Mrs Bennet decides it’s time to fly

Wednesday, February 4 09

The duster was fed up. She felt overwhelmed. Mrs Bennet couldn’t fault any one of the builders. The Darcys in the Dirt had become her friends and it was reassuring to have them around. She’d missed them this morning. It was strangely quiet as snow and ice prevented the Darcys living on steep hills and isolated lanes reaching her quiet cul-de-sac. The little Miss Twin Bennets didn’t like it either. Their mother’s attention was no longer enough. They wanted more. Mrs Bennet hoped it wasn’t a sign of what was to come.
Drilling filled the air once more. The Darcys in the Dirt were back, determined to finish the job in hand. Mrs Bennet couldn’t wait to have her home back. A tent would do if it was spacious, dust and clutter-free. There were now four chests of drawers in Mr and Mrs Bennet’s bedroom. And four chests in one bedroom were far too many!
Mrs Bennet was furiously writing at her computer, frantically hammering the keys. There were only two things in life which made her unwind, writing and running. And as she couldn’t physically get to the gym because of the weather, she did what she knew would boost her spirits: write.
To be honest she was upset. She had just been told her weekly column and creative page was to be dropped due to the recession. It meant more to her than money. It was her lifeline. She loved meeting the plethora of artists and inspirational people her town was proud to have. And she would miss them. Writing for her was like a window – a window into another world where imagination, and freedom prevailed as well as an ability to be who she wanted to be. At the moment her lounge had no light filtering into it. The double doors were so dirty, you couldn’t see out and it made those sitting inside feel claustrophobic and trapped. Mrs Bennet had her back to it and gazed at the computer screen in front of her.
“Well, if this particular publication doesn’t want Mrs Bennet, maybe it’s time she spread her wings and fulfilled her dream. Mrs Bennet, let’s get published! Let’s get a book off the ground to help save your sanity and that of fellow mums and dads who at times feel overwhelmed by this emotional parenting roller-coaster,” she told herself.
“And if that fails, Mrs Bennet you can always get a job being a teas maid to the Darcys in the Dirt!”