A Disappointing Day.

 I've been a bit disappointed today as I was expecting Charlotte to be at the stables again today but she never showed up so I've been back to Jilly no mates. I thought she might have let me know.

At least Rob was there, he didn't even wait until I was leaving today. He saw me in the yard and said for me to go over and have my lunch with him in his garden as it's a nice day, and added that he had a surprise for me. Two of the girls were there listening and when Rob walked away I heard them giggling which I found very rude, not to mention annoying. I couldn't catch what they said but it seemed to me that it was either about me or Rob. Anyway I did go and have my lunch break with him and he brought out two cups of tea and two vanilla slices and it was very enjoyable sitting there in his lovely garden.

Another thing that's been bothering me today is the letter that came with the laptop. I haven't told mum and dad yet as I'm worried that they might say I should go back and take advantage of the offer. I wouldn't think they would want me to go back, but they might think they are standing in my way or something. I'm thinking, why risk any upset over something I'm not interested in, but then I feel I should tell them as I don't like to keep secrets from them, it feels dishonest.

A Letter From The Invisible Man.

 Today I got my laptop back from Scotland. To be correct, it's actually their laptop bought by them for me to do my school work on. A lot of which is saved on my google drive so I was still able to access it. However there is some on the laptop that is handy to have.

I got a bit of a surprise when I opened the box that it was in because stuck to the lid of the laptop was a hand written letter in an envelope. The writer didn't leave a name or anything but from what was said I think it was written by the invisible man himself. It certainly wasn't Miss Olivers handwriting as I know what that looks like, and I don't know who else would have an interest in writing in that way. Also, just in case you are wondering, the invisible man doesn't use invisible ink - thankfully.

I did think of copying it out here in my diary but as it's public and the letter is private maybe that wouldn't be a good thing to do. Basically speaking though he starts off by apologizing to me for being treated the way I was in his house. Apparently he was mortified to hear of the lengths I went to in order to get away from the place. It would appear that he was originally informed of my exploits, particularly in regard to me squatting in the east wing, in a manner designed to secure some kind of retribution against me, but it seems that it backfired on those involved and they've ALL receive severe reprimands. He didn't say who or exactly how many, but it tells me it wasn't just one person.

He also said that on hearing of my plight, the thing that impressed him the most, especially considering my age, was my determination and ingenuity in resolving my problems, and how someone so young possessed such amazing ethics. I'm not sure what he means by that. 

He finished off by asking if I would consider, now or sometime in the near future, returning to work alongside, and be trained by Miss Oliver to become a valued member of his personal team as he greatly values, all the attributes that I obviously possess, and goes on to say that I need have not the slightest fear of returning to the same situation that I left. He gives his word on that.

This is not the whole letter, it's just to give an idea as I know some of you have followed my journey from the beginning so it's only right that you also get to share the end.

Flap Attack.

 Yesterday in between work and dinner me and dad went down to feed Norman's cats. This I was pleased about until he told me to grab my L plates and said I could drive him! I must confess to getting in a bit of a panic at the thought. 

Anyway I needn't have worried as I did okay apart from when a car was coming towards me - it's okay, I didn't pile into it or anything. I just got in a bit of a flap because the lane is only one vehicle wide, so someone always has to give way and make room. This woman drove straight past a passing place and then drove right up to me and then just sat there in the middle of the road. Dad was gesticulating to her to reverse back to the passing place and she was doing the same back to him and I was sitting there wondering if now was a good time to bail out and do  a runner. I couldn't even pull on to the grass verge at this point as there was a hedge on one side and ditch on the other. In the end dad said I would need to reverse as it was obvious the woman was incapable. I guess I should have been pleased that he thought that I was capable but I was to busy fighting off a panic attack to register his confidence on me. I'm not sure why I panicked as I reverse the tractor with no problem, I even got to manage it quite good with the manure trailer on the back the other day. Also of course I reverse round the yard with the bales on the telehandler. So why I got in to such a flap over reversing the pickup truck I don't know, but flap I did. I even stalled it twice letting the clutch out so that generated even more flapping. Dad told me to just calm down and think about what I was doing, just do as you normally do with the tractor. It's no big deal. After that I just like blocked everything and was able to think better. I must have reversed a quarter of a mile until the verge widen out and I was able to pull forward on to it and so let her past. Even then she got so close to me that there was hardly room to pull forward on to the grass. I was all trembling and sweat pouring off me by the time I got done with her. I was really annoyed with myself that I'd failed so badly, and I spent the night in a subdued quiet mode, which is why I didn't make this entry last night as usual.

