*
We had a long drive and it was already gone 11 a.m. and when we arrivedat the caravan, Nora and Finty were still sitting outside, Nora wedged into the picnic chair, her legs propped up on another, bare toes waggling in the summer morning breeze. She looked exceedingly comfortable.
‘Flapjack, Tabitha?’ Finty gave Nora a wink. ‘I made them meself,’ he said, causing Nora to diffuse into giggles. And once she started, she didn’t seem able to stop and then she developedhiccups.
‘Mum,’ I said. ‘We’ve got to go. We’ve had some news and we just want to get back…’
‘Whatever for?’ she said, wiping her eyes and stifling her hiccups. ‘What’s the hurry?’
Rosie and I looked desperately at each other.
‘Granny,’ said Rosie bravely. ‘It’s Dad. He’s in all the papers. The front page…’
‘He’s got himself caught up in something,’ I stepped in. ‘A scandal. And we need tobe back. He’s flying home and we thought we’d like to be there as soon as possible.’
‘A scandal?’ Nora said, her eyes like saucers. ‘The only scandal he’d get into is if he couldn’t find his vest of a morning.’
Now, it was Finty’s turn to begin crying with laughter, he was on his knees, slapping the ground and wheezing. Rosie and I looked at each other, puzzled. What was going on? Had they takenleave of their senses?
‘I’m sorry, Mum, but we’ve got to go,’ I said, feeling like the only grown-up in the field. ‘Michael’s flying back and we need to be at home. I’ll explain everything in the car.’
Nora carefully lifted her legs, one by one, off the chair and on to the ground. ‘Chill Tab,’ she said, exploding into laughter. ‘Chill Tab!’ she said again, giggling and spluttering.
Finty wasnow lying prone, convulsed by laughter, stuffing his filthy scarf into his mouth to stop the giggling.
‘Mum…’ I was cross now. ‘Michael’s had an affair. With Lucy. He loves Lucy.’
And this made her laugh even more. She fell onto the ground and lay supine, slapping the earth, tears pouring out of her eyes, crying with laughter. Finty, meanwhile, had managed to stagger to his knees, holding hisstomach, as though his sides might split, tears of laughter pouring from his face. He rolled over onto his back, legs kicking in the air. For a dying man, he was showing remarkable signs of life. ‘I love Lucy!’ he shouted.
It dawned on me that there was something in the flapjacks that you might not give to children. Or sensible adults.
‘Mum…’
Nora was now lying spread-eagled, gazing at thesky above her.
‘So beautiful,’ she said dreamily. ‘So beautiful.’
‘Come on,’ I said, holding out my hand to pull her up. ‘We’re going. You coming?’ She held my and Rosie’s hand and we hauled her to her feet.
‘Goodbye,’ she said to Finty. ‘Goodbye, bold Fintan.’
‘Goodbye, Nora, sweet, beautiful Nora.’
‘Thanks for the fun times.’
‘Oh they were!’ He smiled at her. ‘And we’ll have more of them.’
‘That we will.’
‘I’ll see you in the big yonder. I’ll see you in the Elysium Fields. And we’ll hold hands and sing songs.’
‘It’ll be just like the Peace Camp,’ said Nora, holding her face close to his. ‘Just like the glory days.’ She stood up and blew him a kiss.
‘Just like them. But better. This timeI’llbring the flapjacks.’
*
On the way home, Nora snoozed in the back of the car, me andRosie in the front, talking quietly, as the black of the Irish countryside enveloped us. Eventually, from the back of the car, there was a voice. ‘I am very lucky to have you two.’
