Twin Tales (10 page)

‘We?' said Connie.

‘Yep. Claire and Charles and Dad and me,' said Mum.

Connie blinked.

‘I think this parent-and-baby session sounds a good idea,' said Mum. ‘I want to take the twins. But I can't dangle them in the water together. So I wondered if you'd help me out, Connie? We'll take the babies into the little pool – and Dad can go and have a good swim in the big pool. Yes?'

Connie wasn't sure.

‘You like the little pool,' said Mum.

Connie wasn't even sure about that any more. And besides, she had a sneaking suspicion that once they were at the baths Dad would try to get her into the big pool after all.

‘You promise I don't have to swim?' she said.

‘Not if you don't want to. You just have to hold Claire or Charles in the little pool.'

‘I don't think they'll like it,' said Connie.

‘They love it in the bath,' said Mum.

Connie snorted. It wasn't as if the babies were super-brave. The least little thing startled them. When Dad played growly bears with them and went ‘Grrrr!' they both burst into terrified tears.

‘I always loved it when you played growly bears with me, Dad,' said Connie.

Mum bought the twins sweet little swimming costumes, red and navy stripes for Claire and green and navy stripes for Charles.

‘Would you like a new swimming costume too, Connie?' said Mum. ‘Your old dolphin one must be getting a bit small for you now.'

‘I don't need a new swimming costume, seeing as I'm never ever going swimming.'

So she wriggled into her tight old costume on Sunday morning. She had to help Mum get the twins undressed and into their new costumes. The swimming-baths had special red plastic changing tables. The twins liked to lie back, kicking their legs.

‘They're practising their swimming strokes already,' said the attendant, smiling.

Connie couldn't smile back. The smell and the sound of the baths had made her go all shivery.

‘You poor old thing,' said Mum, putting an arm round her. ‘You're really frightened, aren't you?'

There were some girls getting changed nearby. They were listening. They nudged each other and grinned.

‘Of course I'm not frightened,' said Connie fiercely. ‘I just think swimming is an incredibly
boring
thing, that's all.'

It came out sounding much ruder than she meant. Mum sighed.

‘Really, Connie! Do you have to talk to me in that sulky tone of voice all the time?'

Connie blushed and stuffed Claire's waving pink legs into her small swimming costume. Claire started to whimper and moan because she wanted to stay kicking, stark naked.

‘There! You don't want to go swimming, either, do you?' said Connie, picking her up and giving her a cuddle.

Charles started crying too, getting a bit fed up with all this dressing and undressing. Both twins were still yelling when Mum and Connie carried them to the little pool.

‘Perhaps this isn't such a good idea after all!' said Mum.

The attendant looked at Connie. ‘I thought we agreed before – you're far too big a baby!'

‘She's acting as a sort of parent today,' said Mum.

‘All right,' the attendant said reluctantly.

Connie held tight to baby Claire. Somehow even the little pool had started to look quite big.

‘I don't think Claire wants to go in,' said Connie. ‘She keeps crying.'

Charles was crying, too, but when Mum got in the pool and very gently lowered him so that the water lapped round his legs he stopped in mid-squawk. He kicked. He splashed. He smiled.

‘Try Claire in the water,' said Mum. ‘Charles thinks it's great fun.'

Connie held even tighter to Claire. She put out one foot, dipping the tip of her toe in the little pool. ‘Come on,' said Mum. ‘Charles, tell your sister that the water's lovely.'

Charles certainly seemed to think so. He wriggled determinedly, doing his best to get away from Mum. He waved his arms and legs in the water. He dipped his head and didn't seem to mind a bit when he got wet. He was smiling from ear to ear.

Claire was fidgeting and fussing, obviously feeling she was missing out.

‘Come in the pool, darling,' Mum called.

But Connie couldn't.

In the end Mum had to fetch Dad. He took baby Claire. Mum looked after baby Charles. And Connie sat shivering on the side.

4. Colouring Sharks

‘You should see the twins in the pool. It's quite incredible!' said Mum.

‘The little pets! They can really
swim
?' said Gran.

‘Well . . . not properly, of course. But they bob up and down like ducklings,' said Mum.

‘They must look so
sweet
,' said Gran.

‘Even when they're in a really niggly mood and nothing else will comfort them, the moment they go in that little swimming-pool they start gurgling happily,' said Mum. She paused. ‘Not like
some
people.'

Mum and Gran were talking very quietly, but Connie could still hear every word they were saying. She was drawing a picture of the twins swimming. It had started off a very good picture. Connie was clever at drawing. She drew Claire and Charles looking very cute in their stripy swimming costumes.

Mum and Gran had said it was a beautiful picture. But then they'd sat on the sofa together and went on and on and on about the twins and swimming.

Connie suddenly drew a great big enormous shark in the swimming- pool with the twins. The shark had a great big enormous mouth glittering with sharp teeth. It was swimming very near the twins. It looked as if it was about to have a delicious baby-snack for breakfast.

‘Poor Connie! So this being scared of swimming has developed into a real phobia?' said Gran.

Connie didn't know exactly what a phobia was, but it sounded feeble and pathetic and babyish. She
felt
feeble and pathetic and babyish. She bent her head over her drawing. There was suddenly a spot of real water puddling the swimming-pool picture.

‘Connie?' said Mum. ‘Are you all right?'

‘Mmm,' said Connie.

‘I've just been talking things over with Gran,' said Mum.

‘That's right, dear,' said Gran. ‘I've been telling your mum I'd love it if you came round to visit me on Sunday mornings. Would you like that, Connie? You can bring all your bits and pieces to play with – and maybe you'll draw me some lovely pictures to pin up in my kitchen. Let's see your picture of the twins swimming. Have you finished it?'

‘Not quite,' said Connie quickly. She took her blue felt tip and scribbled hurriedly over the great big enormous shark.

‘Connie, don't do it like that! You'll go over all the lines,' said Mum.

‘I'm just colouring in the water,' said Connie.

The shark simply wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she coloured over him.

‘Let's see,' said Gran, getting up. ‘Whoops,' said Connie. ‘Oh dear, yes, I've spoilt it.'

She tore the page out of her drawing book and crumpled it up in her fist.

‘Oh, Connie!' said Gran. ‘What a shame!'

‘Never mind, Gran. I'll draw you another one next Sunday,' said Connie.