We haul the bags of shredded paper up through the olive grove and all the way to the car, which we’ve had to park outside the grounds as the driveway is out of action. On the way back, we stop to observe the builders at work, which Archie finds thrilling—especially when one of them lets him hold one of the handles on his wheelbarrow as he pushes it up the driveway and tips the contents over a hill. The joy on Archie’s face and his desire for me to watch him makes me feel a fluttering in my stomach.
All morning, Archie is such a delight—skipping along at my side, at one point taking hold of my hand—that I forget all about Callum and Mabel. By the time they’re stirring, Archie and I are in the larder, crouching in front of the sideboard and sorting through the contents.
“Morning!” I sing-song. “You’ve done well to sleep through the noise!”
“Why didn’t you wake us up?” snaps Callum.
I put down the bowls I’m holding and stand up. “I wanted to let you have a lie-in.”
“But Dad’s gone to the café without us,” Callum protests.
“I am devo!” says Mabel. “I told you I needed to use the Wi-Fi!”
I’m not sure how to deal with this. Discipline seems to come easily to Theo: he just adopts a firm tone of voice and they know not to argue with him.
I try to do the same. “Well, I’m sure it can wait.”
Mabel explodes. “Adam, you don’t understand! I’m the only one of my friends who can’t snap! Sharita’s going to forget about me!”
I’ve heard her mention Sharita before and know the two of them are close. “I’m sure she won’t. Not if she’s a good friend.”
This only seems to wind Mabel up more. “Sheisa good friend! But Aurora’s taking her off me: I know it!”
Callum chips in, “And what am I supposed to do about Charlotte?”
“Who’s Charlotte?”
He gasps in outrage. “Mygirlfriend! We’ve been going out for two months!”
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” I feel flustered: teenage relationships and friendships are unfamiliar territory for me. “Didn’t you message her last night?”
Callum’s face hardens. “Yeah, but she didn’t reply. And she’s a bit of me. If she dumps me I’ll never get anyone like her again.”
I decide against telling him this may seem like a major drama now but he’s bound to find someone else in the future.
“Adam, this is all your fault!” cuts in Mabel, her nostrils flaring. “It’s your fault for dragging us to this dump!”
I feel shaken by the intensity of their upset. “Look, why don’t I make you both some nice scrambled eggs?” I suggest, my voice cracking. “Once you’ve had something to eat, things might not seem so bad.”
They stomp off into the kitchen, huffing and blowing.
But they do actually eat. In Mabel’s case, it isn’t much, but at least she eats something.
It’s after breakfast that things take a turn for the worse. First, Callum and Mabel refuse to wash up. Then they refuse to help me and Archie clear out the larder.
“Come on, guys,” I mewl. “Please.”
Callum shoots me a look of defiance. “Or what? What are you going to do about it?”
What am I supposed to say to that? WhatcanI do about it?
Just as I’m wondering if I can find an excuse to call the builders down so they’ll witness the kids’ behavior, Mabel screams.
“There’s a lizard!” She points to the hook on which I’ve hung my Panama hat. “Over there!”
I try to sound blasé. “Oh, yeah. Haven’t you seen it before? I think it lives behind that unit.”
She squirms as if her skin’s crawling. “But it’s massive, Adam. It’s like a crocodile!”
