The Electricity Bill and the Five Hundred Pound Dress! I.P.

The Electricity Bill and the Five Hundred Pound Dress! I.P.

“How much? Julie, you’ve spent how much …on a dress?”

“Well, I just fell in love with it, Mark, it’s a one off and it was just what I was looking for.”

“You’ve used the money I put aside for the Electricity bill and spent five hundred pounds on a dress!”

Upstairs, Nigel was trying to concentrate on his homework but he could hear them arguing. These days they seemed to be always arguing. He tried to block out the row and get back to his studies but then Izzie came into his room.

“Nigel, can you hear them downstairs?” said Izzie. “They’re arguing again.”

“Can’t be off it. They don’t exactly keep their voices down, do they? And these days it’s always the same argument. Money!”

“It’s his fault….Mum hasn’t had a new dress for ages and he promised.”

“No, it’s her fault…she knows the score, bills have to be paid first.”

“How can you say that?” said Izzie, her voice rising at the same rate as her temper.

“Easy, because I know how much Dad worries about keeping our heads above water.”

“You never see it from Mum’s point of view,” said Izzie shouting.

“Don’t come in here shouting the odds at me like that.” Said Nigel, trying to push her out of his bedroom. “And I need to concentrate on my homework. I’m never gonna get it finished if I don’t get some peace and quiet.”

“Mum, Nigel’s pushing me!”

“Nigel leave Izzie alone” Julie shouted up the stairs.

“Izzie let Nigel get on with his school work,” shouted Mark.

“Oh, that’s right…blame Izzie. It’s always her fault if Nigel doesn’t get his own way.”

“What are you talking about, woman? The boy’s got important exams coming up. He needs to be able to study in peace and quiet.”

“Peace and quiet…what a joke that is.” Said Nigel, “This is your fault Izzie you always want your own way.”

“No, I don’t. It’s you…you’re the one that always gets your own way.”

“No, I don’t. Now will you please just get out of my room!” and with that Nigel pushed Izzie but she fell and banged her head.

“Mum, Mum, Nigel just pushed me and banged my head against the wall.”

Julie raced up the stairs closely followed by Mark.

“Okay, Nigel what did you do to her?

“Julie, hang on, give the boy a chance. Who says he’s done anything?”

“You heard what Izzie said”

“Nigel, did you push Izzie and did you bang her head?”

“No, Dad it wasn’t like that.”

“There you are. He’s not spiteful.”

“Yes he is,” said Izzie “Mum he did. He did do it.”

“Alright sweetheart, I believe you. I’m warning you, Nigel, do it again and you will be in real trouble.”

“But I didn’t do anything. I asked Izzie to get out of my room so I could get on with my homework but she wouldn’t go.”

“Why wouldn’t you go, Izzie when you know Nigel has a lot of homework to get through with his exams coming up?” said Mark sternly.

Izzie started crying and Julie went to put her arms around the child.

“That’s right turn on the waterworks.”

“Nigel, I’m warning you if you upset Izzie again there’s gonna be a few changes round here.”

“Yes I’ll agree with that. For a start the first one can be that you take that ridiculous dress back to the shop and get your, or should I say, my money back.”

“I’ll do no such thing. You promised me that I could get myself a dress.”

“Yes, I did but I didn’t expect you would pay silly money for something we just simply can’t afford. You know what our financial position is. All the money we have had to spend out just lately. You don’t need me to tell you.”

“No, not now I don’t, seeing as you’ve told me every day for as long as I can remember.”

“Well, perhaps if you put a bit more in the kitty it might be a bit easier to keep our head above water and then I might just let you spend money on some frivolous dress that will probably only get worn once.”

“Oh, that’s so big of you. You would let me, would you?”

“I need to get on with my homework. Will you all please get out of my bedroom and let me get on.”

“You cheeky little beggar. We wouldn’t all be in your bedroom if you hadn’t banged Izzy’s head.”

“I didn’t bang her head.”

“That’s not what she says.”

“Oh, and of course, you believe little Miss Prim.”

“Yes, Mark, I do. Nigel has got a spiteful streak in him.”

“He did do it, Mum. I swear on mine and Buster’s life that he did.”

“Oh, yes, and while we’re on the subject of Buster if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times that dog is not allowed in my shed. Is that clear?”

