‘Nah,’ Francie said. ‘Sheila tried to stab him in his good eye with a cocktail umbrella on the second last night of the holiday. They didn’t really speak after that.’
Juliet laughed. ‘That’s totally insane.’
Molly arrived, with Jack tagging behind. Francie stood up. ‘Mrs H.’ He hugged her.
‘Ah, Francie, it’s good to see ya.’ She held him away from her so she could look at him. ‘Still handsome,’ she said, and he nodded towards the others triumphantly.
‘Howya, Mr H?’ Francie shook Jack’s hand warmly.
‘Better for seeing you, son.’
‘Sit down there,’ Francie told Molly, pointing to his chair as he moved to sit next to Davey. Jack sat on the sofa at the end of the bed.
‘So, what’s going on?’ Molly asked.
‘Sheila B’s in the nut-house,’ Rabbit said.
‘Of course she is,’ Molly said. ‘God love her, she’s a fucking lunatic.’
‘She was a lovely little Irish dancer in her day, all the same,’ Jack said. ‘Good enough to be in Riverdance.’
‘I forgot she was in Riverdance,’ Francie said.
‘That’s because they kicked her out after five minutes,’ Molly said.
‘What happened?’ Rabbit asked.
‘Dunno, but the rumour was she sexually harassed some guy in tights.’
‘Well, that would do it.’ Jack sighed. ‘It’s an awful shame, she was such a lovely dancer.’
‘Where’s Grace?’ Molly asked.
‘Dunno, Nan,’ Juliet said.
‘Who picked you up?’
‘I did,’ Davey said.
‘She hasn’t answered her phone all day,’ Molly said.
‘She’s probably just busy, Ma,’ Rabbit said.
‘Busy, me eye,’ Molly replied, and just as she spoke, Lenny appeared, sporting a black eye.
Molly and Jack stood up. ‘Christ on a bike, Lenny, what happened to ya?’ Molly exclaimed.
‘Some kid tried to mug me.’
‘Did you sort him?’ Francie asked.
‘He ran away.’
‘Did you know him?’ Francie said.
‘No.’
‘Pity.’
‘Why? Were you going to sort him out?’ Davey asked, amused.
‘No. I was going to ask the kid to join Freddie’s new boxing club. He could do with a few scrappers.’ Francie winked to signal he was joking.
‘Where’s Grace?’ Molly asked Lenny, touching the bruise around his eye. He moved his hands up to protect himself but she slapped them away. ‘Did you wash that cut?’
‘Yeah.’
‘So?’
‘So what?’
‘So where’s Grace?’
‘I was hoping she’d be here,’ he said.
‘Her phone’s been off all day,’ Molly said.
‘I know.’
‘Well, should I be worried?’
‘No.’
‘Hmm.’
Everyone was quiet for a few seconds, so Juliet seized the moment. ‘Can I stay at yours tonight, Nan?’
‘All of your stuff is at Grace’s,’ Molly reminded her.
‘No, it’s not, and, anyway, I need to pick some stuff up at home tomorrow.’
‘Well, your granda and I are busy tomorrow.’
‘Where are you going?’ Rabbit asked.
‘None of your beeswax.’
‘Must be something sexy, then,’ Francie suggested.
‘Don’t you start, Francie Byrne,’ Molly told him.
‘So can I stay?’
‘I’ll take care of her,’ Davey said, and Juliet grinned.
‘Are you all right with that?’ Molly asked Lenny, who nodded and sat beside Jack on the sofa.
‘You’re pale,’ Rabbit said to Lenny.
‘Haven’t eaten.’
‘You can have this chicken sandwich, if you’d like,’ Juliet said, lifting it up in its paper packaging.
‘Ah, great.’ She passed it to Davey, who handed it to Francie, who gave it to Lenny. He took a bite. ‘Lovely.’
‘The trick is to ask them to open it and add more mayo and black pepper,’ Juliet said. Davey nodded proudly.
Jacinta appeared with a plastic bowl of meds. ‘I don’t want to be a party-pooper, but there’s a lot of people in here.’
‘Don’t worry, I have to head out anyway,’ Francie said. ‘Promised I’d visit the Claw before it gets too late.’
Rabbit laughed. ‘The Claw. That poor bastard has a nickname already.’
