The Illustrated Mum Read Free

nothing to do with her.
    “Maybe Steve will have an early customer,” I said. “Then he won't be able to do it. Or maybe she'll change her mind again. You know what she's like.”
    “I know what she's like,” Star said slowly. Her teeth were clenched too.
    “Star?”
    “Stop bleating my name like that, it's so
irritating
.”
    “Do you mind if I go with her? I'd better, hadn't I?”
    “You do what you want.”
    “Can't you come too?”
    Star looked at me witheringly. “I'm not going near that stupid place.”
    I waited, trying to think of some way to make everything better.
    “It's a great birthday cake, Star.”
    I wasn't getting anywhere. I suddenly heard the front door bang. I had to leave Star. I ran hard after Marigold. She was halfway down the stairs.
    “Wait for me!”
    “I thought you maybe weren't coming,” said Marigold. She laughed. “But you are, you are, you are!” She caught hold of me on the first-floor landing and swung me round.
    “What a racket!” Mrs. Luft was down at the front door sorting through the post. She seemed to be addressing an invisible audience. “Do they have to be so noisy on the stairs? Up and down, late at night, first thing in the morning. Some people have no consideration.”
    “Any post for me?” Marigold asked. She always got extra hopeful on her birthdays and Christmas, just in case Micky decided to get in touch. Ever since we'dbeen given the Housing Trust flat she'd renewed the postal forwarding service every three months. It was the one thing she never forgot.
    “Electricity bill,” said Mrs. Luft, handing it over. “Well, I don't think I'll bother with that,” said Marigold, tossing the unopened bill onto the old table in the hallway.
    I looked at it anxiously. Mrs. Luft sniffed.
    “That's a very responsible attitude, I must say,” she announced. “Some people take pride in paying their bills on time. Others are downright feckless. Spend, spend, spend‘and lets the state fork out for her and her children.”
    Marigold told Mrs. Luft to go away and mind her own business. She didn't say it politely. She used short sharp words.
    “Yes, that's just the sort of language I'd expect from
her
,” said Mrs. Luft. She shuffled into her flat, her backless slippers slapping the floor at each step.
    “Mad old bat,” said Marigold, taking my hand. “Come on, let's see if we can run all the way.”
    She was faster than me at running even though she was wearing high heels. I hung back and had to stop and gasp for breath at every new street, a stitch in my side. It was still hurting when we got to the Rainbow Tattoo Studio. The Closed sign was on the door but when Marigold tapped the opaque glass with her long fingertips Steve came to the door.
    “Uh-oh,” he said, giving her one glance. “I'm not starting any long customized job now, Goldie. I've got a guy coming in at ten.”
    “Oh, Steve, be a honey. Which guy? If he's a biker he won't make it in till eleven at the earliest. And if he's a first-timer then it's odds on he won't even turn up.
Please
, sweetheart. It's my birthday. And it's just this
gorgeous
design. You'll love it. Look!”
    She waved my card at him.
    “Bit intricate, isn't it?” he said, looking at my birthday drawing.
    I blushed, not wanting him to laugh at me.
    “Steve!” said Marigold impatiently.
    “Nice drawing,” Steve said to me. Then he turned the card over. “Ah.”
    “It's great, isn't it. I thought right here.” Marigold tapped her left elbow.
    Steve tutted, the silver flashing in his tongue.
    “You're paying, I take it?”
    “Out my wages,” said Marigold.
    “But we only need you here the odd day or so when someone needs a custom job.”
    “I'll come in and do flash work‘whatever.”
    “I don't trust you to do flash work properly, Goldie. Remember that guy who wanted the samurai arm piece and you did the mouth all smiley instead of sneering?”
    Marigold was smiling herself. She bent over to Steve and put her arms