Maggie Ryan watched from the bedroom window as the huge removal van pulled up outside the O’Connors’ house. The removal men were busy up and down the granite steps, lifting the remainder of Tom and Detta’s possessions into the back of the container truck. Upset, Maggie was half tempted to crawl back into bed and stay there for the rest of the day. She would miss them terribly and it felt like another piece of her old life with Leo was slipping away. They had been far more than neighbours, they had been such good friends. But immediately she felt guilty. You should be up and dressed and helping, she chastised herself, instead of standing here in your dressing gown feeling sorry for yourself.
She had a quick shower and slipped on her beige trousers and a cream sweater, pulling the hairbrush quickly through her short fair hair with its highlights disguising the grey at her temples. A flick of mascara on her fair eyelashes, a slick of her usual coral lipstick and spray of Rive Gauche and she grabbed her purse and house keys. She had a lovely carrot cake she had bought in the deli yesterday and she would go over and make sure that things were going smoothly for the older couple.
Maggie looked on as room after room was emptied. She kept the kettle on and made endless mugs of tea. Rory, the younger mover, insisting he took five heaped spoons of sugar. It was like syrup and she watched open-mouthed as he drank it. The cake went down a treat too.
She could see Tom was trying to maintain his composure as he directed the removal men. They had some kind of system going with numbers and names on boxes. Oscar Lynch had appeared over to wish them a safe journey and had finished off the last slice of the cake. Over the past two days many of the neighbours had called in to say goodbye and wish them well.
‘There’ll always be a bed for you in Pleasant Square if you fancy a visit,’ Oscar insisted, tears in his eyes as he said goodbye to his old friends.
Detta and Tom thanked him warmly for his kindness but both Maggie and Oscar knew in their hearts that as far as Detta and Tom were concerned there was no coming back, it would be too painful.
Once all the O’Connors’ books and furniture and personal possessions were removed the house looked so empty, shabby and forlorn. Maggie instinctively knew Detta and Tom needed time to say farewell to the house on their own so she said her own goodbyes and left. Her last glimpse was of Detta clutching her husband’s hand as they walked through the hall and stairs. How hard it must be for them to leave their house with its lifetime of memories!
Back at home Maggie gave in to her emotions. She cried as the removal van left the square and Tom and Detta drove away to their solicitors in Fitzwilliam Street to hand over the keys of the house before they set off for England. The only consolation to losing such good neighbours was that they were being replaced by such an eligible bachelor. To her mind Mark McGuinness was perfect husband material. Sarah had refused to be drawn about her car trip to the St Vincent de Paul shop with him but had admitted he was actually ‘quite nice’.
Maggie was just making herself a reviving cup of coffee when the phone rang; she was delighted to hear her older sister Kitty’s voice on the other end of the line. Kitty was all excited, talking ninety to the dozen as she had done when they were kids.
‘I’ve got some good news for you.’
‘I could do with some of that,’ admitted Maggie.
‘Orla’s got engaged!’ Kitty announced. ‘They’ve just been to Venice for three days – it was so romantic, Liam proposed while they were in one of those gondola things and Orla’s over the moon with excitement.’
Maggie stifled a pang of jealousy. Kitty’s only daughter Orla was a lovely girl, a primary-school teacher; she was almost thirty-three years old and had been dating Liam O’Connell for years. It was high time they got married.
‘Harry and I are so pleased for them and he’s insisting on us having an engagement party here at home on Saturday,’ Kitty went on. ‘He says it will give both families the chance to meet up before the wedding itself.’
‘That sounds like a great idea.’
‘Promise you and the girls and Evie will try and make it? It’s from eight p.m. onwards.’
‘We wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ said Maggie. It was thrilling to hear that someone in the family was getting married!