to the dozen all the way to Aldi, spouting random nonsense about the neighbour’s daughter who had just split up with her husband.
I found myself zoning out. Mum was forever gossiping about the neighbours, and
also relating inane trivia about the people she played bridge with to me. Only when we stopped at the car park of the supermarket did she pause for breath and that was just to ask me whether I had a two-euro coin for the trolley.
“Mum!” I burst out. “Bernadette arrived today and put her case in her room and then went out and I haven’t seen her since.”
My mother turned and frowned at me. “What are you talking about, darling? Who on earth is Bernadette?”
She went to open the passenger door. I instinctively grabbed her upper arm. “No, wait! I need your advice. Bernadette is the Irish au pair I was telling you about. She arrived today on the train and then she said she was going out to meet another family.”
“She what?”
“She just came and then left and said she’d be back later. She said she would choose a family at the end of the week.”
My mother pushed her sunglasses back on top of her highlighted head of hair. “Well,” she said calmly, “let her stay with one of the other families then while she’s deciding.”
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Thank God! At least another human being had just confirmed that the feeling I had in my heart was right. “So what do you think I should do?”
“It’s very simple. Did you give her a key?”
“No, I’m not that daft.”
“Well, then, it is very easy,” Mum said pragmatically. “If this girl, Bernadette, is waiting on the doorstep when you get back you must tell her that you are not running a free hotel for job-hunters.”
“And if she’s not there?”
“If she’s not, then . . . I presume you have her phone number?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, you ring her and tell her to come and collect her suitcase. Now come on, we don’t have much time to get the groceries.”
CHAPTER TEN
“Hello, Bernadette? Is that you?”
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“It’s Kaylah. I’m just wondering where you are?”
Despite my mother’s advice, I hadn’t rung Bernadette when I got back to the apartment. I had waited throughout the afternoon and into the early evening – I suppose in the hope she might turn up and tell me I’d got it wrong and it was all a misunderstanding.
It sounded as though Bernadette was in a very noisy place. A crowded bar, perhaps?
“Oh hi, hang on a minute – I need to step outside so I can hear you.”
There was a pause. I took a deep breath and waited patiently. Really, this girl was turning out to be something else. If I told anyone this was happening they probably
wouldn’t even believe it.
“Hello?” She was back.
“Hi, Bernadette. I am wondering what you want me to do with your suitcase?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you can’t leave it here,” I insisted.
There was a longer pause this time. “Is everything okay, Kaylah?” she then asked as though I was the one with the problem.
“Bernadette, I offered you a job based on your CV and our telephone conversation. I didn’t say it was okay to just dump your stuff here and go out partying.”
“Partying?” She sounded stunned. “I’m just meeting my cousin for a drink. She’s just come home from Australia and I haven’t seen her in over a year.”
“I’m sorry, Bernadette, but your social life has really got nothing to do with me. I am tired after the long day I’ve had and all the messing about has left me feeling very frustrated. I am therefore going to bed early and I cannot stay up to let you in to collect your case.”
“But why would I be collecting my stuff? I thought we had an arrangement?”
“So did I – I thought the arrangement was
I found myself zoning out. Mum was forever gossiping about the neighbours, and
also relating inane trivia about the people she played bridge with to me. Only when we stopped at the car park of the supermarket did she pause for breath and that was just to ask me whether I had a two-euro coin for the trolley.
“Mum!” I burst out. “Bernadette arrived today and put her case in her room and then went out and I haven’t seen her since.”
My mother turned and frowned at me. “What are you talking about, darling? Who on earth is Bernadette?”
She went to open the passenger door. I instinctively grabbed her upper arm. “No, wait! I need your advice. Bernadette is the Irish au pair I was telling you about. She arrived today on the train and then she said she was going out to meet another family.”
“She what?”
“She just came and then left and said she’d be back later. She said she would choose a family at the end of the week.”
My mother pushed her sunglasses back on top of her highlighted head of hair. “Well,” she said calmly, “let her stay with one of the other families then while she’s deciding.”
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Thank God! At least another human being had just confirmed that the feeling I had in my heart was right. “So what do you think I should do?”
“It’s very simple. Did you give her a key?”
“No, I’m not that daft.”
“Well, then, it is very easy,” Mum said pragmatically. “If this girl, Bernadette, is waiting on the doorstep when you get back you must tell her that you are not running a free hotel for job-hunters.”
“And if she’s not there?”
“If she’s not, then . . . I presume you have her phone number?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, you ring her and tell her to come and collect her suitcase. Now come on, we don’t have much time to get the groceries.”
CHAPTER TEN
“Hello, Bernadette? Is that you?”
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“It’s Kaylah. I’m just wondering where you are?”
Despite my mother’s advice, I hadn’t rung Bernadette when I got back to the apartment. I had waited throughout the afternoon and into the early evening – I suppose in the hope she might turn up and tell me I’d got it wrong and it was all a misunderstanding.
It sounded as though Bernadette was in a very noisy place. A crowded bar, perhaps?
“Oh hi, hang on a minute – I need to step outside so I can hear you.”
There was a pause. I took a deep breath and waited patiently. Really, this girl was turning out to be something else. If I told anyone this was happening they probably
wouldn’t even believe it.
“Hello?” She was back.
“Hi, Bernadette. I am wondering what you want me to do with your suitcase?”
“Huh?”
“Well, you can’t leave it here,” I insisted.
There was a longer pause this time. “Is everything okay, Kaylah?” she then asked as though I was the one with the problem.
“Bernadette, I offered you a job based on your CV and our telephone conversation. I didn’t say it was okay to just dump your stuff here and go out partying.”
“Partying?” She sounded stunned. “I’m just meeting my cousin for a drink. She’s just come home from Australia and I haven’t seen her in over a year.”
“I’m sorry, Bernadette, but your social life has really got nothing to do with me. I am tired after the long day I’ve had and all the messing about has left me feeling very frustrated. I am therefore going to bed early and I cannot stay up to let you in to collect your case.”
“But why would I be collecting my stuff? I thought we had an arrangement?”
“So did I – I thought the arrangement was
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