Dad had a word with me as we were going to bed which made it a little better. He said I did good and that I would meet plenty of people like her on the roads and as the more skilled drive it would be on me to help them out like I did tonight. I argued that I was hardly the  more skilled driver. But then he pointed out that I reverse a quarter of a mile down the road and didn't leave the tarmac once, whereas she was obviously incapable of reversing twenty yards in to a pull in which she didn't even see when driving forwards.

"Your only mistake was to let her panic you. You had more than enough skill to get out of the situation." 

This made me think of grandfathers naughty step book. 'Your biggest failure today'? Got panicked by some obstinate bitch in a car.

'How Do You Plan To Resolve It'?

By always making sure I'm driving something bigger than the other vehicle so that I can push her out of the way in to the ditch!

First thing this morning we called the hospital to be told that Norman was coming home, probably around lunch time. So after lunch me and mum went down to see if there was anything he wanted. We took some milk and bread with us as we thought he may not have any that was fresh.

Mum was very brave, and on dad's suggestion, let me drive her, as my learner plates were still on the truck from last nights episode. This time we met a van and a car coming towards us, the van pulled off the road for me and because there was nowhere to pull off for either person the second time we both put two wheel on the grass verge and drove past without incident. I even got a wave from each driver. So I feel a bit better tonight than I did last night. Mum even said to dad how she felt safe. She must be getting used to living dangerously.

Anyway, back to Norman. He was home when we got there and he was looking much better, he even had a smile on his face. He was still limping and with a walking stick, but said the pain was mostly gone and he was able to get around much better. He was glad of the milk and bread and mum got him to make a list of things he needed and she would get them for him until he could get out himself. While they were doing that I got some firewood from the shed and put him a pile by the fire so he didn't need to go doing a lot of lifting. He said he would be okay to feed the cats and thanked us for all we had done for him. On leaving we told him to call us should he need anything and that we would be back tomorrow at some point. 

I had parked in Norman's yard round by the barns so I turned round in the yard, because you aren't supposed to reverse out on to a road - see I'm learning something! When out on the lane I put the truck in to reverse and started reversing down the road. Mum wondered what I was playing at but was okay when I told her I was practicing ready for the next bitch that crosses my path.

"Oy, language young madam, I don't want any of your road rage when I'm with you - or any other time come to that!"

She makes me laugh sometimes.

I was thinking of grandfather and how I had to keep on doing something until I got it perfect, and then keep on doing it some more to show him it wasn't a fluke. By the time we got home poor mum was exasperated and I was able to reverse in an instance like a pro for as far as you liked and faster than mum was able to stomach.

Special Moments.

 Mum had a church meeting to attend last night which meant that I hardly got to see anything of her yesterday other than at meal times. So last night when I went to bed I decided to set my alarm to go off thirty minutes early with the intention of climbing in to bed with mum for half an hour before we had to get up. It's something I find very special and I know mum enjoys it, so I though it would be a nice way of making up for the time lost yesterday.

I was a bit unsure how she would be about me waking her up so much earlier, but when I got there she was actually awake, as she had woken when dad got up.

I wish I could tell you how nice it always feels, maybe you know already. When in bed, mum is on my right and this morning as I lay on my back she turned on to her left side and gently brushed wisps of hair from my face before leaning across and kissing my forehead.

"Whenever I look at you I feel like my heart is going to burst." She said in my ear.

I thought that was so sweet.

"Even when I first met your dad I don't think I ever felt this way." She added.

I knew what she meant as I was feeling it right then myself. It feels so awesome when someone makes you feel so special and treasured.

"I feel that you've always been my real mum, just that you got me a different way to normal because it was the only way you could get me. That other woman was just the parcel carrier." I said voicing my thoughts out loud.

It's amazing how quickly half an hour goes when you're enjoying such special moments.

Daft Rubbish.

