Mandy & Mum
Earth - London, England - 2010
The Cast
Amanda Walker, Right Honourable Ann Walker MP
Amanda Walker returned with another bottle of the exquisitely fruity Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc. She was with her mother at one of their favourite bars, drinking their favourite tipple. Its odd name first attracted them to the elegant wine. On her budget, it wouldn’t have been her first choice, but as her mother would more than likely pick up the bill, she was delighted to partake. They didn’t find their diaries matching up these days often enough, so they both treasured these girlie meet ups. They were within spitting distance of the House of Commons, in the Red Lion public house. There was an early evening buzz to the place with all sorts winding down after a hard day working in Westminster. Amanda tried to squeeze through a group of men riveted to the story being told by a colleague. His voice was nearly as loud as his bright red corduroy trousers. A white silk shirt and a brown tweed waistcoat with a flaming red back tamed the trousers to acceptable office apparel—a little eccentric, but this was London. As he revealed the punchline, Amanda almost had the bottle knocked out of her hand by one of the group. He immediately apologised to her and then gave Ann a little nod of apology too. Her mother smiled at him, and he turned back to his friends. Her mother, the Right Honourable Ann Walker MP, was now a cabinet minister. Amanda knew this was one of the few places where she could sit with friends or family and blend into the background. Everyone here was leaving the highs and lows of the day behind, and in the most part extended the same courtesy to others, be they a famous politician or the office junior.
‘I’d rather be on one of Dad’s Amazon treks, I think,’ Amanda said, sliding into her seat. ‘Though I doubt there would be any wine there.’
She watched her mother top up the glasses ‘Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been on treks with your father when he would carry a bottle of wine for the whole day, just to liven up the evening’s proceedings. You might have been conceived on one of those trips.’ She gave Mandy a knowing naughty smile.
‘Oh, Mum. Gross,’ moaned Mandy. ‘That’s not an image I want, thank you very much.’
Mandy finished telling her mum about her last visit to Ireland. ‘Jon is excited about his trip to Australia. It’s his first time at the World Championships. It’s in Canberra, just south of Sydney.’
‘Well, he wasn’t suited to university life,’ Ann observed. ‘It’s just not his thing.’
‘No, he was never going to get on University Challenge,’ Mandy replied mischievously.
‘How is Grace taking to him going?’ asked Ann. ‘That’s both of you out of the picture now.’
‘She’s all right. She has her little group at uni. “Grace’s Groupies” Jon calls them.’ Mandy smiled. ‘Because they follow her everywhere.’
She missed Grace, but both she and Jon had their dreams to pursue. ‘I wish I knew where things were going with them. With no news yet from their home world, I think they’re all getting twitchy. Grace said one or two of them are talking about risking a return, but Douglas won’t consider it. Grace is also aware that some of them are thinking she should be leading them now.’
‘He’s been chatting with your father about that,’ said Ann. ‘He thinks so too. It’s the natural progression of a Life Team when the Royal Trainee reaches Grace’s age.’
‘Maybe so,’ replied Mandy. ‘But Grace isn’t ready to assume that position.’
‘Hmm…’ Her mother was deep thought for a moment. She had a habit of drifting in and out of conversations, as she was used to processing a lot of information. Amanda waited for her to drift back in. When she did, she switched the track of the conversation. ‘And how do you feel about Jon leaving? Following his dreams.’
It was Mandy’s turn to get lost in thought. She knew what her mother was talking about, the enigma that was Jon and Mandy. They were as different as chalk and cheese, but from that first day in the woods, there had been something between them. An attraction she could never understand. When she looked into those incredible blue eyes, there was a connection, one that had never been there with any other man. And that kiss a few years back had had a far more significant effect on her than she would ever care to admit. Her mother had always been one of the most switched on people she knew. Nothing got past her. ‘Mother, Jon and I are friends. Our lives follow entirely different paths now. If we ever tried to take our friendship to another level, and it didn’t work, we might never get back to what we have now. I don’t think I want to risk that.’
