Pun-Dits – Jenny 24

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 17 Sept 2020 and subsequent Jenny episodes.]

[Click on in-text links for relevant back story]

It was breakfast time and everyone in the house had somewhere to go to. Including, for the first time in what seemed like ages, Jenny. The usual rush through the bathroom and kitchen, the grabbing of bread, toast, jam, butter and cereal, the familiar clatter of crockery and cutlery hitting the dishwasher was broken up by banter which today, unsurprisingly had a bit of a theme to it.

"Do you think Jenny's looking OK today?" Peter over-asked Helen as they clashed over whose knife should be in the jam.

“Think so,” said Helen. "Not too washed out?"

"I thought she looked a bit flushed," said Peter.

Jenny protested and said Ha Ha, but she knew she was working against a tidal wave of puns this morning. She may as well just take it and enjoy it for what it was.

"Don't go on about it," said Helen, "You'll drive her round the u-bend."

She was dressed in a pair of overalls found by Izzy in the loft – very efficiently found now she knew where everything was. The clothes were left over from some time way back when the garage in their previous house had been the place where cycle maintenance took place (rather than the kitchen). Jenny was already feeling a spark of excitement. It was like her first day at work or college or – or the first day she ever raced. But, she reflected, it was only like these things. It wasn't actually work or college or racing. Claire had just offered her the chance to ride shotgun and watch what she did. The arrangement should work out, reasoned Claire, although if there was some big unforeseeable problem why they couldn't do part of the job together Jenny would wait in the van.

"I don't know," sighed Helen. "Career changes are fine but I keep thinking about all your experience going down the drain."

"It's alright," chipped in Izzy who was making coffee for her flask, "Her reasons for doing this are watertight but if it doesn't work out there's lots of other things in the pipeline."

"Stop it," said Jenny, semi-seriously warning them all. "It's all very funny but..."

"Let's not open the flood gates," said Peter.

"Did I hear Jude is going to the clinic today?" asked Jenny, deftly shifting the conversation away from her news and across to an area where it had to stick. Jude and Peter had decided to commit to the forthcoming baby, if not entirely to each, but they were getting on well enough so Jenny and Izzy were reasonably happy with how things were, even if Jude's dad was still digging around for someone to aim his anger at. Unfortunately Peter, Jenny sand Izzy were proving to be more than adequate targets and no matter what Jude said, there was little chance of this newly brought together family actually experiencing much in the way of harmony.

Jude was going to the clinic today, and would be accompanied – if she could be accompanied at all – by her elder sister. This seemed to make sense for all concerned and also meant that Jude stayed in control. Whatever happened she would tell her father what was going on as a result rather than him trying to have a less than useful say – or more likely shout. That at least was the theory.

Otherwise dates had been noted, the flimsiest of plans made and the acknowledgement of massive change in the future. There again, everything was now feeling like massive change. Perhaps, thought Jenny as she and her closest buzzed around the house and out of it, their home was finally the place security they needed it to be. A place they could all come back to knowing people would be there, would listen and would care. And would ruthlessly take the Mickey when they could.

"Do you know what you'll be doing today?" asked Izzy. "Is it hands on practical or just watching?"

"Watching I think," said Jenny, checking her supply of face masks. 

"Not much of a wrench then, eh? Eh? Wrench?" nudged Peter.

"Honestly, you wouldn't be like this if it was something else," said Jenny. "Roofing for example."

"Damn she's right," said Peter as he left. "That would just go right over our heads."