The Gift of Friends

by Emma Hannigan

  ‘Oh I love it so much,’ Pearl said, running her fingertip over it. ‘It’s beautiful. Perfectly me. Thank you,’ she said, going across to kiss each of them in turn.

  ‘Here, let me,’ Leo said, and she turned so he could place the necklace over her head, then clasp it shut.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ Lily-Rose said. ‘And it hangs just in the right spot.’

  ‘I think I’m going to cry,’ Pearl said, feeling embarrassed. ‘I feel very spoiled.’

  ‘You deserve a bit of spoiling,’ Lily-Rose said. ‘You’ve been doing that for us all our lives.’

  After they’d left, Pearl admired her necklace in the hall mirror, then remembered she had only an hour before the ladies all descended. She went to the kitchen and set to work. She had prepared a simple chicken pie, and now she got going on the sides – a warm mustard-seed potato salad, a beetroot slaw, a tasty dish of paprika-fried chickpeas and a simple green salad. She had made brownies for dessert, and they were already on a serving platter, ready to go. She was just opening a couple of bottles of wine when Drew and Tommy came back in.

  ‘I’m tired, Mum,’ Drew said.

  The three of them had gone swimming earlier, and that always worked its magic on him and made him easier to manage at bedtime.

  ‘We’re going upstairs to get into PJs and I’ll read him a bedtime story,’ Tommy said. ‘You go on up, Drew, I’m right behind you.’

  Drew wandered off and when he was out of sight, Tommy slid his hands around Pearl’s waist and drew her close for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

  ‘I love you,’ she said.

  ‘Well I’m going to love you and leave you,’ he said, teasing her. ‘I don’t want to be in the middle of the ladies, so I’ll put Drew to bed and then I’m going to meet Cormac for a pint or two down the road. Is that okay?’

  ‘Of course. Do you good to get out,’ she said. ‘And when you come home, I’ll creep down to the mews to see you.’

  ‘I look forward to it,’ he said with a grin, giving her one last kiss. ‘Don’t let them eat all of those fabulous looking brownies.’

  ‘I’ll do my best,’ she said as he left to go to see to Drew.

  Pearl left the wine to breathe, checked the clock and decided it was time to light the candles, draw the curtains and switch on some low lamps. Everything was perfect. She was looking forward to a glass of wine and a good chat.

  At eight o’clock exactly, the doorbell rang. Pearl smiled to herself, knowing it had to be Betsy. She was always punctual. She went to open the door.

  ‘Betsy, come in,’ she said, giving her a big hug. ‘You’re the first. The perfect guest, as always.’

  ‘Well, maybe not tonight,’ Betsy said, looking anxious. ‘I’m sorry, but my daughter-in-law has insisted on joining us. I couldn’t dissuade her.’

  ‘Where is she?’ Pearl said, peering into the darkness behind Betsy’s shoulder.

  ‘She wouldn’t dream of being on time,’ Betsy said drily. ‘She’s doing something or other and will follow over.’

  ‘Right, well come in and we’ll get fortified with a bit of wine before then,’ Pearl said.

  She poured out two generous glasses of red, then the doorbell rang again. On the doorstep were Maia and Nancy.

  ‘Good evening,’ Maia called. ‘I’m so hungry and this place smells good.’

  ‘Great to see you,’ Pearl said. ‘Come on in, Betsy’s inside. Apparently we’re being joined by Tasha tonight. Are you okay, Nancy?’ she asked, looking closely at the older woman. ‘You look pale. Are you tired?’

  ‘I’m okay,’ Nancy said and gave a watery smile. Pearl wasn’t convinced. She’d have to pursue this once they were all relaxed and fed.

  ‘Come on in, the stove is lit,’ she said. ‘Red or white?’

  She poured a white wine for Maia and an elderflower cordial for Nancy. When the doorbell sounded again, Maia said, ‘I’ll get it. You concentrate on feeding me.’

  Pearl laughed. ‘I’ll get the plates warmed,’ she said.

  Maia went out and returned with Danielle and Tasha. Danielle looked a bit shell-shocked and kept looking over at Tasha as if she might do something crazy any minute.

  ‘Welcome to both of you,’ Pearl called out. ‘Delighted to meet you, Tasha. And delighted you’re joining us, Danielle,’ she said warmly. ‘May I get you a drink?’