“Oh, now you’re being just plain ridiculous. What harm can the dog do in your shed?”

“I don’t want him in there nor for that matter do I want Izzie going in there. There are all sorts of dangerous bits stored in that shed.”

“Such as?”

“Wood preservative, paint thinners, sharp tools anything could happen…”

“She’s not a child, well, not like that. What I mean is she’s not a baby.”

“She acts like one.”

“Nigel, say one more word and I swear I’ll bang your head against the wall.”

“For the last time I didn’t bang her head.”

“And if anyone’s going to do any banging of heads it will be me because I’m fed up with all this arguing.”

“Oh, but it’s all right for Nigel to speak to me just how he likes.”

“He’s never rude to you.”

“Oh, and you don’t think his behaviour now is being rude?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, thanks very much. I should’ve known you would take his side. You always do.”

“It’s not a question of taking sides. It’s just that I know what that little madam is capable of.”

“Mum, why am I getting the blame for this when it was Nigel who banged my head.”

“For the last time I did not bang your head.”

“Yes you did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“All right that’s enough now. I’ve had enough of all this arguing. I need to sort out how I’m going to pay the Electricity bill when the money I had put aside has been used to buy a stupid dress.”

“It’s not a stupid dress and that little bit of your money only helped to buy it. I saved up the rest myself. Wait till you see it, I think you will say it’s lovely.”

“It had better be lovely the money it cost.”

“I can’t believe this, you really begrudge me…”

“Mum, mum, Nigel’s pulling faces at me.”

“No, I’m not. Dad, I’m not. I swear I’m not.”

“If you upset her just one more time, Nigel, you’ll cop it, you see if you don’t.”

“And if she distracts Nigel when he’s doing his homework then she’ll cop it.”

“Mum, Mum, the other night when I was in my room reading, Nigel came in and without asking just put my television on just because his wasn’t working.”

“I only came in to watch the football then I came straight out.”

“So, did you ask Izzie if you could watch her television?”

“Well, no, but it didn’t interfere with her.”

“Yes, it did, Mum. I wanted to read but he had it on really loud and then he kept jumping up and shouting every time his team scored a goal.”

“Well, enough of all this, look at the time,” said Mark, looking at his watch. “It’s way past your bedtime Izzie so get yourself off to bed now and I want to hear no more arguments. Is that clear? And you, Nigel finish your homework and then you had better get yourself off to bed too.”

“Okay Dad.”

“Come on, Izzie, I’ll come and tuck you in and read you a little story then you must get to sleep or you won’t be so happy in the morning.”

“I’ll just get Izzie sorted and I’ll be down. Would you make a cup of tea?”

“Yes, okay but don’t be too long.”

Mark went downstairs and put the kettle on and Julie soon joined him.

“Mark, what are we going to do about all this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well it’s not just the dress, is it?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I’m saying perhaps we should think again.”

“But you’ve bought the dress now.”

“I can take it back.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I know what I don’t want.”

“And that is?”

“I don’t want all these arguments about money and the children. You always taking Nigel’s side.”

“And you always taking Izzie’s.”

“Well, she is my daughter.”

“And he’s my son.”

“So, shall we call it a day?”

“If that’s what you want?”

“I think it will be for the best.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll take the dress back in the morning.”

“And I’ll pay the Electricity bill in the afternoon.

“What happened we used to all get on so well?”

“I know.”

“ Mark, what do you think has triggered all these arguments?”

“I’ve been asking that self same question. The kids always used to get on well too.”

“I know.”

“Julie, tell me again, why are we doing it?”

“Well, it looks like we’re not now but you’re right, it was only to satisfy your Mum and my Mum and Dad. We were perfectly happy as we were. One bad marriage was enough for me.”

“Yes, me too. It's crazy, why fix something that isn’t broken.”

“Mark…the honeymoon…that’s all still paid for. Shall we still go?”

“Definitely!” said Mark smiling broadly. “The kids will love it.” he said, putting his arm round Julie “And we will get ourselves back on track financially if we cancel the cars and the caterers and all the rest of it providing that’s what you want.”

“Yes, it is, I never wanted it in the first place.”

“What?”

“The Wedding!”

End