Ora and Ace - The Suspension

Here are a few peeps into the lives of our little twins. Apologies to those who did not read my story 'choices', as they are based on that, but hope you enjoy them anyway. (This was going to be a 'one off' but can't resist a few more stories!)

"Hi Caroline, would you mind just coming into my office before getting the girls?"

She nodded and walked into Kelly's office. Kelly ran the childcare centre not far from Sulgrave where the twins spent three days a week.

"We had a bit of a situation today Caroline."

"Why what happened, are the girls OK?"

"Yes, yes they're fine, but Mikey Dodds isn't. Earlier this afternoon, Flora bit him on the arm. It was quite a deep bite and we had to call his mother as the kid was inconsolable. As you can imagine, she's not overly impressed."

Caroline could feel the blood rushing to her face, she was on the one hand embarrassed but on the other, defensive, as she knew there would have to be a reason Flora did it.

"Well, do you know how and why it happened?"

"Not really, Flora just kept saying sorry but she wouldn't tell us what happened. We were hoping you could find out. We have to follow these things up as you know."

"Ok well please pass our concern to the Dodds and tell them we'll find out what happened and let you know."

"Caroline, I'm sorry to have to say this, but we'll have to ask you not to bring Flora to childcare until we've worked it out."

"You mean she's suspended?" Caroline said with no small amount of incredulity. "She's only two and a half for God's sake!"

Kelly let a smile come to her and she leaned over to Caroline and whispered "Red tape, you of all people should know about that. Don't worry, just sort it out and all will get back to normal ASAP."

Caroline walked into the playroom and both girls ran to her, "Mama, Mama," she bent down and put her arms round them both and kissed them. "Ora been a naughty girl Mama."

"Yes Gracie I know that, now let's get you home to Mummy and we can all sort this out." Kate was at an in-service at another school, and would be home later than usual.

Once in the kitchen, Caroline sat the girls up at the bench and gave them their afternoon milk and snack. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat up beside them. 'God this is all I need, after the day I've had' she mumbled to herself, as she decided not to start the conversation until Kate got home.

"Mama, I play in the sand with Mikey." Caroline looked at Grace and could almost read in her face that she had some guilt in this little episode.

"Did you darling, why don't we wait for Mummy and then we can all talk about what you did today. Just drink your milk she'll be home soon."

Ten minutes later, Kate arrived home and the girls jumped off their stools and ran to greet her at the door. After hugs and kisses, she walked over to Caroline and kissed her. "How was your day darling?"

"Oh brilliant! Beverley was off sick and so my office was in chaos of course; I didn't realise how much she streamlines things. Anyway, that's the bad news, but now would you like the even worse news?"

Kate laughed. "I can remember saying that to you a few years ago! Go on let me have it."

She whispered discretely, "Flora's suspended from childcare. She bit Mikey Dodds this afternoon."

Kate stood open mouthed for a moment. "Suspended, at two and a half!"

"That's exactly what I said; of course Kelly downplayed it then and said it was just red tape. We have to sort it out with the girls and then let them know before Flora can go back."

"Girls, finish your milk and then come and sit down in the lounge with Mama and me. We need to talk don't we?" Both babies looked very sheepish as they knew that tone in Kate's voice. Against any normal prediction, it turned out that Kate was the disciplinarian. Caroline was too soft on them and it sometimes became a bone of contention between the two mothers.

Caroline poured Kate a cup of tea while she went upstairs to change. She reminded herself of the last time the twins had been naughty and she and Kate had ended up having an argument about the punishment they should have. Kate felt that it should always fit the crime. So when the girls had refused to leave the TV to come and eat dinner, Kate had banned the cartoons for the rest of the evening. This led them to pestering the life out of Caroline to play with them; she felt she was being punished and got quite grumpy as she had a lot of work to do. Kate had chastised her for putting work before her children; this hadn't gone down well at all. So, she decided to take a back seat on this one and just try to be supportive.

"Ok, you two, who wants to tell Mummy what happened at childcare today?"

"I playing in the sand Mummy and Mikey took my spade. Ace push him over and he got all sand in his face."

"Ok so what happened then?"

Grace took over here;" He crying and then he hit Ora with the spade, Ora cry too, I not like that Mummy."

"So what did you do Flora?"

