Free Tao by John Newman

from the top of the garden. “You know how you are!”
    The adults on the patio laughed when they heard that.
    “That is so true,” said Aunt M, popping a chocolate sweet into her mouth.
    “Go easy there, Marigold,” said Granny. “That baby fat is hard to shift.”
    Aunt M gave her mother a look and popped another sweet into her mouth. “Well, you’d know all about that, Mother, wouldn’t you?”
    “Wooooh!” said everyone together and Kate let out a big snorting laugh.
    “Yes!” said Mimi loudly. “She really does snort!”
    Well, that really set Kate off and soon everyone was laughing their heads off.
    I was sorry when the day was over and we had to go home.
    Conor spent the night with his cousin Emmett, so I was alone in his room. I was half asleep when the door quietly opened and Mimi tiptoed in. She sat down on the end of my mattress.
    “I can’t sleep,” she said. “I had too much chocolate. It makes me hyper.” Then she started giggling and farted. “It makes me do windy bottoms, too,” she laughed.
    “That’s not good for the planet,” I said.
    “My daddy likes your mum,” she said then.
    I was quiet when she said that.
    “They’re still downstairs talking away,” continued Mimi. “You can hear them in my room if you put your ear on the floor.”
    “What are they saying?” I asked.
    “I don’t know,” said Mimi. “They are talking too quietly.”
    Well, that wasn’t much use.
    “How do you know that they like each other then?” I asked her.
    “Oh, you know…” said Mimi. “Girls just know these things.”
    Mimi went back to her own bed soon after that but I lay awake for a long time, just thinking. I wished that Kate and I weren’t going home tomorrow.

Chapter 17
    On the plane home, Kate asked me lots of questions.
    “Weren’t they a lovely family, Tao?”
    “Yes.”
    “Isn’t Mimi a pet, Tao?”
    “Yes.”
    “Nice house haven’t they, Tao?”
    “Yes.”
    “Sally might be all prickly on the outside, but underneath she’s a marshmallow, would you agree, Tao?”
    “No.”
    “As for Conor – you really hit it off with him, didn’t you, Tao?”
    “Yes.”
    “Mimi’s grandmother thinks you’re a dote, Tao.”
    “She thinks I’m a what?”
    “A dote,” said Kate. “It means you’re a pet.”
    “Oh … that’s OK then.”
    “Paul isn’t a bit like your dad is he, Tao?”
    “How do you mean?” I asked suspiciously.
    “Well,” said Kate slowly, and I could see that she was choosing her words carefully. “He’s … different, that’s all.”
    I knew that wasn’t all but I didn’t want Kate to say any more.
    “I s’pose so,” I said and I pretended to read the comic I had bought in the airport.
    Kate sighed and opened her book. The plane landed soon after.
    Jo dropped Rodent back that evening. It was the first time she had ever come to our house. Kate was first to the door, but I was right behind her in the hall.
    “Oh, hello,” said Kate, surprised. Even from behind I could see her stiffen. “Tao,” she called. “It’s for you.”
    “I’ve brought back your mouse,” Jo said to me. She had to put her head to one side to see around Kate.
    “Excuse me,” said Kate, and she turned on her heel and walked straight past me into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. Her lips were thin and her face was white.
    “Did you have a nice time in Ireland?” asked Jo, as she handed me the cage. Her face was red. I couldn’t understand why Dad hadn’t come himself.
    “Why didn’t my dad bring Rodent back?” I asked her.
    “He was busy,” she said. “Anyway, Rodent is back home now and might I say he was a very popular guest in our house… Weren’t you, Rodent?” she said to Rodent who was peeping his head out of the straw.
    “Bye now,” she said in a cheery voice that sounded put on. “See you on Saturday and you can tell me all about your holiday.” Then, as she turned to go, she stopped and said, “Oh, I nearly forgot. We