A visit

Hello everyone!

Well, all the one or two of you daft enough to read any of my posts have probably noticed my uncommonly frisky mood these last couple of days, and that can mean only one thing: Lias has had little girls visiting! Yes!

There is nothing quite like being woken up before dawn by your bed unaccountably shaking, the opening of the bleary eyes to see strange pyjama-clad objects jumping up and down, one light- and one dark-haired, and in answer to your semi-coherent grunts of disapproval, "oh, is this your bed? We thought it was the trampoline!" followed by fits of laughter.

I'm not sure I should take such cheek from two girls I hardly know, but oh well, what is there to complain about really when it comes down to snuggling under the blankets on a cold winter morning with two bundles of fun, knowing you don't really have to get up until, oh, about 1 o'clock, and talking about any number of highly diverting topics which I can't remember much about now, interspersed with occasional moments of seriousness concerning a dream or a fervent wish...

It usually takes me quite a while to make friends with children, but not in this case. Well, we were not total strangers, having met before in social circles, work, school etc. But it was only owing to a peculiar set of circumstances that we were thrown together for a couple of days.

We started out drawing giant felt-tip murals on rolls of newsprint, graduated to dressing in outlandish hats, finding something yummy for lunch, then playing horsey, which degenerated into general rolling around on the floor, and then lying on the floor tired out and telling stories, watching a movie (a very good one about a girl and a dog) and finally brushing teeth and good-night hugs and kisses all around, followed by second good-night hugs, and third good night hugs, assurances that the light will be left on in the hall, another round of good-night kisses for good measure and finally everyone's eyes are drooping, and the light is turned down and we all drift off into pleasant dreams...

Well they've gone now and things are back to the regular routine, which for me these days means not much in the way of little girls. But there remains an afterglow, in the form of a sock found beneath the couch, cushions slightly disordered, bits of drawing paper lying in odd places... I let these things be for a while, but gradually they get tidied and the glow fades, until all is ordinary again.

And that, kind people, is the story of a visit from two lovely, playful, wonderful 9-year-old half-sisters.

Thanks for listening.

Lias.