199. Back home (3/3)

Bing. Goes the phone. I glance at it. Miss Organiser trying to organise us.

'Do you want anything?'

She is now in the terminal and can't board without a last attempt at shopping. Baby's just been pestering me about corrector (she uses tons of the stuff), reminding me that she has exams soon and she's running out. Maths-Head has also announced proudly that she must be the only person ever to have used up a whole eraser. So I text back.

'Correction tape. Eraser.'

Bing.

'Boarding. See you soon. XOXO'

No mention if the aforementioned items have been ticked off the list. We will just have to wait till the morning. I am sure both girls can do without these items for a while. The following morning we haven't even had breakfast yet and the phone is at it already.

Bing. 

'Landed.'

We are happy and excited to know she has landed safely. 

Bing.

'In TGV.'

Bing.

'Got the 12:34 train!'

It must be the excitement of being home because it's a lot of information she is suddenly sending our way. Just when we dont need it. We are not worried anymore. She is just around the corner but I keep these comments to myself.

After lunch my husband rounds up the whole family: 3 kids, parents, dog and granny and we head off for along the canal towards the station. We hang around for a while watching intently into the crowds of travellers who come out onto the concourse. And then, suddenly, I see her. Looking just the same! Everyone hugs and cheers and smiles and kisses. Our little Miss Organiser is back! And she looks just the same!

Baby fights with her brother to take the carrier bag and I marvel at so much helpfulness amongst the siblings. It cannot be very heavy as it is just a pillow inside. When I see the two of them munching away I realise it also contains the remains of her picnic.

We get home and she dishes out gifts for everyone then everyone looks at the time and starts preparing to go places and do things. We are expecting her to go and rest a little and have an easy day and are a bit surprised to have her give her the schedule for the day:

'I'll have a quick lunch with some rhubarb pie for desert. I'll walk Baby to tennis. Then for foie gras if it is ok with you all I have a window at 6 o'clock. Then I'm going out.'

It is all we can do to stop granny from having a heart-attack.

'A window! For foie gras! Honestly! ...'

'It's sacrilege!' Baby says. 'She's picked up lots of bad habits!'

As she finishes to unpack the trinkets and hands me a bunch of pencils (I love pencils, I collect them, I even mark my papers using pencils) I ask:

'Did you get the corrector and the eraser?'

She raises her eyes to the ceiling and says.

'Mum! Honestly!'

So I guess the answer is no. Never mind. I've got pencils and some of them have rubbers at the end.