Read The Oyster Catcher Online
Authors: Jo Thomas
The Oyster Catcher (19 page)
‘So how did you end up in Dooleybridge?’ Dan’s shouting over the music.
‘Ah, long story. Let’s just say it I was lost for a while.’ I swig on the bottle of lager. I’ve never drunk lager from a bottle before. It tastes really nice.
‘And now?’ He looks very serious, making me giggle. I think that could be down to the large amount of vodka and lager I’ve drunk.
‘And now, I’m not lost, just sort of, stuck,’ I splutter finding my own joke really funny. Dan seems to find it fairly amusing too. And to think I always thought I couldn’t find the right words. It’s amazing how the lager has just got them flowing.
Freda and Maire are jiving. John Joe’s sitting with Grandad, looking round the old barn. Freda still hasn’t forgiven me but she seems to have thawed a little ever since I put the flyers round for the festival bed and breakfast. She and John Joe are letting all three of their rooms and they’re going to camp in the garden for the festival. Rose is toasting marshmallows for her kids over an open fire and Patsy has arrived after shutting the pub with another car load of people I barely know, but what the heck, the more the merrier. It’s a party! And I haven’t had a birthday party in … ever, now I think about it. It was always meals out or take-away with Brian. And my Mum certainly wasn’t one for cheese and pineapple on sticks and a bouncy castle.
I haven’t had so much fun in ages. Rose is now wheeling Grandad around the barn in time to the music. The people who arrived with Patsy have brought musical instruments. The radio goes off and a fiddle starts playing, a squeeze box, and a drum join in. This is fantastic! My feet are tapping away to the happy tune.
Dan pulls me up to dance and I find I want to join in moving arms and legs around him as he dances in front of me. I don’t care what people think, this is fun!
‘Yip! Yip!’ People are clapping and calling.
‘Having fun?’ Margaret shouts above the music and puts another bottle in my hand.
‘Brilliant! Thank you!’ I hug her. The memory of the loan shark is fading fast. ‘I’m so glad you were here tonight,’ I say to Dan, thinking what might’ve happened. He takes hold of my hand and pulls me closer. Grace is being fed sausages and Freddie’s being led round with one of Rose’s children on his back.
‘Tequila slammers!’ someone shouts and Margaret and a few others cheer and then I realise it’s me cheering. Patsy holds the tray and the little glasses are filled.
‘One, two, three,’ and I’m slinging another hot shot down my throat, making the dangers of the day disappear.
Suddenly there’s a shout from outside. Margaret turns and the music stops. I follow Margaret and Dan, hoping the loan shark isn’t back with reinforcements. But this time I’m ready for him, I grip my bottle. But it’s Frank, wielding his beer barrel. He’s standing in the shallows of the bay.
‘Oh God, Frank’s gone,’ says Patsy. ‘Stand back.’ He puts an arm in front of me.
‘What? What do you mean “gone”?’ I say, but it comes out a bit slurry.
‘Best leave him to it when he gets like this. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.’
I look at him as he throws his barrel effortlessly into the water and wades deeper in. I suddenly feel like someone’s dropped a bucket of cold water over me.
‘No wait, he can’t go in there!’ I shout. He’s wading out deeper and deeper.
‘Frank, come back!’ I shout.
‘Feck off. I’m going to Africa,’ he bellows and surges forward.
I run down to the water’s edge and grab his arms which he swings back, and I fall backwards into the water.
‘Frank, stop!!’ I stand up dripping. ‘Stop, stop! Get out of there! Dan, do something!’ I shout.
‘I’ll call the Garda, shall I?’ Dan reaches for his phone.
‘Stop!’
‘Let him to it. Best way. There’s no stopping when he’s like this,’ Margaret says.
‘You can’t be serious! The oysters. He mustn’t go near the oysters,’ I’m beside myself, hands on my head. ‘Dan! Do something!’
‘I thought they’d all been trashed. Hardly anything left,’ Margaret slurs.
‘Not those oysters. The other oysters!’ I cry desperately then roll my lips together. I’m frowning so hard it hurts.
‘What other oysters?’ Margaret’s confused. ‘I wish Sean were here, I’d’ve shown him what he’s missing out on,’ she mumbles. I have to save the oysters. I can’t let it happen again. I have to get help.
