Love, Rosie (164 page)

in
Connemara.
The
furniture
is
being
auctioned
off
tomorrow

(apart
from
the
pieces
I
managed
to
grab),
the
rest
of
the
stuff
is

being
delivered
to
the
house
tomorrow
(which
is
hours
away).
Mum

and
Dad
have
already
bought
tickets
to
go
on
a
cruise
for
two

months
and
they’re
leaving
on
Monday.

Alex:

Rosie:

No!

Yes!
This
means
that
I
had
to
call
back
the
people
who
offered
me

the
job
that
I
already
turned
down
not
too
politely
I
might
add,
I

had
to
apologize
profusely
and
try
to
convince
them
that
I
really

wanted
the
job
after
all.
They
were
really
pissed
off
and
said
they

didn’t
need
me
until
August.
So
today
Katie
spent
the
day
with

Brian
while
I
went
emergency
house
hunting.

Alex:

Rosie:

No!

Yes!
Everywhere
that
was
in
any
way
affordable
was
absolutely
dis-

gusting.
The
apartments
were
still
either
too
expensive,
too
small,
or

too
far
from
my
job
and
Katie’s
school.
So
Mum
and
Dad
were
dis-

250

Cecelia
Ahern

cussing
my
personal
problems
(as
they
generally
do)
with
the
young

sickeningly
happy
couple
who
are
about
to
embark
on
blissful
fam-

ily
life
while
butchering
my
childhood
home.
And
because
Mum

and
Dad
had
been
so
speedy
and
understanding
about
the
whole

“moving
out
in
a
few
days”
scenario
they
suggested
that
I
move

into
the
flat
they
just
moved
out
of
and
had
decided
to
rent
out.
And

they
also
said
they
would
lower
the
rent
for
me.

Alex:

Rosie:

No!

Yes!
But
the
only
thing
is
that
they
have
already
rented
the
place
out

for
two
weeks
to
a
group
of
male
students
so
I
have
to
wait
until

they
move
out.
By
which
time
it
will
no
doubt
be
disgustingly
smelly

and
dirty.

Alex:

Rosie:

No!

Yes!
So
who
do
I
stay
with
while
I
wait,
I
hear
you
ask?
Well
let’s

see,
Mum
and
Dad
have
moved
to
Connemara
as
you
now
know.

Kev
lives
in
the
staff
quarters
of
the
Two
Lakes
Hotel
in
Kilkenny,

Steph
lives
in
France,
Ruby
only
has
two
bedrooms
and
no
space

for
me
and
Katie,
and
you’re
in
Boston
which
isn’t
convenient
com-

muting
for
me.
So
who
is
the
only
other
human
being
in
Dublin
that

I
know
right
now?
(And
don’t
even
think
of
what’s-his-name.)

None
other
than
Brian
the
Whine.

Alex:

Rosie:

No!

Yes!
I
am
afraid
so.
I
am
e-mailing
you
from
the
storeroom
of
Brian

the
Whine’s
rented
flat
where
I
have
to
stay
for
two
weeks.
How