Where Rainbows End (27 page)

I’ve been job hunting all week. My aim was to try and get a job in a hotel surprise, surprise but it seems that as the summer has already begun, students and immigrants only too willing to be underpaid have already taken everything for the next few months. The money they’re offering really isn’t enough to help me and Katie get back on our feet anyway. I will join in with the insufferable moans of twenty-first-century Ireland in a chorus of

“Everything is so expensive these days.” I’m waiting to hear from the council about getting a house but I’ve been here before and the waiting list is so long.

Unfortunately my position at the Two Lakes Hotel has been filled, otherwise I would have left my pride at the entrance lobby and asked for it back.

Brian has offered to pay child support but I don’t want his money. I managed before without him, I certainly don’t need his help now. He can give Katie whatever pocket money his heart desires but his money is neither requested nor required.

There hasn’t been a peep out of what’s-his-name lately. That man is too afraid of his own shadow, never mind of me. I filed for a divorce last week; I need him out of my life for good. I gave him enough love and enough chances but he threw it all back in my face, I would be a fool to stay around pinning hopes on him again. It’s not healthy for me or Katie. I’ll dance around the streets naked when the divorce is final.

Did you hear that Stephanie is pregnant? She’s due in November so all 240

Cecelia Ahern

the family are naturally thrilled. Mum and Dad are in great form, always asking for you and Josh and they’re very much enjoying their retirement together. They’re actually talking about selling their house and moving down to the country where it’s cheaper so they can use the extra money to travel the world together for the rest of their years. I think it’s a great idea, they don’t need all these empty rooms in the house (apart from when I come home crying to them) and neither of them have any need to be living in the city. But it also means I have to hurry up and find a job so I can move out with Katie. They’re not rushing me but they want to put the house on the market so it will sell quickly during the summer. I’ll be the only family member living in Dublin then which I imagine will be rather lonely. Kevin is in Kilkenny, Steph’s in France, and Mum and Dad will be off on their travels.

It’ll just be me and Katie. And Brian the Whine.

My friend Ruby is starting salsa lessons with her son Gary this week which should be funny. You’ve met her son Gary and I’m sure you’d agree he’s not the most expressive or emotive person in the world. But it’s a good idea I suppose. Katie and I should do something together. She gets to go out for the day with her father and we never spend any time like that together. We’re always just at home biting each other’s heads off. I’ll think of something good she’ll like, maybe bring her to a concert or something.

With Greg in the house I was always the cool mum that came to the rescue, but now with Brian here, he’s the cool new dad who runs the trendy nightclub and I’m the boring mum who makes her clean her room. Of course, knowing that Brian has a nightclub has only strengthened her desire to become a DJ. I don’t know what we’ve created at all. Her music just gets louder and louder. Mum and Dad have been so used to silence in the house for the last few years, I think Dad’s going to blow his top if Katie blasts her music any more.

Anyway that’s all my news. I’m getting through each day slowly, taking each day as it comes and all those clichés. Please return my calls. The last thing on this earth that I would want to happen is to lose my best friend.

Even if he is a man.

All my love,

Rosie

love, rosie

241

Phil:

So you’re pissed off because she’s not moving to Boston now, because the father of her child, who she hasn’t seen for thirteen years, has come back and wants to get to know Katie?

Alex:

Yes.

Phil:

Jesus Christ. Who writes your scripts?

Dear Rosie,

I’m sorry Rosie. I know these have been the worst few weeks of your life and I should have kept in contact. Sometimes I just get so frustrated watching your life but I no I can’t control it for you. You have to make the decisions. I wasn’t angry at you at all; I was just disappointed for you. I want to see you happy all the time and I new that what’s-his-name wasn’t making you happy. I could see it for years. As crap as it feels right now, not being with him is a blessing in disguise. Anyway I’ll speak more about this over the phone during the week because I could rant about what’s-his-name forever.

If I can help you out financially, just let me no, but I’m sure you’re just skipping past that line and fuming I’ve even offered. Still, the offer is there.

