Mummy

I'm playing with my brother and mummy on the living room floor when daddy comes home. He shouts at mummy saying the house is a mess.

We've only got some wooden blocks out, we've been making towers and hotels and houses.

"It's just a few toys, I'll help the kids tidy up. Come on you two, tidy time." Mummy does that voice again. The one she does when she's trying not to cry. She thinks I don't know, but I do.

Daddy said some naughty words! Mummy is trying to help us tidy, but she's dropped some of the blocks and daddy shouted at her again. My brother is trying to sneak the blocks into the tub.

"It's ok mummy, we'll tidy it up."

Mummy’s face is so soft, and so sad.

"Then we'll go upstairs and read." I look at the door to see if daddy is there, he's not. "Quietly, so daddy doesn't hear."

Mummy looks really sad now. Daddy is always shouting at her, and us. He said she's rubbish at everything and he calls her fat and stupid. Mummy’s not fat, she’s beautiful and lovely and she plays with us and gives us cuddles. Daddy just says we're in the way all the time and we're too loud and messy.

Mummy's gone into the hallway now. Daddy never plays with us, and he won't let nana or mummies friends come round anymore. He won't let mummy have any money to buy stuff, or chocolate.

But he doesn't know mummy and me and my brother have been selling toys and clothes and hiding the money in the garden. I got five pounds in the post from nana for my birthday so I put that in the garden too.

We've finished tidying up now. "We have to be quiet and run up the stairs. But carefully, don't fall." My brother nods, he doesn't talk when daddy is home.

We run fast up the stairs, daddy is shouting at mummy again about his dinner. It's in the oven. It's always in the oven, but he just likes shouting, I think.

We're at the top now, but I'm not going in my room. I'm going to keep care of mummy. See what daddy does because mummy is talking back to him, and daddy doesn't like that. I know where daddy hid mummy’s phone.

"Go get mummies phone out of daddies shoe in the cupboard." My brother goes to get it. I know the police number; I asked my teacher at school but I didn't tell her why.

Mummy is shouting at daddy now. I'm going down a little bit to peek at them. Oh! Mummy just poked him in the boobies! I don't know what a brat is, but mummy doesn't like it. Daddy looks a bit scared.

My brother has the phone now, he's sitting next to me watching them. Mummy is talking mad to daddy. She never shouts, but she might. Her face is red. I need to get the phone ready. 999... I think it's just the green one I need to press now.

They're by the kitchen door now, I can't see. We sneak a bit down and daddy is in the kitchen, Mummy just shoved him and told him to get out of her house!!

My mummy is so brave. I love her.

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