‘His wild oysters! The native thingy-me-bobs.’ I blurt out, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.
‘Wild oysters? Here in Dooleybridge?’ I hear someone say and a ripple runs through the partygoers. ‘There hasn’t been wild oysters here in years.’
‘Feckin’ fantastic!’ says another voice.
‘Aye, brilliant news!’
‘Yes! Now please, you have to stop him!’ I point at Frank wading ever deeper.
‘Africa!’
But no-one moves. There’s still an appreciation for the wild oysters in the air.
‘Yes! Wild oysters!’ I confirm loudly. ‘Now Frank, get out of the fucking water!’ I shout.
I didn’t hear the engine noise, the van pull up or the door slam. But suddenly there’s a dark figure cutting through the crowd, running into the sea and a spray of water. Thank God for that.
‘Dan?’ I turn round. Dan is still trying to get reception for his phone.
There’s a muffled cry, a splash, a slap, and a shout.
I can’t see what’s happening but I know what’s happening. Sean’s back.
‘Now get the hell off my land and don’t come back! That goes for all of you!’
I’ve never seen Sean so angry. He’s clutching his back. People are shuffling towards their cars and down the track. Frank is being helped into one of the cars. The engines start and, very quickly, there’s just me left. It’s gone very quiet.
‘It was my birthday,’ I say stupidly, standing in the kitchen.
‘Fi?!’ It’s Dan. He’s outside.
‘Happy birthday,’ Sean says sarcastically and winces in pain.
‘Are you OK?’ I go to put out an arm.
‘No, I’m not OK.’ He’s pouring himself a large whiskey. He winces as he turns towards a chair.
‘Here let me help you,’ I try again. He brushes me away.
‘I think you’ve done enough, don’t you?’ He holds on to the work surface. ‘Sorry Fi. I thought I could trust you. You know the one thing that’s important to me. I didn’t want anyone up here. I don’t want anyone finding out about the oysters.’
There’s a silence between us.
‘I think it would be better if you went,’ he says sipping the drink. Pain is etched on his face.
‘OK, I’ll come back in the morning. Put everything straight.’ I turn to leave.
‘No, I think it would be best for both of us if you didn’t,’ he says angrily.
‘What?’
‘I’m sorry but that’s how it has to be. You’re fired, Fi.’ And I watch as he grabs the whiskey bottle and hobbles off to bed.
‘Fi?’ Dan calls from outside again.
‘Sounds like your boyfriend’s looking for you,’ and Sean slams the bedroom door shut.
Outside, I let the cold, rain hit my face. I couldn’t feel more stupid and cross with myself if I tried. There’s a beep of a car horn. I hold my hand up to cover my eyes from the headlights. Margaret’s car has been abandoned for the night. A tall figure gets out of the driver’s side.
‘Designated driver for the night,’ says Dan. ‘I dropped the others in town. Just thought I’d come back and see how things are,’ he says and at that point I collapse into a heap of drunken tears against his broad chest.
I wake up with a thumping headache, in a strange bed. It must be the morning. It’s light. I look around trying to work out where I am. It takes a while for me to take in the floral curtains, the velour headrest, the fringed lamps. Then I hear a voice on the phone.
Oh God, I’m in Rose’s chalet, in Dan’s bed! I sit up and check to see what clothes I have or haven’t got on. I seem to be wearing most of them. The door opens and Dan is standing there holding a mug.
‘Tea?’
‘Oh my God, we didn’t, did we?’ I say straight away, not giving him a chance to answer. ‘I mean not that it wouldn’t have been lovely but … y’know.’
‘No, we didn’t,’ he laughs putting the tea on the bedside table. ‘I slept on the couch. And am still feeling it.’ He rubs his neck and rolls his head from side to side with a wince. ‘I’m hoping to trade you for a massage later,’ he says with a smile, sitting on the bed.
‘Oh, no,’ I groan as it all comes flooding back in glorious Technicolor detail. I grab a pillow and hold it over my face.
‘Oh thanks,’ Dan stands up and I quickly drop the pillow.
‘Oh no, not you, I mean, just … everything.’ I fall back into the pillows and pull the other one over my face but the unfamiliar smell makes me take it away again.
