Love, Rosie (195 page)

boots
every
day.
When
he’s
not
drilling
away
on
somebody’s
skin

downstairs
he’s
blaring
music
from
his
flat
beside
me.

Alex:

Rosie:

Trust
you
to
move
in
beside
a
heavy
metal
fan.

That’s
where
you’re
wrong.
His
name
is
Rupert;
he’s
thirty-five

years
old,
a
graduate
of
the
prestigious
Trinity
College
Dublin

where
he
got
a
degree
in
Irish
History
and
a
master’s
in
Irish
Litera-

ture.
James
Joyce
is
his
idol
and
across
his
chest
is
the
quote:
“Mis-

takes
are
the
portals
of
discovery.”

He’s
a
huge
fan
of
classical
and
opera
music
and
at
5
p.m.
every
eve-

ning
when
he’s
closing
up
and
cashing
up
the
till
for
the
night
he

blares
Brahms
Piano
Concerto
Number
2
in
B
flat
major,
Op
83.

After
that
he
heads
up
to
his
flat
where
he
proceeds
to
cook
the

most
savory
and
delicious-smelling
meals
and
settles
down
to
read

James
Joyce’s
Ulysses
for
the
billionth
time
while
listening
to
the

sounds
of
The
Best
of
Pavarotti
blasting
out
from
his
speakers
(pay-

ing
particular
attention
to
Nessun
Dorma).

Katie
and
I
practically
know
all
the
words
to
it
by
this
stage
and

Toby
stuffs
a
pillow
up
his
shirt,
stands
up
on
the
couch,
and

mimes
along
to
the
music.

At
least
Rupert
is
educating
the
children.
Katie
is
going
crazy
about

mixing
Nessun
Dorma
into
a
dance
song
she’s
created
on
her
new

294

Cecelia
Ahern

set
of
decks.
Brian
the
Whine
bought
them
for
her
which
made
me

really
angry
because
I
was
planning
on
getting
them
for
her
as
a

Christmas
present.
But
I’ve
made
her
keep
them
in
his
rented
house

so
that
she
doesn’t
disturb
the
neighbors.
Although
to
be
honest
I

really
don’t
know
why
I
bothered
caring
with
all
the
other
noises

and
smells
going
on
around
us.

Oh
yes
and
did
I
mention
that
Joan
of
Arc
is
living
across
the
hall

from
me.

Alex:

Rosie:

Ha
ha,
no
you
didn’t.

Well
this
woman
(her
name
is
either
Joan,
Mary,
or
Brigid,
some-

thing
meaningful
in
a
religious
way)
and
she’s
only
in
her
late
twen-

ties.
She
came
over
to
say
hello
the
first
day
we
moved
in
and
when

she
realized
that
it
was
just
Katie
and
I
moving
in
and
that
my
sin-

gledom
was
not
due
to
the
tragic
loss
of
my
husband
she
left
rather

rudely
and
hasn’t
spoken
to
us
since.

Alex:

Rosie:

Well
at
least
she’s
quiet.