See You In September

Mike shut his paper. He folded it in half, then into quarters, smoothing the creases.

Diana was checking her emails yet again. Spam, spam, spam … school reunion … electricity bill …

From: CassyHowlerMonkey@gmail.com

To: Mike and Diana Howells

Re: How are you?

Hi Mum and Dad,

Thanks for all your messages. Sorry, I don’t get much time and the internet’s hopeless here. Soooo … you know about Hamish and me. It was a mutual thing.

I’ve got to tell you about this place. I wish I could transport you here, like on Star Trek. It’s a farm beside a lake, and I get bed and board in return for work. At the moment I’ve got gardens to dig and I’m helping to produce a musical at the school! You’d be proud of me, Dad—I get up early in the mornings now. Can’t see myself being one of those students again, pouring a whole load of bottles into a bucket and drinking it and then throwing up. I’ve discovered a new me.

Imagine being among the happiest, kindest people you’ve ever met. Imagine finding they like you straight away, no questions asked! Imagine a micro-nation in a beautiful micro-world, where there’s no stress and no rat-race. Old people are cared for and respected, not shoved into homes. There’s a very simple rule, here: no negativity, only love.

Imagine a place where the children don’t hunch over smart phones or computers or Xboxes. No sharing of photos of one another having sex, or drama queen posts about how miserable they are. There is NONE of that! Children play in total freedom. There’s no paedophile to groom them, no car to run them over, no school bully to make them cry. Nobody’s ever left out.

Imagine people who never bitch, who don’t have credit cards, who aren’t scrabbling to drive bigger cars than their neighbours. They own nothing. They share everything. And they’re happy! I haven’t heard anyone say ‘pension’ or ‘mortgage’ or ‘dog-eat-dog’ since I’ve been here.

Imagine people who have such a capacity for love that they collect addicts and criminals and drop-outs, and give them a home and a purpose.

Now. Imagine being welcomed by these wonderful people. They value me. They want me to stay. It’s only an idea, but do you think I could put my degree on hold for a year?

I hope you’re all OK. How did Tara’s exams go? Can’t get online much so don’t worry if no contact for a while.

Love U.

Cassy xxx

‘All very wholesome,’ said Diana, who had found the message terrifying. ‘On the face of it.’

‘God, I hope not.’ Mike’s forehead was furrowed with misgiving. ‘D’you think she seems a bit high?’

‘Ah, the prodigal sister!’ she cried. ‘I’m not talking to that girl. If she can get online she could have answered my twenty million messages.’

‘I think it sounds like she’s on something. That lazy tart, getting out of bed early? Bollocks.’ While she talked, Tara was riffling through a drawer. ‘I need batteries for my calculator. How come we never have any the right size? Oh, we do.’

The next half-hour was filled with the business of a weekday morning: Mike gulping down another cup of coffee while polishing his shoes; Tara learning German verbs while having a text-argument with a friend; Diana opening a bank statement while wondering what Cassy was doing at that moment. They all left the house together.

A heatwave was gathering strength. Midday temperatures were forecast to reach about thirty degrees.

‘Are you going to reply to Cassy, or shall I?’ asked Mike, as Diana locked up the house.

‘Maybe she should come home now, if she’s not going to make the most of being over there.’

He stood running his hand down his tie again and again, smoothing it against his shirtfront. It was something he did at times of stress, as though by controlling his appearance he could manage everything in life.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Diana, pecking his cheek. Such empty words. She might as well have said, ‘Don’t breathe.’

She arrived at work to find a flashing answer machine and a pile of funding applications in her in-tray. She ignored them all, and began to compose a message to Cassy.

Fiona appeared, bravely decked out in one of her floral tents. Diana’s colleague was a widow who had her own worries in life. Her daughter Stacey had left her no-good husband and moved back home with three children. Fiona tackled it all with determined jollity and an awful lot of doughnuts.

‘Please.’ Diana didn’t want tea; she wanted Cassy to come home and be safe. But she said, Please, because that was What One Did.

‘Isn’t it hot?’ gasped Fiona, returning with mugs. ‘Whew. We need air-conditioning in here. How did you get on with the funding applications?’

