38
Matty beeped but I was already waiting at the window when he pulled up outside my house with Ronan in the back. It was Sunday afternoon and I was really looking forward to some much-needed Buddy Time. After Easter it had been a tough few weeks getting back into the routine of school, revision, driving, Feeney’s and the mounting pressure of exams approaching. I thought I had been hiding my stress quite well, spinning all the plates, but I couldn’t hide from Mrs O’Neill.
‘It’s alright keeping the plates spinning, Brendan, it’s the platespinnerI’m worried about. How’shedoing?’ she said one morning after registration.
‘He’s doing fine, Miss, plus – I’ve got one less plate to spin because I passed my driving theory test last weekend.’
‘Congratulations!’
‘Thanks, Miss, and don’t worry about the plates, I can spin them in my sleep.’
‘You are getting your sleep, though, aren’t you?’
‘I am, Miss.’
I was sleeping, but not a lot, and most nights were filled with strange and vivid dreams, probably brought on by all the directions my mind was having to switch through on a daily basis: stressful study mode, confused boyfriend mode, anxious driver mode, happy friend mode. After having had full days with Ronan over Easter I didn’t want to have to divide myself up into smaller pieces once again, especially with Ronan; two evenings a week wasn’t enough.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘at least that’s something, getting proper sleep’s important. But maybe give yourself a complete reset this weekend? Do something fun?’
‘Got that covered, Miss. Ronan and me are going to the Irish Museum on Sunday.’
‘Oh, perfect, I’ve never been but I hear it’s good. It’ll be quiet on a Sunday too, I’m sure?’
‘Yes, I phoned and they’re only open from one till five and the lady said they rarely have more than a handful of people through the doors all afternoon, said we’d more or less have the place to ourselves. Plus I needed to check about wheelchair access.’
‘Sounds like another plate you’re spinning there, Brendan.’
‘Aye, but a nice plate, Miss. I wouldn’t mind smashing all the others to keep that one spinning.’
‘Oh, Brendan, please don’t say that and can we please stop this plate-spinning analogy? It’s setting me on edge.’
‘OK, Miss. I’ll put all the plates in a cupboard and take one out at a time only when I need it.’
‘Well, I don’t mind you putting it like that,’ she said. ‘Enjoy Sunday and give my best to Ronan.’
I’d worked extra hard that whole week to earn the bonus Buddy Time. Dad said I could swap my afternoon driving lesson to the evening that Sunday and I’d worked at Feeney’s all morning before getting home for a quick lunch and waitingat the window for Matty to arrive. Ever since Matty did the Kilmare trip, he’d been doing a few of the hospital appointment runs for Ronan. Mr and Mrs McCoy had obviously felt a strong trust in him after that day. Their trust in me had strengthened too: letting me go to the museum with Ronan without them was a big step; I knew it would be an anxious few hours for them while Ronan was away. I was nervous, too, but I somehow felt everything was going to be fine. On that day at Kilmare when Ronan got distressed I seemed to handle it really well, knowing what Ronan would need and telling his parents and Matty what to do – I don’t know where that confidence came from, but it stayed with me.
At one o’clock on the dot Matty, punctual as ever, was beeping his horn outside my house.
‘See yous in a few hours, Mum and Dad,’ I called on my way out the door.
‘Wait a wee second,’ said Mum. ‘Can I pop out and say a quick hello to Ronan?’
Mum was including herself in my life now the way she used to, it was hard to imagine her the way she’d been the year before. She spoke to Ronan, saying how well he was looking. Ronan just listened and I could see Mum was finding it awkward, especially after I’d been telling her how much he’d been talking and here he was not saying a word.
Mum looked to me for help.
‘He’s not normally this quiet,’ I said.
‘Well,’ she said, stepping back, ‘I hope yous have a lovely afternoon, look forward to hearing all about it.’
I got in the back with Ronan and as soon as Mum slid the door closed Ronan said my name and did a mini laugh.
‘Ohnowhe speaks!’ I said. ‘Sorry about Mum gushing all over you, don’t know who’s more embarrassed, me or you.’
‘Yoo.’
‘Oh, right,’ I said, ‘since you’re not embarrassed I’ll tell her to come and do that every time.’
