A day of surprises is Friday: E-book serial episode 152

Friday, at last, what a blessing, Mary had survived the first week on her own with 5 babies and she was very pleased with herself if decidedly jaded. Help was sorely needed and she was glad of it but today she would once more be all on her own, queen of her own domain and she was just so glad of it.

At the same time she was looking forward to the weekend when she'd receive at least some help from Jim, it did take the pressure off and they were comfortable together. In many ways Jim was hopeless, not good at fixing things, not good in the garden, away from her at nights and all his energies and skills went into his job. He seemed to be so afraid of not measuring up despite having the approval of Sir Hugh, who, in some ways had taken Jim under his wing, and finding himself at the butt of some of the older man's humour Jim would just have to toughen up and learn to take it.

In other ways Jim had been wonderful, designing and building this house, just as she had wanted it, having gardens and lawns laid, arranging help both outside and inside and especially with the shopping and Mary had no idea how on earth she could possibly have managed without those things being put into place.

He never wanted her to spend any of her own money, which struck her as silly as she had so much of it and virtually nothing else to spend it on, but despite the man she had spent some of it and was planning to buy their new mini bus which they would now need having so many young children. When it arrived would be soon enough to tell him.

But today she was going to take things as easy as she could, she'd had the usual two slices of cold toast Jim had fallen into the habit of leaving her but once having fed the triplets and settled them down to sleep she collected the twins from their cots and took them out into the sitting room, leaving them with the company of two cats and a lot of soft toys with which they could not harm themselves. She then cooked herself a really good hot breakfast, starting with hot milk on weet bix and then doing some lovely fluffy scrambled eggs on toast and following with more toast with butter and jam and rounding off with a bowl of fruit and some nice hot coffee, made with the percolator they had recently acquired. Cup in hand she joined her twins but insisted they play on their own while she sipped her coffee. She was determined to relax as much as possible now, to relieve the barely suppressed stress she had felt with being left alone and having to find her way around her own problems. She dawdled out to the laundry and put whatever she found there into the washing machine which made that room at least look a little better, then it was back to the kitchen to tidy up with twins trailing close behind. The cats continued to lay where they had been sleeping the morning away.

With the dishwasher going, the kitchen looked good again and she went back into the sitting room, two toddlers eying off the entrance to the conservatory, obviously anxious to go outside, but finding their longing firmly ignored, today Mary was in no rush to do anything. She got them some more toys placing each one individually into the playpen, leaving the other to roam free, that way she need have no concerns about Michael suddenly lashing forth and hitting his sister, no amount of reason seemed to stop him, he just did not seem to understand.

She really wanted a shower and would love the opportunity to wash her hair but that could perhaps wait until they were asleep in the afternoon, hoping to find some time for a fast shower in between breast feeding the three new babies, quite a chore, and she smiled to herself as she thought, just 5 months more and she'd be free of it forever, being pregnant and/or breastfeeding ever since she'd got married was a bit more than anyone would wish upon themselves. It was just so tiring, but taking it easy today should help and at least by going to bed early at night she managed to get enough sleep, broken as it was. but the tiredness seemed to follow her around and each time she found something new for herself to do she'd brighten up and that downpulling sensation would go away at least for a little while.

The twins behaved well if looking rather confused, no doubt they sensed their Mother's unwillingness to be engaged and had quite given up on the idea of going outside to play.

Lunch time came all too soon, after bathing the babies after yet another feed, at least they were good sleepers which would leave her free until about 4, when she might even manage to take the twins outside for awhile.

Milk and some small sandwiches and fruit did the twins for lunch and Mary could see just how tired they were feeling, no doubt it had been rather an odd week for them, too.

She put them into their cots where they were soon sleeping soundly and she skipped off to take her shower, it would need to be a quick one, not much time for a hair wash, in fact no time at all. But with a clean bra, especially, and fresh clothes all round, she did feel very much better and going back to the sitting room wondering what to do with herself while all the babies were sleeping she suddenly remembered the washing and went out to put it through the dryer.

The chimes on the front door sounded which made Mary jump. She was not expecting anyone, but went to answer the door, surprised to see Jim's mum and dad standing there, arms filled with shopping, "we thought you'd like the afternoon off Mary, so dad and I are going to cook dinner for all of us and dad will mind the twins for you" said Jim's mum.

"Oh", replied Mmary, "that would be lovely", welcoming them inside, "would you like a cup of tea or something?"

"Yes, dear, we certainly would, but we'll see to all of that, don't you worry about a thing, dad will make himself useful while I cook"

"Sure will, honey, but Mary love, I just can't breast feed triplets, I just haven't got the right equipment, as I'm sure you'll understand"

There was laughter all round and everyone's mood seemed to lighten and Mary took herself off to her study/office which she had hardly been in since arriving in this new home glad to have some time to herself to attend to a few things and do something to actually enjoy herself.