‘Cassy’s up. We had this email. It’s rattled us a bit, to be honest. Have a look.’

Fiona rolled her desk chair across and sat down, squinting at the message. ‘Sounds as though she’s found heaven on earth,’ she said, once she’d read it.

‘I wish Stacey and the kids could have a life like that. Cassy’s learning things that might have more use than law, when the chips are down.’ Fiona had taken off her glasses and was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘Jarred’s gone and got himself suspended again.’

‘Oh dear! What for?’ Diana wanted to care about an off-the-rails grandson. Really, she did.

‘Caught watching porn at school. They’ve got access to everything on the internet.’

‘Stacey had to go and talk to the teachers,’ said Fiona, ‘so I took the little ones to the play park. And guess what we found?’ She replaced her glasses. ‘Needles! Not the knitting kind. Just there, for any child to pick up. I worry about their futures, Diana. I do. I worry. What kind of a world are we passing on to them?’

‘If my lot had the chance to follow Cassy out to this bit of paradise, I’d jump at it.’

They drank their tea together, talking about an upcoming exhibition. Then, at last, Fiona moved back to her own desk and Diana returned to her email. She read it through once more. Cheerful but firm. A reality check.

She clicked her mouse and listened for the sound—like a miniature firework—as her words took flight and shot around the world.

From: Mike and Diana Howells

To: CassyHowlerMonkey@gmail.com

Re: How are you?

Darling,

That all sounds lovely. We look forward to seeing the photos when you get home. BUT don’t forget all the things you wanted to do in New Zealand!! Remember you have the rest of the money Grandpa left you still sitting in your savings account. We know you earmarked that for other things but it does give you flexibility.

Dad and I think you should leave that place now and carry on with your trip, or else come home early. There’s no point in wasting time and money by sitting in one place.

Don’t mess up your life, Cassy. Please stay in touch and tell us you’re moving on now.

Lots of love,

Mum xx

Paris and Bali were in the office with her—they had a couple of admin jobs to do, they said—and were by her side within seconds. They looked, then groaned in sympathy.

‘No respect, is there?’ said Bali. ‘It sounds as though they don’t know you at all.’

‘That all sounds lovely.’ Cassy was mimicking her mother’s voice. ‘For Pete’s sake, it’s how you’d talk to a toddler!’

Paris perched on the edge of the desk. ‘It can be hard for parents to let go.’

‘I think you should write back straight away. Be honest with them. Be upfront! Love is always honest.’

‘Might be best if I did it tomorrow,’ said Cassy, chewing her lip. She was rereading Diana’s message and feeling more indignant by the second.

‘Why not do it now?’ she suggested. ‘Don’t let it fester. You’ve got time before Call.’

Cassy sat very still, soothed by the gentleness of her friend’s fingers on her scalp.

‘It’s time to be honest about how you feel and who you are,’ said Paris. ‘Honesty and love go hand in hand.’

I’ve only got a few mins—but v v quickly, aren’t you interested in what I was trying to say? Couldn’t you tell that this matters to me? Or didn’t you care?

I’m going to be honest. There hasn’t been enough honesty in our family.

You like to think I’m going to become a partner in some massive firm, so I can work ninety hours a week and you can show off to your friends. Read my lips: I AM NOT THAT PERSON!! I’m sick of living out your fantasy of the perfect daughter. You have to accept me for who I am, not who you expect me to be. TBH right now I’m not sure I want to finish my degree. I don’t think I fit into that life any more. I never did.

I haven’t decided if I’ll be catching that flight home. I may delay.

Love,

Cassy

‘It’s time they knew who you really are.’ Bali was still plaiting Cassy’s hair. ‘You’re a truly extraordinary person,’ she said. ‘Sad that they don’t seem to see it. Better press send, though, before the internet crashes. Hey, after Call, ’d’you want to take a bottle of wine down to the rocks and light a bonfire? Aden will come, I bet.’

‘The lake’s like a mirror this evening.’ Bali peered at the screen. ‘Haven’t you sent that message yet? Come on, chop chop!’