Business has been going really well lately. Thanks to the diets and lifestyles of the modern world, heart surgery is really in demand. OK, that’s not funny.

Speak soon Buttercup, I no you’ll be OK.

Alex

from:

Rosie

to:

Alex

subject:

Messages

Alex Stewart, you KNOW I’ll be OK.

from:

Alex

to:

Katie

subject:

Catching up

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Cecelia Ahern

It’s your beloved godfather here. I’m just e-mailing you to see how you are and to find out how things are going with your dad.

Keep in touch, haven’t heard much from you lately and I no things have been tough. Let me no how your music is going too, still want to be a DJ?

from:

Katie

to:

Alex

subject:

Re: Catching up

SorE this is just a real quick e-mail 2 say hi & that I’m fine tanx. In a rush cos I’m goin out wit dad in a mo. He takin me to concert in the point theater. He got free tickets cos he nos the band. Felt bad cos mum already got tickets as surprise for me & her. Said me & her should do more 2gether.

Whatever. Don’t no wot she’s talkin bout we c each other every day. NE way dad got better tickets so I’m goin with him and mum bringin Ruby. They got some crappy tickets down the bak of theater. Brian is cool. He told me u & him were friends at school & that u went 2 his 10th bday party & that he threw goin away party 4 u b4 u moved to usa. But he said that u & mum disappeared after first 10 mins. That was a bit rude!

Mum laughed when he reminded her. She wouldn’t tell me where u and her went. Where did u go?

Oh here he is now—have 2 go.

Katie:

Cool isn’t he Toby?

Toby:

Yeah

Katie:

When I finish school I’ll be able to move over to Spain and work as a DJ in his club. It’s so perfect. It all fits in with my master plan.

Toby:

Did he say you could work in his club?

Katie:

No, but he’s hardly gonna say no is he?

Toby:

Dunno. What’s his club called?

Katie:

Dyma Nite Club. Cool isn’t it?

Toby:

Yeah.

Katie:

You can come too if you want.

love, rosie

243

Toby:

Thanks. Would you want to live in Spain?

Katie:

To start off with I would yeah. First I’d get the experience in his club and then I could travel the world and work in loads of different clubs in each country. Imagine being able to play and listen to music for a living. It sounds like heaven.

Toby:

You need to get decks then don’t you?

Katie:

Yeah. My dad said he’d get them for me. He’s got loads of friends who are DJs and they can get all the best gear for cheaper than the shops. Cool isn’t it?

Toby:

Yeah. It’s weird—you calling him Dad.

Katie:

Yeah I no. I don’t really say it to him though, just to other people. It feels odd. I’ll get used to it though.

Toby:

Yeah I suppose. Have you heard from Greg?

Katie:

No. Why?

Toby:

Don’t tell your mum but me and my mum and dad went out for Chinese last night and he was there with some woman. He got all embarrassed when he saw me and tried to be all nice and friendly by calling me over to the table and stuff.

Katie:

Oh my god. What did you say to him?

Toby:

Nothing. I ignored him. I walked straight past their table.

Katie:

Good. Serves him right. Did your mum and dad go mental?

Toby:

No. Mum winked at me and Dad pretended he didn’t see Greg.

Katie:

Who was he with?

Toby:

Who, my dad?

Katie:

No you stupid. What’s-his-name.

Toby:

Some blonde.

Katie:

Did you no her?

Toby:

No

Katie:

Oh. Poor Mum.

Toby:

Don’t tell her. Has she got a job yet?

Katie:

No but she’s been going to interviews every day. She’s been in the worst moods EVER lately banging around the house like the anti-Christ. Granddad says that’s the way I’m supposed to be now that I’m thirteen. She’s such a grump.

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Toby:

Are you going to the orthodontist guy soon?

Katie:

Yeah Granddad is taking me tomorrow, my brace broke again. Why?

Toby:

Can I go with you?

Katie:

Why do you always want to come? I’ve got blisters all on the inside of my mouth and he hacks away at me while you sit there sucking lollipops.