 Someone asked this morning whether Norman has livestock on his farm, and I answered that he doesn't as I was thinking of only cattle and such like. But later I remembered that I saw some cats there when they were taking him away, so I said about it to mum this morning when we were getting breakfast and she said to see if they let him home first before we go off down there. I didn't see why we had to wait but then when dad and Eric came in for breakfast I soon understood why. Dad wanted me to spend the day with Eric cleaning out one of the cattle sheds. So I have a tractor with a trailer on which Eric loads with manure from the shed and then when full I haul it across the fields and tip it in a heap to be spread sometime in the future. I just love driving the tractors.

It was funny at breakfast this morning. Eric handed me this envelope and on opening it I found a couple of magnetic learner plates. 

This was a nice gesture in itself but then he went and said, "Put them on and you'll be able to take you mum shopping on the tractor."

Everyone laughed except poor mum, "You can shut up Eric _____, her heads already full of ideas without you adding any of your daft rubbish." replied mum.

We all laughed, both at mum's reply, the manner in which she replied and also the thought of me and mum off shopping on the tractor. Of course I will be able to take her shopping, but in the car as long as she is with me. I can drive a tractor on the road by myself but not a car. I guess it will depend on whether her nerves will stand it.

A Joint Effort.

 Norman is having to stay in for another night, I think mainly because he has no one to look after him at home were he to return. I said that I didn't mind doing a bit if it helped, but mum wasn't having that and said I'd done enough and that he was better where he was anyway as he would get better looked after.

My provisional driving license came today so now I can book some driving lessons. I've already been doing some swatting up on the highway code in bed at night before going to sleep.

This morning I was helping mum with the housework, which for me was mainly vacuuming and hanging out some washing. Then after lunch dad let me put out some more bales of straw ready for the straw blower to pick up. I enjoyed that. After this I took some of the leek and stilton cheese soup up to Rob and told him about Norman. I'm not sure that was a good thing to do as he now feels bad that he never thought to do it himself. I just told him that he didn't have to feel bad as it was a joint effort, he brought it to my attention and I went and checked it out, which I wouldn't have done had he not said something to me about it on Saturday. I think he felt a bit better about it after that.

That's about it for today, just a steady day.

Not Letting It Go.

 We've had a bit of a job this morning, all of my own making - who would guess? 

On the way to church I pointed out to mum where Norman lives.

"Yes, I think I've lived here long enough to know where Norman lives my dear." Mum replied.

I took that as mum's polite way of saying it was a stupid statement, which I agree, it was. Although to be fair to myself it was more of a hint that we might call in and check on him rather than factual information. Anyway disappointingly, that was that.

At church everything was much the same as usual. Although one old lady brought me a Victoria sponge cake that she made especially for me because I told her the other week about my adoption party, as I've come to call it, and how they came out with my fav cake at the end. That night was so awesome! I did think of offering everyone a piece of cake at the church but then thought that the lady made it for me so may not like me giving it away to everyone. So I shelved that idea.

On the way back from church I just asked mum straight out if we could stop at Norman's so I could check in on him.

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

"I can't now that I've thought about it, it's in my head." I said.

So we pulled up on the road outside and mum stayed in the car while I went to the front door, quite expecting to make a fool of myself. Mum wouldn't come because she said it was my idea. I knocked on the front door which is right on the side of the lane, but no one answered. Mum put down the window and said to try the back door as the front door doesn't look used. The whole house didn't look used to my way of thinking.

There is the house, and then joined straight on to the side there is a brick barn and both more or less form the edge of the road. To get to the back there is a passage way. In the passage was Norman's bicycle, so this most likely meant that he was home. At the end of the passage it opened out in to a sort of courtyard, the front of which looked out over a field with horses in it. To my right was another barn and to my left was what I was seeking, the back door. I knocked on it but no one came. So I knocked again and it was after this that I heard someone from within. Then the door opened and there stood Norman leaning heavily on a wooden walking stick, his left trouser leg pulled up to above his knee. He stood mostly on his right leg and I could see immediately what the problem was.

I said, "Hiya Norman, I'm sorry if this is an intrusion but I was talking to Rob at the stables yesterday and we got to wondering if you're okay as we hadn't seen you around, and added, I'm Kate from ______ Farm by the way." Just in case he had forgotten me from the past.

