5 Peppermint Grove (24 page)

“I’ll get these, you get a table – what do you want to drink?”

“A latte, please.” Julia took a table under a parasol and watched the quokkas pick the squashed figs up from the pathway and eat them with gusto. She looked up at the trees that lined the open area that was now a playground for the children of visitors to the island. They were all abundant with figs.

When Ruth returned to the table she pointed at the trees.

“Look, I never noticed these are all fig trees.”

“Yes, I found that out when I was asking the receptionist about the boys’ reformatory – they planted lots of trees here –”

“Ruth, you’re becoming obsessed about that reformatory.”

“Sorry!” she said and shared out the lunch. “I’m fascinated by this island. It’s strange but I feel drawn to the poor boys that lived here – I’m trying to get a handle on this country.”

“Good and that means that you aren’t thinking about Ian.”

“I haven’t thought about him once since you arrived, Julia – I must be getting better. I suppose out of sight is out of mind in some circumstances.”

Julia nodded. But that wasn’t what she was thinking. She was wondering why absence made her more curious about what she was missing at home!

The ferry ride back to Fremantle felt like half the journey it had been on the way out. It was a pet day for the crossing, like the one they had on the previous day. The captain had told them that it could get choppy on this route and they were particularly lucky.

The
port of Fremantle was alive with hundreds of people sitting out on the decking at the Eshed markets. A woman was singing country music,  accompanied by a man on an electric guitar.

“Let’s leave our bags in the car and go and explore,” Ruth suggested.

They took the walk through the busy dockland and walked over the rail-tracks to Market Street.

“Thank God for Google maps!” Ruth said. “I think it’s not too far.”

They passed the town hall – a pepper-cannister-shaped colonial building with a cast sculpture of one of the countries prime ministers who hailed from the town. Once they got on to Market Street they were almost at South Terrace and the famous Cappuccino Strip. Every restaurant that they passed was packed. Happy customers sat on the verandahs and under the parasols that lined the way to the markets.

A street
performer held the gaze of a big crowd as he beckoned to one of the visitors from England to throw up a lit torch to him while he balanced on a rolling tray. The crowd cheered as he defied injury by his great skill and tenacity. A gang of bucks masquerading as pirates cheered noisily from The Sail and Anchor pub and the girls were tempted to stop for a drink as the heat of the day was reaching a climax.

“Come on, only a few more steps and we’ll be under the shade of the markets and then it will be much cooler.”

Julia followed her friend into the air-conditioned main building. Little stalls filled the sides – art and crafts and plenty of stands for food and snacks.

One of the ice-cream stalls proved too tempting for the pair and they each ordered a pistachio and rum-and-raisin cone. The coldness was a great relief and gave them a second wind to take in the mishmash of trinkets on offer in the markets.

“Look, there’s a palm-reader!” Julia said, pointing at a woman who was dressed in a rainbow-coloured kaftan.

“I’m too spooked after last night to go there!” Ruth said with a shake of her head and a lick of her ice cream.

“Okay, let’s go into this craft shop.”

It was a small area covered from top to toe with hand-painted aboriginal art pieces. The small stones started at five bucks and the didgeridoos went up as high as two hundred bucks. In between were hand-painted boomerangs and kangaroo skins.

“I love the patterns and designs so much. It really is a magical style of art,”

Ruth said, running her fingers over the stones.

“Hey, why don’t I get you a stone and you pick one out for me and we can have them when I go home to remind us of our time here?” Julia suggested.

“Okay – you pick first for me then!” Ruth said.

There were ten different motifs ranging from kangaroos to dolphins and various other animals of the outback. They were then painted on different-coloured backgrounds, making up a variety of combinations.

Ruth went up to the owner of the stall and bought her stone for Julia and when Julia had done the same they exchanged the good-luck stones.

Ruth looked down to see a Prussian blue turtle in her palm. It was the very same stone that she had picked out for Julia.

Julia laughed loudly as she opened the bag with her gift.

“I can’t believe we picked the same stone for each other. It’s just as well that we never picked the same men!”

Ruth agreed. But maybe with time their tastes were becoming similar. Ruth had liked Brian but wasn’t going to say that to Julia the night before. As she had sat listening to Marty she had one eye on Brian and couldn’t help listening to what he was saying. She felt bad and wondered if she liked him because Julia did. She had to question why she constantly liked men that were already attached and this one man who wasn’t suddenly became more interesting when she saw him with her friend. It was for the best that she was thousands of miles away from home. If only she could control her desires with Steve – it was easy now that Julia was here but how would she be when Julia went home?

Chapter Thirty-one

Michael was elated to see the two girls at
Perth airport. He hugged his sister tightly and gave Ruth a warm kiss on the cheek. He was chattier than usual as they walked out to Ruth’s jeep in the car park.

“How was your flight?” Julia asked.

“I can’t believe that I slept most of the way – I’m ready for you girls to take me on the razz in Perth tonight!” he said excitedly.

“We were going to take it easy tonight as we were on Rotto last night!” said Julia.

“Ju, you are not going to do that to me – I’ve been with every decent single ex-pat girl in Singapore – I want some passion after coming all this way.”

The two girls looked at each other. Another night on the tiles was called for!

The three sat in the plush surroundings of the Red Sea Club in Subiaco.

It was Julia who caved in first.

“I have to go home to bed – sorry, guys. We were up very late last night.”

“It’s okay, sis – Ruth, give her the keys and we can stay here.”

Ruth looked at him with raised brows. “Oh Michael, I’m exhausted too – do you mind if we go home?”

Michael shrugged. “Okay, I get the hint – I’m too old to be out with you two hot young women!”

