Nineteen (Heather); Motherhood.
I don't think I've ever felt so bored or so lonely before. Certainly not in a long time, certainly. Tim's out at Fox, Amy's making herself presentable for a date with Tim Roth, and I'm here at home. Alone. Sigh. Getting tempting to call Danny! I shake my head, laughing softly; like he's appreciate me calling... "Yeah, hi Danny, it's Heather, I'm bored and thought I'd call you".
Can see that going down like a tonne of lead balloons. I get up, and look down at myself, something which makes me shake my head once more. I am a mess! I really have to do something about this; Tim's going to go off me otherwise! I laugh slightly bitterly as I walk upstairs and get dressed. Is it just me or have I been dressing far too 'normally' recently? Right now I've pulled on a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. So very very normal! Which is something I used to strive to avoid. What's happened? I pull a face and go back downstairs, grabbing my carkeys and leaving the house.
I'm planning on visiting the small local hairdressers, which isn't too far from the here, and I'll do -- something -- to my hair! I haven't exactly decided what I'm going to have done to it yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough! It's gotten far too long, so it's definately getting cut! Maybe I'll get it dyed again... I don't know what colour it'll go if I do get it dyed.
Perhaps I'll just go for some highlights and lowlights. I guess I've gotta start acting my age sometime, and it looks like I'm already falling into the category of 'frumpy housewife', so I might as well finish it! It's all very well parading around with multicoloured hair if you're young, but I'm sure at twenty eight I should start 'behaving'. Not that that has ever stopped me before! I chuckle and stop the car in a suitable place, quickly checking I've got my card. I do, good good! Always handy! I'm not parked too close to the salon, and to be honest I like the walk.
"Afternoon Mrs Burton." the girl at the counter trills as I walk in.
"How many times do I have to tell you guys just to call me Heather?" I ask teasingly. "D'you have any appointments?"
"Lemme check," Janie looks at the book and nods. "Yeah, we do! Like to sit down? Shanai will be with you in a moment, and Mrs - er - Heather, your accent is so cute...!"
And three hours later I leave the hairdresser, feeling like my head is a whole lot lighter! From having it coming down to my lower back, it's now just at shoulder-length and feathered, with light and dark blonde highlights and lowlights. Yeah, continuing with the 'normality' theme. Actually, I do rather like it! Something suitable for my age, no? I shake my head, grinning as the feathered curls/waves bounce.
I've been looking into every window on the way back to my car, admiring the good job the Shanai did to my hair, when a particular window makes me retrace my steps. There's a sign tacked to it that reads Kittens for sale - inquire inside.
Kittens... It doesn't take me very long at all to make a decision and walk though the gate, up the cute little paved path to knock at the door. An elderly lady in a shawl opens it swiftly, as if perhaps she had been watching me. She has a purring cat curled up in her arms. She looks at me with eyes as bright as a robins', piercing, as if she's figuring me out, then smiles.
"Well hello, a famous person comin' ta Aggi Brentses door. Come in, come in." She moves out of the way and lets me in. The hall is clean and orderly, and smells faintly of apples. "Here about the kittens, I bet." Aggi saus, moving past me. I nod and she smiles. "Through here, then, lover." She leads me through a few similarly neat rooms, through the bright and clean kitchen, to a large conservatory area, where a large group of kittens are playing with each other, and various cat toys littered across the carpet.
"Oh-!" I gasp, putting my hands across my mouth, a massive smile spreading across my lips. "I want them all!" I laugh slightly, taking my hands away from my mouth again. "Oh... I don't know how to chose...!"
"That's easy lover!" Aggi laughs huskily, and the movement causes the cat in her arms to give an igdignant 'mew' and leap elegantly down, moving over to a patch of sunlight and promptly curling up. "Now lover, go over to them --not too close mind!-- and hold out your hand. Them that likes you will be yours, you'll know." She pats me on the shoulder gently, and strangely I don't feel like snapping at her, like I usually feel when people pat me. I do as she advises me, holding out my hand and making a gentle calling noise in the back of my throat at the tumbling mass of multicoloured fur.
Eventually they stop playing long enough to notice there's someone else there besides them, and come over, sniffing my hand slightly suspiciously. The first few, some black-and-white toms and a lovely stripy tabby queen don't seem particularly interested in me, but a little striped ginger tom who is almost dwarfed by his brothers and sisters scrabbles up onto my boot and attempts to climb up my trouser-leg. I giggle and gently remove him, setting him down beside my boot as opposed to on it, and turn my head to tell Aggi I've found my kitten, when a beautiful silver tabby queen I can't believe I hadn't noticed rubs her head against my still outstretched hand. Two. Wow! And I thought I wasn't popular! Grinning widely I turn fully to Aggi. She smiles at me, and I get the feeling she was watching me.
"See you've found your kittens, then, lover," she says. I nod, still smiling.
"What do I owe you?"
"For you love, nothing, except perhaps a visit or two to a lonely old woman and her cats."
"Oh, no-" I don't want her giving me the kittens just because I'm 'famous'.
"No, now you listen to me young Mrs Burton." Aggi's 'sweet old lady'-like demeanor is a little deceptive; she's sharp as a pin. "Don't y'go thinkin' I'm givin' 'em you because you're famous. I'm givin' 'em you because I can see you'll love 'em and look after 'em, an' they'll be safe." She smiles at me as I pick the two kittens up, looking a trifle awkward.
"Thanks..." I say shyly.
"No trouble, lover." Aggi smiles and shows me the way out.
"Thanks Aggi, I'll come and see you soon." I say, smiling at her and feeling a little like I've just aquired a grandmother aswell as two kittens.
"Like I said, lover, no trouble, it'll be lovely to see y'." She pats my shoulder again and smiles. "You'll make a wonderful mother, y'know."
Chapter 18 ; Contents ; Chapter 20
