Another Today, Another Tomorrow - C4

4

But the week only dragged, and by the time Friday morning came along, the only thing Michael was wishing for was another week of school.  He hadn’t wished for that since he being at his old school and they’d had a sports carnival that seemed to go for three or four days.
‘So what’cha got planned for the hols?’  It was Tim Smart, one of Michael’s good friends.  Tim always came over and sat beside him on the bench at lunchtimes.  They  often shared sandwiches and swapped crisp packets.  ‘Wanna play some online games next week?’
‘Can’t.  You’re not going to believe this, but I’m spending the week out in the country somewhere with some old aunt who I hardly know.  Both me and my sister are getting dumped there.  Bummer eh?’
‘Yeah. Real bummer.  Can’t you take that laptop of yours?’
Michael shook his head.  ‘Nope.  Mom’s not allowing me to take it.  She’s even cut me down to one hour a night of gametime.’
Tim laughed.  ‘Thought I hadn’t seen much of you online this week.’
‘Yeah.  Mom’s been on a right warpath since the weekend.  She’s out for one lousy afternoon and comes back a different person.’
Tim offered Michael some crisps but Michael said he wasn’t hungry.  ‘You could always take it anyway.’
‘Huh?’
‘Your laptop I mean.  Without her knowing, like.’
‘Real smart move that would be.  I’ll be eighteen before I’d be allowed to turn a computer on again.’
‘Just a thought,’ Tim replied with a shrug of the shoulders.  ‘Only tryin’ to help.’
Michael gave his friend a nudge.  ‘Sorry.  But I’m going to need something better than having to resort to stealing to be able to play over the net with you next week.’  He started to laugh to himself.  ‘Might as well forge mom’s signature so I can book out one of the school’s laptops for the hols.’
Tim chomped his way through a sandwich while Michael sat silently milling over his problem.  ‘You could always borrow my sister’s,’ said Tim as he finished the last of his crusts.  ‘She’s travelling around Europe for the next few months with friends.  It’s in the spare room in the cupboard.’
Michael’s eyes lit up.  ‘You kidding?’
‘It’s been there for weeks.’
‘Your mom and dad won’t mind?’
‘No need to even tell ‘em.  It’s not like you’re going to be stealing it or anything eh.  Long as you don’t lose it, can’t see there being a problem.  Can you?’
Michael was over the moon.  ‘No chance.  I’ll have it with me at all times, I promise.  When can I pick it up?  Me and Kitty are supposed to be going away tomorrow.’
Tim opened his packet of crisps.  ‘Better pick it up after school then.’
‘You,’ said Michael punching him on the arm, ‘are a legend!’

Tim lived only a few streets away, and though Michael often walked with him and other friends after school, he didn’t want to raise suspicion with his mom by being exceptionally late home.  Luckily both Tim’s mom and dad were still at work, so the pair didn’t have to creep into the spare room.
‘Beauty ain’t she?’ Tim said as he pulled out the laptop and handed it to Michael.
‘You sure your mom or dad won’t find out?  What if your sister decides to come home?’
‘Stop panicking, man.  My parents hardly know how to use one of these things.  Mom’s the only one that takes any real interest, and I’m always having to help her anyway.  I don’t think they even know this one’s here- they probably think Susan took it with her on her trip.’
Michael could feel his heart beating fast.  He clutched the sides tight.  ‘And you are sure your sister won’t be back anytime soon?’ he said.
‘Nah.  She’ll be gone for ages.  Even if I don’t see you for any of the holidays, you can always give it back to me first week of school.’
‘Brilliant.’
‘And here, got something else too.’  Tim opened up a drawer and pulled out a cable, some replacement batteries and a wireless device.  ‘You probably won’t need the spare batteries, but the only way I’ll be able to kick your backside online in Dungeon Master 4 is if you’ve got this,’ he said, pointing to the wireless device.
‘Oh you are just a star,’ and Michael raised his hand to hi-five his friend.
‘You sure you’ll be able to get that past your mom?’
‘Easy.  I’ll pack it tonight in one of my bags.  Long as she can see that I haven’t taken my own laptop, she won’t even suspect.  I’ll just have to figure a way to make sure Kitty doesn’t catch me using it and tell my mom.’
‘I’m not sure if there are any games on there, so you might just have to play the online ones.  I know Susan’s got one of those Encyclopaedia and History programs installed for her studies, so if you do get bored losing to me all the time you could always do a bit of light reading, eh?’
‘Don’t think I’ll even bother to fire either of those ones up,’ said Michael, and they both laughed.

