Chapter 176

The following week Louisa lay on the couch or sat at the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her whenever I came into the kitchen. Whenever I reminded her that she needed rest, she reminded me that she actually was resting. She was obviously mixing up not running around with resting.

It seemed that she was getting more and more excited by the summer school and I was afraid of how I was going to keep her away from the muddy field and the hands-on preparations that somehow seemed to have the whole blasted village under its spell. Louisa seemed to be encouraged by the responses she received from primary schools from all over the EU, and while I couldn't share her enthusiasm, I tried very hard not to show my true disdain for the prospect of having hordes of small children running around who barely spoke English and could hardly be handled reasonably.

Lately I also noticed that Ana, who had become invaluable as a helper around the house, exceeding her duties as a nanny by quite a margin, had also been summoned as a secretary whenever Louisa contacted a school in Spain.

The two weeks holidays therefore passed without Louisa getting anything that I would qualify as rest.

I had carefully put forward my opinion from time to time, only to be firmly reminded that she hadn't left the house and that she was getting more rest than she could bear. The only stress she had was keeping her overbearing husband from criticising her all the time.

There was little for me to do but back off, even when I thought that with the progressing pregnancy rest was paramount. Louisa was entering the last trimester, after all.

I had conferred with my aunt. As she was also involved in this blasted summer school and was now faced with hordes of scouts setting up tents and compost toilets – a health hazard beyond belief in my opinion, although reports about it seemed to be favourable – I hoped she could have some influence on my wife and her commitment to the course. Besides, her being a doctor herself I hoped she'd be on my side. This made it hurt all the more to learn that she was taking Louisa's side completely.

"For goodness sake, Martin." She had scolded me when I had talked about her in private about it. "Louisa's a grown woman. She has had a child before – all by herself, if Joan's letters were anything to go by – and she knows what she's doing. More so than you, probably. So give the girl some breathing space." She put her arm around me as she only did when she thought I needed consoling. "I know how difficult it is for you, but if you keep on nagging her, she won't come to you when she's really worried. So back off, so that she can come to you."

"That makes absolutely no sense at all." I grumbled.

"Actually, it does." My aunt contradicted me. "Remember, I am the expert on how humans behave. You're better at their ailments, I admit. So please give me credit in my line of medicine, as I do give you credit in yours."

...

The evening before school re-started, however, I had to tackle the topic of rest again.

While preparing our meal, I tried to address the subject casually.

"About tomorrow morning."

"Mar-Tin. Let it rest, will ya?" My wife seemed to be more agitated than usual, at least lately. Maybe the pregnancy hormones were letting her slip back into old habits of times I'd prefer to forget.

"I need to go to school, and I will go to school. Is that crystal clear, hm?"

I ducked my head and pottered around preparing our meal. I turned around to address Louisa more sternly this time, but right then, James came busting in.

"Smells fab, I'm starving." Saying it, he plonked himself at the kitchen table.

"Not so fast, James." I told him. "Who's setting the table?" I asked sternly.

James looked from Louisa to me and back again. Louisa shrugged her shoulders.

"Righ-to." James confirmed with little enthusiasm, but heaved himself up with more ado than necessary, before turning to the cupboard with the agility of a sloth.

"Anytime today, if possible." I told him while checking on the potatoes.

James grumbled while getting the plates and cutlery.

"Anything the matter?" I asked him, fully aware that he didn't really enjoy this task.

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Because I am cooking and your mum needs to rest."

"Again?"

"She needs to rest until the baby is born, and then he will need her attention. We need to support your mum as much as we can."

"Why? I didn't want to have a brother!" My son protested.

"Or sister." Louisa chimed in.

"Even worse." James mumbled.

"James!" I scolded him. "That is not the right attitude!"

"What's this bloody baby even for, if it is such bother?"

"Well, in four year's time he will be able to set the table, for one thing, leaving you to do other things." I announced while putting our meal on the table.

To be continued…