The Cactus

by Sarah Haywood

My encounter with Kate had been far from successful in convincing me either that I had a hitherto undiscovered maternal streak, or that the life of a mother was something to be desired. Having said that, I’ve found from experience that I’m able to turn most situations, however unpromising they might be, to my advantage. Although Kate might be sinking under the stresses and strains of the maternal life, there’s no reason why I should do the same. For one thing, I don’t have a male partner to look after, which, I’ve observed, is often like having another child (witness my father and brother). Furthermore, the baby will have inherited my genes, and I’d therefore expect it to be reasonable and moderate in its behavior. Finally, I have absolutely no intention of giving up my job; I believe there are very good day nurseries that take babies from a young age. All you have to do is deposit the child first thing in the morning, collect it in the evening and the nursery does the rest.