Despite the Angels (40 page)

“Oh dear, it would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic!”

“They have some good sayings, the humans, don’t they?”

“Yes, it’s a good school, Earth.” They lay quietly again. Trynor broke the silence.

“She’s twenty-nine. That is young these days, apparently. Plenty of time to meet another man and have a good relationship. David isn’t too old, either.”

“I wonder what Mohmi thinks?”

“I think you should go for it,” said Mohmi, joining them on the grass.

“Mohmi! Welcome. Were you listening to all that?”

“No, only the last sentence. But I assume ‘what Mohmi thinks’ is about getting David and Lucy together?” The two others nodded. “Because I have had an idea. And I have talked out my idea with Dawn and a couple of other guides and we think we have a plan. Care to hear it?”

The two guides nodded, very enthusiastically and Mohmi started to explain. After a few minutes, she sat back and looked at the others, a slightly smug expression on her face. “So, what do you think?”

“And you say Dawn is happy with this idea?” Trynor asked, “Because if everyone is in agreement, I can’t see any reason to hold back. It would work.” He got to his feet and did a little dance of hope and triumph, then found his feet tracing some ancient moves across the grass. Jotin joined him and together they dipped and circled in the old moves of the earth walk, which they had danced so often beside Alessia and Danthys. They smiled at each other, hopeful that they might soon dance again together with their beloved people. 

“Well, it’s over to you, really, Trynor,” said Jotin as the dance ended. “We’re ready, we’re free. I can be wherever you say, just keep the flowers handy for her breast.”

“Yes,” Trynor said, sitting down heavily, “but I still have to get her to see that she shouldn’t be with Martin. I wonder would Roki get Martin to leave, like Kathleen did.”

“We won’t be lucky twice, I don’t think. If you can’t get it through to her, we can just try the more dramatic way and throw David into her arms. He’ll get her away from Martin if you can’t. Sometimes humans are better at these jobs than we are.”

“More persuasive, more sexy, more cruel, more passionate. It’s hard to be as passionate about things when you know you have eternity to get it right,” Mohmi interjected, “that’s why it’s so useful having lives. Puts a sense of urgency on things. Well, usually. I wonder about that sometimes, when I think back over my three lives in a row in a monastery. I got rather too static there. But most people these days seem to be in a rush about everything. Go for it, Trynor. I’ll back you up, if necessary.”

“Put on the kettle there, Caro. I think we need to sit down and have a think. Where’s Clare?” David got out three mugs and put them on the table. Then he opened a paper bag and lifted three custard slices carefully onto a plate.

“Oh, Dad!” squeaked Caroline, “you shouldn’t! Those are absolutely loaded with calories.”

“That’s why I got them. Fuel for our extraordinary meeting. Oh, Clare, hi. Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee. I’ll do it, you sit down. Oh wow, I love those! What’s the occasion?”

“Just an important discussion.” David sat at the table and watched his daughters as they made the hot drinks and shared out the cakes onto three plates. They’re so precious, he thought. Worth every moment of the misery. Look at them, so beautiful. I’m glad they got their Mum’s hair, instead of my mousy stuff.

“You’re blond, David, not mousy. I have it on good authority.”

So clever, too. Going to do well in their Leavings, maybe go to college, support their Dad in his dotage. He smiled.

“Nice discussion, obviously,” Clare sat down at the table and stirred her coffee.

“Not really. We have to discuss money and how best to arrange things between us.”

“Why? There’s always been enough, hasn’t there?” Caroline forgot for a moment about calories and took a big bite out of her custard slice.

“Just. All those holidays and trips stopped me saving much. We just had the rainy-day fund, when you were born I put that aside. Your Mum and I agreed to pay into it every month, but otherwise to pretend it didn’t exist. I hadn’t even had the book updated recently, I didn’t know exactly how much was in it until I dropped into the building society and asked them. Not that it matters now, it’s gone.”

“Well, what do we need it for?” Caroline had the confidence of youth.