"I bited Mikey, Mummy. Sorry."

Caroline turned away from the situation as she was about to explode laughing. Kate was performing like a barrister in the children's court. Kate flashed a look her way and it clearly said 'don't you dare laugh'. She took a deep breath and turned back to face them all.

"Ok so it seems to me and Mama that you were all a bit naughty today. Flora, you should have told Kelly about Mikey not sharing nicely. Grace you mustn't push people, and we certainly don't bite. "

Caroline interrupted here, "Mikey was naughty too, to take the spade and hit Flora with it." She was not about to let her girls take all the blame. She was extremely protective of their children.

"Yes well Mama is right about that, but we must decide what to do about you two. Mikey's Mummy will sort him out;" another sideways glance at Caroline. "So what shall we do?"

The twins both looked bewildered by this question. Do about what? They'd told their mothers what happened. What else. Then Grace said, "Shall we go and see Grandpa and Granny?"

Caroline spat the tea out of her mouth and against all sane caution began to choke with laughter. This was the green light for the girls and they ran over to Caroline and began to giggle away with her. Kate was furious; as far as she was concerned this was a serious situation. She did not want their children thinking it was alright to behave badly.

"Go up to your room girls please. Mama and I will come up in a moment." The twins crawled their way up the stairs and disappeared into the nursery. "Caroline! What are you thinking; it's not funny. They can't be led to think that they can get away with doing the wrong thing."

Caroline tried her best to calm down and look serious but she was finding it very hard. "I'm sorry, I really am but that was a classic." Kate softened and even smiled. "Well I know where they get all this side stepping from and it's not me."

After composing themselves they went upstairs and explained to the girls that they had acted badly and they were disappointed with them. So this evening there would be no TV and tomorrow they would have to talk to Mikey and his parents and tell them they were sorry. Caroline made a few calls and arranged to all meet at childcare at 8am the following morning.

"Now can we go and see Granny and Grandpa?" Caroline put their coats on and walked them the ten minutes to their cottage while Kate prepared dinner.

"Hello little Grace and Flora" Alan said as he swept them both on to the couch beside him. He loved to cuddle them and tell them stories.

Celia came out of the kitchen and asked why they had been graced with their presence, "It's not like you to come round on a school night love. Are you alright?"

Caroline told them all about what had happened and how she was in the doghouse for laughing at them. "Oh I see so you've slithered out to avoid Kate's wrath then have you?"

After a while, Alan got up and asked the girls if they would like to watch 'Frozen'. "God Alan, no don't offer that, Kate would really kill me if I let them watch a DVD." This is a bad idea she thought and with that she put their coats on again and they walked home.

Dinner was a rather sombre affair as Kate was keen to keep the girls focussed on the fact that they had disappointed their mothers. Later in bed Caroline turned to Kate and bit her ear. "Am I a naughty girl too?" Kate laughed "Yes and I'm suspending all activities until you are punished properly, now go to sleep."

Waking at six o clock, Kate looked over to see Caroline with one little one on one side of her and one on the other, all three of them cuddled up and asleep. She shook her head and thought to herself; 'they sure know how to get around their Mama'.

At 8am promptly, both sets of parents sat around a table with Kelly. The children were in the playroom.

"Ok Kate or Caroline would you like to tell Sue and James what the girls say happened."

Kate relayed all that Flora and Grace had said about the incident looking at Caroline in the hope that she wouldn't chip in; her defensiveness was sometimes not helpful.

Mikey's parents were surprised to hear that he had actually started the problem, apparently that's not the story he gave them. So eventually they brought the children in and Kelly conducted her own investigation with them. It turned out that the girls' version of events was the accurate one. After lots of explaining and saying sorry, the matter was put to rest and Flora was re-instated.

On the way out Caroline pulled Kelly to one side. "Er Kelly, this 'suspension' won't go on her record will it?"

Kelly looked first at Kate and then Caroline. She burst out laughing as did Kate as they shook their heads at the Principal.

Driving home that evening with the twins chattering away in the back, Caroline looked at Kate "How about we have tea on the couch with Frozen; then you can take me to bed and re-instate me from my suspension"

"Sounds good to me; what do you think girls?" Both babies nodded their heads and smiled. "Grandpa and Granny, come too Mummy?"

"Not tonight" was the resounding answer from both front seats.