‘Look Dan, I said a lot of things that I …’ I start.
‘It’s forgotten.’ He gives a quick, bright smile. ‘Now then, how about lunch?’
My stomach flips over and not in a good way.
‘You OK?’ He stands up quickly and backs away. I can’t help but like Dan, he makes me smile, like a dopey older brother.
‘You don’t give up, do you?’ My stomach settles and I fall on the tea.
‘I like to get want I want in life,’ he beams. I’m beginning to think that this isn’t a bad thing. At least he knows what he wants. But right now I have work out what I want.
‘It’s just that I was thinking. We work well together, you and I,’ Dan says as I blow and sip my tea, wondering how to let him down gently.
‘Hey,’ Margaret bursts in through the sliding patio doors, and I’m relieved that she’s interrupted. ‘I’ve been looking for you. That was some night eh? Hope Sean wasn’t too mad at you.’ She looks as fresh as the daisies she’s wearing.
Dan looks frustrated. I, on the other hand don’t want to have to have the ‘friends’ conversation with him again.
‘Actually,’ I tell Margaret as I finally manage to take a good swig of tea, ‘he sacked me.’
‘No way!’ Margaret shrieks, making my head bang. ‘For having a few birthday drinks!’
‘In fairness, it was more than a few drinks and he had specifically told me not to have people back to the farm.’
‘Why not for God’s sake? And after you saw off those thugs, I hope you told him about that! Ah, tea, lovely.’ She takes the tea Dan is holding and then looks at it doubtfully.
‘Actually I didn’t. Didn’t get a chance. He sacked me last night so I stayed here with Dan.’
‘Really?’ Margaret’s eyes light up over the cup she’s holding in front her.
‘Not like that,’ I tut and blush.
‘On the couch,’ Dan joins in.
‘Nothing happened,’ I say at the same time.
‘Well, leave Sean Thornton to me. I’ll go up and have a word,’ Margaret says boldly.
‘No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think Sean just needs to be given a wide berth right now.’
Once Margaret and Dan leave I fall back into the pillows and pull the covers over my head and stay there for the rest of the day.
The following morning Margaret’s back. I’m up and showered and feeling human again.
‘So what are you going to do now?’ She says, taking tea from Dan who’s been working away on his computer.
‘Well, I’ll hang around until the festival, and then … go on to my mum’s I suppose.’ I try and sound upbeat but I’m not sure it’s coming across. Margaret looks crestfallen.
‘Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’ Dan puts down his mug but Margaret’s in full flow.
‘Ah no, don’t leave.’
‘I can’t stay around here without a job, and besides , I don’t think I’d be very welcome.’ Sean’s angry face comes flooding back to me.
‘You would! I could ask if there are any shifts at the pub.’ Margaret’s on the edge of her seat.
‘It’s kind of you but you know that there’s hardly enough for you. I’m amazed Patsy can keep going.’ I put down the mug and stand up. I think it’s best not to think about this too much right now. ‘Look, I have to go and get my stuff from the farm. Sean’ll be at Galway market today.
‘Then let’s go out for lunch,’ Dan pipes up.
‘Well, it’s just …’
Dan’s face became serious, he frowns and it makes me want to laugh. ‘Actually there’s something I want to talk to you about Fi.’
I’m intrigued now, and to be fair he has been very kind letting me stay here.
‘As long as it’s not a date!’ I say.
‘Not a date,’ he crosses his heart with his finger. Margaret’s looking from me to Dan and back again with an incredulous look on her face.
Sean will be out at the farmers’ market by now, I think as we bump and sway up towards the gates. The lane is so familiar now. It’s odd that the place I disliked so much when I first got here feels strangely like home now.
‘I’ll just nip in and get my belongings. I’ll be straight back out,’ I say to Dan.
‘Great, then I can take you for that lunch,’ he beams a white, shiny smile.
‘Stop!’ I suddenly put my hand on the gear stick. He slams on the brakes and shoves his sunglasses up on top of his baseball cap. He looks down at my hand and so do I. I whip it away but he’s still looking at me with a wide smile on his face.