This was such a nice room, roomy but cosy with a nice view to the side garden, a smooth sward of green with flowers growing up and some over the side fence. The sweet peas were out and Mary just loved sweet peas, she must go out later and smell them they had such a sweet delicious perfume, their colours so fresh and lovely, their shapes so perfectly formed and there were other plants and flowers too and just emerging some snow white gardenias, their perfume was like a toxin, just begging to be breathed in and almost good enough to eat, they made you want to drink at their elixir of life. But for the time being they must wait.

She was surprised at just how well Jim had set everything up, all she had to do was switch on, which she did, it was a good screen but noticing the pile of mail neatly stacked which must have been accumulating since before she went into hospital, over a month ago now, she knew she had no time for computer play right now but left it on anyway and as she moved the mouse away she could see that Tommy was watching closely, his eyes glued on that mouse, ready to pounce should the occasion arise the hair on his back rising in his anxiety and readiness. She smiled to herslf, Tommy all too often set himself up just as she started to use the computer often disrupting her so much as he insisted on lying on her keyboard, she had always indulged him, difficult to put up with as this always was, but for now there was the mail, and she became completely absorbed, there were bills to be paid from before they left the village, even one from the power company threatening to switch off the power should she not pay this outstanding bill.

She laughed to herself, wondering just what power they were going to switch off as the new tenant had his own account with the power supplier, typical of any such large and often very stupid organization.

However she paid all the bills filling in the cheque butts diligently less she bring down the wrath of her accountant. There were other documents and sets of accounts from him and her lawyer and she laid them carefully aside, and one hand written letter, which was rather surprising and she was delighted to learn it was from her old gardener Jeff as she perused the back of the envelope. It was at this point that dad brough her in some afternoon tea of hot chocolate and delicious scones with jam and cream "Mum thought you looked a bit peaky and rather thin so she thought you should have these, and I'm just the delivery boy"

She laughed and thanked him leaving her desk and sitting in the lovely comfortable chair with a small side table holding her afternoon treat and took her time enjoying them, Mum had been so right, she really was finding all this child minding and feeding rather taxing and was so pleased to have this break.

Right on cue, and before she had time to do anything else she heard the first baby's cry followed quickly by two others, time to feed again already, so she left her own private little area to go to the bedroom once again and suckle her young.

When the twins woke up she didn't hear them nor dad's pleas with mum to come and help him with the nappy change, especially with the little girl, he felt embarassed about such things. So tolerantly mum abandoned for the time being her cooking and helped get the twins up and ready for outside. Knowing little of the conservatory and what lay within they left via the back door and Kathryn and Michael were just so happy to have grandpa, their poppy, there to play outside with them he always had such fun things to do.

Mum continued in the kitchen, setting up the dining room formally with a snowy white table cloth and planning dinner carefully for about 6 not really knowing when Jim would be home, but as she knew the twins would not like to wait so long she prepared a bowl of bananas and strawberries as a pre-dinner snack which would allow them to stay up, without grizzling to join in with the family dinner, putting their high chairs later in the dining room so they could all be together.

Finished feeding Mary told Mum she'd be off for a walk but would be back about 5.30, and remarking how good the twins were as often by now they became very grizzly and unhappy,

"Of course, dear, they need something to eat, very few toddlers can wait until 6 to be fed without a little snack to tide them over" and Mary exclaimed, "oh I hadn't thought of that, that should save me a lot of trouble" Mum just smiled to herself as Mary set off.

She was back as planned and sat down on her own in the sitting room it was just so nice not to have to worry about the twins, she could hear from the squeals of delight outside that dad was keeping them well entertained, he really was very good that way, and useful too, just so different from Jim.

Jim arrived promptly at 6 much to everyone's surprise and he was delighted to see his parents there, they should lighten the load, and went up quickly to change his clothes and then dash out to put the pool heater on so he could have a swim later, he'd been missing that swim and was really looking forward to it.

When he came back mum told him to join Mary inside and after he had asked dad to bring the twins in, it was not long before they were all seated together in the dining room, tucking into mum's well prepared feast, twins also happy with what they were given. Despite the presence of children they all managed to have a reasonable and light hearted conversation and thoroughly enjoyed mum's good old fashioned cooking, and the unusual desert of stewed hot plums and baked rice custard, finishing off with milk for the twins and coffee all round for the rest of them. Mary and Jim were let off cleaning up the kitchen and dad and the twins helped which actually took twice as long but Mary and Jim managed to have a nice cuddle on the lounge uninterrupted by little ones, dad put the twins to bed, with a little help from mum, and later joined Mary and Jim with a cheese and fruit platter for supper. It was a cosy, comfortable family gathering, with Mum saying how tired she now felt, which was little wonder, but they left with sound expressions of thanks both from their son and his lovely wife promising to return next Friday for more of the same.

It was not long after that Mary hit the sack, to get some sleep before feeding again in the wee, small hours, and Jim went out for his long anticipated swim, enjoying the experience in the dimly lit pool in the dark and cool of the night, he himself hitting the cot not much later.

Unexpected events of a Friday had done this family a powerful lot of good. And for Jim the thoughts of golf tomorrow just made his day. The household slept.