The day ground on and Tawrie’s mood didn’t lift. She tried her best, chatting to Nora and Gordy who popped in for a cup oftea and a wedge of soft carrot cake to share, two forks. She liked them, enjoyed being in their company, their happiness was ordinarily infectious.
‘So when’s the big Gunn Fire, Tawrie?’ Nora asked as she stirred her tea. ‘We couldn’t believe it last year. We’d taken Amber for a wander and stumbled across this festival! Right there in Rapparee Cove! It was amazing!’
‘I’m surprised you remember it, Nora. I seem to recall rum was your tipple of choice and then you danced around the fire with Needle and a couple of the lads from the RNLI!’
‘That sounds about right.’ Nora beamed at her. ‘And I fully intend repeating the activities this year. My sister Kiki, her new partner David and our nephew Ted will be here. They’re coming down for a holiday. Ted makes out he’s happy to hang out with us old fogies but he’s a proper teenager and only really wants to be plugged into a device with a screen.’
‘Can you blame him?’ Gordy chuckled.
‘It’s in about four weeks.’ She smiled weakly, having allowed herself to picture the event with Ed by her side. That too was now dashed and her enthusiasm for the whole event was sadly lacking.
‘It’ll be wonderful!’ Nora grabbed a fork from the table and cut away a chunk of carrot cake. ‘This will be the last fattening thing I eat before then. I want to get into my white jeans.’
‘I bet you a pound it won’t be!’ Gordy looked at his wife adoringly and it was like a bolt through her throat, witnessing this much love when her heart was so sore.
‘How are you doing?’ Connie asked, wiping the countertop as the clock ticked towards closing time.
‘Bit numb.’
‘Get yourself off home. I can finish up here.’
‘It’s okay, Con, it’s not fair on you – plus, don’t you want to go home and get ready? What time do you want me over?’ She was, however, grateful for the offer to leave early. The truth was, for the first time ever, she was nervous about walking up Fore Street, wary of wandering the harbour, fearful of seeing Ed and Petra, of putting any more images that would torture her thoughts into her mind.
‘Around seven?’
‘Sure.’ She tried a smile.
‘I didn’t want to be right about him, you know. I was only ever half joking. I was over the moon to see you so excited.’
‘I know.’ And she did.
‘I’ve never seen you look so happy and I’m angry that he led you up the garden path. I could clock him one. Honest I could, and Needle’s ready to tear a strip off him.’
‘He’s lovely, Needle.’ She spoke her thoughts out loud.
‘What makes you say that?’ Connie stopped cleaning and held her gaze.
‘I just think he’s kind, constant and he’s there for you. There for all of us.’
Her cousin blinked and looked up along the harbourside towards the pub where Needle held court.
‘I suppose he is.’ She looked back at Tawrie and smiled. ‘So you reckon I should go out on his bloody boat?’
‘Well, it’d shut him up if nothing else!’ She pointed out the obvious.
‘You might be right, Tawrie Gunn.’ Connie tucked her hair behind her ears and stuck out her chin. ‘You just might be right.’
‘Only me, Nan!’ she called as she closed the front door behind her and walked through to the kitchen where Freda was unpacking groceries into the cupboards.
‘Have you had a better afternoon, darlin’?’
‘Yeah, fantastic!’ She ran the tap for a glass of water. ‘I’ve loved it. I love coming home with feet that feel like they’ve been shredded, hair that smells like bacon and aching legs. I hate people with their inane bloody questions: “Does the steak pie have meat in it?” “Is it okay if we take the macaroni cheese without the cheese?” “Do you have sushi?” I mean, Jesus! Read the menu, eat off the menu, pay for what you eat, that is literally all they have to do and yet it’s always so complicated!’
‘Not such a good afternoon then, love?’
She let out a long sigh and knew that what ailed her could not be taken out on her nan. ‘Sorry, Nan. It’s just that the world feels a bit shitty right now.’
‘I understand, little maid. I do.’