‘The van’s still there,’ I quickly explain, looking through the sparse hedge. I scan the yard but there’s no sign of Sean.
‘Perhaps we should come back later, after lunch,’ Dan shifts in his seat. He moves the 4x4 forwards slowly into the drive and starts reversing into a three point turn. The van is on the drive with the back doors open, but it’s empty.
‘He should be long gone by now,’ I say out loud. I’m puzzled. Dan’s now got the truck turned round and is pushing the gearstick into first. He tilts his head back towards the main road.
‘Let’s get out of here and come back when he’s out.’
I wind down my window and can hear the hens making an almighty racket; they haven’t been let out yet. There’s no sign of Grace either. Now that is odd.
‘Sorry, Dan.’ I undo my seatbelt. ‘I really think I should go and see what’s going on.’ I push open the truck door.
‘Hey, now hang on. He was in no mood for chit-chat the other night. I don’t think he’ll be wanting to make small talk just yet. Let’s just go into town,’ he says slowly and deliberately as if telling me to ‘back away from the gun’.
‘Let’s get some lunch and I can run my idea past you. Then I’ll bring you back and we’ll collect your stuff while he’s out.’ He pats the heated leather seat. He’s right. Sean isn’t going to want to talk to me. ‘Look, I wanted to save this and talk to you over lunch, but seeing as you’re proving tricky to pin down I’ll tell you now. Mary Jo is leaving, like I told you and I’m going to need someone to run my office, deal with all the organisational stuff. I thought it might suit you,’ Dan looks at me and cocks his head.
‘What?! Where?’
‘Boston of course. You run my office, organise the diary, make sure I get to events, that kind of thing. I can organise an apartment and the pay’s pretty good.’ He’s looking straight ahead like the poker player who knows he’s holding the winning hand.
Oh my God, this was everything I could have hoped for! A new job, far away from here. A fresh start.
The hens let out another almighty squawk and I still can’t see Grace. I have to find out if everything’s OK.
‘Just give me an hour or so to get my stuff. I’ll meet you back at the chalet.’
‘Arr, for feck’s sake!’ Sean shouted as he looked in a cupboard for painkillers and ended up knocking packets of neatly stacked cereal boxes to the floor. Even Grace didn’t jump forward to hoover up the bits, just stood patiently behind him. He clutched his back. He was cross, mostly with himself. He shouldn’t have gone away. He shouldn’t have trusted his business to someone else. He was cross for taking his hands off the reins. A drunken blowout, here, for feck’s sake! So close to the oysters. He’d made it clear no one was to come to the farm.
If he was honest, though, he’d been so riled because he’d found the farm all so different to how he’d been expecting it. He thought she’d be here on her own. He’d wanted to thank her for her hard work and loyalty, but she’d had plenty of company. In particular that Dan. He thought she’d have better taste. It was Margaret leading her astray, she was even starting to dress like her. But she wasn’t Margaret, she was lovely-looking as she was, natural. He stopped and pulled himself up. What was wrong with him?! Now he was talking as if he fancied her.
‘Aww!’ he cried out again, pain shooting up through his lower spine. He dropped to the floor and lay there until the pain stopped. Grace whimpered and lay down by his side.
But she’d caused him trouble too, he reminded himself, looking up at the plastered ceiling. If it wasn’t for her he wouldn’t have lost all those oysters in the first place. And now she’d let the world and his wife up on the farm, anyone could have found out about the native oysters. And on top of that she’d organised his house, the sheds and his business, to within an inch of its life and he now he couldn’t find a feckin’ thing! He needed to find the pain killers and then get the oysters into the van and get to market, before he lost his pitch to the olive guy. When he got back, he’d go and check the oysters.
He went to lift himself up.
‘Awwwww!’
He needed help, he thought resignedly. He knew; he needed Fi. He couldn’t do this without her but there was no way she’d come back now. He’d seen her leave with Dan, wrapped in his arms.
‘Awwwwww!’ he yelled again, loudly, and collapsed back onto the floor.
The hens cluck round me like a returning friend. Even Brenda has second thoughts about chasing me and flaps around, delighted to be let out of her shed. I feed Freddie and Mercury. Down by the shore the oyster bags are in the shallows waiting to be pulled out to go to market.