Later that night, Michael was finding it difficult to get to sleep.  Both he and Kitty had been made to go to bed a little bit earlier than they normally would have on a Friday night as Julie wanted them to have a good night’s sleep.  They’d been made to pack their bags in readiness for the drive to Badderly the next morning, and Michael was stressing that Tim’s laptop would be found.  It was tucked under some jumpers in his rucksack, pushed down right at the bottom, and Michael had an urge to check on it every few minutes.  Each time he rolled over on his bed and caught sight of the tatty old rucksack he thought about creeping out of bed to check that the laptop was still secure, until he realised that if his mom came upstairs to see what all the noise was about and caught him red-handed he’d have a lot of explaining to do.
Soon as we get underway in the car everything will be ok, he thought.  Get to this silly little place out in the country and I’ll be back playing computer games before you know it.
There was a gentle knock at the door and Michael’s heart seemed to skip a beat.  The door slowly opened and Michael caught sight of his mom smiling.
‘Just wanted to check if you were asleep yet.  Kitty’s out like a light.  She’s pretty excited about tomorrow.’
‘Not yet,’ Michael said quickly.
‘Not tired?’
‘Kinda.’  Go away, mom.  Please.  Don’t do a bag check.
‘I guess I just wanted to make sure you’re ok.  About going away this weekend I mean.’
‘I’m fine, honest.’
‘Well we both know that’s not true,’ Julie said, entering the room, and flicking on the light switch.  Michael squinted awkwardly as he tried to adjust his eyes to the light.  ‘This won’t be anything like any school holiday you’ve ever had before.  Living in the country is different.  And I’ll be expecting you and Kitty to help Aunt Mary out with any chores that she needs doing around the place.  She might be active for her age but she’s going to find it tough trying to look after you and lead her normal life for the whole week.  I’m counting on you both.  You especially, Michael, being the oldest and all.’
‘We’ll be good, mom.  I’ll look after Kitty too.  And help out loads at Aunt Mary’s.’  Now please just go away.
But Julie wasn’t done just yet.  ‘I haven’t been as tough with you as I should have, Michael.  I come home from work and see you on that thing over there all night, and…well, I never did anything about it.  I didn’t put my foot down, make you do all the chores you’re supposed to be doing at this age, and…I guess I’m worried Michael.  I don’t want to see you end up with a bad education and stuck in a dead-end job all your life.’  Julie pointed to the window.  ‘There’s a lot more to life out there than couped up in a room playing games on a screen.  Do you understand?’
‘Yeah mom, I do.’  He didn’t, but Michael just wanted her out of his room.  Every time she spoke she seemed to be edging closer to the rucksack.
‘Things are going to change from next week, Michael.  When you come back you’ll be different, and I’ll be different.  And I think that change has already started, hasn’t it?’
‘I guess so.’
‘I know so.  Do you know tonight was the first night all week you haven’t once asked me to take your laptop away with you.’
Michael felt another flutter in his heart.  Only this time there was also a horrible feeling of a turning knot in his stomach to go with it.
‘I suppose it was just pointless arguing about it.  The more I asked, the more you said “no”.’  It was a spur-of-the-moment thing to say, but Michael hoped it was convincing enough.  The beaming smile his mom radiated told him it was.
‘When you come home next week, I’ll let you play for a two hours a day for the rest of the holidays, how’s that?’
‘Great,’ Michael squeaked.
‘Night, mate.’  And before Michael had time to respond, she’d already turned off the light and was gone.