Mr Mingin Read Free Page A

Gaberlunzie? ”
    “I dinnae like the word ‘tink’. It aye maks me think o somebody that reeks.”
    Chloe tried no tae shaw her surprise. Even the Duchess looked bumbazed and she didnae speak Scots, jist Dug.
    “I prefer gaberlunzie, or stravaiger,” Mr Mingin cairried on.
    The wey he pit it, thocht Chloe, it soonded awmaist poetic. Especially ‘stravaiger’. She wid love tae be a stravaiger. She wid stravaig aw roond the warld if she could. No stey in this borin wee toun whaur nothin happent that hadna awready happent the day afore.
    “There’s nothin wrang at hame. Awthin’s braw,” said Chloe thrawnly.
    “Are ye sure?” enquired Mr Mingin, wi the wiceness some folk hae that cuts richt through ye like a hoat knife through butter.
    But things at hame for Chloe werenae braw at aw. She wis aften ignored. Her mither speyled Annabelle – probably because her youngest dochter wis jist a wee version o hersel. Ilka inch o ilka waw in the hoose wis comin doon wi celebrations o Annabelle’s uncoontable achievements Photies o her staundin, fu o hersel, on winner’s podiums, certificates wi her name embleezoned in italic gowd, trophies and stookie statues and medals enscrievit wi ‘winner’, ‘first place’ or ‘wee bampot’. (I made that last yin up.)

    The mair Annabelle achieved, the mair Chloe felt like she wis nae use. Her parents spent maist o their lives chauffeurin Annabelle aboot tae her efter-schuil activities. Her schedule wid tire ye oot jist lookin at it.
Monday
    5am Sweemin lesson
    6am Bagpipe lesson
    7am Daunce lesson, tap and contemporary jazz
    8am Daunce lesson, ballet
    9am tae 4pm Schuil
    4pm Drama warkshoap, improvisation and movement
    5pm Piana lesson
    6pm Broonies
    7pm Girls’ Brigade
    8pm Jaivelin practice
Tuesday
    4am Fiddle lesson
    5am Stilt-walkin practice
    6am Chess Society
    7am Learnin Japanese
    8am Flooer-arrangin cless
    9am tae 4pm Schuil
    4pm Creative scrievin warkshoap
    5pm Wallie puddock paintin cless
    6pm Hairp practice
    7pm Wattercolour paintin cless
    8pm Daunce cless, bawroom
Wednesday
    3am Choir practice
    4am Lang-lowp trainin
    5am Hie-lowp trainin
    6am Mair lang-lowp trainin
    7am Trombone lesson
    8am Scuba-divin
    9am tae 4pm Schuil
    4pm Chef trainin
    5pm Moontain climbin
    6pm Tennis
    7pm Drama warkshoap, Shakespeare and his contemporaries
    8pm Show lowpin
Thursday
    2am Learnin Arabic
    3am Daunce lesson, brek-daunce, hip-hop, krumpin
    4am Oboe lesson
    5am Tour de France cycle trainin
    6am Bible studies
    7am Gymnastics trainin
    8am Calligraphy cless
    9am tae 4pm Schuil
    4pm Wark experience shadowin a brain surgeon
    5pm Opera chantin lesson
    6pm NASA space-nebbin warkshoap
    7pm Cake baikin cless, level 5
    8pm Attend lecture on ‘A History o Victorian Moustaches’
Friday
    1am Triangle lesson, grade 5
    2am Badminton
    3am Airchery
    4am Flee tae Switzerland for ski-lowpin practice.
    Learn aboot eggs fae a expert on eggs (TBC) on ootboond flicht.
    6am Dae quick ski-lowp, and then lowp aboard inboond flicht. Tak pottery cless on flicht.
    8am Thai kick-boaxin (mind tae tak skis aff afore cless).
    9am tae 4pm Schuil
    4pm Channel sweemin trainin
    5pm Motorbike maintenance warkshoap
    6pm Caunnle makkin
    7pm Otter rearin cless
    8pm Television viewin. A choice atween either a documentary aboot cairpet manufacturin in Belgium or a Polish cartoon fae the 1920s aboot a doon-in-the-dumps hoolet.

    And that wis jist through the week. The weekends wis when things got gey busy for Annabelle. Nae wunner Chloe felt ignored.
    “Weel, I suppose things at hame are … are …” Chloe stootered. She wantit tae talk tae him aboot it aw, but she wisnae sure hoo.
    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

    Naw, I’m no gaun gyte, readers. Yon wis meant tae be the kirk nock chappin fower o’clock.

    Chloe gowped and keeked at her watch. Fower o’clock! Mither made her dae her hamework fae fower until sax ilka day, even in the schuil holidays when she didnae hae ony.
    “Sorry Mr Mingin, I hae tae go,” she said.