It was a Friday evening. The boys weren'tgoing toCardiff, so Iwas staying the night, just to make sure theyremembered to breathe in and out, eat, sleep, the usual things.

The girlfriends were coming andI was going to cook an easymeal beforegoing to bed, nice and early. Later, the boys wouldput next door's cat over the wall, switch off the computers, double lock the doors, put the chains on.

By midnight, they'd be in their rooms above me, ready to start exerciseson the wooden floor, go downstairs, put all the lights on again, trip loudly on the stairs, unlock the kitchen door, make protein shakes, creak their way back up the stairs, shower, accidentally drop a few files on the wooden floor, move their office chairsback and fore,(no, I don't know why, either) this way and that, then jump into their beds, knocking the headboards againstthe walls.There is comfort in routine, if you think about it.

Well,this particular evening, when I arrived the front door was open, never a good sign.I caught a kip of a skateboarder (a "friend") going around the corner. Inside, about fifteen others (guests,as it happened, but I was a bit slow on the up-take) were scattered about the house. One of them was scootering up and down the kitchen andTrish and Dex, nice pair butnot met them before,were huddledover the computer, too busy to look up.

Icalled Harry and Oliver. 'I didn't know you were having company. How long are they staying?'

'You can't tell with parties'.

'Is this a party?'

'No. No'. Oliver was thinking on his feet, walking and chewing gum at the same time, as it were. He likes to keepeveryone happy. 'We're just having a take-away.'

'Yeah. That's right. Just a take-away.' Harry looked admiringly at Oliver, silently congratulating him on his quick thinking.

'When you go to parties, dothe parents mind when there are a lot of you in the house?'

'No, they're fine, just fine. They're easy about it'. (Harry).

Notwantingto spoil things,I rang my daughter, who seemeda trifle irritated with me.

'Mum, you're the adult. You tell them what to do. Send them home if you like. Ididn't know they'd asked a crowd over.'

I felt at a loss, a bit like the Queen who twiddled her thumbs in an agony of indecision whenasked by alittle girl what her name was. (She could have tried 'The Queen' or 'Queen Elizabeth', but said nothing).

Notwanting to spoil everyone's enjoyment,I stillwanted theparty guests to go home.(It's not that I don't want the friends, but I don't want them, but I didn't put it like that, quite).

When the scooteristwent to the toilet, Igrabbedmy chance and dumpedthescooter in the basement.After he came back, he appeared to be looking for something.

Trish and Dex stirred at the computer: Theorder for theChinese takeaway was all sorted. DidI want anything? I'd wondered whatwas engrossing them so much.

'No, I'm fine', I replied, keeping my voice even.

Trish called everyone to attentionas shechecked if enough fried rice, egg rice,dim sum, dumplings, duck, pork, noddles, seaweed, battered this, fried that, had been ordered.Three hundred pounds had to bechecked and ready to pay the delivery man.

I felt my head jerk- (I live such a sheltered life). What was this?A banquet? A bacchanalian food fest? Heavens, I knew people whose wedding breakfasts had cost less than what they were spending on a take-away.

I jumped to my feet.'I can make food', thewords came out in a rush.

'Chinese?' (Oliver)

'Yes, but not now.I'll go round to the chippie and get a few things.'

Harry smiled at me indulgently.

'No worries.Once they've got the order, the food'll be here in half an hour'.

Two guests hadn't ordered. They were catching the 'bus for Newport, Pembs.

'Make sure you getthe 412. The other onegoes only as far as Fishguard'.

(I knew this because Harry's girlfriend livedin Newport). 'You'll have to be quick.' It left in ten minutes' andit wasa brisk ten minute walk to the 'bus stop.

I held the front door open for them, praying they hadn'tforgotten anything.

'We'll come back if we don't catch it'. My heart sank.

Trish and Dex lived in Llandescwt, a place so isolated it might have been bandit country or an area of the Navajo desert.

'What time were you thinking of leaving?' (Afterthe Chinese, obviously. I'm not totally insensitive).

'My Nan is picking us up at ten, whenshe's had her treatment in hospital'.

Alarm bells went off. I couldn't see an elderly patientleaving the hospital at ten o'clock at night and driving to a remote area. The last bus for Llandescwt left at nine o'clock.

My face must have registered some emotion they understood. 'It's ok. We can always sleep here'.

I was in bed when the delivery came.The boys came up to see if I wanted a taste, but I was fine. There was a quiet lull for the five minutes it took them to eat everything, so I would say it was a success.

Some time in the wee small hours, doors closed, opened, toilets flushed, people laughed, shrieked, mattresses were pulled across landings but, day must dawn and it did.

The sun was shining and the house had the silent rhythm of people sleeping deeply.

I tip-toed downstairs, I don't know why, because it takes a whole lot of something to wake a teenager.

Well, to cut a long, long story short, I was thinking of theseweekendsI've spent with the boys and their friends the other day.

You see there's somethingI haven't told you. The boys are going to the school of art, as you know. What you don't know is that I'm going, too. Yes.The three of us have had unconditional offers.

At my interview I was asked a number of questions. I remember the last one best:

'How do you think you'll get on with your fellow students,teenagers, that is?'

Ihad thereply on the tip of my tongue: 'Fine. Just fine. No worries'.

And I mean it. I'm going and I'm looking forward to it, and theteenagers willgive it a plus factor.