Name Game – Jenny 49

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and this one.]

[For other back story click in-links] 

“Astra?” said Izzy, “Astra? But that’s a car isn’t it? I mean, am I missing something here, did they have a car she really liked?”

“It’s Greek,” said Peter. “It means like a star.”

“Or like a hatchback…” mused Izzy. “Wonder what Mondeo actually means…. Or Tesla.”

“Mum!” said Peter, and then turning to Jenny. “Mum?!”

“Just saying,” said Izzy, “Why a car, why not a plane or something fast and exciting? Ferrari..?”

“Go away and get back to work!” snapped Jenny. “If you’re going to be like this why don’t you just…”

“I’m gone, I’m gone” said Izzy. “Still love her whatever the name is of course - you know I’m only kidding, right?”

This was one of those times when Jenny didn’t actually appreciate Izzy’s sense of humour. The day was difficult enough with trying to get Peter and Helen to school despite all the other distractions. Peter still hadn’t met his offspring although at least there was a more regular flow of information, texts and emojis between him and Jude. It seemed Jude had ended up at her sister’s house but she didn’t think it was a good idea for Peter to come round just yet. Peter was trying to work out exactly why this was but Jude was being a bit reticent about it all. Jenny just advised he gave her space and everything would come right. But she was partly only saying that because there was little else she could say, little else that could be done.

“But it’s my kid!” said Peter and Jenny could only agree with him that yes it was his kid, but given all the current circumstances there could be a number of reasons why their first meet up would still be postponed.

“Have you suggested going out together somewhere?” asked Jenny.

“She’s just had a baby,” said Peter. "She doesn’t want to go anywhere right now.”

Somehow Jenny still managed to pack Peter off to school reassuring him things would have changed by the time he got home and hoping to Whoever There Was that things would have changed by the time he got home.

Helen had also gone to school and for a while Jenny revelled in the quietness of it all. Except for the bickering voice of Izzy on the phone going through someone’s unlikely expenses upstairs and the bickering voice in her own head which was trying to tell her that she needed to do something practical with the day. But exactly what that should be was not clear from any of the voices bickering around her.

So she logged onto her computer, tried to focus on a new plumbing technique presented to her on a YouTube channel and ended up staring at three different news sites instead, trying to work out what the current direction of the pandemic and everything else meant for her. Like the voices, the messages from the outside world were not clear either. So she was actually quite happy when the end of the day came and the kids texted to say they were heading home. 

Although Peter’s text to say he was on his way was followed about ten minutes later by one to say he was going to walk about the long way, via the park “Just in case something might happen.” Jenny assumed the something that might happen was going to be a cause for joy and celebration rather than anything else. And sure enough, a minute later the text are through.

– I’m going to meet her!

Jenny sent a series of exciting emojis back to him (she liked to think she’d got the hang of how her kids communicated now) and sent a silent thank you back to Whoever There Was for this change.

Helen came back in a somewhat more distressed mood.

“He says he can’t do anything,” she said in disgust. 

“Who said what about why?” asked Jenny, trying to catch up.

“This Adrian guy,” said Jenny. “The guy who said he’d sort the TikTok account, remember?”

Jenny did remember and then wondered why this was still an issue. Surely it should have been sorted or already? Or not?

“He said he’d do something and then told me how much money it would be,” said Jenny.

“Right, but you didn’t give him any money, right?”

“And then he said it wouldn’t take long and then he went quiet,” said Helen.

“And you didn’t give him any money, right?”

“And now he says he doesn’t want any more money,” said Helen, letting it slip. “He wants something else.”

“OK,” said Jenny, not letting it slip. “We’ll come back to how much money you’ve given him later. What is the something else?”

“He wants to know if I know any female coders.”