Page 21 of Alice Carver Manifests Her Perfect Life
Stinks
Date: Monday 26 DecemberTime: 11.30pm
My thoughts and reflections:
Today did not start well.
Or end well.
I was woken up by the sound of Ernie bellowing, ‘Mummy! Daddy! It’s gone everywhere!’ and then had to listen to Arrie and Roger arguing outside the downstairs loo about which of them should have to go in there and help Ernie, and whose fault it was that he’d had two helpings of trifle last night when they are both fully aware of his intolerance to dairy.
Arrie won. Predictably.
Anyway, no one wants to be woken up that way – it was disgusting and brought back memories of what happened last night. Then, when I tried to go back to sleep, Mitzy had the brazen cheek to start clawing at the door and mewing to be let in. No way was I falling for that.
I put the pillow over my head and tried not to think about my nephew in the loo, and to block out the muffled sounds of scratching from Mitzy, and the shouting and banging doors from my ridiculously noisy family; it was quite calming to inhale the scent of laundry detergent instead, and I must have drifted off again because when I went to check my phone, which had fallen under the bed, I found it was already 10am– I’d completely slept through my alarm. So I bounded out of bed, keen to find Aziz and see if he’d help me with my unboxing video before Matthew Lloyd arrived; in my enthusiasm I bashed my arm against that doltish bike, which bloody hurt. As I was checking to see if it was bleeding, I heard more shouting and the front door slam. The voices faded. Then it was oddly silent.
I opened the door into the hallway and listened for a moment. ‘Hello?’ I called. Nothing. I poked my head into the dining room but it was empty, so I ran straight upstairs and no one was there either. I borrowed Arrie’s dressing gown, and picked up her neatly folded White Company pyjamas – perfect – and headed down to the empty kitchen where I found a half pot of coffee steaming away invitingly. Things were looking up. All I needed was confirmation Matthew Lloyd wasn’t going to turn up unexpectedly, and I could get on with my video and start my new life as a successful influencer, like Charlotte. I poured myself a mug of coffee and wandered through to the sitting room, where Aziz was standing staring out the bay window, his shoulders slightly hunched, hands in his pockets.
‘Hey,’ I said cheerfully.
He turned round and his brow unfurrowed when he saw it was me.
‘What you looking at?’ I asked, joining him at the window, unable to see what could possibly have been of such interest to him in our front garden, which really isn’t all that unless the foxes have managed to tip the bin over.
‘Nothing much,’ said Aziz. ‘Just… thinking.’
He didn’t say anything else, or even smile, which isn’t likehim, so after a while I jostled his elbow to check he was okay, and then he did give me a jostle back.
‘Where is everyone?’ I asked.
‘Gone for a walk.’
‘Everyone?’
‘Yep,’ said Aziz.
‘What about Matthew?’
‘He arrived just as they were leaving, so he’s gone with them.’
Well, thingswerelooking up.
‘Why haven’t you gone?’ I asked.
‘Not in the mood,’ said Aziz, walking off. ‘I thought I’d catch up on some work. Might even go back to London.’
‘No! Don’t go back to London. You can’t work on Boxing Day!’ I said, following him back through to the kitchen. ‘No one works on Boxing Day.’
‘Not true, Alice,’ said Aziz, going to pour himself the last of the coffee. ‘Plenty of people have to work over Christmas.’
‘Like who?’ I asked, perching on the arm of the sofa.
‘People who work in hotels, the fire service, vicars, nurses, doctors… I’m pretty sure the Co-op’s open today.’
‘Well, only proper doctors. No one’s going to need therapy at this time of year.’
Aziz shook his head at me.
