“But mum, I told the teacher you’d let me look after it for the holidays.”
“You did what? I never said…”
“You’re always telling me how important school is and how you wished you’d behaved better when you were a girl.”
“That was then. This is now. What’s y’re gran going to think?”
She’s asleep most of the time so not much, thought Skye. What she said was, “Perhaps it’ll cheer her up. It’s a very interesting animal. It never grows up.”
Oh my God. Mrs Brace wilted at the thought of perpetual adolescence under her roof. Skye was bad enough, but Mrs Brace lived in hope that one day, eventually, her daughter might turn into an adult.
Skye went on relentlessly, “It only matures if you feed it up and give it something special.”
“We’ll talk about it later; I’ve got to take your gran to the doctor.”
☼
Later, things hadn’t seemed quite so bad for Gran. True, the doctor was no more than a schoolboy, and didn’t say a word to the patient, but when Mrs Brace told him what was going on he’d said it was quite common.
“Always tired, asleep a lot in the day, putting on weight you say?”
“And she’s always complaining about the cold.”
“I’ll do some tests; then we’ll know for sure.”
A few days later, back at the surgery, all was revealed.
“Your mother’s got trouble with her thyroid.” The doctor bent down and shouted loudly in the old lady’s ear. “We’ll give you some pills, dear.”
The stoical 82 year old had endured much of what being elderly had to offer, but she wasn’t deaf. “You don’t need to shout I can still hear.” She glowered at the child-doctor _then muttered, “Don’t like pills.”
☼
Of course Skye won the day. “I get so bored in the summer holiday, Mum, it’ll
give me something to do.” And then the clincher: “The teacher says she’ll bring the tank round in her car.”
Mrs Brace didn’t think much to the bucket full of worms that came as well but Skye was quite happy scrabbling around in the soil to find food for the new arrival. There was a typed list too, of do’s and don’ts, but neither of them paid it much attention.
To Mrs Brace’s surprise her mother took to the axolotl. Otley was a strange animal, like a fish with legs. It spent most of its time at the bottom of the tank, looking resigned. Skye didn’t know enough to call it Axel or Lottie so she called it Otley after a town near where they lived.
The tank had displaced a vase full of artificial flowers on an old fashioned radiogram that had once been the family’s pride and joy. Otley and Gran eyed each other up and whilst she was awake she watched the pallid creature as it devoured worms and waddled about before the both of them had another nap.
It was these extra naps that began to trouble Mrs Brace. From what the young doctor had said there should be some improvement as the summer drew on, but the reverse was the case. If there isn’t change for the better by the end of next week, she thought, I’ll have to ask him to visit.
As Gran’s health continued to deteriorate, Otley began looking a bit seedy too. Not that Skye knew what a seedy axolotl looked like, but it was certainly changing. Having been off-white with a hint of lavender, it started to look greenish with white blotches. Its weedy little legs disappeared and it slimmed down.
By the time Mrs Brace called the doctor, Gran couldn’t get out of her chair without help and when she did the seat was often damp. Otley on the other hand had sprouted new, stronger legs and was beginning to look rather dapper. It spent most of the time on a rock that projected above the surface of its tank.
☼
Mrs Brace was relieved to find that old Dr Holding had dispensed with his young locum, and was back in harness. He’d seen her through her pregnancies and signed the certificate, without a murmur, when her husband had passed away. She showed him into her mother’s room.
“Now then, Granny, what’s all this about?”
“Shut the door, there’s a draft.” The old lady perked up for a moment, and then lapsed into silence. She watched as Dr Holding looked at his notes and picked up a packet of pills from the sideboard.
“He shouted at me.”
“But he gave you the right tablets…” About the correct number had gone from the blister-pac. The doctor was puzzling over the patient’s failure to respond to the medication when Skye came in. She and the doctor shared a little secret about pills.
“Hello Dr, did you have a good time in Mexico?”
“Yes thank you, Skye. I see you’ve got a salamander. That’s new.”
“It’s an axolotl, and I’m looking after it for school.”
Mrs Brace looked at her daughter and nodded toward the kitchen. Tea was always offered when the doctor visited and Skye went off to make it. She could hear snatches of the consultation as Dr Holding wrestled with the problem of why his patient hadn’t improved but it didn’t mean anything to her. By the time she returned the difficulty had been resolved. Dr Holding’s holiday had taught him a thing or two about the local wild life. He’d learnt that Axolotls, given special stimulation, will mature into salamanders.
“You see Mrs Brace; I think your mother’s pills could do it.”
“What’s that about my pills?” The old lady brightened for a moment
“You’ve been putting them in the aquarium instead of taking them.” The doctor, anxious to be understood, spoke firmly.
“You’re shouting like that young whippersnapper did. I shan’t take them for you either if you go on like that.”
Skye returned with the tea tray.
Her mother said, “Dr Holding’s been telling me about the pills.”
The teacups hit the floor and Skye sobbed, shouting at the bewildered doctor through her tears, “You promised it was confidential, you promised you wouldn’t tell.”
“But I was only telling your mum about your Granny’s pills and the fish tank.”
“Oh!” Skye left the room in confusion.
Mrs Brace offered to make another brew but by the time she’d cleared away the broken crockery there wasn’t time. With a, “Thanks all the same…must get on…more patients to see…” Dr Holding was gone.
Mrs Brace sat with her mother and the salamander and contemplated the matter of loss. Both Otley and Skye had moved on and matured into a new future. If only her mother would take the bloody pills and get better, perhaps Mrs Brace could too.