Francie leaned down to kiss her forehead. ‘Get better soon, Rabbit,’ he said, knowing full well that that wasn’t possible.
‘I will,’ she lied, to him and to herself.
Juliet grinned at him and shook his hand when he offered it to her.
‘Just like your ma.’ For a second his face crumpled.
Davey jumped up. ‘I’ll walk you out.’
‘Jay will be in on Sunday,’ Francie said, and Rabbit nodded.
Rabbit focused on Jacinta. ‘No pain meds for a while.’
‘Are you sure? You’ve had a lot of breakthrough pain today.’
‘I know, but I’m OK, and it makes me so tired.’
‘All right. I’ll be outside.’
She was gone when Molly turned to her daughter. ‘What breakthrough pain?’
‘It’s nothing, Ma,’ Rabbit said. ‘Juliet, tell your nan about the Claw.’
Juliet laughed. ‘Some eejit got his hand chopped off by a samurai sword at Francie’s work.’
‘That’s like Gerry Foster,’ Molly said.
‘How is it like Gerry Foster?’ Jack asked.
‘He got skewered on a gate.’
‘Which is totally different,’ Rabbit said.
‘He lost a fucking kidney, didn’t he?’ Molly said.
Jack grumbled to himself while Juliet and Rabbit shared a knowing smile.
‘Lector Kenny bit off a piece of his own tongue and swallowed it,’ Lenny said.
‘Was his real name Lector?’
‘Nah, it was Kenneth.’
‘Kenneth Kenny?’ Juliet said.
‘His ma was deranged.’
‘Speaking of which, did you hear about Sheila B?’ Molly asked.
It had been such a good visit and Rabbit tried her best to stay awake, but sleep claimed her before Molly said any more.
Davey
Davey and Francie had a smoke outside the hospice.
‘Thought you were off these,’ Francie said.
‘I was.’
‘Fair enough.’
The rain was still pouring down and rattling the plastic sheeting they were standing under.
‘She doesn’t look good, DB.’
‘No.’
‘You’ve got to watch out for your parents.’
‘I will.’
‘This will kill them, Davey.’
‘I know. I will.’
‘And Juliet?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, yous had better start working it out.’ Francie stubbed out his cigarette.
‘Don’t bury Rabbit before she’s dead,’ Davey said.
‘Don’t shove your head up your arse,’ Francie riposted. ‘Rabbit was the baby but she took care of her ma and da and she took care of you. She can’t do it any more, so it’s time to step up.’ He put a hand on Davey’s shoulder. ‘I’m here for you, but if you let her down, I’ll batter you.’ He slapped Davey’s face gently, and Davey nodded. His friend was right.
Francie passed Marjorie on the way to his car, waved at her and blew her a kiss. He pointed to the shelter where Davey was still smoking. She approached him with a face on her that would have curdled milk.
‘What’s wrong?’ Davey asked.
She grabbed the cigarette out of his mouth and stamped it out. ‘Your sister is dying of cancer. I see you with another one of these in your mouth and I’ll slap you one.’
‘Why does everyone want to hit me tonight?’
‘You’ve a punchable face,’ she said, and he laughed at her.
They walked inside together and met Molly, Jack and Juliet coming into Reception. Molly was fixing her coat and giving out to Juliet for not wearing something warmer. She pointed to an umbrella stand near the door.
‘Mine’s the one with polka dots,’ said Juliet. She waved at Marjorie as she headed for the umbrella.
Molly hugged Marjorie. ‘You look fantastic, love. How was your trip?’
‘Super,’ Marjorie said. ‘I just wish . . .’ She welled up.
‘I know.’ Molly patted her arm. She looked anxiously towards Juliet, who was battling with the umbrella.
‘We should go. Oh, and, Davey, your da and I will be away most of the day tomorrow so I’m trusting you to take care of Juliet and Rabbit.’
‘Where are you going?’
‘Cavan.’
‘Why?’
‘We’ve an appointment with Michael Gallagher,’ Molly said sheepishly.
‘Michael Gallagher,’ Davey repeated. ‘Johnny’s faith-healer. That Michael Gallagher?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Oh, no, Mrs H,’ Marjorie said.
‘She’ll go mental, Ma,’ Davey protested.