Ruth punched him affectionately on the arm. “Don’t be silly – we really are tired. All that fresh air and we were cycling on Rotto at all hours this morning!”

Michael shook his head in mock wonder. “I know! My little sister cycling! I’d love to have been there – she hasn’t been on a bike since she was six!”

It was Julia’s turn to punch her brother.

“Okay, I give in, we’ll go home,” he said with a sigh. “How many thousand miles did I fly for this – remind me again?”

The three hadn’t far to walk home and when they got back to Ruth’s little bungalow she opened a bottle of wine.

“I know I’ll regret this in the morning!” she exclaimed as she began to pour.

“None for me!” said Julia. “I’m for bed!”

Julia kissed Michael on the cheek and went to her room.

“So what did you two get up to last night?” Michael asked. “Julia seems very unsettled about something.”

Ruth shrugged. “I’m not sure – she’s upset about Odette and Craig – I think they’re having a rough time.”

“Yeah, I noticed that at Christmas – I think he’s got problems at work. I’m amazed at the stress people are under in
Ireland. There’s a blanket of debt hanging on everyone’s head. Doom and gloom like I don’t even remember in the late eighties!”

Ruth nodded. “It’s so different here – there are things that you forget when you move away and then again things that you miss terribly that you took totally for granted when you were at home.”

“It takes a full year to get used to living in any place. I was only in Singapore a couple of months when Dad died. I’ll never forget it – it was so awful to be so far away and hear that terrible news. You have to experience it to understand it. The flight home was the worst I’ve ever travelled.”

Ruth took a gulp – she had never thought about that before. She was so fond of Michael’s father – he used to call her his third daughter.

“They forgot to tell me then when the dog died – he was my dog! I know it sounds a bit silly but things like that really make you realise how difficult it is to be far from home. My Uncle Paddy, my mum’s brother, died a year later and they didn’t tell me in time to make the funeral – they didn’t want to upset me. I was so mad but Julia calmed me down – they couldn’t have waited for me and I wouldn’t have made it on time. But it was the fact that it was hidden from me until it was absolutely too late for me to even try to get home that really upset me.”

Ruth felt so sad for Michael. She raised her glass and clinked it off his. “Well, I’m one of the Diaspora now so I guess I’ll get to know pretty quickly the pitfalls and difficulties.”
She took a gulp of her wine and it made her feel instantly better.

“You shouldn’t listen to me too much, Ruth – I think I’m at the end of my time abroad. I really want to go home and settle down – but I’m concerned about finding work. I read the
Irish Times
every day and every second article is about people leaving the country because they can’t find work.”

Ruth agreed but was optimistic about Michael’s situation. “A lot of the people leaving are doing so because of all the debt they have accumulated. You don’t have that problem, Michael – you could return and live frugally until you find something, couldn’t you? On the plus side things have got cheaper at home – although they are loading on new taxes with each budget.”

“Okay, enough of the morose talk – what’s the story with your love life?”

Ruth laughed. “You probably know about my friend Ian?”

“The married man? Yeah, Julia hates him. Did you blow him out?”

Ruth took another sip from her glass of wine before answering. “We got blown out naturally, I think – it’s strange but I was only saying to Julia today that out of sight is out of mind as far as he is concerned.”

“Lucky you – I’ve been driving myself mad thinking about Lydia. Julia said I’ve messed up for good there. The awful thing is I don’t think I’ll ever find anyone like her again.”

Ruth put her hand on his comfortingly. “I’m sure you will.”

“Thanks, Ruth, but I know I only have myself to blame for the mess that I’ve created with my life.”

“Michael – you are forty – give yourself a break. And a fella at forty is like a woman at twenty-five – believe me. I’ve been having serious biological-clock-ticking issues for the last few months.”

Michael laughed and held up his glass. “Hey, if we can’t find anyone ourselves in a year we can hook up together and make a go of it – I’ve always thought you were cute, Ruth!”

Ruth lifted her glass to his. “Deal!” she said and finished the contents. “But now I have to go to sleep before I pass out on the spot.”

Michael sat back on his chair. “Okay but I’ll hold you to it!”

“Come on and I’ll show you to your room!” 

They didn’t have to walk far and Ruth pushed open the door and switched on the light.

“The bathroom is next door,” she said, pointing.

Michael stopped and looked at the bed. He then looked at Ruth.

“You know, I can’t remember the last time that I shared my bed with another body – all night long!”

“Don’t forget the ‘all night long’ bit, Michael. Knowing you, there was someone in it for a couple of hours last night!”

Michael paused. “I’m lonely, Ruth – can we have a sleepover in your bed?”

Ruth was thrown. “What – like six-year-olds?”

Michael nodded.

This was the strangest request. She knew him well but this was too weird. But she wanted to be gentle with her reply.

“Michael, I think you’re losing it a bit – it’s not a good idea with Julia next door. You know what she’s like! She’ll only get carried away and start ordering a hat for our wedding!”

Michael grinned. “It was worth a try!” He kissed Ruth on the forehead. “Sleep well.”

Ruth shut the door behind him. She felt very strange as she walked to her room. It was true that while you lived away you did things that you wouldn’t do at home but she would never have imagined Michael making such a request. How could he still be homesick after so many years? She didn’t want to end up like this. Then she wondered if this was the reason why her mother had packed up and returned to
Dublin. She could always quiz her mother but she wasn’t the sort of mother that you could sit down and have a real heart-to-heart with. It suited Ruth having a mother this way while she was living the life of a mistress and her mother’s lack of interest was a relief. Now that she was so many miles away she wished that she had spoken with her heart open when she lived around the corner from her.