Freckles(74)

I’ve work. But maybe on my lunch break. I really shouldn’t, but I’d break my routine for her. I’d wave goodbye to the bench and my sandwich and walnuts and tea, to sit across from her, with my hands in her hands.

We agree on noon, Monday.

We’re at the money part. I look at the poster that she has on the window, the one facing out about the women in business event. You must be excited about the event I say. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Running your own business, and president of the Chamber of Commerce, I don’t know how you do it all.

And the children of course. Most important of all, she raises her finger in the air.

Of course. Raising children is most important, I agree.

Sixty euro, I give you ten per cent discount for new customer, for making the appreciated gesture and for new beginnings. Yes, she says.

Yes thank you. I pay in cash because I don’t want her to see my full name on my bank card.

I still will appeal the fine, she says, and I laugh. You should, I say, but I don’t want to talk about the fine with her. I’ll suggest your event to my friends, I say.

Yes of course, tell as many women in business as you can. The more the merrier. We’re still looking for a guest speaker. We went to print with the posters and so it says with special guest speaker, but I don’t have the special guest speaker. She hits her head playfully. Three weeks to go.

What about Ruth Brasil.

The politician, she asks.

Yes, the Minister for Justice. I could ask her.

Her eyes almost pop out of her head. She reaches out and takes my hands, squeezes them in hers. You know Ruth Brasil, our next Taoiseach, she asks. Our first female Taoiseach, I’m sure of it, and she ought to be with all this nonsense going on. He’s a bad man, he has to go.

Yes I know her. I feel the letter from Ruth throbbing in my handbag. In fact I already told her about the event and she was very interested. She thinks it’s a great idea. I’m quite sure she’ll come.

It just comes out, straight out. I don’t even think about it. I just want to make my mother happy.

Would she be the guest speaker, she asks.

I’ll ask her today.

Oh! she squeezes me excitedly. My goodness, if you got Ruth, you would be welcome here, free for life!

I’ll find out as fast as I can, I laugh.

She hugs me, hugs me with excitement though I think she’d hug just about anyone she’s that happy. But she hugs me. My mother hugs me. Our first hug. Hopefully not our last. I leave the salon feeling a million dollars. Bouncing, new dress, new hair, fresh blow-dry, a relationship with my mother.





Twenty-Seven


I walk, but feel like I’m floating, across the road to the park by the marina. My hair bounces, my button-down yellow tea dress flaps open around my legs with each step and I feel the sun on my hair and my skin and I’m happy. It’s one of those days it’s great to be alive, when you don’t hate everyone, when you don’t feel shame, when you don’t want to hide. For me anyway. I’m sure there’s someone somewhere living their worst day.

Foreign exchange students sit in large groups throughout the green area, wrapped in coats and jumpers on our warm sunny day. I sit on the grass and open the minister’s letter again. It’s handwritten but it’s on her constituency office headed paper. There’s an email address at the bottom. Now that she has replied to me, the correspondence has begun. I feel like I knocked on her door and she let me in. But it’s quicker to email than write, and time is of the utmost essence now. So that her secretary doesn’t think I’m a lunatic, I take a photograph of the minister’s letter as proof, and attach it to my email.

Dear Minister Brasil

I was so delighted to receive your letter, thank you so much for taking the time to respond. It meant so much to me, it started the most incredible chain of events. You see I had almost given up, but your words gave me such confidence that I went straight to my mother, who gave me up at birth. I walked into her world and I’ve just spent the most amazing hour of my life with her all thanks to you. Do you see how inspirational you are to me.

Her name is Carmencita Casanova, she’s the president of the Malahide Chamber of Commerce, and she’s running an event in three weeks’ time celebrating women in business. She would love for you to attend. If you have time to call by this event for even ten minutes, it would mean the world to the president of the Malahide Chamber of Commerce, and the businesswomen of Malahide.

But mostly if nothing more ever comes of our correspondence, I want to thank you for the gift you have given me today. Your response gave me wings, just when I needed them, and that is the power of being somebody’s one of five.

Attaching a poster of the event to prove its legitimacy. I would appreciate it if you or your office would liaise directly with me for this event as I’m assisting the president with the organisation.

You’ll be glad to hear I have taken steps to do a postal vote for the by-election.

Best wishes

Allegra Bird

I request to be contacted directly by the minister’s office because I don’t want to get cut out of anything further happening. In the event the minister decides to attend this event I want to use it to further develop my relationship with Carmencita. Then, when the time is right, I’ll tell her who I am. But the time has to be right. I absolutely have to prove myself first. Carmencita is tough, she’s strong, she’s firm. She does not like surprises. I don’t know her well but I know that I need to prove to her that I am someone she wants.