Where Rainbows End (14 page)

And that, Rosie Dunne, is my theory.

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

My
Theory

Very clever, Alex, very, very, clever. But you needn’t have gone that far back to accept responsibility for Katie. Here’s my theory.

Had I not been stood up by you at the debs, I wouldn’t have had to go with Brian the Whine at all. Had you showed up at the airport that day our lives could have turned out very differently.

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Cecelia Ahern

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

Life

Yeah, that’s something I’m beginning to wonder about.

Ruby:

They WHAT??? They
split up??

Rosie:

Yeah, they’re finished. Sad isn’t it?

Ruby:

Well not really actually. Why did they split up?

Rosie:

Irreconcilable differences. Isn’t that what people always say?

Ruby:

Not in my case, mine was a lazy cheating bastard. So who has Josh?

Rosie:

Sally took him and went to stay with her parents.

Ruby:

Oh poor Alex. So come on spill the beans.

Rosie:

Well I don’t know everything—

Ruby:

Liar. Alex tells you everything which is probably the reason in itself.

Rosie:

Excuse me; please do not accuse me of being the reason for his marriage breakup. That is very insulting. It was a million little things that all finally blew up in their faces.

Ruby:

So when are you going over to him?

Rosie:

Next week.

Ruby:

Are you planning on coming back?

Rosie:

RUBY! QUIT IT!

Ruby:

Oh OK, OK. It’s sad though isn’t it?

Rosie:

Yes it is. Alex is devastated.

Ruby:

No I didn’t mean that. The irony of it all makes
me
sad, I can’t even imagine how
you
must feel.

Rosie:

What irony?

Ruby:

Oh you know . . . you wait and wait for years for him until you finally give up and move on with your life. You eventually decide to marry Greg and weeks later, Alex splits up with Sally. You know, you two have the worst timing ever . . . When will you ever learn to catch up with each other?

YOU ARE 1 TODAY!

MAY YOUR SPECIAL DAY BE LOTS OF FUN,

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY A BOY IS ONE!

WE LOVE OUR LITTLE SPECIAL BOY,

BECAUSE YOU BRING US SO MUCH JOY!

TO JOSH (AND YOUR DADDY),

WE LOVE YOU BOTH AND HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

AND THANKSGIVING TOGETHER.

LOTS OF LOVE,

ROSIE AND KATIE

Dear Rosie and Katie,

Thank you for the teddy you sent me for my birthday, I call him “Bear.”

Daddy made the name up all by himself, he is very clever. I love to chew on his ear and drool all over him so that when Daddy hugs him, it leaves my slobber all over his face. I also like to throw Bear out of my cot in the middle of the night and then scream at Daddy until he picks it up for me. I just do it for the laugh, Daddy doesn’t need to sleep. He’s only here to feed me and clean my diapers.

Anyway I better go now, I have a very busy schedule, I’m being fed at nine o’clock, followed by a burping, and then I’m going to try to take a few 126

Cecelia Ahern

steps across the living room. I no I can do it . . . one of these days I won’t land on my bum . . .

Thanks for Bear,

Love you and miss you both,

Josh (and Daddy)

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Happy 30th!

I can’t believe you’re not having a thirtieth birthday party! Or are you having one and you’re just not inviting me? I know you’ve been inclined to do things like that in the past. Jesus, imagine that was a whole twenty years ago. I never thought we would reach the time when we could remember anything happening that long ago. Anyway happy birthday, have a slice of cake on me.

from:

Alex

to:

Rosie

subject:

Thanks

Sorry I haven’t been in touch, I’m almost ready to finish up my residency here so I can move on to do two more years of cardiothoracic residency program. I just have to figure out where exactly. My one hundred years of study are almost up! No celebrations for me this year, too busy trying to pay back my million-dollar student loan.

You have an instant message from: GREG

Greg:

Hi honey, how’s your day going?

Rosie:

Oh it seems to be one of those never-ending days. The hotel is completely booked out this weekend because of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the place is jammed. There’s been a steady flow of big love, rosie

127

groups of people arriving all day so I’ve been constantly checking them in. It has quieted down now for a little while so I’m pretending to be really busy on the computer with reservations right now so don’t make me laugh whatever you do or my cover will be blown.

Well, when I say
quiet
I mean no one is bothering us at reception, the noise level of the hotel is a completely different story altogether.

There’s a huge group of Americans in the bar singing along to old Irish songs, would you believe they got the
Paddy Band
in to the hotel as a special treat? I’ve never seen so many green faces and dyed red hair in my life.

Unfortunately some of Bill Lake’s family have flown in from Chicago. There are thirty of them so I’m on my best behavior.

Apparently his nephew is a trombone player in the Chicago high school marching band that’s marching in the parade on Sunday.

I’m just dying for the day to end, my face is sore from smiling and my eyes are stinging from staring at this bloody computer screen. I can’t believe Bill gave me the weekend off! I am so thrilled! He’s such a sweetie; I can’t remember the last time I had a Saturday off or two days in a row for that matter. Well it means that for once we can go out tonight and I won’t have to worry about getting up in the morning. Have you been talking to Ted? What time do he and Ruby want to meet up at? I was thinking of bringing Katie and Toby to the parade on Sunday, what do you think?

Sorry for rambling on, I feel like I’m back at school on a Friday afternoon waiting for the final bell to ring for the weekend. For my freedom. Whatever use double maths has in life is beyond me, but it sure prepares you for the boredom of work.

Greg:

Oh Rosie I’m sorry to dampen your good spirits but I have to head up north to Belfast tonight. I only found out this morning so it’s completely last minute. I’m sorry.

Rosie:

Oh no! Why do you have to go to Belfast?

Greg:

Oh there’s this seminar that’s on that I have to go to.

