How long have you got?
‘It’s not about me, Mum. You need professional help.’
Birdy tried to toss her mug at Ginny, but her hand was too weak, causing the mug to tumble straight onto Ginny’s wrist.
‘Ow!’ Ginny jolted backwards, then rushed to the bathroom to run her skin under the cold tap.
She will not ruin my day. She will not ruin my day.
Ginny repeated the mantra until her wrist felt a bit better, then she headed back to her mum to pick up the mug and mop up what hadn’t landed on her.
‘You always were clumsy,’ said Birdy, huffing. ‘Where’s Lee?’
It wasn’t unusual for Ginny to hear her mum talk about Lee, but lately she was asking for him every day, and it was starting to become concerning. She would have to ring him later. See if he could pop down for a weekend or something. She wasn’t holding out much hope, knowing what a selfish git he was, but still, if she explained how poorly their mother was, maybe he might have a change of heart.
Ginny attempted to help her mum out of bed again.
‘Are you deaf as well as stupid?’ Birdy yelled at the top of her lungs. ‘Leave me alone.’
The scream vibrated through Ginny’s body, removing anything warm and fuzzy immediately. She needed a timeout so went back downstairs to see how the cat was getting on.
‘Ugly cow, you are, Ginny. You hear me?’ Birdy bellowed.
There wasn’t one name known to man that Ginny hadn’t been called by her mother at some point in her life.
Ginny sat by the kitchen window, staring lifelessly out at the overgrown back garden. She knew how to shut down, avoid emotion, and pretend she was somewhere else far, far away.
Holding her own hand, she did what she often did. Pretended her soulmate was with her, holding her hand and making everything perfect. She stroked over her knuckles, but no smile followed, just more insults echoing in the hallway.
Time after time, Ginny made excuses for her mother’s behaviour, and she was doing it again.
It’s not her fault. She’s sitting in urine. Embarrassed, I know.
Ginny tried calling Suzanne again. Straight to voicemail. Oh, where was she?
‘Right, that’s it!’
Lucky meowed, then padded off to the living room as Ginny marched up the stairs. One way or another, her mum was getting cleaned.
‘Mum, I’m going to run a small bath for you.’ Before a response came, Ginny got on with the task.
There was silence in the bedroom, and Ginny hoped her mother wasn’t plotting something.
With the bath ready Ginny returned to her mum’s side, bracing herself for whatever was to come.
Birdy moaned and groaned, trying to get her legs out of bed, and Ginny was starting to admire just how strong Suzanne must be to lift such a deadweight whenever alone.
The journey to the bathroom seemed to take forever, and Ginny was quite certain they wouldn’t make it at one point.
‘Almost there, Mum.’
The hardest part was getting her mother into the bath, as Birdy struggled to raise a leg.
Ginny flopped to the floor by the tub, drawing gulps of steam. Her mum was twice her size, but somehow she found the strength to get her into the warm water.
‘Ooh, this is nice, thanks, love.’
Unclenching her jaw, Ginny stood. ‘Just sit there while I change the sheets.’
