Mummy and I

Mummy is crying in the kitchen.

She’s sad because daddy is living in the sky with the angels now. There’s loads of people here, all wearing black. Mummy is talking to Auntie Jackie.

“You know what I’ll miss most Jackie? Our dates. We used to put Elijah to bed and get all dressed up. We looked proper fancy.”

Auntie Jackie looks sad.

“I’d order a takeaway and Aaron would light the candles and set the table. When everything was ready, he’d pull out my chair, tell me how beautiful I was and pour me my favourite glass of Merlot. He’d always act like it was our first date and we would laugh into the night.”

Mer-lot?

I don’t know what that is, so I run out of the kitchen and into the living room to find Grandpa Luca. He’s sitting on the sofa with his head in his hand.

I jump onto his lap.

“Grandpa, what’s a mer-lot?”

Grandpa Luca looks surprised.

“Elijah! You’re only eight years old. How do you know about such fine wine?”

I think back to what mummy said to Auntie Jackie.

“Mummy was talking to Auntie Jackie about how her and daddy used to tuck me in, light candles and eat food. Daddy poured mer-mer-lot and called mummy beautiful and stuff.”

Grandpa Luca is laughing now.

“Oh my dear boy, so Merlot is a type of wine. It’s like, erm, grape juice for grown-ups. Your mum and dad used to drink it when they had their dates after you went to bed.”

I don’t know if I understand.

“What’s a date?”

Grandpa Luca ruffles my hair and laughs loudly.

“Well, a date is when two people who really like each other do fun things together. Sometimes they go to the cinema, or for a walk in the park, or have fancy meals together like your mum and dad used to do.”

Grandpa Luca looks straight into my eyes.

“Now run along Elijah, go play with the other kids.”

I get off Grandpa Luca's lap and walk out into the hallway. I don’t want to go play with the other kids. I want to have a date with mummy because that’s what daddy used to do. I think it will make mummy happy. I have an idea.

I walk back to the kitchen and find Uncle James standing by the fridge.

“Uncle James, I need some grape juice.”

Uncle James looks sad and doesn’t say anything to me. He opens the fridge and gives me a small carton of grape juice. I hold it in my hand. This won’t do.

“Uncle James, I need more grape juice.”

Uncle James opens the fridge again and silently passes me another carton of grape juice.

“And two glasses.”

Uncle James is giving me a strange look.

“What you up to?”

“It’s a secret. Can I have two glasses please?”

Uncle James shakes his head and passes me two glasses from the counter. My hands are so full.

“Thank you.”

I run out of the kitchen, into the hallway, up the stairs and into my bedroom. There’s no one else here. Good.

I place my cartons of grape juice and glasses on the floor, walk towards my table where my artwork is, scoop them up and put it on my bed.

I go back to the glasses and cartons of grape juice and place them on my table. I don’t have any food, but I have a cookie under my pillow that I was saving for later. I grab the cookie and put it on my table. I don’t have any candles, but mummy always says not to play with fire, so I grab my light-up dinosaur instead.

I run out of my bedroom, down the stairs, through the hallway and into the kitchen. Mummy is alone now wiping her face.

“Mummy, I have a surprise for you in my bedroom. Can you come with me please?”

I look at mummy with a smile. She smiles back.

“Of course.”

I take mummy’s hand and lead her out of the kitchen, into the hallway, up the stairs and into my bedroom.

Mummy looks confused.

“I heard you talking to Auntie Jackie about how you and daddy used to date when I went to sleep, and Grampa Luca said, erm, mer-lot was grape juice for grown-ups. I’m just a kid so I only have regular grape juice. Daddy used to call you beautiful too and act like it was your first date.”

Mummy is smiling so much now. I take her to my table and pull out one of my chairs.

“You can sit here.”

Mummy is giggling.

"Is this a first date?"

I nod and mummy giggles some more as she takes her seat. I think the chair is a bit small for mummy.

I tug off the straw of one of the grape juice cartons and push it through the top. I take out the straw and pour the grape juice into a glass.

“You’re beautiful mummy.”

I go to the other chair opposite her, sit down and grab my own carton of grape juice, I pour the grape juice into the second glass.

“I didn’t have candles but look, my dinosaur lights up.”

I push the button under my dinosaur, and it starts flashing.

“Also, here’s a cookie.”

I grab the cookie, break it in half and pass some of it to mummy. She takes the cookie and looks at it. Mummy's crying, but she’s also smiling.

“You know Elijah, you remind me of your daddy. He’s always been such a gentleman. Thank you so much.”

I look at mummy and smile. I think she likes our date.

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Credits of original Unsplash images in order of appearance: Kelly Sikkema, Kat J, Zach Guinta, Brut Carniollus, Joe Hepburn, Mika, Drew Hays, Tamara Jeremic, Sigmund, Kelli McClintock, Brandi Redd, Kim Gorga, Gabriel Tovar.