Disappointed in Derby.






Mama came on the webcam, looking all kinds of solemn.



"Look, Laura. We got our copy of TALLULAH! today..." she said.



"Ooooh! That was fast!" I enthused, all smiley and happy and positive. Mama had been so excited to see what I had been working on, and she had enjoyed the bits I had read out to her over the webcam last week. I dropped my smile, though, when I realised Mama was neither smiley nor happy nor positive back.





"Laura," she said, and I thought to myself STOP SAYING MY NAME LIKE THAT. "It's very rude."



"Rude?" I said, shocked. Well. Okay. Maybe not shocked. But I did warn her.



"Yes Laura. Rude. I don't think I should show your father this... It's a bit of blue for the dads, but maybe not for this dad."



"Oh," I said. I had mentioned that perhaps Papa should let sleeping lions lie. Lay. Whatever the saying is. I do say the words frigging off at one point, that much is true. "Well, you ordered another five copies that I was going to post today. Do you still want them?"



Mama paused. "Well... yes. I've ordered them now. But. Well. I don't know who I can give them to. I don't think my sisters should see this either."



"You are kidding me!" I laughed. "It isn't that bad!"



"Laura! You talk about a boy getting his hand in your knickers on a bus!"



"THAT IS A FICTIONAL STORY MAMA!" I cried. And then I blushed.



"Well regardless, LAURA. You and I have the same sense of humour. But to everyone else it's just... it's just dirty. I think I'm a little disappointed in you."



Well you raised me, I thought.

Comments

  1. Heather16 March 2010 at 03:04

    No! Seriously? This is something that really worries me about a book i am writing. There are some very unpleasant scenes in it and I worry that people will think I am writing from experience which would put my family in a bad light. I'm not - at all - it's all fiction. and yet I do worry.

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  2. Laura Jane Williams16 March 2010 at 06:41

    Heather- there was one story in my 'zine in particular that my mama was referring to, and I think because the story is written in the first person. I have decided that I know what is true and what isn't, and for me that is all that matters. Everybody else can make up their own minds! If I worried what people thought, I'd get anything written. Good luck with your novel writing! x

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