"We sat opposite each other and ate our breakfasts in silence until I said, "You've lost a lot of weight mum." Yes I know, the food was foul in there ...nd the cook was a lesbian, if you didn't share her bed, you got the slops." So you got the slops." Yes, God I'd have probably obliged her if she'd been pretty, but Jesus Tommy, it was the beard that put me off, she gave being ugly a bad name."When I'd finished laughing, I said."Well you can eat as much as you can manage here mum and you don't. An hour later the soldier was standing with a guard on either side of him. The woman was seated opposite with a girl of perhaps eleven sitting beside her. “So, you are accusing this man of raping your daughter? And this is the daughter? What is your name girl? Come, speak up”“Angela”“Address the Governor as SIR!” shouted the sergeant. He was determined that this was to appear a proper court, not some vague, informal meeting. Especially if his soldier was on trial.“Angela, sir”“Tell us what. The attic always freaked me out, the house was old and cold, and the lights were temperamental at the best of times, Smash and grab tactics were the best way to handle this I told myself, a few deep breaths then I pulled the attic open. I ran up the ladder and began flashing the torch around like a disco ball, the light showed weird shapes and shadows each made me jump out of my skin, and then I saw it. My red leather old style case, I began running across the boards and I hadn’t watched where. Mom started speaking very slowly, then asked if I would like to spend the summer as her daughter. I gasped! "Do you really mean it?" I asked, "Of course I want to." With that decided, Mom said, "Well then, I guess that means yes."My head was filled with so much giddiness I didn't know what to say. By the expression on my face it was easy to tell that I would love to be Mom's daughter. Quickly the thought occurred to me that this could be something I'd like to go on for more than a few months..