"It's me leg, it's all swelled up, I've never known pain like it." He said in a very strain voice.

It was more than swelled up, it looked terrible. It was as big at the bottom as at the top and very red in colour.

"I've been sitting with it up and some frozen peas on it, I've never known pain like it before." He said again.

Apparently he couldn't recall hurting it and said he just woke up with it like that the other morning. I had all the information I needed and the look of it told me it was bad, but I was unsure what to do about it. He clearly needed more professional attention than I could give him. So I went back to the passage and waved for mum to come and look. She put down the window and asked what was wrong. I told her she needed to come and take a look as it wasn't good. She didn't say anything but I got the feeling that she was a bit pissed, which isn't like her, she usually likes to help people. After all it was her who made dad come to my aid that night. She was fine when she saw what I meant and did everything she could without a problem. We helped him back to his chair and sat him down and then mum called 111 to get some medical information on the matter. She put a blanket over his legs, I think to keep him warm, although his leg was so gross to look at it was probably to hide it. Either way he jumped as the blanket brushed against his leg. So that tells what pain he was in. I know I hate medical attention myself, but I think even I would have done a bit more than put frozen peas on it by now.

Anyway the outcome of the call was that we had to call an ambulance straight away as he probably had some kind of infection that needed urgent treatment. It took them a while to come, and they checked him out and made him more comfortable before taking him away to York hospital.

It was strange when we got back in the car because mum was sitting there wiping tears from her face. I thought she was upset about Norman, so I went to comfort her and I said he would most likely be okay now and not to worry.

"It's not Norman, you dafty, it's YOU!" she said sniffling in to her handkerchief.

I didn't see any reason to cry but I was told to be quiet or we would end up crashing. So I didn't speak again until we got home. When we got out I went to get our things from off the back seat and she came and gave me a hug so I knew everything was okay then.

Should I Or Shouldn't I?

 Around four on an evening there is this old guy called Norman who comes down the lane on his bicycle. Eric once told me that he lives alone since his brother passed, quite away down the lane at a run down old farm. As  he can't get any further than the farm, he stops just outside the gate and has a look round before returning back down the lane. I've also seen him every Saturday since I started going to the stables. Anyway Rob, the turnip guy, just happened to say last night that he hadn't seen him for a few days and I had to admit to the same myself, but I just thought that maybe I missed him as I'm not always around, and I never really thought about it to be honest, but I think Rob must look out for him so as to have a chat over the garden wall, as he does.

Anyway I woke up quite early this morning and it came in to my head, what if something happened to him? Living alone as he does he could be ill or worse and no one would know. Of course, at that time in the morning I wasn't thinking with a great deal of logic and so it never occurred to me that he would just call someone for help, this if he is able to. Anyway it's just sort of been bugging me all morning. I mentioned it to dad this morning and he said I shouldn't worry, but the trouble is, I am. I'm thinking about asking mum to stop as we pass on the way to church. I'm going to feel stupid though if there is nothing wrong, which there no doubt isn't.

New Found Heart Throb.

 Today I've been to the stables again, helping out. There was a new girl there today called Charlotte so because she arrived before the others Lyndsey put us together doing stuff. So finally I've found an ally. She is very pretty, tall and slim with long blonde hair. Opposite to me, a boring brown haired short arse. But who cares about looks hey?

Well for sure my new boy friend doesn't, because he was waiting for me when I went home again tonight, and he was literally waiting for me. He didn't just happen to be there, it wasn't an off chance meeting, not even a pretend one. He even had another present for me, I am feeling so loved tonight so special was the present. Three lovely big leeks and a great big smile! Who could ask for more? Well not me, I firmly believe that it's the thought that counts. Of course he tried to hide his passion by pretending that they are for my mum, as he did with the turnip. But we all know that to win the heart of your girl, you first must win that of her mother. Well he certainly did that, because mum has already got planned a use for them. Almost as excited as me she was, beaming and full of joy.

"Oh how lovely," she said.

"They'll make a nice drop of leek and stilton soup,"

You can be as certain as God makes little green apples that there is going to be  a drop left over for our new found heart throb.