Chapter 40-The Mothers, which is then followed by Chapters 41 and 42!

A quick diversion from the story and a flip back to Dot-nose’s Mother and E but D’s Mother. They did not know how to help but often watched from a distance!!

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Chapter 40-The Mothers

Creeping carefully towards the house, Dot-nose and E but D’s mothers wondered whether their daughters were really at Dot-nose’s house, lying confused somewhere with the lights turned off. As they huddled together behind the hedge they each remembered a time before all the Terrible Things had happened, a time when Dot-nose and E but D had been radiant and well. Peeping over the privet The Mothers looked into the small garden, pitch black and silent in the night-time gloom. Suddenly, from the far corner, someone burped and, as The Mothers turned towards the sound, they saw what looked like two frantic fireflies, blinking and glowing on and off in the dark. E but D, pausing slightly in her smoking, took another sip of extra strong lager and, as The Mothers drifted quietly away, all that could be heard was Dot-nose’s whimpering as she rocked to and fro on the cold garden step.

Chapter 41-Back In the Cars and Leaving the Garage 

E but D felt a moving motion, but somehow knew it was not herself moving fast but the beautiful red mg sports car. She also knew, to her dismay, that she was once again squashed in the back seat whilst Dot-nose was in the front seat. Dot-nose drank the super strength cider urgently and, on finishing her draught, her slightly fuzzed eyes happened upon a mosque with another one of those posters with her face on it and she promptly passed out with a rush of images of Ghostly Ilf, steeples and elders with badges saying ‘Everything Good’ on them.

E but D noticed nothing as she set her jaw to trying to get comfortable and remove the top of her super strength cider, whilst clamping a cigarette between her teeth, all at the same time.

Hermione noticed the poster once more, as did Lucy and Lollita who had regained their pursuance of the beautiful red mg sports car.

‘Ilf,’ said Lollita, ‘what does that mean?’ as her Germanic mind set off onto its code deciphering program. Lucy turned up the volume of the Dolphin Therapy tape and thought wistfully of the booking she had that night. Thursday night was the best night as Lollita was mostly otherwise occupied on that particular evening of the week, leaving Lucy free to sing and sing, dressed in her sparkly gold lame evening wear and glitzy earrings.

She, Lucy, thought of the disappointment of her fans and of the groupies that she loved. She knew she couldn’t even phone to cancel….unless….unless…’Yes!’ she had proclaimed out loud. She had remembered the ‘Block Out What You’re Really Thinking to Others’ class and began to hatch a plan. Lollita’s mind was still mesmerically clicking through possible words pertaining to the initials Ilf and had consequently not heard Lucy’s loud proclamation of the word Yes and subsequently had no reason to question her eureka like shout.

Chapter 42-I Know That Place

Hermione thought of the scrap of paper that the plump, dark haired police woman had given her with the address on. Of course she had recognised it immediately as somewhere deeply familiar to her. And now, thinking whilst driving, she finally understood why these poor bewildered women in blue had disguised themselves as police women to get her, Hermione, to take them there. Not that she minded as she thought of her life of microwave meals for one and jacket potatoes. They were at least company if only of an amoebic sort. She had plenty of lip salve with her, ‘Always One in Every Pocket’ was her motto, and the salon could function without her for a few days.

Hermione thought of her son The Hermit and his wonderful experiments and lifelong ambition. He had done well for himself, though Hermione wished he would get out a little more and perhaps stop wearing the blue tapestry hat.

That’s All!

See Ya xx