‘We’re not going to tell her.’
‘So how does that work?’ Marjorie asked.
‘That’s what we’ll find out when we talk to him tomorrow.’ Molly put a finger to her lips.
When they had gone Davey worried that his mother was doing the wrong thing. Rabbit was an atheist, and introducing a man like Michael Gallagher was an insult to her strongly held belief in nothing. Davey could see it being a serious bone of contention. ‘Your ma is just grabbing at straws, Davey,’ Marjorie said, as they walked into Rabbit’s room.
Lenny was sitting there, watching Rabbit sleep. He nodded at Marjorie, who nodded back. He stood up. ‘The nurse came in and gave her the meds. She didn’t wake.’ He picked up his jacket. ‘She’s gone to the world.’
‘Thanks for everything, Lenny,’ Davey said.
‘No thanks required. She’s family.’ He went to the door. ‘And if you see or hear from my wife, tell her I love her.’
‘Is everything all right?’ Davey asked.
‘No,’ Lenny said, looking at Rabbit shallow-breathing in the bed. ‘No, but then how could it be?’ He left.
Davey and Marjorie sat on the sofa together. He told her about poor old Sheila B and about the poor sod whose hand had been cut off at work. She spoke about returning to work and the stresses associated with her first day back. Marjorie was a bank manager. During the boom she had been everyone’s best friend, but since the recession had kicked in, stepping through the bank’s door had been like stepping onto a battlefield. It was harrowing saying no to desperate people, fighting unwinnable cases with Head Office and pressuring customers to pay debilitating debts. ‘I’m the bad guy.’
‘You do the best you can.’
‘Tell that to the seventy-year-old man in my office today who is losing his house because he put it up as collateral against a bloated mortgage for his son.’
‘You didn’t ask him to remortgage his house.’
‘You weren’t here when the TV advert told men like him to do exactly that.’
‘You’re just doing your job.’
‘And I need to stop for the sake of my soul.’
‘What would you like to do?’
‘Honestly? I’d like to write a book, but I’m rubbish at writing so it probably won’t work out.’
He smiled. ‘Anything else?’
‘I’d like to open a boutique.’
‘So do it.’
She snorted. ‘Do you know how many boutiques are closing down every week in this country?’
‘No.’
‘Loads.’
‘Well, you’ll do it differently.’
‘Ridiculous upward-only rents, taxes, fees, and people like me saying no to the smallest line of credit.’
‘So take up the accordion,’ Davey said.
‘You think there’s a lot of work for an accordion player?’
‘They’d love you in Nashville.’
She giggled. ‘I’m sure.’
Rabbit moved in the bed. She groaned softly and made a weird choking sound. They remained still, fearful that they were witnessing something terrifying. The moment passed and she seemed to be breathing normally again. Marjorie sighed with relief. ‘We’re in hell, Davey.’
‘Yes.’
The door opened and Grace poked her head around it. Her face was puffy, she was soaked through and she looked like crap. ‘Hi.’
‘Hi,’ Davey said. Marjorie tilted her head and beckoned her with an index finger. Grace walked in, shoulders hunched. Davey and Marjorie parted on the sofa and Marjorie patted the space. Grace sat down between them and all three stared at Rabbit for a minute or two.
‘What happened?’ Davey asked.
‘I freaked out.’
‘Understandable,’ Marjorie said.
‘And?’ Davey asked.
‘I threw a mug at Lenny’s face.’
‘You gave him the black eye?’
‘I really didn’t mean it.’
‘That’s what you said after you punched me in the face when Rabbit took your bike and wrote it off.’
‘I was sixteen and Rabbit ducked.’
‘Juliet is staying with us tonight.’
‘OK,’ she said.
‘And Lenny said to tell you he loves you.’
‘OK.’ She burst into tears. Marjorie put an arm around her. ‘I can’t do this,’ Grace sobbed.
‘I know how you feel.’ Marjorie was staring at her best friend in the foetal position in the bed.
‘We need to stop pretending,’ Davey said. Grace raised her head and stared at him. ‘We need to start making plans and we need to talk about Juliet.’
Grace nodded sadly. ‘I know.’
‘Ma and Da are in Cavan tomorrow, so we’ll meet in Ma’s on Sunday.’
