Dublin 4 Read Free Page B

here?’
    ‘No, I don’t think she’s ever been here. I thought it would be nice for her … and she doesn’t live far away, in that new block of flats, so she won’t have far to go to change.’
    Sheila put down her mug of coffee.
    ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea. We don’t know her. Why ask someone we don’t know very well to a dinner? Let’s just have the six of us … it would be more friendly.’
    ‘No, I’ve asked her anyway, and I can’t think what you say that for. You’re the one who tells me to go out and meet more people.’
    ‘I didn’t tell you to go out and invite well-known artists to dinner,’ muttered Sheila.
    ‘Don’t lecture me,’ Carmel said with a laugh, and Sheila had to admit to herself that Carmel did look more cheerful and like herself than she had in the last while. She looked a bit more like the Carmel of the old days.
    ‘All right, I won’t. Let me see your cupboard cleaning. Maybe you could give something to me instead of the Vincent de Paul. I could do with it. A teacher doesn’t get paid much, God help us, when you consider how we put our lives at risk.’
    ‘How’s Martin feeling?’
    ‘Oh, he’s fine. He’s great, you know, he never complains. I’m sure he’s fed up but he never complains.’ Martin had been made redundant two years ago when two firms had merged. He had got a golden handshake. He was still only fifty-two and he expected to get another job, then he expected to write a book. Everybody else thought he was writing a book, but Sheila never lied to Carmel. To Carmel she admitted that Martin was doing the hoovering and the shopping. They pretended that Sheila loved being back in the classroom. Not many people knew how much she hated it. Her children didn’t know, not even Martin really knew. Carmel sometimes suspected, but Carmel was a long-time friend. It didn’t matter what she knew. It was just a bit worrying sometimes the things she did. Like inviting that woman to dinner. Was there a possibility that Carmel’s nerves were bad again? She sounded so well, and she looked fine. But it was the act of a madwoman.
    ‘Hey, you are doing a thorough job. You’ve taken everything out. Which is the good pile and which is the bad pile?’
    ‘I don’t know, they all seem the same. They’re like mouse clothes, aren’t they? Do you remember when we went to pantomimes years and years ago? People were dressed in mouse outfits and rat outfits … that’s what these are like!’
    ‘Carmel, you are preposterous! Of course your clothes aren’t like that, they’re smashing. Have you two of these blue cardigans?’
    ‘I think I’ve three of them. Whenever I go to a shop I can never think of anything to buy except grey skirts and blue cardigans. Have one of each.’
    ‘I mean it. Quite, quite preposterous.’
    Carmel smiled happily. Other people said ‘Don’t be silly’; Sheila said she was preposterous. It was much, much nicer.
    *   *   *
     
    ‘Well?’ Martin wanted to know.
    ‘I think she’s all right. It’s hard to know.’
    ‘You mean it was a joke about the invitation?’
    ‘No, she means it. She’s having the party, she just doesn’t want to talk about it.’
    ‘Then she’s not all right.’
    ‘I know, but she seems normal. She gave me a skirt and a cardigan.’
    ‘That makes her normal?’
    ‘No, you know what I mean. She was talking about ordinary things. She hadn’t gone off on any flight of fancy or anything …’
    ‘So did you talk her out of it?’ Martin wanted to know.
    ‘I couldn’t, she wouldn’t talk about it at all. I told you.’
    ‘Oh great,’ he sighed. ‘That’s all we need. You’re her friend, for Christ’s sake.’
    ‘Martin, I’ve had a bad day. Not just a bit of a bad day – every single bit of it was bad. I don’t want to talk about it any more. I did my best to talk to Carmel, she wouldn’t talk back, that’s all. Can’t you leave me alone!’
    ‘Yes, I know I should have had a drink