Chapter 17

 

When I get up the next morning and go downstairs, the sun is pouring in through the window, making the dank kitchen look bright and cheerful for once.

“There’s a spring in your step today,” Mam says and it’s true.

“Is it okay if I take the car? I might be back late.”

“Have you got plans?” she asks with a smile.

“Yes, but I don’t know if it’s going to work out yet.”

“Ah, a girl, I guessed as much. I hope she deserves you.”

“Don’t worry, Mam, it’s still a long shot!”

“Hmm,” she squeezes my arm and gives me her ‘mother’s know better’ smile.

But once I leave the house my confidence falters. Why put myself through this? It’s never going to work. Yet, when I get to Kit’s house there’s a parking space just down the road. That has to be a good omen because Saturday is the busiest shopping day, and there are never empty spaces on her street. It’s too close to the town centre.

Once I’m parked, I get out of the car, dust down my jeans and go up the steps. Up close, the door isn’t any less intimidating. The polished doorknob stares at me like a challenge. My palms are sweaty and I wipe them on my jeans. I’ve come this far, what’s the worst that can happen?

They could send me away, but at least I’ll have tried.

I take hold of the knocker and rap firmly on the door.

A moment later, the door is opened by Kit’s mother.

“Hello, what do you want?”

“Good morning, Mrs Lawless,” I speak in my politest voice. “I’m Tully Cabe, a friend of Kit’s.”

“Oh, is she expecting you?”

“Well, I was hoping to surprise her.”

“She’s not up yet.” She looks me up and down. “But I’m sure she’ll appear soon. Why don’t you come in?”

I follow her through a high-ceilinged entrance hall, past an open-string staircase curving discreetly upwards. She leads me into a poky kitchen at the back. “I’m sure you’d like a cup of tea.”

I wish she’d just tell Kit I’m here, but then I realise she wants to check me out first.

“Yes, thank you,” I reply hastily, “tea would be lovely.”

The kitchen is old-fashioned, one side of it dominated by a heavy cast-iron range. There’s a Belfast sink under the window with heavy taps. She turns one of them with difficulty and fills an antiquated kettle, which she places carefully on the range.

She waves at me to take a seat at the far end of a table covered with a blue and yellow chequered oilcloth. It should be homely and comfortable, but somehow the kitchen feels stuck, caught in a time warp.

“So, Tully, how do you know my daughter?” Mrs Lawless sits down in a matching chair at the other end.

I explain about moving to Drimshanra with my mother and finding a job in Axel Carr’s video store.

“Oh yes, I remember when he first set it up. It sounded like a gimmick, another new fad that couldn’t possibly last.”

“This year is the fifteenth anniversary,” I reply.

“Fifteen years, really? It’s amazing how time passes.”

I say nothing. Fifteen years ago I was three years old, but old people measure time differently and Mrs Lawless is older than I expected, fifty if not more. It’s true Mam was only twenty-one when she had me, but Mrs Lawless could easily be mistaken for Kit’s granny, rather than her mother.

“Do you like working there?” she asks.

“Yes, I get to watch the videos and it’s a social job, a good way to meet people.”

“I suppose that’s how you met Kit?”

“Yes.” Thankfully, Kit chooses that exact moment to peep in the door. She sees me, gasps and rushes off, feet pounding up the stairs.

“She wasn’t expecting you,” Mrs Lawless laughs. “I suppose she’s not dressed yet, probably hadn’t even brushed her hair. Here, the tea is ready. She’ll be back down in a moment. Would you like a scone?”

She pushes a plate of rather dry and unappetising scones under my nose.

“Yes, please, they look delicious.”

She gives me a proper smile then and fusses around getting me a plate and a knife.

The scone tastes much better than it looks.

“This is really good, Mrs Lawless.” I’m wiping the crumbs from around my mouth when Kit reappears at the door. The tentative smile she sends in my direction makes the last few minutes of struggling conversation with her mother worthwhile.

“Well,” Mrs Lawless snaps at her daughter, “don’t just stand there. Aren't you going to come in?”

Kit takes the chair adjacent to mine and starts worrying at a blister in the oilcloth. When her mother pushes the plate of scones towards her, she shakes her head. I catch her eye and wink at her, hoping she’ll take the hint. Rolling her eyes, she reaches for a scone, and slathers it with butter and raspberry jam.

“These are good, Mum,” she says, biting into it.

Mrs Lawless smiles with gratification and I seize my opening. “If it’s alright with you, Mrs Lawless, I was hoping to drive Kit down to Galway today. Some friends of ours are performing there tonight. Of course, I’ll bring Kit straight back here afterwards, but it might be quite late.”

“Galway?” Mrs Lawless murmurs in surprise. “Gosh, I'm sure it will be very late by the time you get back from there. Kit, get your father and we'll ask him what he thinks!”

Kit darts me a look of disbelief as she gets up from the table.

“Galway,” Mrs Lawless repeats, shaking her head.

Mr Lawless has a twinkle in his eye as he enters the kitchen with Kit. “So this is the friend?”

“Hello sir, pleased to meet you.” I stand up to shake hands. “I’m Tully Cabe, a new arrival in Drimshanra.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you’ve settled in and made some friends.” Mr Lawless’ smile is amused. He’s in his fifties also, yet somehow, despite the tweeds and the pipe in his hand, he doesn’t seem as old as his wife.

“They want to go down to Galway to see a show,” Mrs Lawless explains. “But they’re going to be back very late.”

“A show?” Mr Lawless raises an eyebrow.

“Some friends of ours are performing,” I put in.

“Well, I suppose we can leave the key out? What do you think, dear?” He looks at his wife for guidance. “Or I could wait up?”

“That won't be necessary, Dad,” Kit says quickly. “Why don't you just leave the key out and I'll be really quiet so as not to wake you?”

Her parents exchange glances. Finally, Mr Lawless nods at me. “Very well, young man, we’re trusting you to bring our daughter home safely. Don’t let us down.”

“No sir, I won’t. Thank you very much.”

“Kit, I suppose you’d better go and get ready,” her mother says. “Tully, have another scone!”

With a huge smile, I help myself, unable to believe this is really happening. It seemed like such a long shot, yet somehow Kit’s old-fashioned parents have agreed to let me take their precious only daughter to Galway.

Through the window over the sink, a glimpse of the garden triggers a memory of the night of the disastrous Lunasa party, and Kit stabbing a rose into her hair. “I hear you have a wonderful garden!”

Thankfully, Mrs Lawless is passionate about her roses and that topic keeps us going until Kit comes back downstairs.

“Your parents seem nice,” I say, when we finally get away. Mr and Mrs Lawless are still standing side by side at the front door, waving us off, as I lead their daughter to the car.

“You made a good impression on them,” Kit says.

“Do you think so?” I hope her parents really do like me, but I’m not going to worry about that now. Kit and I have the whole day ahead together, with just the two of us in the car for the next three hours as we drive across the entire width of Ireland, from Drimshanra on the East Coast to Galway on the West.

It’s all working out perfectly.