Time to Let Go by Christoph Fischer Read Free Book Online Page B

the guest room for you just in case. The sheets are clean but it is still a little dusty and , of course, I have not been shopping. Given your current food regime, I doubt we have much that would grab your fancy.”
    “That’s no problem Dad. I will take mother shopping,” she said and put her scarf over her head.
    “Well, in that case I am free to go,” Walter said curtly. “Just make sure your mother gets some rest this afternoon. She likes to nap after lunch and I think she really needs it,” he said, trying to appeal to the responsible side of his daughter.
    “I promise,” Hanna assured him.
    “Where is your mother?” asked Biddy suddenly.
    “You must have misheard, ” said Hanna quickly.
    “No, you just spoke about your mother. I heard it!”
    “Don’t worry about my mother,” Hanna said warmly.
    “We don’t have enough space, you see,” said Biddy without taking notice of Hanna’s reply. “You are welcome to stay but we have no space for your mother.”
    “Don’t worry,” Hanna assured her almost sad and disappointed sounding mother. “Nobody else needs a guest room here tonight. Only me.”
    “Oh, I see,” said Biddy, visibly relieved. “We don’t have enough space. I love having visitors. I am sure your mother is a lovely woman.”
    “Yes, she is,” laughed Hanna. “Now let’s get going with those dishes and get you dressed properly; I want to find you something a little bit more glamorous and stylish to wear.”
    Biddy was amused and giggled while Hanna filled the sink with hot water and washing up liquid and made her way through all the dirty plates and cups.
    “I'll dry, ” Biddy offered.
    “Good. Here is a drying cloth,” said Hanna and held out a tea towel.
    At that moment Walter came back into the kitchen in his cycling shorts. Hanna wolf whistled.
    “Oh please , Pumpkin. Biddy, leave the drying to Hanna, she can do that herself. We don’t want anything to break, do we?” he started but his daughter would have none of it.
    “Dad, just go and le t us do our own thing. She can dry the dishes if she wants to. Who cares if she breaks some of the china? It is decades old and completely outdated. She would do us all a big favour if she did break something.”
    “The china was rather expensive and a wedding gift if I am not mistaken,” Walter said outraged. “While it is still good there is no need to break it unnecessarily. You could make good money from that when you inherit it one day.”
    “I’d rather she broke something valuable while having fun than sitting in the corner feeling useless and bored,” Hanna disagreed. “If it is so important to you I will pay for anything she breaks.”
    “But it is the sentimental value that you can’t replace.”
    “Dad, you can’t attach that much sentimental value to something that you admittedly don’t even remember where you got it from. And we all know how much mother remembers things and what sentiment she would give the plates. I bet she couldn’t pick them out of a line up.”
    “I’d better go. ” Walter said disgruntled and disappeared.
    “I won’t break the plates. I promise,” said Biddy sheepishly.
    “I know, Biddy, I know,” Hanna reassured her.

Chapter 5 : Out in Town
     
    Hanna took Biddy upstairs to the bedroom. To her astonishment her father had neither made the bed today, nor tidied up the room: that had to be a first. What Biddy was wearing today was terrible. The jumper and the trousers did not match and her mother looked as if she had come from a squat rather than a respectable household.
    “What would you like to wear today?” Hanna asked her mother.
    “But I am already dressed.”
    “Do you like what you are wearing? Why not put something on that is more flattering and exciting?”
    Biddy giggled and shook her head.
    Hanna went through her mother’s wardrobe and picked out all the dresses and outfits that her mother could or would probably no longer wear. Over the span of a lifetime ,