I take a deep breath and knock on the cottage door. There’s no reply. I knock again.
‘Go away!’ comes the reply.
I steady myself. I’m not scared of Sean Thornton.
‘I’ve come for my stuff,’ I say crossly and then Grace barks. ‘Sean, I’ve come for my stuff.’ But he doesn’t reply. Well, it’s still my home too until I get my stuff out and I push down the handle and march in.
I catch my breath. Sean’s lying on the floor. His face is pale, his eyes deep-set and dark.
‘Don’t go getting all panicky on me. I’m just doing some back exercises,’ he says, grimacing.
‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ I say and rub Grace’s head, then she bolts outside. But I am worried. He’s obviously in a lot of pain.
I go into my room to fetch my things, wondering what to do.
‘I’m going then,’ I say with a carrier bag of belongings, mostly made up of a torn and trashed wedding dress.
‘OK,’ Sean says.
Oh, he was so annoying.
‘Do you want a hand getting up?’ I offer.
‘Nope, just lying here, stretching out my back.’ He goes to make a move and yells in pain. ‘Just needed to stretch out and then I’ll get to market. Was looking for painkillers but some idiot’s moved them.’
‘Oh for God’s sake.’ I drop the bag and go to him.
‘’S OK,’ Sean says again. He’s pale and there are beads of sweat on his forehead.
‘Who did this?’ I take hold of his upper arm and help him to sit up. ‘Was it Johnny Power and his lad?’
Sean screws up his face.
‘What?’
‘The loan shark? Johnny Power? Did he come back?’ Guilt is wrapping itself round me like a growing vine. I should have warned him.
‘What d’you mean “come back”?’ He’s struggling to his feet with my help. His face contorts in pain again and I hold him up. He can’t talk and walk.
‘Really, I don’t need any help,’ he says as I let him lean on me as we slowly make our way to his bedroom, him holding the backs of the chairs all the way. He’s short of breath. ‘I just need a little lie down and then I’ll be fine. Just tell me about Johnny Power.’
‘He came here looking for you last night. Said he was checking up on his investment.’ I take a deep breath. ‘He … wanted to … he made a pass at me. And he wasn’t offering oysters and champagne with it!’
Sean stopped and held the door handle.
‘The bastard! I’m going to see him. Right after I’ve been to market!’ he spat angrily.
‘You can’t go to market! You can’t even stand up straight!’ I say guiding him to the bed and letting go of him. He falls onto the bed, wincing.
‘Did he hurt you?’
I shake my head.
‘Frank arrived just in time, and the others. They were brilliant, Frank, Margaret, and Dan.’
He looks down. I can’t tell if it’s fury or pain on his face.
‘Let me help you,’ I say going to lift his legs.
‘I said I’ll be fine. I don’t need anyone’s help!’ he shouts and then collapses down onto the pillows.
I storm into the kitchen and find the painkillers from the medicine box I’ve made on top of the kitchen cupboards. I fill a large glass of water and take it back into the bedroom. He hasn’t moved. I put down the water and the tablets on the bedside table. He goes to roll over.
‘I told you,’ he says, the pain clear in his eyes.
‘I know, you don’t need any help! You never do! You’re a stubborn fool, Sean Thornton!’ I blurt out. I turn to march out.
‘What’s it got to do with you? You don’t even work here any more!’
‘Seeing as you weren’t paying me anyway, it doesn’t make much of a difference.’ I slam out of the cottage with Grace by my side. I’m furious with him. He’s obviously in so much pain he can’t even stand. I have never met anyone so determined not to ask for help. If only I knew how he’d hurt his back. Was it my fault? I march down to the water’s edge and grab the oyster sacks and load them into the van. Then, with Grace in the passenger seat, I climb into the van and turn the key. At first she won’t start. On the second attempt she coughs and splutters but still doesn’t catch. I’m beginning to panic. The last thing I want is Sean lurching out of the house finding me taking his van.
‘Come on!’ I shout putting all my frustrations into standing on the accelerator and willing the engine into life. I’ve never driven a van before but it can’t be that different from a camper van. Oh God, stealing big vehicles is becoming a habit! ‘Come on old girl!’ I shout as she roars into life and in a funny way I feel I have too.