“Our fees, that’s it, isn’t it, Dad? If we go to college?” Clare had always been the cautious one.

“To an extent. Your school fees will be finished of course, but I do have something outstanding on the loan for them. I can probably manage one set of college fees straight away, without taking out another loan.”

“Then one of us will defer and get a job and save up. I don’t mind waiting.” That was Clare, as always being sensible.

“No, I’ll wait. What a good excuse to get a job straight away, not have to go to fusty old college,” Caroline’s eyes shone, “and no-one could object. Actually Grandpa Clonskeagh will be positively joyful, he doesn’t approve of college. You go Clare, you know what you want to study. Maybe I’ll find out later what I want.”

The conversation went on for two hours and in that time David felt his daughters, officially adults since their birthday in January, truly grew up. He was able to share with them at last, a little of the difficulties he had had over the years, keeping things going despite the constant financial drain of so many holidays and trips. He tried to keep it factual, to avoid emotions and blame, but Clare was too cute.

“But Dad, if you knew it was costing too much, why did you pay? Why didn’t you just say no?”

David felt bewildered. It was a question he had often asked himself. He had tried, once or twice, but the storm of tears that resulted was just too wearing. And of course, he couldn’t confess to Clare that he only had sex on the first day of any trip. That was just too odd.

“I’m not sure, darlings. Your Mum cried a lot. I tried to fix her,” a bit of the impatience he had felt for eighteen years came jumping to the surface, “but it was never enough. I don’t know what more I could have done.”

Caroline patted his arm. “I think you were fine, Dad. I overheard Granny Clonskeagh once, saying you were ‘too patient by half’ with Mum. And she’s Mum’s mum. What does she think of Mum going off?”

“Bet she’ll be cross,” Clare got up and put the kettle back on.

“But Granny Howth will be crosser. She always is.”

“There you are Dad,” said Clare as she spooned coffee into the mugs, “that’s why it happened. You were brought up by Gran Howth, who’s very firm and organised, so you learnt to be good, but Mum got Gran Clonskeagh, who’s a softie, so she learnt to cry for what she wanted. Blame the Grannies!”

“I don’t think you need to do psychology in college, love, you have it sorted already.” David leant back and looked at her and her sister. Maybe she was right and it was that simple.

“That would save all the fees if I didn’t. But don’t worry, Dad, like we said, whichever one of us goes to college will get a part-time job, so you don’t have to worry about expenses. I could maybe do a bit more baby-sitting, it’s good, you can get a bit of study done.”

“I know of some children called Aisling and Robbie whose Mum would love to meet you,” Shelta, Clare’s guide, mused. “Do you think they’d be too far away?”

Jotin smiled. “I hadn’t really been thinking. I’ve almost given up, really. But maybe we should work on it. Put out a query for connections, see can we work out an introduction somehow.” 

“And we won’t go on any holidays. So I think it will be fine. Me and Clare will help with the house, and the cooking.”

“Yes,” said Clare, all business, “let’s make a shopping list.” She got up to fetch a pen and the scratch pad.

“Oh no, oh no!” David put his hands to his head in mock horror. “The first action of the new regime is to plan more spending. Help!”  Clare laughed and flung her arms round him.

“I love you, Dad. You’re the best!”

Lucy herded the two children up the stairs despite their protests
that it was too early for bed. She wanted them settled before Martin took over, or they could be up all evening.  Martin was due back at seven, to let her go out to the practice meeting. This one would include a demonstration of some new equipment, so she wanted to be there in plenty of time, to be relaxed and able to concentrate.

“Can we have a bath? Mummy, please?” Aisling, at four, was at her most winsome, smiling coyly.

“Baff. Baff. Bubbles!” said Robbie.

“No, no
time tonight. You’ll just have to be dirty tonight. Come on and we’ll do a lick and promise, then your teeth.”

“I Want Baff. I Need Baff,” shouted Robbie, struggling to get out of his clothes.

