CHIM - Life in the limelight SEQUEL

Chapter 37

Sorry if this is a bit too long 

Last night's conversation is now well forgotten and i am taking the kids back to Whitney. Paisley is complaining, but then she is always complaining about something and most days i can ignore the sound of her whining voice but not today because Lilly and Junie have been complaining none stop since getting up too because they don't want to go home and Paisley doesn't want them to either. I on the other hand am more than happy to hand them back over to their mother. As lovely as yesterday was they have me exhausted because not only did they go to sleep late but they woke up at 5am and ran into my bedroom when Cheryl and i were asleep and started jumping up and down on the bed until we woke up.

Cheryl has came with me to drop them off and her face scrunches up as we walk through Whitney's house and into the kitchen. There is a strong smell of fried food in the air and the house is still trashed. I thought that while we had her kids she would have tidied up a bit but the dirty dishes that were piled up in the sink yesterday morning are still there and not one toy has been picked up from the floor. Whitney takes the pile of laundry off one of the kitchen chairs and dumps it onto the floor so Cheryl can sit down beside me at the table. She throws some packets of crisps and chocolates between the children and does not even look at Joey who is sat babbling on Cheryl's knee. "I hope they weren't too bad for you"

Cheryl shakes her head and smiles at the children who do not seem happy to be home. "Not at all. They were no bother and we'll be happy to have them again, won't we Kimba?"

"Yeah, of course but i've lost my little friend here" I laugh, nodding my head towards Joey. "He normally loves me but he's forgotten all about me now that he has Chez wrapped around his little finger. I think he's obsessed with her-"

"And the feeling is mutual isn't it, you little stinka?" Cheryl coos and taps his tiny button nose.

When Junie and Lilly start rambling on to Whitney about what they got up to on their first ever sleepover she listens to them with disinterest. Cheryl is observing our new friend with sadness but i am used to seeing her dismiss whatever her kids have to say. I have no doubt that she loves her kids very much but she does not have much interest in them and whenever they are talking to her she listens with half an ear and half of the time she does not even bother answering their questions. It is sad to see because even though Junie and Lilly can be handfuls they are children she should be proud of. Lilly is as bright as a button and Junie shows a keen interest in football- a sport he is very good at. Even little Joey is a lovely baby. I can tell that he is going to be a handsome thing with his dark eyes and even darker hair. He is Whitney's double in many respects but i don't think she can see it.

"Aint she weird?" Whitney randomly says once the kids have stopped talking. 

I look from Cheryl to Whitney, frowning and trying to work out who she is going on about. "Isn't who weird?" I ask and Whitney points her finger at the window. I am sat at the kitchen table that is in the middle of the kitchen so i don't know how she expects me to see who she is looking at.

"Her!" Whitney says loudly. "It's that cow from next door. Never minds her business, she doesn't. She's waltzing down her garden path like she's the queen of England with her suitcase and some geezer is waving at her through the car window... I don't know who he is... It could be her son but then again it could be her fancy man... Who would take that old bag on holiday?" Whitney is just as noisy as her neighbour so she has no right to talk. It makes Cheryl and i laugh because most mornings stood on the school playground Whitney is in my ear gossiping about all of the other parents with a cigarette hanging from between her lips. She is like someone from a comedy sketch show, it's hilarious but worrying at the same time.