When's Mummy Coming Home?
Hiya my name's Eleanor Anne Rider. But if you call me that I'll set my daddy on you! My daddy is Alex Rider but he's away working a lot. I wish he wouldn't when he is I miss him and so does mummy. My mummy is Carrie-Rose and she'd very upset when daddy goes away. I think Carrie-Rose is the prettiest name ever! But I'll tell you a secret: daddy says mine is prettier. When mummy heard daddy saying this she hit him and he grinned. I don't get that I know when Ian hit me it made me cry it must be something about being all grown up! When daddy doesn't have to work the seven of us have a great time. Daddy always has games and what mummy calls "words of wiz-dome". Then there's mummy who likes to read us all stories and have family activities like visiting the park. John who is my oldest brother is always playing sport so he's always home late. Daddy says he was named after his daddy. I've never met daddy's mummy or daddy but I see Granny and Grandpa all the time. When I asked mummy when daddy was away she said daddy's mummy and daddy had gone to heaven. I asked if I could go to heaven to visit my other granny and grandpa. Mummy explained that it was a place you went when you were old and the time had come for you to move on. I feel sorry for daddy that he hasn't got a mummy or daddy like we all have. Helen, named after daddy's mummy, and Jackie are twins which means they look the same with their dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Daddy says they look a lot like mummy. But I look like daddy – I'm glad. Ian is six and looks like daddy with mummy's hair. At least that's what Granny says.
John, Helen, Jackie and Ian are in school now. I'm glad because after my porridge daddy came home so I can have him all to myself. He called mummy to tell her he was back then the babysitter left. I'm hiding in the laundry basket in mummy and daddy's room playing hide and seek with my daddy. But daddy's too good he pretended not to notice me but I knew so giggled. He pounced on me and tickled me so hard I cried.
The phone went off and daddy picked me out of the clothes taking me to the phone in the hall. I had my arms around daddy's neck and noticed blue and purple marks and a dark red ouchie on his neck. I asked him what it was he told me that he'd had a nasty fall. I kissed it – mummy says that a kiss makes it all better. Daddy gave me a huge smile while listening to the phone.
'No she can't ve,' daddy said with a look I'd never seen on anyone's face it made me hurt just looking at him. I gave him a tighter hug hoping he was okay. Then he wore a look that he had never worn that was worse than when Ian broke into his study. 'How had this been allowed to happen? I want a full investigation done, now! And whoever is responsible for this lapse in security will have hell to pay!'
He then clicked off the phone looking very tired gave me a smile which didn't look at happy like smiles should be and put on my worst pink jacket before taking me out to our silver seven-seated Volvo. I was strapped in right behind daddy. In all this time he hadn't said a word. I was scared – I'd never seen daddy like this, ever! He was always so cool.
'Daddy what wong?' I asked in what I think is a very brave voice.
'I'm sorry Nelly,' said daddy.
'What did you do?' I asked not understanding.
'Its mummy,' said Daddy sounding like a frog, 'she's dead,' he said.
Mummy was dead! How could mummy be dead? Tears were now rolling down daddy's cheeks. If daddy was crying then why were my cheeks wet. I was crying too. We got my brothers and sisters' school where daddy wiped away his tears and comforted me. Picking me up me spoke to the lady in the door. She gave me and daddy sympathetic looks and dad walked down the shiny hall me in his strong arms.
Daddy got Ian from his class where he was painting. I could see what must be a tree and a bird looking nothing like Jackie's who was great at drawing and painting and stuff. We got a strange look from the teacher in gold coloured glasses but Ian came out with green paint on his eyebrow. I thought it was funny but daddy cleaned Ian's face with his now green hanky. Ian's friends stared at us.
'Cone on lets collect your brothers and sisters,' daddy said taking Ian's clean hand.
Helen and Jackie were in the room opposite Ian's sitting on the floor with the rest of the class. Jackie was holding a rattle in her hand saying that her favourite thing in her room was her running shoes. Jackie was as sporty as daddy and John. The old teacher with shiny, green eyes looked at us when daddy walked through the door. She frowned at daddy's neck but next second two dark haired girls had flung their arms around daddy and me.
'What is this about Mr. Rider?' asked the scary lady.
'There's been a family crisis Ms. Gold I'm just gathering the children up.'
Helen and Jackie picked up their things and trailed behind the other three Riders to the other end of the school. When John saw them he looked embarrassed about us all being there. But happy that daddy was here.
'Hey dad what's up?' John said grinning.
'I'll explain at home,' sighed daddy.
John didn't say anything and grinned at the fact, as the oldest, he was allowed to sit in the front. We waited for daddy to belt us in before driving home to our seven bed roomed town house. Mummy and daddy had the biggest one painted mummy's favourite colour – lilac. Helen and Jackie had the two downstairs; Helen's was purple and Jackie's greenie-blue. I had the room next to mummy and daddy's painted bright purple. John had the one at the top of the stairs painted bright yellow. Ian had the one opposite mine painted bright green. The other one opposite mummy and daddy's was pale brown with two beds for anyone who came to stay.
Daddy went through the locks so unlike anyone else I knew apart from Uncle Ben's. He got me, Ian and Jackie black current, Helen and John orange, and put the kettle on for his coffee. I knew daddy was upset because daddy only ever drank that disgusting drink when he was upset. As the six of us sat sipping our drinks Ian asked the question that made me wanna cry again.
'When's mummy coming home?'