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Cecelia Ahern

Rosie:

What kind of a seminar?

Greg:

A financial one.

Rosie:

Well of course it’s a financial one. I hardly expect it to be on French cuisine. Do you
have
to go? Will they even notice if you’re there?

Greg:

Well, no they wouldn’t notice to be honest, but I want to go.

They’re quite interesting you know, and I have to stay ahead of my game.

Rosie:

Oh how much more could you possibly learn about bloody banks?

They give you money and ask for ten times more back. That’s about it.

Greg:

I’m sorry Rosie.

Rosie:

Oh this is so annoying. Of all the bloody weekends Bill gives me off, it’s the one you have to go away for. You do know that I will not get a weekend off for another year don’t you?

Greg:

I love the way you never exaggerate Rosie. Listen, I have to go, OK?

Talk to you later, love you.

Rosie:

Oh hold on, before you go, did you see the phone bill this morning?

Greg:

What was it like, high?

Rosie:

Guess.

Greg:

Damn. That’s you and all that time you spend on that Internet sending e-mails you know. I don’t understand why you and Ruby can’t just arrange to
meet
like normal people.

Rosie:

Because no establishment allows us to sprawl across their couches in our pajamas and smoke. It’s far more comfortable at home.

Anyway the price of the bill couldn’t have
anything
to do with all those hours a week you spend on the phone to your mother, convincing her she’s perfectly capable living on her own, by any chance?

Greg:

I somehow think you don’t really mind me spending those hours convincing her, my darling!

Rosie:

True! Oh if only we knew a bank manager who could give us a loan . . . how simple life would be . . .

love, rosie

129

Greg:

Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that Rosie.

Rosie:

And imagine my disappointment when I found out after I married you.

Greg:

You stuck with me all the same, thank you for that. I have to go now and refuse to give a mortgage to someone, you know how it is.

Love you.

Rosie:

Love you xx.

from:

Kevin

to:

Rosie

subject:

My favorite sister

Hello my most favorite big sister in the whole entire world. It’s Kevin here. E-mail me back when you get a chance, I’m on the college computer so the Internet is free and I wanna ask you something.

from:

Rosie

to:

Kevin

subject:

Re: My favorite sister

Why do I only ever hear from you when you want something?

from:

Kevin

to:

Rosie

subject:

Re: My favorite sister

You sound like my ex-girlfriend. What makes you think I want something? Maybe I just want to catch up with my sister and see what’s going on in her life. How’s Katie? Tell her I was asking for her. How’s Greg? Tell him I was asking for him. How’s Alex? Tell him I was asking for him. See how interested I am in your life? If you ever need a babysitter for Katie just let me know, I’d only be too delighted to help out. Anyway that’s all from me, take care of yourself and keep in touch.

PS: Any chance you could ask your boss for a job for me?

130

Cecelia Ahern

from:

Rosie

to:

Kevin

subject:

A-HA!

A-HA! I knew there had to be a catch! You never usually care about what’s going on in my life. Katie is fine, thank you, so is Greg, and so is Alex. You could see how they are with your very own eyes if you ever bothered to call around. Yes I would love you to mind Katie thank you very much, but I’m not sure I could trust you after what happened the last time round.

from:

Kevin

to:

Rosie

subject:

6 years ago!

Oh come on Rosie! That was at least six years ago, I was only 17! How could you give a 17-year-old male an apartment of his own and not expect him to invite around a few friends. It’s only normal.

from:

Rosie

to:

Kevin

subject:

Normal!

Kevin, you trashed the place. Poor Katie was terrified and I didn’t appreciate finding you asleep in my bed with that . . . whatever she was . . .

from:

Kevin

to:

Rosie

subject:

Water under the bridge

Well you said make yourself at home . . . Anyway that’s all water under the bridge, we’re both sensible adults now. (You’re getting on a bit—thirty next month!) I would really love if you could help me out. Please help me out, I would be forever grateful and I honestly, truthfully mean that.

love, rosie

131

from:

Rosie

to:

Kevin

subject:

You owe me!

Oh OK but I’m not promising any miracles. Don’t mess this up Kevin or Bill will hold it against me and it’ll ruin my grand master plan of taking over this hotel.

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Life!

Christ Alex, who knew Kevin had learned to walk and talk? I thought he was still at school. He just suddenly grew up. Not that he was ever one for sharing his life stories with me anyway. He’s so secretive. It’s people like him, the world has to worry about.

Things change so quickly. Just when you get used to something, zap! It changes. Just when you begin to understand someone, zap! They grow up. The same is happening with Katie. She changes every day; her face just becomes so much more grown-up every time I look at her. Sometimes I have to stop
pretending
I’m interested in what she’s saying in order to realize that I
actually am
interested. We go shopping for clothes together and I take her advice, we eat out for lunch and giggle over silly things. I just can’t cast my mind back to the time when my child stopped being a child and became a person.

And a beautiful person she is becoming too. I don’t quite know where I’m going with this letter, Alex, but I’ve been thinking about a lot of things lately and my head is a bit of a muddle. It’s hard to grasp things and keep them firmly in your grip because quicker than you know it they slide right through your fingers and you lose control.

Our life is made up of time; our days are measured in hours, our pay measured by those hours, our knowledge is measured by years. We grab a quick few minutes in our busy day to have a coffee break. We rush back to our desks, we watch the clock, we live by appointments. And yet your time eventually runs out and you wonder in your heart of hearts if those seconds, 132

Cecelia Ahern

minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and decades were being spent the best way they possibly could. In other words, if you could change anything, would you?

Everything is spinning around us, jobs, family, friends, lovers . . . you just feel like screaming “STOP!” looking around, rearranging the order of a few things, and then continuing on . . . It was just a thought. I know you’re having a really difficult time right now. Please know that I’m always here for you.