One Night Only (150 page)

“He
y
,
Mum,
”
sai
d
Ben
,
bouncin
g
int
o
th
e
livin
g
room. “Hav
e
yo
u
see
n
m
y
rugb
y
short
s
anywhere
?
I’
m
supposed t
o
b
e
a
t
th
e
pitc
h
fo
r
on
e
an
d
I
can
’
t
fin
d
the
m
anywhere?”
Rut
h
dragge
d
hersel
f
of
f
th
e
sof
a
an
d
walke
d
ou
t
t
o
the laundr
y
roo
m
wher
e
Anneka
,
he
r
housekeepe
r
,
ha
d
al
l
the laundr
y
pile
d
int
o
nea
t
stacks
.
Sittin
g
o
n
to
p
o
f
on
e
of
the
m
were
,
funnil
y
enough
,
Ben
’
s
‘missing
’
shorts
.

“Her
e
yo
u
go,
”
sh
e
said
,
throwin
g
the
m
a
t
hi
m
playfull
y
.
“
I
wonde
r
ho
w
the
y
go
t
i
n
there
?
Imagine
!
Al
l
folde
d
and
clea
n
i
n
th
e
laundr
y
room!
”

Be
n
gav
e
hi
s
mothe
r
a
quic
k
pec
k
o
n
th
e
chee
k
and stuffe
d
th
e
short
s
int
o
a
ragged
y
sport
s
bag
.
H
e
wa
s
a
soli
d
bi
g
fello
w
an
d
hadn
’
t
waste
d
an
y
tim
e
i
n
seekin
g
out th
e
neares
t
rugb
y
clu
b
o
n
hi
s
arriva
l
bac
k
t
o
Ireland
.
His Sunda
y
friendl
y
kick-a-bout
s
dow
n
a
t
th
e
schoo
l
grounds ha
d
mad
e
sur
e
h
e
mad
e
lot
s
o
f
ne
w
friend
s
i
n
additio
n
to thos
e
h
e
ha
d
me
t
a
t
th
e
mor
e
forma
l
mid-wee
k
trainin
g
at th
e
clubhouse
.

“S
o
ho
w
was
,
e
m
.
.
.
wher
e
wer
e
yo
u
again?
”
h
e
asked.
H
e
scrunche
d
u
p
hi
s
fac
e
whic
h
showe
d
hi
s
dimples
an
d
sh
e
notice
d
tha
t
h
e
neede
d
a
shave
.
Sometime
s
she
looke
d
a
t
hi
m
an
d
h
e
wa
s
jus
t
lik
e
hi
s
fathe
r
.
W
ell
,
what
hi
s
fathe
r
wa
s
lik
e
a
t
seventeen
.
Sh
e
hadn
’
t
see
n
hi
m
since
s
o
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
wha
t
h
e
migh
t
loo
k
lik
e
no
w
.
Mayb
e
she
woul
d
loo
k
hi
m
u
p
on
e
da
y
an
d
le
t
hi
m
kno
w
the
y
were bac
k
home
.
Ther
e
neve
r
ha
d
bee
n
an
y
har
d
feelings
betwee
n
them
.
Ben
’
s
da
d
wa
s
onl
y
a
chil
d
an
d
wa
s
i
n
no wa
y
i
n
a
positio
n
t
o
rais
e
a
youn
g
son
.
W
it
h
he
r
mother
whipping
her
into
shape,
she
had
enough
to
contend
with
a
t
th
e
tim
e
othe
r
tha
n
fightin
g
wit
h
Charli
e
Robinso
n
to stan
d
b
y
he
r
.
H
e
kne
w
abou
t
Ben
,
bu
t
th
e
las
t
sh
e
had hear
d
h
e
ha
d
emigrate
d
t
o
th
e
State
s
a
long
,
lon
g
time
ago
.

“Wher
e
wer
e
we
?
Tha
t
i
s
th
e
question
.
Somewher
e
in Donegal,
”
sh
e
sai
d
an
d
sh
e
tittere
d
a
t
th
e
ide
a
tha
t
she
reall
y
didn
’
t
kno
w
wher
e
the
y
ha
d
been
.
“I
t
wa
s
grea
t
fun. Jus
t
wha
t
I
needed.
”

“So
,
di
d
yo
u
–
di
d
yo
u
score
,
Mother?
”
h
e
asked
playfull
y
an
d
sh
e
rolle
d
he
r
eye
s
i
n
response
.

“I
think
my
days
of
scoring
are
long
gone,”
said
Ruth.
“Bu
t
thank
s
fo
r
th
e
vot
e
o
f
confidence
,
son
.
An
d
wha
t
did yo
u
lo
t
ge
t
u
p
t
o
i
n
m
y
absence
?
I
wa
s
sur
e
I
woul
d
come
hom
e
t
o
a
part
y
hous
e
an
d
bodie
s
lyin
g
everywhere.
”