‘Ready with your excuses?’
‘No, I have faith in Delphine. She won’t let me down. And I really want to keep my eyebrows.’
‘Right,’ Orla said. ‘So, we’re all going. Fantastic. I’ll get my laptop.’
And with those words said with a deep sarcasm no one could possibly have missed, Jacques watched her leave the kitchen.
25
Orla stood in front of thebrouetteand took another photo. How did you make a wheelbarrow look a little bit extra? To be fair it was looking more festive now since the last time she had seen it. There was tinsel wrapped around its handles and there were more gifts piled into its basin; there was also now a fir tree either side of it, teeming with golden stars, bright icicles and effigies of Santa Claus. It was a reminder that Christmas was fast approaching.
She put her fingers to one of the more rustic ornaments on the slightly bigger tree – a carved stable with the nativity tableau depicted on it. It reminded her of something she had made at school, something her dad had helped her with. He had always been a hands-on kind of father. A doer rather than a talker. Actions speaking louder than words. Was that one of the reasons why he was struggling now? Because he didn’t have a job any more, no real hobbies or purpose?
She let go of the ornament and slipped her phone out of her bag. Pressing on the screen, she put it to her ear and waited for the call to connect. While the dial tone sounded she looked around at the village. There were definitely more Yuletideofferings on the outside of the homes and businesses. Bright garlands were draped from the eaves of overhangs, lights were stuck around the edges of windows and there seemed to be the scent of pine, peppermint and pumpkin spice infusing with the winter air.
‘Hello.’
Her dad’s voice on the other end of the phone threw her for a second and she rapidly regrouped.
‘Hi, Dad. It’s… Orla.’ She didn’t know why she’d felt the need to tell him who it was but it was done now. Had her mum told him she was going to call?
‘Hello, love. I thought you were in Spain.’
She frowned. ‘I’m in France, Dad.’
‘Oh, perhaps that was it. I knew it was some place I haven’t been. Well, you’ve been to all the places I haven’t been. Is everything OK?’
No, she wanted to say.Because I’m worried about you. She just had to say it. But that would involve admitting her feelings.
‘Yes, everything’s fine here.’No pregnant reindeer. Staying with a crazy guy who lets foxes eat cheese. Erin probably one Insta message away from ‘doing bits’ on video call.
‘Weather all right?’ her dad asked.
‘Yes. I mean, it’s been very cold. But it’s a few degrees warmer today so, you know, better.’
‘That’s good, love.’
‘So, how are you?’ Orla asked. ‘Everything OK?’
Why couldn’t she get this right? She had given her mum the air of someone who was going to problem-solve the shit out of the situation yet here she was talking around it as much as anyone else.
‘All good here. Was it your Mum you wanted to speak to? Because you phoned my mobile.’
‘No, I wanted to speak to you, Dad.’ She took a deep breath, kicked at the snow on the ground. ‘I’m… worried about you.’
As her stomach coiled itself up like it was a spring that needed restricting there was a deafening silence from the other end of the line.
‘Dad? Are you there?’
‘Yes, I’m here. Your mum’s been talking to you, hasn’t she?’
‘Mum’s worried about you too.’
‘Is she? Or is she more worried about not having enough money to buy candles that make the house smell like an overpriced brothel?’
Orla was taken aback. She had never heard her dad talk like that before. She wasn’t quite sure how to react.
‘It’s nag, nag, nag whenever I’m home. Don’t do this, Dalton. Don’t do that, Dalton. If you’re doing this then you shouldn’t be doing that as well. If I fart she would tell me it’s in the wrong octave. And, did you know she accused me of selling her mother’s jewellery? I don’t know whatshe’sdone with it, but I’ve done nothing with it!’
