Gaby Book 18 - Summery

 
“Given the nature of this case and the evidence put before me by both parties I have reached a decision that I believe will be the best interests of the child A. said child will be taken from this court and placed directly into the care of Social Services and henceforth offered for adoption.”
“Nooooooooooooooooooo!”
“All rise,” the Usher ordered, “court dismissed.”
“Mum, you’ve got to stop them,” Bern begged, “they’re taking Drea away!”
“It’ll be for the best,” Cheryl told her.

Across the courtroom the team from the SS were celebrating, that witch ‘Mike’ laughing and giving high fives to the other members of the ‘team’.

There was no stopping the tears as a desolate mother hugged her first born, how could this happen, even mum was against her. She didn’t see the person approaching her but started at the familiar voice.

“We’ve won Miss Rose, I said we would so hand over the brat.”
“No!”
“Give her the child,” Cheryl Rose’s voice ordered.

Bern looked to her mother but it wasn’t her there but Mike, no, no no, this can’t be real.The babe was wrenched from her grip and the SS officer hoisted her above her head like a trophy which was greeted by a cheer from the rest of the rooms occupants.

“Drea!”

The baby started to cry as Mike roughly handed her off to an underling.

“We’ve won Miss Rose, we’ve won.”
“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

She awoke with a start immediately looking across to Drea’s cot, she could see her child lightly snoring – a dream then, no a nightmare. She lay back on her pillows and let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. It wasn’t the first time she’d had such a dream, but this one felt, well more real, what do they mean? Do they predict the future?

There was one thing for sure, she’d not get any more sleep tonight. Not that she ever got much, Drea for her part was very good, sleeping through most nights, it was the nightmares that kept Bern from doing the same. The subterfuge with Mart was supposed to give her some security but even that was causing her issues, would it really help in her keeping Drea?

“So where are you two off to?” Cheryl enquired as Bern fussed about getting her daughter ready to go out.
“Thought we’d go see the ducks.”
“You back for lunch?”
“Should be.”
“I'll wait ‘till you get back then, oh can you drop your Aunt Megan’s card in the post box?”
“Er sure, put it in my bag.”

It was a nice Spring day, not quite warm enough to go without at least a cardy but it was dry, the sky blue and the wind barely rustling the newly emerging leaves.

“See you later.”
“Don’t forget the card, its Megan’s birthday tomorrow,” Cheryl called after her daughter and grandchild.
“Got it, bye.”
Bern let gravity take the pram down the drive where she turned right towards the town, a journey she’d made countless times in the past to get to school, to meet her friends, to go shopping. But now, today, well its not the same, she’d pretty much lost contact with her ‘friends’, in a way she couldn’t blame them but it still hurt. Make new ones her mother had suggested, like that was going to happen.

You’d think there’d be some solidarity, some common ground with the other ‘gymslip’ mothers but she was at best tolerated. Generally though she was treated as a pariah, the posh girl who got her boyfriend put in the slammer. Posh, that’s a laugh, just because she had two parents and lived in a semi – oh and didn’t put out to every scrote in town.

If that's what posh meant she was posh, but posh and alone, lonely. Yeah she had a boyfriend, well sort of but he’s like hundreds of miles away in another country – probably having a good time, chatting up the girls who had more going for them than herself. For one they were German and for two, they didn’t come with baggage and history, she couldn’t blame him if he did drop her.

As she approached Burns Lane she could hear the kids at Warsop College as they enjoyed morning break, that had been her two years ago. At sixteen it still should’ve been but she’d mucked up big style, drugs, prison, that b*@#*^d Sean and of course Drea. She couldn’t blame anyone else, well okay Sean, but she’d sought out the bad boys, she didn’t have to go along with him and his cronies.

Rather than take the short route past the school to the pathetic bit of grass that Warsop counted as park she turned instead along the lane towards Meden. Meden, how many times had she been to Mad’s or Drew’s houses, yeah it was Drew back then of course. That pair had been like twins, if anything Drew, well Gaby was the prettier one and now, well Gab was in Germany and Maddy was seeing some lad from Birmingham or some such.

There weren’t many people about, the postman – must remember to post the card, and a few elderly home owners pottering in the gardens of the bungalows at this end of the estate. With a sigh she continued beyond the bungalows and along the poorly surfaced lane towards the river.

