contain nuts -narrative2

May contain nuts -narrative2

A few days later it was the nursery school sports day and we all gathered on Clapham Common. 

‘I think I’ll just put the harness on Alfie as well, just to be on the safe side,’ I said.

‘Yes, I think I better had as well then,’ said Ffion. ‘I wouldn’t want Gwilym to think I was the only mum who wasn’t there for him.’

‘Well, you can’t have some mothers allowed to run along behind and not others,’ said another, slipping off her shoes in anticipation of the race. Before long all the other mums were lined up behind their children, clutching their reins like a row of novelty jockeys from some Japanese extreme sports channel.

‘Um, ready, steady, go!’ said the bemused nursery teacher, but several mothers had already shoved their kids off on hearing ‘ready’.

‘Well done, Gwilym!’ said Ffion, who had been first to carry her suspended child way above the finishing line. 'You won, darling, you won!'

‘That's not fair,' said another mother. ‘Henry was winning! You carried Gwilym the last bit!’

‘Alexander normally goes everywhere in his buggy. I still say I should have been allowed to push him in his buggy.'

‘Why don’t we say they all won?’ chirped the Australian teacher hopefully, which was about the worst suggestion she could have possibly made. The mothers were united on this.