‘What are they doing in Cavan?’
‘Michael Gallagher.’
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake.’
Rabbit twisted, turned and moaned a little more. They watched her until she settled.
Marjorie was the first to leave. Davey walked her outside and waved her off, then returned to Rabbit’s room, where Grace had moved into the chair beside the bed. She was holding her sister’s hand and praying quietly. When Davey appeared, she said, ‘I know she doesn’t believe, but I do.’
He sat in the chair opposite. He fixed the lambskin blanket, smoothing it down over Rabbit.
‘Maybe Michael Gallagher will fix her,’ Grace said.
‘He won’t, and when he doesn’t, we need to be strong for Ma and Da.’
‘I know.’
‘And you need to stop throwing mugs at your husband.’
‘I will.’
‘We need to make sure Rabbit has a good . . .’ he struggled a little ‘. . . death.’
‘What’s got into you?’ She sounded impressed.
‘I took me head out of me hole.’
‘About time.’
She reached over and he took her hand. They held hands over Rabbit for just a moment or two, but that gesture bonded them. It was the first step in their relationship as sister and brother without her.
Johnny
The venue was stuffed to the rafters. It was the biggest that Kitchen Sink had ever played. The dressing room was huge, well lit and complete with a beer-and-crisps-filled rider. The noise of two thousand fans waiting for the band to hit the stage seeped through the walls. Davey was in the loo, shitting his brains out. Francie was smoking his brains out in the office while their manager, Paddy, was trying to remove a very drunk and belligerent Sheila B from backstage. Jay liked to sleep before a gig and was out cold on the floor under the dressing rail.
Rabbit met Louis hanging out with his best friend Dillon in the corridor and he directed her to the dressing room. John
ny was warming up his vocals when she entered the room. She had been talking to the house sound guy, swapping notes. He had been impressed by the fourteen-year-old when he’d encountered her at the sound check. Of course he didn’t know she was fourteen. If he had, he wouldn’t have spoken to her, but as it was, he respected her experience as Kitchen Sink’s touring sound engineer. Johnny had fought for her to do the gig but the others, including Rabbit’s brother, were adamant they wanted to use the guy who was actually qualified. Rabbit understood. She was happy to relinquish control. Sound engineering had never been her dream, and she knew that night would be the end of her short-lived career. Kitchen Sink had moved up a gear to better things, and Rabbit was relieved. She sat on the dressing-table leaning her back against the mirror Johnny was gazing into.
‘I look wrecked,’ he said.
‘You look great.’
‘I’m exhausted, Rabbit.’
‘You’re going to be great.’
‘We’re launching a single tonight.’
‘I know.’
‘Surreal.’
‘Cool,’ Rabbit said.
Jay was snoring and Johnny laughed. ‘Who the hell sleeps before a gig?’
A young woman knocked on the door and opened it. ‘The support band is going on. You have twenty minutes.’
‘Thanks,’ Johnny said. As he stood up, he faltered. He grabbed the counter and steadied himself. He looked shaken and vulnerable, but for only a second.
‘Are you OK?’ Rabbit asked, jumping off the counter and holding him up. He shook her off and pretended he was fine.
‘I’m OK. I’m fine, just tired.’
Paddy got rid of Sheila B so the coast was clear for Francie to leave the safety of a locked office. He was indulging in his first beer when Davey emerged from the loo with nothing left in his system.
‘Beer?’ Francie said, offering one to him.
‘Do you want me to explode?’
Louis appeared as Jay woke up. With five minutes to stage time, Rabbit left the band alone to get their heads together. She walked out into the audience and joined Grace, Marjorie, Grace’s current boyfriend, Conor, and Jack. He was dressed head to toe in denim.
‘What are you wearing, Da?’ she asked.
‘This is fashion.’ He winked.
‘Did you do this?’ Rabbit asked Grace.
‘He loves it.’
Before Rabbit had a chance to berate her sister the band was announced. Rabbit turned towards the stage and watched as Davey sat behind the drums, Francie and Jay strapped on their guitars, and Louis stood behind his keyboard. Davey clicked his sticks four times, the lads played, and she waited for Johnny to hit the stage. He missed his cue, the boys played on, the audience didn’t notice. Even Grace and Da didn’t notice.
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes Page 12
