The Mum-Minder by Jacqueline Wilson Read Free Book Online Page A

knocked them all over the place, and Clive yelled his head off all the time.

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    He’s been yelling all day. It doesn’t half get on your nerves. It’s given Mum a headache. She looks ever so white and tired. Hang on. I know what I’ll do.
    Later
    Well I’ve made Mum a cup of tea. She’s had a couple of aspirins too, though they don’t look as if they’re helping much. I’ve given Clive another bottle and he’s got off tosleep. I’ve sat on the sofa with the others and read them this story about Dominic the Vole. Dominic the Vole is fat and funny and he’s always getting into trouble. (Very like my little sister Sara.) Gemma liked the story and wanted me to read it again, but Vincent got fidgety and Sara kept wanting to hold the book herself but when I let her she bit right into it. Dominic the Vole has got teethmarks across his bottom now.

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    â€˜You’re being the childminder today, Sadie,’ Mum said. ‘I’d better give you half my wages.’
    â€˜Are you feeling better now, Mum?’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Mum, but she didn’t sound sure. She sneezed suddenly.
    â€˜You sound as if you’re getting a cold, Mum,’ I said.
    â€˜No I’m not,’ said Mum, and then she sneezed again. She blew her nose. ‘Just a little sniffle, that’s all. I’m OK. I’ll take over the kids now, Sadie. You can go out and play.’
    Later still
    I had a good game with my friend Rachel up the road, but I kept looking in on Mum. She looked whiter than ever and she was shivering. The babies were all being very boisterous. I knew Mum was longing to get shot of them all. Well, she’s got to put up with Sara all the time, but that can’t be helped.
    Clive’s mum usually comes first because her chocolate shop closes at half-past five. But she’s going to a babywear party tonight so she askedMum to have him for the whole evening. And then Vincent’s mum rang up and said the trains were up the spout and she’d be late getting back from the office to pick him up. And then, to crown it all, Gemma’s mum phoned to say she’d arrested someone – she’s a policewoman, you see – and she’d probably be an hour or so later than planned.
    â€˜That’s OK,’ Mum said to Clive’s mum and Vincent’s mum and Gemma’s mum.
    â€˜But you don’t feel well, Mum,’ I said.
    â€˜Us girls have got to stick together,’ said Mum.
    So she looked after all the babies. I put Sara to bed and then, by the time we’d got rid of Vincent and Gemma and at long last Clive, Mum said she felt so shattered she wanted to go to bed too.
    She was so tired I had to help her undress and then I tucked her up under the covers and gave her a kiss.
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    â€˜You’re being a mum-minder now,’ said Mum.

 
    WE DIDN’T GET off to a good start today. Sara was awake half the night and Mum had to keep getting up to her. So she was so tired she slept right through her alarm and we didn’t wake up until Vincent’s mum rang the doorbell.
    â€˜Oh no,’ said Mum.
    Something seemed to have happened to her voice overnight. She sounded more like my dad than my mum.
    She stumbled downstairs in hernightie, croaking to me to put the kettle on. Sara started yelling for attention so I put my head round her door.
    â€˜Ook,’ she said proudly.
    She was standing up in her cot, hanging on to the rail, bouncing her fat little feet. She’d managed to unpop her pyjamas
and
her nappy. She suddenly stood still and started weeing, a look of wonder on her face.
    â€˜Sara!’ I shouted, and snatched her out of the cot but I was several seconds too late. It looked like the whole of Sara’s bedding was going to have to go in the washing machine.
    â€˜You’re a bad girl. Poor Mum’s feeling rotten and you’re just making things worse for