Efl Readings
Páginas: 6 (1442 palabras)
Publicado: 2 de octubre de 2011
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-79946-1 - A Love for Life Penny Hancock Excerpt More information
Chapter 1
It's over
`Teresa, I wondered if I could come round to see you. Something's happened.' It was eight o'clock on a Monday evening. It wasn't the best time to telephone a friend with a young child. But this was a crisis and Fanella needed to speak to Teresa urgently. `Of courseyou can come round,' said Teresa, `if you don't mind giving Timothy a good night kiss. He'd be furious if he thought you'd been here and he hadn't seen you.' Fanella smiled, swallowing back tears. She loved Teresa's little boy, but right now it was going to be dif®cult to see him. `I'll be there in about ten minutes,' she said. `Good,' said Teresa. `See you soon then.' Fanella pushed her bike roundto the front of her small house. She cycled across Cambridge, avoiding tourists and students as she went, unable to share the happy atmosphere everyone else seemed to be enjoying. The river was alive with boats, the grass full of people picnicking. It was June and the time for end-of-term dances and university ceremonies. Fanella envied the younger people. They had so few worries. She was tryingto ®ght back the tears that had threatened her all day at work, and were now clouding her eyes as she cycled. She rang on Teresa's smart brass doorbell, parking her bike by the side of the large house. `Come in,' said Teresa, opening the door. Her long
5
© Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-79946-1 - A Love for Life Penny Hancock ExcerptMore information
brown hair was piled on top of her head, and as usual she was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. `I think Timothy's still awake, and I promised you'd go up and say good night.' Teresa always talked about her son before anything else. Fanella was used to it. She smiled and went straight up the stairs to the little boy's bedroom. Timothy was lying in his bed ¯ying imaginary aeroplanesthrough the air. `I've come to say good night,' said Fanella, sitting down on his bed and thinking how much she liked him. He looked so lovable, under the sheets in his clean pyjamas. The curtains were pulled to keep the summer evening light out. `Is Mummy going out?' he asked. Fanella often looked after Timothy when his mother and father went out. `Not tonight.' Fanella smiled. `I've come to seeyour mummy. We're both here this evening.' `Then I've got two mummies today,' he said, and Fanella laughed. `I'm not your mummy,' said Fanella. `I'm your special grown-up friend.' `Whose mummy are you?' asked Timothy suddenly. `Nobody's,' said Fanella, afraid the tears would start rolling down her cheeks again. `Why not?' asked Timothy. `Well, not all grown-ups are somebody's mummy,' beganFanella, feeling this whole subject was too much for her right now. `Some grown-ups choose not to have children, and some grown-ups want to have children, but they can't.' `Do you want to have children?' asked Timothy. `Yes, I do, very much,' said Fanella, thinking how strange
6
© Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-79946-1 - A Love for Life PennyHancock Excerpt More information
it was that Timothy wanted to talk about this today of all days. `Now it's time you went to sleep, and I'm going to go and talk to your mummy.' Timothy put his arms up and Fanella leant over and kissed him on the cheek. Then he shut his eyes and began to breathe deeply. It was very pleasing, Fanella thought, when a little child trusted you enough to go to sleepin your presence. She went down the stairs and into the kitchen where Teresa was putting dishes into the dishwasher. Fanella thought Teresa was so lucky. She had this large beautiful house, a happy marriage and a lovely little boy. But because Teresa was such a good friend, it was dif®cult to feel envious. Fanella's own home was quite different. She loved where it was, in a busy area of the...
Chapter 1
It's over
`Teresa, I wondered if I could come round to see you. Something's happened.' It was eight o'clock on a Monday evening. It wasn't the best time to telephone a friend with a young child. But this was a crisis and Fanella needed to speak to Teresa urgently. `Of courseyou can come round,' said Teresa, `if you don't mind giving Timothy a good night kiss. He'd be furious if he thought you'd been here and he hadn't seen you.' Fanella smiled, swallowing back tears. She loved Teresa's little boy, but right now it was going to be dif®cult to see him. `I'll be there in about ten minutes,' she said. `Good,' said Teresa. `See you soon then.' Fanella pushed her bike roundto the front of her small house. She cycled across Cambridge, avoiding tourists and students as she went, unable to share the happy atmosphere everyone else seemed to be enjoying. The river was alive with boats, the grass full of people picnicking. It was June and the time for end-of-term dances and university ceremonies. Fanella envied the younger people. They had so few worries. She was tryingto ®ght back the tears that had threatened her all day at work, and were now clouding her eyes as she cycled. She rang on Teresa's smart brass doorbell, parking her bike by the side of the large house. `Come in,' said Teresa, opening the door. Her long
5
© Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-79946-1 - A Love for Life Penny Hancock ExcerptMore information
brown hair was piled on top of her head, and as usual she was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. `I think Timothy's still awake, and I promised you'd go up and say good night.' Teresa always talked about her son before anything else. Fanella was used to it. She smiled and went straight up the stairs to the little boy's bedroom. Timothy was lying in his bed ¯ying imaginary aeroplanesthrough the air. `I've come to say good night,' said Fanella, sitting down on his bed and thinking how much she liked him. He looked so lovable, under the sheets in his clean pyjamas. The curtains were pulled to keep the summer evening light out. `Is Mummy going out?' he asked. Fanella often looked after Timothy when his mother and father went out. `Not tonight.' Fanella smiled. `I've come to seeyour mummy. We're both here this evening.' `Then I've got two mummies today,' he said, and Fanella laughed. `I'm not your mummy,' said Fanella. `I'm your special grown-up friend.' `Whose mummy are you?' asked Timothy suddenly. `Nobody's,' said Fanella, afraid the tears would start rolling down her cheeks again. `Why not?' asked Timothy. `Well, not all grown-ups are somebody's mummy,' beganFanella, feeling this whole subject was too much for her right now. `Some grown-ups choose not to have children, and some grown-ups want to have children, but they can't.' `Do you want to have children?' asked Timothy. `Yes, I do, very much,' said Fanella, thinking how strange
6
© Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-79946-1 - A Love for Life PennyHancock Excerpt More information
it was that Timothy wanted to talk about this today of all days. `Now it's time you went to sleep, and I'm going to go and talk to your mummy.' Timothy put his arms up and Fanella leant over and kissed him on the cheek. Then he shut his eyes and began to breathe deeply. It was very pleasing, Fanella thought, when a little child trusted you enough to go to sleepin your presence. She went down the stairs and into the kitchen where Teresa was putting dishes into the dishwasher. Fanella thought Teresa was so lucky. She had this large beautiful house, a happy marriage and a lovely little boy. But because Teresa was such a good friend, it was dif®cult to feel envious. Fanella's own home was quite different. She loved where it was, in a busy area of the...
Leer documento completo
Regístrate para leer el documento completo.