite obvious to the time. She had no concept that I was back either but then again she had the radio up quite loud.

'Mum,' I said rather loudly, which caused her to jump out of her chair.

'Cara, do you have to shout like that, you scared the life out of me,' she scolded me, as I strolled into the living room, noting she'd been eating biscuits again.

'The door was unlocked,' I announced, seeing what she would say.

'I always have it unlocked,' she bleated, knowing that I would have locked it when I left.

'You shouldn't,' I scolded her, feeling really angry with her. 'Anyone could have walked in and you wouldn't have known.' She had no come back for that one, so turned away from me. 'I think we should keep the door locked at all times and use the chain when answering the door.'

'Why should I do that when I know everyone who's calling,' she grumbled out. 'This is not London, you know, we don't have petty crime here. As for murder...'

'Mum, I know this is not London, but you still have to be safe, as I doubt you'd like to be clean out,' I snapped back, before I left her to dwell on this and locked the door I'd not locked up myself, leaving her key dangling there in the lock.

I returned to the living room, taking off my coat as I went and thinking twice about tossing it on the sofa where Tibbles had seem to have taken up residence all of a sudden.

'Shall we have lunch?' I asked her, as she carried on with her crocheting.

'There is a few bits that we brought back from the wake I put in the larder,' she offered, which I knew David had forced on us before we'd left. I suppose he couldn't do much with a few cheese straws, sausage rolls and some sandwiches and fruit cake.

'I take it that you didn't walk down and see David about the cost?' I quizzed her as I went into the kitchen and got out the containers that he'd kindly put the bits in for us to bring back.

'No,' she confessed, now joining me at the table in the kitchen. 'He called though.'

I just looked at her and wondered what kind of game he was playing at calling her and asking me out to dinner. What was it about him? Did he enjoy playing games with women. Maybe Helen was right about him.

'He asked after you and I told him that you'd gone out,' she announced.

'I don't know why he's asking after me,' I confessed, enjoying the bits left over.

'He did tell me that I could have a few days grace on paying him, so I didn't go out, anyway I don't feel like going out.'

'Not with me,' I ventured. 'Not if I'm with you and do the talking with the solicitor?' I pushed her.

'Oh, Cara... it's so...' she began to balk like I knew she would do.

'Mum, please, just come with me,' I cut over her with my grovel. 'I've not asked much of you and therefore I think you should do this. He might be able to advise you with your money matters. Won't that be a lot off your mind?'

She dithered, which I took as a good sign, then sighed and got to her feet, looking back to where Tibbles was lounged out on the sofa.

'Alright, we will go,' she finally conceded.

'I'll drive,' I offered.

'Oh no, Cara, you shouldn't until you know for sure you can use the car, there is the insurance and all that.'