Toby:

I like going. I bet you had cornflakes for breakfast this morning.

Katie:

What are you, psychic?

Toby:

No it’s all stuck in your braces.

Katie:

Oh get a life Toby.

Toby:

I have one. So can I go tomorrow?

Katie:

What is your obsession with braces you weirdo?

Toby:

They’re just interesting.

Katie:

Yeah about as interesting as this geography test. So come on, what’s the answer for number 5? Is the capital of Australia Sydney?

Toby:

Yeah Katie, it is.

Dear Ms. Rosie Dunne,

We are pleased to offer you the position you recently applied for. The salary is £25,000 and we would expect you to start in August. Please reply to us as soon as possible with your decision and contact Jessica at the phone number below.

You have an instant message from: RUBY

Ruby:

Praise the lord for he is a miracle worker! I love my son, he is perfect, an absolute genius!

Rosie:

There’s a turnaround for the books!

Ruby:

Well you would agree if, like me, you had just witnessed the rebirth of Fred Astaire. Not only am I in a great deal of pain from dancing like I have never danced before but I am shocked to the very core!

There is no possible way in this world that I could coherently communicate to you through the use of the English language exactly how good my Gary is. Did I mention to you at any stage in our lives that I have always loved my son and that he is god’s gift to salsa dancing and finally
not
to salsa sauce!

Anyway as soon as the music started, magic happened!

I mean, Ricardo didn’t exactly go easy on him even though it was his first day. He said, “Rub-ee, zis is ze advanceda classa, Gar-ee vill just have to try to keep up.” And my lord, my Gary kept up so much I almost passed out. Ricardo even put on 1, 2, 3 Maria by Azuquita and you know Rosie—it’s fast. So fast it had you and me in a slump on the floor halfway through, watching cartoon stars and birdies cir-246

Cecelia Ahern

cle our heads. The way Gary moved was incredible, and he’s a big lad as you well know. He looked so graceful, spinning and twirling around the floor with his sweat glistening like a . . . solar system.

At the end of class Ricardo called me and Gary up to him and said Gary was a star in the making and that he and I made a great team. Who would have thought a lorry driver from inner city Dublin would be a salsa dancing god! Teddy wasn’t too impressed when I shared the good news. Well I was so excited when I got home that I just blurted it out but I didn’t realize that Teddy’s fellow truck driving union friends were in the room having a “beer and porn night” and they were all equally unimpressed. Teddy went even redder in the face than usual and ranted and raved about all male dancers being gay and that I shouldn’t be influencing Gary to fancy boys. I told him I was trying to help him come out of his shell a bit not to literally “come out.” But the lads wouldn’t understand, they think crashing beer cans against their heads, farting (then sniffing the air and laughing), screaming at the football players on TV (as if they would do any better themselves if they got on that pitch), commenting on all the overweight women on TV (like they don’t have big beer bellies and haven’t let themselves go ten years ago), calling me every ten minutes to serve them more cans of beer (of the fifty cent per dozen variety), and then having the audacity to
lecture
me on what makes a
real
man. The lazy selfish bastards—

Rosie:

Whoa, whoa, whoa Ruby we seemed to have gotten a bit side-tracked here. How did poor Gary feel when Teddy and co. had a go at him?

Ruby:

Well the poor lad was so embarrassed that he stormed out of the room, stomped up the stairs, and slammed his bedroom door shut.

Rosie:

Oh dear, poor Gary. I hope Teddy apologized.

Ruby:

Are you demented? Of course he didn’t. Gary’s display only further showed how “gay” he was becoming according to Teddy and co. by pulling a “woman’s strop.” But who cares what they think?

love, rosie

247

So move over Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Ruby and Gary Minnelli are coming through!

Rosie:

Minnelli??

Ruby:

It’s far more superstar-like. Ricardo said he could train us both for competitions. We could even get to travel the world if we’re good enough. For someone that considers walking to the end of her garden an adventure, being able to travel would be a real dream. That’s
if
we’re good enough of course.