Double Take

Yesterday, I cajoled Carenza into wellies, as snow was forecast, and waved her off for a dreaded re-take of an English exam which had caught out half the class last summer when the marking scheme seemed to have been changed overnight.  

As the flakes began to fall, I walked round to my friend Jo’s to see if she wanted to try for a hike, as we had planned. 

We had a coffee while we waited to see if it would stop.  It got worse.

“Do you think they’ll send the kids home?” she asked as we stared at her white garden.

“I don’t know.   I hope not.  Carenza’s got a retake today.  She’s done all the revision.  Last thing she wants is to have to postpone it and do it all again in June…”

But then we both noticed there was something on the bird table…something unusual. 

“Hand me my mobile,” squeaked Jo, and quickly took a snap. The creature dashed off.

Jo scrutinised her picture and smiled.

“Doesn’t it look sweet in the snow?”

I took the phone from her.

“Jo, that’s a rat,” I said.

“I know,” she replied. “Next year’s Christmas card, I think.”