“Sorry, no bath. Just strawberry toothpaste.” Lucy wiped Robbie’s face and set about the struggle to brush teeth in two firmly shut little mouths.

At five to seven Lucy escaped from the bedtime ritual and started her own very hurried preparations.

At ten past seven David walked into the lounge of the Grafton Hotel.  He would just have a glass of water to settle
him before the others arrived. This was an important dinner, to celebrate the deal done earlier today with their Italian suppliers, but it didn’t explain the nervousness he was feeling. He should feel relaxed, he had been the one to negotiate the discount for bulk, the one who had been praised by all sides, by the Irish for getting the discount, by the Italians for placing such a large order. Because he had thought of going round the country to nursing homes, checking on whether they needed more equipment. One sterilizer to nearly every home made up a big order, no need to persuade those suave hospital managers. He felt pleased. More relaxed at home than he could remember ever before, now that Kathleen had gone and the litany of requests for holidays had been turned off. It’s like a holiday all the time now, at home. And this order will go most of the way to paying at least one of the girls’ fees for this year, assuming we don’t go away on a big holiday. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Never again, if he didn’t want to. No more demands that he go to a beach, or on a train, or on yet another coach excursion. He remembered steeling himself to cope with yet another beach, to avoid the coach trips. Stay here, chill out. So why do I feel so jumpy?

“Because you’re meeting Lucy tonight.  It’s all perfect.  She’s cross enough with Martin to look at you and you know you’re ready to forget Kathleen.  And here you are in a comfy lounge, looking good, and she’ll be done up too, so apart from admiring the flowers, I hope Trynor has remembered the flowers, all you need to do is smile, remember?” said Jotin. “Smile, just keep on smiling.”

David stood up, smiling broadly and held out his hand to greet the Italians, who had been ushered in by his colleague, William O’Connor.  He ushered them to chairs and took orders for pre-dinner drinks, while O’Connor went to let the dining room know they had arrived.  The party at the next table was getting large and cheerful.  Young professional men and women were greeting each other happily and exchanging gossip about their work, and families.

Jotin came into the living-room where Trynor was waiting with Lucy.
Lucy was pacing, looking at her watch and at the phone.

“Martin, where are you?” said Lucy, “I’m late already, I’m going to miss the pre-meeting drinks and just have the solemn bit of the evening.  You knew I was going out.  Come on.”

“Where is he, Trynor? I thought you said this one was a dead cert.”

Trynor shrugged.  “I don’t know.  He should be here.  We should be on our way.  Go and check with Roki.”

“Keep her calm.  She has to make David smile so she’ll know him, after all.  Hang on.” Jotin disappeared.  Trynor went over to Lucy and stroked his hands through her aura.

“Calm, little one, calm.  It’s not long now, then the excitement can start.  Oh boy, are we all going to have some fun!  And about time, too.”

Lucy shivered. Goose walking over my grave.  She sat down, closed her eyes and tried to breathe down into her abdomen like in the yoga class.  Deep breathing is calming, I will be calm, I will not let him get under my skin one more time.  The bastard, how dare he, he knew it was my turn to go out, if he wanted to be out too he should have arranged a sitter.  Why is it always my responsibility to sort out babysitting? The selfish, mean-minded..”

“Deep breaths, Lucy”

“…something must have happened.  In 1-2-3-4, out 1-2-3-4-5-,” Lucy tried to keep her mind empty.

Jotin came back, eyes flashing.  “They’d stopped off for a drink.  Martin was telling his pal that Lucy has “a little girls’ do tonight” and that there was no rush and Roki was just sitting there, telling me it’s important for Martin to keep up with his friends.  I told him what I thought.  He’s coming, now.  That Roki can be a real nuisance.” Jotin looked at Lucy.  “How’s she doing?  Looks okay now, keep it up. Love the flowered top, should do the trick perfectly. I’ll go and keep my side of things calm and ready.  See you for the fun!”