Love, Rosie (232 page)

distracting
me.
What
I
didn’t
realize
was
that
I
was
listening
to
the
mutila-

tion
of
my
own
daughter’s
body.

It
was
kind
of
difficult
giving
Rupert
a
piece
of
my
mind
because
I

couldn’t
express
my
hatred
of
tattoos
without
offending
him
seeing
as
he
is

an
actual
walking
tattoo.
It
would
be
like
slagging
one
of
his
family
members.

The
tattoo
is
the
least
of
my
worries.
She
also
got
her
tongue
pierced.

Rupert
threw
that
part
in
for
free.
She
sounds
like
she’s
got
hot
potatoes
in

her
mouth
when
she
speaks.
So
no
wonder
I
got
such
a
shock
when
she

walked
in
with
a
scary
look
on
her
face
and
said,
“Aah,
uck
at
I
aa-oo,”
and

then
proceeded
to
lift
up
her
top.
John
got
one
as
well
but
he
got
a
tattoo
of

a
Hurley
stick
and
a
hurling
ball
on
his
hip
bone.
You
don’t
even
want
to

know
what
that
picture
resembles.
Rupert
drilled
the
ball
too
close
and
on

the
wrong
end
of
the
stick
if
you
know
what
I
mean.

I
suppose
it
could
be
worse,
they
could
have
gotten
tattooed
with
each

other’s
names.
And
there
are
worse
tattoos
Katie
could
get
than
a
tiny
little

strawberry
the
size
of
my
thumbnail.

Perhaps
I’m
overreacting?

How
on
earth
must
you
and
Dad
have
felt
when
I
told
you
I
was
preg-

nant?

love,
rosie

345

Now
that
I
think
of
it
perhaps
I
should
give
Katie
some
sort
of
award?

Anyway
I
should
go
back
upstairs
and
face
the
(very
loud,
banging)

music,
plus
I
need
to
continue
with
my
studies.
I
can’t
believe
I’ve
reached

my
final
year.
Three
years
flew
by
and
while
it
was
virtually
impossible

studying
by
night,
working
by
day
and
trying
to
be
a
mother
at
both
those

times
I’m
glad
I
didn’t
pack
it
in
the
hundred
times
a
day
that
I
said
I
would.

Imagine,
I’ll
have
a
graduation
ceremony!
You
and
Dad
will
finally
be
able
to

sit
in
the
crowd
while
I
collect
my
degree
in
my
unflattering
robe
and
hat.
It’s

only
fifteen
years
later
than
originally
planned,
but
I
suppose
it’s
better
late

than
never.

However
I
won’t
get
to
the
graduation
ceremony
if
I
don’t
pass
my

exams
so,
no
more
distractions
,
I
am
going
to
study!

Love,

Rosie

from
:

to
:

subject
:

Rosie

Alex

Dad

Something
awful
has
happened.
People
at
work
said
you
were
in
sur-

gery
but
please
as
soon
as
you
get
my
messages
and
this
e-mail
can
you