  ‘I’ll have the same as Nancy,’ Danielle said. She smiled nervously. ‘I’m not really a drinker.’

  ‘Great. I’ll have hers as well then,’ Tasha said loudly. ‘I’ll take a glass of each, mate. Can never decide between red and white, so I just go for both.’ She laughed at her own joke, but no one else did. Pearl could see that Betsy was mortified, and she felt for her.

  ‘I’ll start you on a red, Tasha, okay, and then you can help yourself as we go along. Right, if you’ll all sit down, we’d better feed Maia before she has a hangry tantrum.’

  The food was delicious, but the atmosphere was a little strained because Tasha seemed determined to behave as badly as possible. She sat cross-legged in her chair, swigged down the wine like it was water and ate with her mouth open. Pearl had to continually avert her eyes so she wouldn’t feel sick. How Betsy was living with her every day was beyond her. She was a nightmare.

  ‘So do any of you have a job?’ Tasha asked, her tone already accusing. ‘Anyone go out and earn a living, no?’

  ‘I’m retired,’ Nancy said. ‘I worked all my life, though.’

  ‘We’ve all had jobs,’ Maia said, ‘but having a family changes things.’

  ‘Women who give up and blame it on their kids are weak,’ Tasha said.

  ‘Oh, and what’s your career, Tasha?’ Maia said with a dangerous edge to her voice. Pearl knew that tone, it meant Maia was struggling to keep her temper.

  ‘I don’t believe in the corporate, consumerist culture,’ Tasha said, gulping down more wine. ‘I choose to exist outside of all that bullshit.’

  ‘Right, and how does that make you different from us, then?’ Maia asked.

  ‘I am so different from you, mate,’ Tasha sneered, pointing her fork at Maia. ‘From all of you,’ she said, jabbing her fork towards each in turn. ‘You are consumer-zombies, housewives, spongers. You’ve never made a choice because you’ve gone through life blind. All this fancy stuff and comfort,’ she said, looking contemptuously around Pearl’s kitchen, ‘it’s all masking the fact that you’re sexually dissatisfied and living without purpose. I feel sorry for you. Your lives are meaningless.’

  There was a stunned silence, then Nancy burst out laughing, making everyone jump. Tasha looked at her in astonishment.

  ‘You’re a right little pain in the ass, aren’t you?’ Nancy said. ‘I’ve never heard such codswallop in my life. You’re a jumped-up little madam who probably comes from a nice middle-class family and believes you’re a radical revolutionary because you don’t shave your armpits.’

  Pearl couldn’t help noticing those hairy armpits herself. Tasha was pretty much showing them off in her vest top.

  Tasha’s face went red and she appeared to be having trouble breathing. She was staring at Nancy in shock.

  ‘What the hell do you know, you daft old woman?’ she snarled.

  ‘Plenty more than you,’ Nancy retorted, her voice equally icy. ‘Don’t you come in here and tell us you’re better than us. You haven’t even the intelligence to talk to people, to find out about their lives. You’re just a walking set of assumptions based on nothing. Now you either sit up, behave and talk like an adult, or you leave. Pearl didn’t produce this beautiful meal to have you sit there like a sulky child and ruin it. You like choices, so here’s your chance to make another one – stay with respect or leave now?’

  Pearl looked over at Betsy, to see what she made of her daughter-in-law being treated like this. She had never seen such a wicked smile on Betsy’s face before. She was positively glowing. Fair play, Nancy, Pearl thought, you’re doing every
one a favour.

  Tasha jumped up so fast, her chair fell over. ‘I’m leaving. You are a pack of witches and there’s no way I’m sitting here listening to you talk about frickin’ . . . nails or . . . dresses or something stupid like that. I’m out of here.’ She grabbed the bottle of wine and stalked out, slamming the front door shut behind her so hard, the whole house seemed to shake. Then there was silence.

  ‘Jesus Christ,’ Danielle said, then she started laughing. ‘If these supper clubs are always like this, I’m definitely coming again.’

  That set them all off, and they sat there laughing like bold schoolchildren. Betsy had to dry her eyes with her napkin.

  ‘Oh Nancy, that’s the best thing I’ve seen in a long time,’ Betsy said. ‘I’d have paid good money to see that. I love you for doing that. She’s making my life a living hell, but at least you gave her a taste of her own medicine.’

