Alice to stay if you liked. You only needed to ask. There was no need to hide.’
Veronica spoke coldly. ‘I wouldn’t have permitted it, Sheila. Her home is in Dublin now. Alice belongs with me. And I’d like to point out that I have a very busy schedule. I have lots more to do than driving down here to reclaim my errant daughter. I have to say this is all very inconvenient.’
That made me really, really cross. Alice’s world was falling apart, and all her mother could think of was her schedule. She probably had to cancel a hair appointment or a session at the nail bar or something. I felt like hitting her, or stamping my foot or something, but since I was in enoughtrouble already, I just held my breath and looked at the ground.
Just then, Rosie appeared down the stairs. ‘Alith,’ she said, and she put her hands up to Alice, hoping to be picked up. Alice just rubbed her hair in a distracted kind of way. Rosie persisted, jumping up and down, repeating, ‘Alith, Alith, up.’ Mum picked Rosie up and cuddled her.
I put my head down. Suddenly it was clear to me that Alice and I had been wasting our time. Our plan was never going to work. There was no hope of her moving back to Limerick. Alice could have stayed hidden in my room for weeks, or even months, but still it would have made no difference. Nothing we did would ever change her mum’s mind.
And then I started to cry. I knew that Alice had more reason to cry than me, but she just stood quietly between her mother and her father, saying nothing. I couldn’t stop crying though. Big fat tears rolled down my face, and drippedonto my sweatshirt. I felt sad and angry and small and stupid. Mum put one hand on my shoulder, and squeezed it gently.
That small gesture gave me the courage to speak. I took a deep breath and the words came tumbling out. ‘All we wanted was for Alice to come back here to Limerick. It’s not fair. All her friends are here. Her dad is here. She’s supposed to be at school here. This is her home. She shouldn’t have to leave. It’s wrong. It’s cruel.’
I looked at Veronica. ‘How could you do this to her? If you loved her, you wouldn’t make her leave.’
I stopped then. I wasn’t sorry I’d said the words, but I was very afraid at what would happen next.
Veronica took a step towards me. Her high heels clicked loudly on the wooden floor. She held up one hand. Her fingernails were painted with perfect black and white stripes. For a moment, I thought she was going to hit me. Then she stepped back again. ‘You’re two verysilly, immature, selfish girls. You only think of yourselves.’
Just like you then, you nasty cow.
This time I kept the words inside my head.
Veronica spoke quietly. ‘Come on, Alice, come with me.’
With that she pulled Alice by the arm, and they headed off down our garden path, and towards Alice’s house.
‘Bye-bye, Alith,’ said Rosie. But Alice didn’t look back.
Alice’s dad, Peter, was still hovering awkwardly in the hall. Mum looked at him. ‘I’m sorry about all this, Peter. I had no idea what was going on, you know.’
He smiled, a tired kind of smile. ‘Of course, Sheila. It wasn’t your fault, or Megan’s I’m sure. Alice is very strong-willed, you know. And the move has been very upsetting for her. It’s been upsetting for all of us. We….’
He stopped. Then he smiled a sad kind ofsmile. ‘Well, thanks. I’d better go home and see what’s happening.’ I had a funny feeling he’d have been happier to stay there in our hallway, where it was warm and safe.
Mum spoke again. ‘Before you go, Peter, please tell me one thing. How did you know Alice was here?’
He shrugged. ‘I went to the tennis club for a drink last night, and one of the lads mentioned that his daughter had seen Megan and Alice on the Ennis Road, yesterday afternoon. Of course, I said he must have been mistaken, that Alice was in Dublin with her mother. But then Veronica phoned me at work first thing this
Veronica spoke coldly. ‘I wouldn’t have permitted it, Sheila. Her home is in Dublin now. Alice belongs with me. And I’d like to point out that I have a very busy schedule. I have lots more to do than driving down here to reclaim my errant daughter. I have to say this is all very inconvenient.’
That made me really, really cross. Alice’s world was falling apart, and all her mother could think of was her schedule. She probably had to cancel a hair appointment or a session at the nail bar or something. I felt like hitting her, or stamping my foot or something, but since I was in enoughtrouble already, I just held my breath and looked at the ground.
Just then, Rosie appeared down the stairs. ‘Alith,’ she said, and she put her hands up to Alice, hoping to be picked up. Alice just rubbed her hair in a distracted kind of way. Rosie persisted, jumping up and down, repeating, ‘Alith, Alith, up.’ Mum picked Rosie up and cuddled her.
I put my head down. Suddenly it was clear to me that Alice and I had been wasting our time. Our plan was never going to work. There was no hope of her moving back to Limerick. Alice could have stayed hidden in my room for weeks, or even months, but still it would have made no difference. Nothing we did would ever change her mum’s mind.
And then I started to cry. I knew that Alice had more reason to cry than me, but she just stood quietly between her mother and her father, saying nothing. I couldn’t stop crying though. Big fat tears rolled down my face, and drippedonto my sweatshirt. I felt sad and angry and small and stupid. Mum put one hand on my shoulder, and squeezed it gently.
That small gesture gave me the courage to speak. I took a deep breath and the words came tumbling out. ‘All we wanted was for Alice to come back here to Limerick. It’s not fair. All her friends are here. Her dad is here. She’s supposed to be at school here. This is her home. She shouldn’t have to leave. It’s wrong. It’s cruel.’
I looked at Veronica. ‘How could you do this to her? If you loved her, you wouldn’t make her leave.’
I stopped then. I wasn’t sorry I’d said the words, but I was very afraid at what would happen next.
Veronica took a step towards me. Her high heels clicked loudly on the wooden floor. She held up one hand. Her fingernails were painted with perfect black and white stripes. For a moment, I thought she was going to hit me. Then she stepped back again. ‘You’re two verysilly, immature, selfish girls. You only think of yourselves.’
Just like you then, you nasty cow.
This time I kept the words inside my head.
Veronica spoke quietly. ‘Come on, Alice, come with me.’
With that she pulled Alice by the arm, and they headed off down our garden path, and towards Alice’s house.
‘Bye-bye, Alith,’ said Rosie. But Alice didn’t look back.
Alice’s dad, Peter, was still hovering awkwardly in the hall. Mum looked at him. ‘I’m sorry about all this, Peter. I had no idea what was going on, you know.’
He smiled, a tired kind of smile. ‘Of course, Sheila. It wasn’t your fault, or Megan’s I’m sure. Alice is very strong-willed, you know. And the move has been very upsetting for her. It’s been upsetting for all of us. We….’
He stopped. Then he smiled a sad kind ofsmile. ‘Well, thanks. I’d better go home and see what’s happening.’ I had a funny feeling he’d have been happier to stay there in our hallway, where it was warm and safe.
Mum spoke again. ‘Before you go, Peter, please tell me one thing. How did you know Alice was here?’
He shrugged. ‘I went to the tennis club for a drink last night, and one of the lads mentioned that his daughter had seen Megan and Alice on the Ennis Road, yesterday afternoon. Of course, I said he must have been mistaken, that Alice was in Dublin with her mother. But then Veronica phoned me at work first thing this
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