Cheryl watched her daughter and granddaughter head off towards the village centre before turning her attention to the mess of the living room. It wasn’t meant to be like this, not even forty and a grandmother and how it came about, well what's done is done. She surveyed the mess, okay it wasn’t that bad but somehow having a baby in the house meant goodbye tidy, hello toys under the sofa, sick on the carpet, nappies, constant clothes washing, stuff she’d thought things of the past.

Something was troubling her daughter, well more than the usual Social Services threats and visits. No there was something more, something Bern wasn’t talking about, well not to her or Jack anyhow. That German lad maybe? Seemed nice enough.

Then the Penny dropped – Marty, Martine, Bernadette Rose you are a sly one! I wonder if his parents know about any of this?

The ducks were fighting over the crusts and crumbs on the river bank, Drea was dozing again and the only other activity nearby was from an elderly couple walking a similarly elderly spaniel – oh the excitement. Bern fished her phone out of bag and checked the time, five past eleven, add an hour, should be lunch in Germany. She hit the speed dial and waited for it to connect.

“Hey Mart, your phone’s ringing.”
“It’ll be one of his fancy women,” Ralf proposed as his friend headed to the pile of bags and jackets forming one of the makeshift goal posts.
“More likely mummy wants something fetching from the Tier-praxis,” Freddy put in.
“Give over guys,” Marty requested as he hunted his Handy out.

Across the yard there was the usual conflagration of girls variously eating, talking or outright watching the makeshift game of footie.

“You want that Banana?”
“Geez, Gab, don’t you ever stop eating?” Con asked.
“I'm on a see food diet.”
“Yeah, see food and eat it,” the others chorused, it was an old line, overused but when you saw the waif in question you couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Go on, legs,” Con allowed passing the fruit over.
“Cheers, so we celebrating Friday?”
“Not a good day for me,” Nena advised.
“Nor me,” Steff agreed.
“We should like have a proper party,” Pia suggested, “I can ask Dad if we can use the cellar.”
“Count me in,” Bridg enthused.
“Just us or the lads as well?”
“I guess Max can come,” Pia chuckled.
“I didn’t mean...” Gabs rebuttle was cut short as her Handy started trilling, “who the heck's ringing at this time? Hello Bond.”

“Can you talk?”
“Sure, what’s up? Let me get somewhere a little quieter.”

“Frau Rose, what a surprise.”
“Sorry to call out of the blue, it’s Bernie.”
“What about her? She alright?”
“She’s quite depressed, I'm worried she might do something stupid.”

“Whoa, that's heavy.”
“Tell me about it,” Bern agreed, “I don’t know what to do.”
“Well nothing stupid for starters, you spoken to your rents?”
“Not likely!”
“Maybe you should?”

“Marty, I know the girls stayed with you when they went to Germany.”
Mart let out a sigh, “I told her it was a bad idea, not saying before.”
Thanks Marty, that confirms my guess, “Well what’s done is done, so what’s really going on with you and my daughter?”

“Flippin ‘eck Bern, you don’t half get yourself in some pickles.”
“It’s not a laughing matter Gabs, they really could take Drea.”
“But even if you came here, couldn’t they still take her?”
“Erm.”
“What haven’t you told me?”
“Well you know Mart was off school the other week?”
“Cold or something,” I agreed.
“Er something, he came to Warsop.”
“Warsop?” I queried rather loudly causing my friends to turn their attention my way.”
“You don’t have to shout.”

Cheryl sighed, trust Bern to come up with such a cloak and dagger idea, and to get Marty involved too. So who else knows about this? Marty’s parents? No, that's not likely, I'm sure they would’ve put a stop to things. And why keep their relationship a secret all this time, I got the feeling there was a boy when I went over but she never said and other things had our attention.

Question is, what happens now.

“Mum?”
“Living room.”

Bern parked the pram, checked that Drea was still asleep and clicked the kettle on.

“Nice walk?”
Bern jumped, “Geez, Mum.”
“Sorry.”
“Er yeah, I think we need to talk, I’ve put the kettle on.”
“Good, I think so too, I've been talking to your boyfriend.”
“Sean?”
“Marty, tall lad, speaks with a German accent?”
“I was going to tell you.”
“Like you were going to tell me about the birth certificate?”

Drea chose that moment to interrupt.

“Go on, sort chuckles out, then we’ll have that chat, eh?”
“Yes, Mum,” Bern agreed as she scooped up her hungry daughter.
“I’ll do us some lunch, cheese or meat?”
“Meat please,” this is going to be a long discussion.

Maddy bell © 21.11.16