  ‘I just wish I’d been quick enough to wrestle that bottle out of her hand,’ Nancy said. ‘Cheek of her to take it like that.’

  ‘Oh Betsy,’ Maia said, ‘you have got to get her out of your house and quick. Are you putting up with that at every meal?’

  Betsy nodded. ‘Every one,’ she said, no longer laughing. ‘I’ve never met anyone like her. I’ve no idea why she’s so angry all the time, but it’s just exhausting. Noel and I are at our wits’ end.’

  ‘Can you not ask her to leave?’ Danielle said.

  ‘But then she’d go and take Arnie,’ Betsy said, twisting her napkin in her hand. ‘I can’t bear the idea of that. She wants to take him to a squat in Dublin, some cold ancient building with a pile of men living in it. She’s mad.’

  ‘Well, look, as long as she’s there, use our houses as much as you like,’ Maia said. ‘You don’t even have to talk to me. Just set yourself up on a couch and enjoy the peace and quiet.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Betsy said, smiling at her. ‘You’re always so kind, Maia.’

  ‘And mine too,’ Danielle said. ‘It’s usually just me anyway, and it’s huge. Come over anytime.’

  ‘Lord, I need a top-up after that drama,’ Maia said. ‘Is there another bottle of red, Pearl?’

  ‘I’ll get it,’ Pearl said, and she went and took another bottle from the wine-holder and opened it. She poured some into Maia’s glass, and into her own.

  ‘Well I’m very, very glad you made her leave, Nancy,’ she said, sitting down again. ‘It was ruining the whole vibe. Talk about tension!’

  ‘I’ve seen her type before,’ Nancy said. ‘Think they’re remaking the world. She’ll learn. Although probably the hard way.’

  ‘What Graham ever saw in her I’ll never know,’ Betsy said. ‘But thank you, all of you. For running her off and for making me laugh. I really needed that. I tell you, if I didn’t live on Kingfisher Road with you all, I’d be a basket case. You’re my sanity.’

  ‘Cheers to that,’ Maia said, raising her glass and they all joined her in the toast.

  Pearl saw Nancy bend her head and thought she was laughing about Tasha again, but then she saw her shoulders shuddering.

  ‘Nancy?’ she said.

  Nancy held up her hand. ‘Sorry, I’ll be alright in a sec. I’m such a silly old fool.’

  ‘Jesus, Nancy, what is it?’ Maia said, looking stricken. They had always been very close. Pearl knew that Maia relied on Nancy hugely, especially for parenting advice, funnily enough, given that Nancy wasn’t a mother. But she had always had a way with the twins and had helped Maia to keep them on the straight and narrow.

  ‘Let’s just chat and have fun,’ Nancy said, raising her head and rubbing her eyes.

  ‘No way!’ Maia said. ‘If something’s upset you, out with it. We can help.’

  Nancy shook her head sadly. ‘I don’t think you can,’ she said. ‘I have a bit of a desperate situation.’

  ‘Tell us,’ Maia cried. ‘I’ll do anything to help.’

  ‘I got a letter from the council,’ Nancy said, looking around at them. ‘There’s a road-widening scheme that’s getting underway in a couple of months, and they need some of the land from Kingfisher Road. Two houses. Mine and number six.’

  ‘What do you mean, need them?’ Pearl asked.

  Nancy’s eyes filled with tears again. ‘They want to acquire our houses and land by compulsory purchase order and demolish them to make way for the road. I have my solicitor on it, but it’s not looking good.’

  Pearl was absolutely stunned. The others were obviously deep in shock, too. They were all staring at Nancy, eyes wide.

  ‘My God,’ Betsy said, putting her hand to her chest. ‘They can’t . . . I mean . . . no . . .’

  ‘What did your solicitor say?’ Danielle asked. ‘Surely there’s some sort of appeal facility? I can research into it for you.’

  ‘He’s working on it and has contacted the council on my behalf. They’ve agreed to a meeting with me, but it sounds like they are holding firm. I’d say they’ll just reiterate everything in the letter in person and order me to leave. A CPO is a legal instrument, so you don’t really have any counterargument, you know?’

  Maia looked like she was about to start crying too. ‘They are not putting you out,’ she said fiercely. ‘It’s your home. This is disgusting. How can they just swoop in and grab someone’s property? It’s not right. And I’ll tell you something, I’ll chain myself to your garden gates if I have to, because this is not happening.’