“You did what? I never said…”
“You’re always telling me how important school is and how you wished you’d behaved better when you were a girl.”
“That was then. This is now. What’s y’re gran going to think?”
She’s asleep most of the time so not much, thought Skye. What she said was, “Perhaps it’ll cheer her up. It’s a very interesting animal. It never grows up.”
Oh my God. Mrs Brace wilted at the thought of perpetual adolescence under her roof. Skye was bad enough, but Mrs Brace lived in hope that one day, eventually, her daughter might turn into an adult.
Skye went on relentlessly, “It only matures if you feed it up and give it something special.”
“We’ll talk about it later; I’ve got to take your gran to the doctor.”
☼
Later, things hadn’t seemed quite so bad for Gran. True, the doctor was no more than a schoolboy, and didn’t say a word to the patient, but when Mrs Brace told him what was going on he’d said it was quite common.
“Always tired, asleep a lot in the day, putting on weight you say?”
“And she’s always complaining about the cold.”
“I’ll do some tests; then we’ll know for sure.”
A few days later, back at the surgery, all was revealed.
“Your mother’s got trouble with her thyroid.” The doctor bent down and shouted loudly in the old lady’s ear. “We’ll give you some pills, dear.”
The stoical 82 year old had endured much of what being elderly had to offer, but she wasn’t deaf. “You don’t need to shout I can still hear.” She glowered at the child-doctor _then muttered, “Don’t like pills.”
☼
Of course Skye won the day. “I get so bored in the summer holiday, Mum, it’ll
give me something to do.” And then the clincher: “The teacher says she’ll bring the tank round in her car.”
Mrs Brace didn’t think much to the bucket full of worms that came as well but Skye was quite happy scrabbling around in the soil to find food for the new arrival. There was a typed list too, of do’s and don’ts, but neither of them paid it much attention.
To Mrs Brace’s surprise her mother took to the axolotl. Otley was a strange animal, like a fish with legs. It spent most of its time at the bottom of the tank, looking resigned. Skye didn’t know enough to call it Axel or Lottie so she called it Otley after a town near where they lived.
The tank had displaced a vase full of artificial flowers on an old fashioned radiogram that had once been the family’s pride and joy. Otley and Gran eyed each other up and whilst she was awake she watched the pallid creature as it devoured worms and waddled about before the both of them had another nap.
It was these extra naps that began to trouble Mrs Brace. From what the young doctor had said there should be some improvement as the summer drew on, but the reverse was the case. If there isn’t change for the better by the end of next week, she thought, I’ll have to ask him to visit.
As Gran’s health continued to deteriorate, Otley began looking a bit seedy too. Not that Skye knew what a seedy axolotl looked like, but it was certainly changing. Having been off-white with a hint of lavender, it started to look greenish with white blotches. Its weedy little legs disappeared and it slimmed down.
By the time Mrs Brace called the doctor, Gran couldn’t get out of her chair without help and when she did the seat was often damp. Otley on the other hand had sprouted new, stronger legs and was beginning to look rather dapper. It spent most of the time on a rock that projected above the surface of its tank.
☼
Mrs Brace was relieved to find that old Dr Holding had dispensed with his young locum, and was back in harness. He’d seen her through her pregnancies and signed the certificate, without a murmur, when her husband had passed away. She showed him into her mother’s room.
“Now then, Granny, what’s all this about?”
“Shut the door, there’s a draft.” The old lady perked up for a moment, and then lapsed into silence. She watched as Dr Holding looked at his notes and picked up a packet of pills from the sideboard.
“He shouted at me.”
“But he gave you the right tablets…” About the correct number had gone from the blister-pac. The doctor was puzzling over the patient’s failure to respond to the medication when Skye came in. She and the doctor shared a little secret about pills.
“Hello Dr, did you have a good time in Mexico?”
“Yes thank you, Skye. I see you’ve got a salamander. That’s new.”
“It’s an axolotl, and I’m looking after it for school.”
Mrs Brace looked at her daughter and nodded toward the kitchen. Tea was always offered when the doctor visited and Skye went off to make it. She could hear snatches of the consultation as Dr Holding wrestled with the problem of why his patient hadn’t improved but it didn’t mean anything to her. By the time she returned the difficulty had been resolved. Dr Holding’s holiday had taught him a thing or two about the local wild life. He’d learnt that Axolotls, given special stimulation, will mature into salamanders.
“You see Mrs Brace; I think your mother’s pills could do it.”
“What’s that about my pills?” The old lady brightened for a moment
“You’ve been putting them in the aquarium instead of taking them.” The doctor, anxious to be understood, spoke firmly.
“You’re shouting like that young whippersnapper did. I shan’t take them for you either if you go on like that.”
Skye returned with the tea tray.
Her mother said, “Dr Holding’s been telling me about the pills.”
The teacups hit the floor and Skye sobbed, shouting at the bewildered doctor through her tears, “You promised it was confidential, you promised you wouldn’t tell.”
“But I was only telling your mum about your Granny’s pills and the fish tank.”
“Oh!” Skye left the room in confusion.
Mrs Brace offered to make another brew but by the time she’d cleared away the broken crockery there wasn’t time. With a, “Thanks all the same…must get on…more patients to see…” Dr Holding was gone.
Mrs Brace sat with her mother and the salamander and contemplated the matter of loss. Both Otley and Skye had moved on and matured into a new future. If only her mother would take the bloody pills and get better, perhaps Mrs Brace could too.