5 Peppermint Grove (7 page)

Ruth had no idea that her brother had invested in property and felt badly for him. He was a specialised engineer whose skills were so sought after that he earned a good wage but had obviously invested poorly because of the cheap credit and mortgages that were being handed out.

“If only he had kept his house in Dublin and rented in Kerry he would be able to come back and do something here. But he can’t get out of paying for those blasted apartments and the bank is giving him hell. I swear I’m so worried about him – the way he’s been talking . . .”

Ruth could see that the situation was bleak and her mother was not giving her the entire story.

“So when is he going?”

“As soon as his visa comes through . . .”

“But if he leaves like this he won’t be able to come back.”

Angela lowered her head and covered her face with the palms of her hands.

Ruth regretted what she had said but knew it to be the truth.

Lydia was shocked when the email arrived. It had been a year since she’d had any contact with Michael and she had managed to stop thinking about him every day, the way that she used to. Anyway, she was very happy with Peter and for the first time since she finished with Michael felt that she had met someone that she could spend the rest of her life with. It was only early days but something felt very right about Peter – he made her feel safe and secure – protected in a way that she had never felt with Michael. At this stage in her life she needed a life partner – she was keen to settle down and start a family. She contemplated deleting the email but curiosity got the better of her and she opened it. Typically he started by joking about her deleting him from Facebook – he sounded in good form.

But the real point of the email was a request to meet and that might just be asking too much. It was strange that he should contact her just before she was meeting Julia. She looked at her diary. In two days she was meeting his sister and she would find out more – she definitely wouldn’t answer Michael’s mail before speaking with Julia.

Angela returned to the kitchen when her daughter was gone. She put her hand onto her stomach where she felt a pain but she knew that there was nothing she could take to relieve it. Emotional pain was more severe for Angela than any physical ailments. History was repeating itself and there was nothing she could do to stop her son and his family from leaving the hopeless situation they had found themselves in. But the news of Ruth’s departure was proving too much to take. She had seen her own brother and sister off at
Dublin Port in the 1960s and knew then that at some stage she might well be on the same boat. Angela had tried several positions to ease the burden on the family but when her husband Fred lost his job in 1970 she had agreed to take the £10 fare to Perth. The crossing was bearable and they were fortunate to have calm seas but the sorrow of seeing her heartbroken mother standing at the harbour as she waved goodbye was etched in her memory for the duration of the long trip. Angela felt differently to so many of the other young emigrants who took to their bunks each night with excitement and anticipation of the future and the opportunities that it might bring. All Angela felt was shame and a horrid sense of sadness that yet again a generation of young Irishmen and women would have to leave their homes and their country forever.

The city of
Perth was not as she had expected and the streets were most definitely not paved with gold. They were, however, filled with fast cars imported from America and many of the young men coming from Europe found speeding along the freeways irresistible – and paid for it with their lives. It became apparent very quickly that jobs were abundant for young men who were happy to earn a good wage in compensation for being away from their families. Angela found herself alone for several nights each week and clung to the company of other European emigrant women who mostly came from England, Scotland and Wales.

The arrival of Kevin into the world after eighteen months of living in
Australia brought Angela the much-needed family that helped fill the hole left by the absence of her mother and siblings. This new bundle of joy offered hope and the possibility of settling in this new land permanently. But as Kevin grew she realised that she missed her mother and Ireland even more and she didn’t want her son to grow up speaking with an Australian accent.

Her husband became more settled with his mix of new friends from around the world and he felt a great kinship with the Australian men that he worked and socialised with. For Angela, however, she found the company of some more desirable than others and her marriage was tested in more ways than she could ever have imagined. Australian society was even more conservative and backward than
Ireland in the way that men and women were expected to mix. Then there was the secret that every so often came back to haunt her since – usually in sleep.

As she found the four walls of her house close in on her when she discovered that she was pregnant again, she gave her husband an ultimatum. This baby was going to be born on Irish soil and her husband could come home with her or stay in
Australia – the choice was his. She set about arranging her passage before her husband could discuss it further and, although she did make the long journey home on her own, he followed six months later and landed a job in the Guinness factory to his wife’s joy. They secured a house in Milltown and moved to Sutton when Ruth was eight. Life had been good for Angela since then and she had tried to block out the memory of the time she had spent in Perth.

The irony that her daughter would now be living in the same city that she herself had fled thirty-five years before was too much to take. She made herself a cup of tea and brought it heavy-handedly to bed. She would tell Fred the news in the morning.

Chapter Eight

Lydia
arrived first at Salamanca restaurant. She hadn’t been before but wasn’t surprised that she liked it instantly. Julia had great taste and had told her to try it so Lydia knew that if Julia liked it she would like it too. The waiter led her over to a wooden chair padded with beautiful brocade. She had an excellent view of Trinity Street and the shoppers and workers going about their business. She had only poured a glass of water when Julia came through the door wearing a red wool military-style coat and knee-high riding boots. As usual her hair was shining and her eyes bright with anticipation.

Lydia
stood up and kissed her friend’s cheek.

“Great to see you, you look fabulous as usual!”

“Ah thank you, Lydia, you’re like a breath of fresh air! And I love that colour on you, what is it, electric blue?”

Lydia
nodded. “Yes, would you believe Peter bought it for me?”