  ‘I’m with you,’ Pearl said. The idea of watching Nancy being forced to leave made her feel sick. ‘If we stand together and get the other residents involved and reach out to any contacts we have, we can challenge this. There has to be a way to put them off and if there is, we’ll find it. And if the worst does come to the worst, which it won’t, you can come and live with me, Nancy. I genuinely mean that too. You will never be without a roof over your head as long as I’m living on Kingfisher Road. I’ll build a second mews if I have to.’

  Nancy smiled weakly around the table at her friends. ‘Thank you so much,’ she said. ‘You’re so wonderful. With you lot at my back, it makes me feel like maybe I can fight this.’

  ‘Oh you can,’ Maia said, looking scarily determined. ‘They have no idea who they’re messing with. We can set up a campaign.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Nancy said.

  ‘We can get your story out there,’ Maia said. ‘Radio, TV, social media. We get out there and make the council look like the vultures they are, damage their reputation, malign the whole shagging road project and get an army of voices on our side. They can’t just steamroll through here then.’

  ‘Yes, that’s a brilliant idea,’ Betsy said, sitting forward. ‘We can plan a campaign to save the houses and keep the road further away. No one along this stretch will want a busy road being brought closer to the houses. I know that local radio presenter, Mattie what’s-his-name, I’ve dealt with him on Residents’ Association issues before. I’ll call him tomorrow and see if we can book an interview.’

  ‘I can look into the legal angle,’ Danielle said. ‘I know I’m not qualified yet, but I can read up on CPOs online and see if there’s a loophole anywhere.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Maia said. ‘I’ll get the twins working on the social media side of things. They will definitely want to help you, Nancy, they adore you. And I’ll call my friend Julia, she works in PR, she’ll be good for advice.’

  Pearl looked around at these women, these old friends, and felt the force of the determination and their love for Nancy. The council didn’t know what was about to hit them.

  Chapter 15

  ‘I’M WORRIED ABOUT HER,’ MAIA SAID.

  Silence.

  ‘Freddie!’

  He looked up guiltily from his phone. ‘What?’

  ‘I’m speaking to you,’ Maia said, feeling stupidly close to tears. He was always staring at that bloody phone. It was like a barrier he put up between them so he didn’t have to listen to her. She missed him so much at times like this, and yet the big lu
mp was right there. Here and far away, that seemed to be her marriage now. ‘I said, I’m worried about Pearl.’

  ‘Pearl?’ Freddie said, clearly tuning in for the first time. ‘Why?’

  ‘Seth has gone on his last tour of duty. By Christmas he’ll be retired. I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but she keeps shutting down. It’s as if she can’t bear to think about it.’

  ‘Jesus, who’d blame her?’ Freddie said. ‘I’d rather be thrown into the gorillas’ den in the zoo than put alone in a house with that fella for any length of time. He’s so army, he can’t adjust to just being normal. Remember that time he told me he’d teach me how to polish me shoes properly! I nearly decked him.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Maia, frowning. ‘You’re right. I feel so sorry for her. And I’ve never been convinced that she actually loves him. He hides behind his holier than thou soldier crap, but at the end of the day I don’t like the first thing about him. I’ve always felt there’s stuff going on behind closed doors over there that the rest of us don’t know about.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll just have to stay close and let Pearl know I’m there if she wants to talk.’

  ‘Right,’ said Freddie, picking up his phone again, ‘so is that what you wanted to talk to me about? I’ll just head into the . . .’

  ‘Oh no,’ said Maia. ‘You’re not locking yourself in that study. I’ve two more things to talk to you about. I think you can give me ten minutes of your precious time.’

  Freddie sighed and put his phone on the table. ‘Two things. Right, hit me.’

  Maia wanted to fling her arms around his neck and kiss him long and hard, to try to bring him back to her, but she pushed down that urge and sat down opposite him.

  ‘The party,’ she said. ‘Just so you’re up-to-date on things, I’ve sorted almost everything now. They’re making us a marquee, and I’ve everything picked to go into it. I called that guy you recommended, and he’s sending bar staff, glasses, the whole works. And the caterers are going to serve on the night as well as do all the cooking and everything. Invites have gone out now, and I’ve started getting replies, but I just wanted to double-check your invite list because it seemed short. So can you go through it again and add anyone else you want?’