B-And then there were nappies (Chapter 2)

2


If you ever said "Home", Brian would splutter out in the
middle of the road. Then one day we said the words, and a little brown
sign appeared:


Lisson Green 3?


When we got there, we found a grey London sky, a street and a
footpath that led through gates with red cats painted on them down to a
canal. There were about thirty canal boats, and at the end there was a
willow that dropped leaves onto a purple and green boat whose name was
John Dormer. By the door there was a little sign:


C?ad M?le F?ilte


For three years, we were preoccupied with nappies, bottles,
apple and pumpkin baby food, potties and wiping the kiddie vomit off
our jumpers. Magic and small children don't go too well, so the only
spells we allowed ourselves were changing real killer nappies. Its
incredible how much pap such tiny people can produce. There were a few
other pieces of magic on the way. But Brian was retired into a carpark
in Bournemouth, and I tried to get a few exhibitions together, calling
myself Dan Kelly. Grania was known as Rina. It was strange to give up
all the costumes and the names. No more Renaldo Stoporopodos. Having twins, Simon and Joe, and then tiny Aoife,
changed everything and we had to grow up like that. It was strange
sitting still for once, but I never felt magic crazy as holding my own
child in my arms. I played the violin and it made them cry, the poor
mites. We're here in a tiny cove of colour under grey London. With the
trains running by at night, and hippy neighbours next door on a rainbow
boat called Xanadu, and ducks to feed and the park for running in, and
I'm making kites, and bows and arrows for my sons. And a doll for
Aoife, with tiny red shoes to put on. Would you listen to me? I'm gone
so daft, quite gone. I 've held a tiny zebra in the palm of my hand,
I've wandered the world, and now wandering's done. We'll take the mites
on adventures when they're older, up mountains and to rainforests and
to see monsters and spiders and sprites. For now, its dingy blue
london, and Grania will have to be the sun.