“A man with good taste in clothes?” Julia pried.

“Yes, and he’s a great cook too!”

“Sounds like a keeper? But it is early days.”

Lydia’s eyes widened and, as she described her new lover, they shone and danced in her head.

“Peter is everything I ever wanted in a man and more. He’s thoughtful, considerate and so accomplished. Did I tell you he was in the trials for the Olympics when he was in his twenties – he’s a marvellous swimmer.”

Julia swallowed hard. Michael had certainly given himself a challenge but Julia had seen many shining halos slip. She would watch and listen but say very little – she knew how to gauge her friend’s reactions.

They shared tapas and red wine and updated each other on the health and well-being of their family and mutual friends.
Lydia was abuzz with her plans for Christmas and Peter was mentioned in them all.

“And what about you?”
Lydia asked. “Is there any nice man on the horizon for you?”

With a roll of her eyes Julia gave her usual answer and explained how busy she was with her work and looking after her mother and grandfather.

“Ah, come on!” Lydia urged. “Don’t you want to meet someone nice and maybe have a family?”

Why did friends always want you to want the same things that they did, Julia pondered. She never felt a need – in fact, she always liked to be a little bit outside the trends and doing her own thing. Yet here she was again, listening to a friend falling in love and dreaming of engagement rings and wedding dresses. In
Lydia’s case she was probably even considering nursery paint!

“I have a family and to be honest at the moment I’m a little concerned about Odette – she seems to have hit a wall. She could do with a distraction or some sort of interest.”

“What about exercise? I’m going to boot camp on the nights that I don’t meet Peter and I feel great after it.”

Julia didn’t want to shoot down her friend’s suggestion but she didn’t think Odette was going to suddenly become sporty at this stage.

“I’ll suggest it to her,” she said with a smile.

“She could come with me. I go to a great camp in Marino – it’s not that far from Malahide.”

Lydia was bursting with energy and enthusiasm for life and Julia was wondering if she should forget about bringing Michael up in the conversation.

She decided to give it a go.

“Michael is trying to get leave for Christmas.”

“That would be nice for your mum,”
Lydia chirped. “Actually, he sent me an email only the other day – he sounds in good form!”

Julia was perturbed by
Lydia’s reaction. She was obviously so engrossed in her life that she didn’t care about her old lover contacting her.

“What did he say?”

Lydia took a piece of chorizo on her fork and dipped it into the tomato dressing before slipping it into her mouth.

“Oh, nothing much – mentioned that he was coming home in December – but early December, I think?”

“He’s trying to get back for Christmas now – Mum is going away with her bridge club friends early December.”

Lydia
chuckled. “She’s great, Julia – I wish my mum would take a leaf out of her book!”

Julia was keen to steer the conversation back to her brother’s email. “Did Michael say anything else?”

“He wants to meet up but I don’t think that’s a good idea – anyway, I am probably going to be very busy – Peter’s family is in Waterford and I’ll have to spend time with him down there.”

Julia swallowed. This was serious – Peter was making plans for Christmas already.

“That’s nice, that he wants you to meet his parents.”

“Oh, I met them already – they’re just lovely people. I felt like they were my own family.”
Lydia prodded a lump of goat’s cheese with her fork. “I’d like to answer Michael’s email but I’m not sure what to say.”

“Well, what do you feel like saying?”

Lydia sighed loudly. “I can’t deny that I still have feelings for him, Julia – he was the big love of my life. But he hurt me so much that I don’t think the love I felt could compensate for the pain that he caused me when we broke up.”

“I understand,” Julia said sympathetically. “But he seems to have changed and he’s even thinking of coming home for good.”

Lydia sat up defensively. “But it’s a terrible time to settle back here – especially in his line.”

“You know Michael – he has a way with him – if anyone can get a job in
Dublin he can.”

Lydia
nodded. “I would like to see him when he does get home. I don’t want to upset Peter though. I might just drop Michael an acknowledgement of his email.”

“I think he’d like that.”

“But I really am not sure that it’s a good idea – for the first time since being with Michael I’ve found someone that I feel I could have a future with.”

Julia would have to tell Michael about this development. She felt very sorry for her brother but she was also pleased that her friend was so happy. For now she would enjoy the tapas and
Lydia’s company.

Michael checked his emails several times daily and was thrilled to see the one from Lydia when he arrived back from lunch. His heart beat in his chest as he opened it.

Hi Michael

G
ood to hear from you – I spent a lovely evening with Julia yesterday. She was telling me about your plans and I hope things work out for you. It must be difficult being away from home for so long. I do hope you get your leave for Christmas – it really is the best time to be in Dublin.

Work has been busy but I’m trying to get a balance – I’m keeping fit and have joined Boot Camp. I’m dating someone at the moment who is really cool – I think you’d like him.

Give me a call when you get back to Dublin and hopefully we can coordinate a cup of coffee.

All the best

Lydia
 

Michael read the e-mail over and over but found it difficult to find any true sentiment or feeling in it. She must be in a neutral place, he tried to convince himself. It would be too hurtful to think that she was in love with this guy. He checked his Skype to see if Julia was online but she was away. He looked at his watch – it was too early in the morning in Ireland and Julia would be furious with him if he called her on her mobile. He would wait an hour or two until she got into the office and try speak to her then.