Ann left it there and changed the subject again. ‘So. What have you decided to do with your life?’ Mandy looked at her mum, knowing that she wanted to talk about the main reason for their meet up, following her telephone request earlier in the week. ‘Can I have some Mummy time to discuss my future?’
‘Well…’ Mandy paused, trying for a little clarity in her now slightly giddy thought processes, ‘…after much deliberation, I’ve decided I want to follow you into politics. I want to be a Member of Parliament.’
Her mother’s look of horror lasted two or three seconds until Mandy could keep a straight face no longer and burst into laughter. ‘Ha, ha, got you.’ A look of total relief spread across her face and quickly turned to mock anger. Mandy knew that the last thing she wanted was for her only daughter to enter politics.
‘Seriously though, Mother, you made me study Business Management at uni.’
‘Suggested,’ interrupted Ann.
‘And in a couple of months, I’ll finish and get a first.’
‘Maybe. Big maybe.’
‘I speak three foreign languages. French, German and excellent Mandarin from our two years living in Hong Kong when I was younger.’
‘Yes, I was there too, and it was nearer three years.’
‘And I want to travel.’ Mandy stopped, indicating the end of this particular, much interrupted, monologue. She knew how to frustrate her mother.
‘So....’ She watched her mother roll her hands in the manner that suggested there needed to be more.
‘What?’ Ann exclaimed, exasperated, causing a couple of the noisy party to look round.
Mandy leant forward. ‘Well... I want to join MI6.’
‘You can’t get me a second time, Amanda.’ She watched her mother look up at the ceiling. When she looked back, Mandy met her with her most determined face. ‘You’re serious, aren’t you? Explain.’
‘I want to be a Business Support Manager for MI6, carrying out coordinating work for overseas operations,’ Mandy replied.
‘What does that exactly involve?’ Her mother had a pretty good idea, but wasn’t giving up on the interrogation yet.
‘MI6 operatives are tasked to gather information for the good of Great Britain. They need to be managed. Accommodation, finances, documentation. A whole load of backup work to enable them to function. That’s what I want to do. You work with agents in the UK for the first couple of years; then you can work abroad.’
‘So, how did you find out about all this, Miss Moneypenny?’ Her mother’s face was curious now rather than intense. ‘Phone them up and ask?’
‘Er, not exactly. It’s all on the first page of the MI6 website. How to join the Secret Intelligence Service. What jobs are available. I want to manage data to support intelligence gathering.’
‘Have you mentioned this to your father?’
‘Yes.’
‘And?’
‘He said he thought it was a good idea if you did.’
‘Typical.’
Her mother’s voice softened. ‘You’re not going to be discouraged, are you? You’ve got your father’s eyes and your mother’s determination.’ She considered it. ‘Could be worse, I suppose. You could want to enter politics.’
Mandy raised her eyebrows.
‘There’s more?’ Her mother picked up on the unasked question.
‘Well, it appears to be a very competitive position with many applicants. For me to get a favourable reply will be pretty difficult.’ She shook her head. ‘I was wondering, Mummy dear, in your position and all, whether you could put a word in for me?’
She braced herself for the inevitable reply.
‘That’s not how it works, young lady! There is a thing called ethics. The press would have a field day if they found out I was helping my daughter get to the top of the pile for a governmental position.’
It was still loud in the bar, but that didn’t stop Mandy leaning forward and whispering, ‘They wouldn’t find out. That’s why it’s called the Secret Intelligence Service. It’s not the same as—let me think— as though you were aware of the existence of aliens on the planet, or something, and had kept quiet about it for many years.’ Mandy’s face was the picture of innocence.
‘You are a despicable daughter, Amanda Walker.’ Mandy watched her mother drift away again. ‘I do have a meeting with a Home Office civil servant next week. I might just mention in passing that you’re thinking of applying, but that will be all. If you get the job, it will be on your own merits.’
Mandy smiled at her mother. ‘Thank you.’ She picked up the bottle of wine. ‘More wine, Mother? After all, you are paying.’