Read Online Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maeve Binchy
Tags: Fiction
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at school now so there would be tales of what divilment Phil had got up to and the threatening messages that came home about him from the Brothers.
Mikey was the second to get out. They would leave Dr Burke’s daughter up at the golf club entrance; her parents were always there of a Friday night and she’d go and join them. Then when it came to the end of the street the first drop was Mikey. He would take down Nancy Morris’s huge suitcase which weighed as light as a feather and leave it inside the bus because she and Kev Kennedy would be next out, and Kev had nothing with him ever except a parcel which he kept under his seat.
Mikey advised them all to be good and if they couldn’t they should be clever and if they couldn’t be clever then they should buy a pram. He laughed happily and closed the door behind him.
There was no light in the kitchen and no meal on the table. There was no sign of Mary and no note either. He didn’t mind not seeing Billy – his brother was usually up at the take away or in Ryan’s doing some deal with someone. But Mary?
He looked in the other rooms. His father was asleep, mouth open, wheelchair near the bed, on the chair a large chamber pot, optimistic since the old man was never able to time things so accurately.
There was a smell of disinfectant mixed with better smells. Mary had big bunches of flowers round theroom. She always said that she thought it cheered the old man up, and sometimes she had seen him stretch out and touch the flowers gently. He snored lightly, there was a night light, and a Sacred Heart lamp as well.
Then he went up the stairs quietly. The twins had bunk beds; their toys and clothes and books were all around. Phil slept in a ball with his fists clenched; Paddy was more peaceful, lying on his side. Gretta looked funny with her long straight hair brushed out. He remembered her with plaits for as long as she had been old enough to force her hair into them. She had a smile as if she was dreaming. She was a thin little thing, gawky and plain-looking but she had a smile that would tear the heart out of you. Even when she was asleep.
The door of Billy and Mary’s bedroom was open: they weren’t there. The baby round and soft like a cream bun lay in its cot near the bed. There was a lovely white lacy bedspread, and on the wall there was a picture of Our Lady in a field of flowers. It had a blue lamp lighting under it. It was called ‘Queen of the May’. Mary told Mikey once that the day she and Billy got engaged he had won a competition at a carnival where you had to throw rings over things and he had chosen that picture for her because she liked it so much.
Mikey put his small bag in his own room which was neat as anything. She always had a bright cleanpillowslip on the top as if he was the highest quality coming for the weekend. Sometimes Mikey’s mind went back to what the house had looked like in his mother’s day when they hadn’t any such style or time for it.
It was puzzling, but maybe she had gone to get him fish and chips. He waited downstairs and listened to the news on the television. And eventually he began to get worried. They never left the children all alone in the house, even though they were perfectly safe, but it was just the way they were. His anxiety increased. He walked across to the take away and to his surprise there was Mary serving. There were four people waiting for their order and only one of the young girls who worked there was behind the counter. They were working flat out.
‘Mikey, Lord is it that time already?’ She was pleased but flustered to see him.
‘Will I get behind there and give you a hand?’ He knew the way he had done it with them a few Saturday nights during the summer when they had been very busy. And the prices were on the wall.
‘Oh Mikey, would you?’ She was very grateful.
He hung up his jacket and took an apron from a drawer. In a few moments they had the crowd thinned, and Mary was able to draw
Mikey was the second to get out. They would leave Dr Burke’s daughter up at the golf club entrance; her parents were always there of a Friday night and she’d go and join them. Then when it came to the end of the street the first drop was Mikey. He would take down Nancy Morris’s huge suitcase which weighed as light as a feather and leave it inside the bus because she and Kev Kennedy would be next out, and Kev had nothing with him ever except a parcel which he kept under his seat.
Mikey advised them all to be good and if they couldn’t they should be clever and if they couldn’t be clever then they should buy a pram. He laughed happily and closed the door behind him.
There was no light in the kitchen and no meal on the table. There was no sign of Mary and no note either. He didn’t mind not seeing Billy – his brother was usually up at the take away or in Ryan’s doing some deal with someone. But Mary?
He looked in the other rooms. His father was asleep, mouth open, wheelchair near the bed, on the chair a large chamber pot, optimistic since the old man was never able to time things so accurately.
There was a smell of disinfectant mixed with better smells. Mary had big bunches of flowers round theroom. She always said that she thought it cheered the old man up, and sometimes she had seen him stretch out and touch the flowers gently. He snored lightly, there was a night light, and a Sacred Heart lamp as well.
Then he went up the stairs quietly. The twins had bunk beds; their toys and clothes and books were all around. Phil slept in a ball with his fists clenched; Paddy was more peaceful, lying on his side. Gretta looked funny with her long straight hair brushed out. He remembered her with plaits for as long as she had been old enough to force her hair into them. She had a smile as if she was dreaming. She was a thin little thing, gawky and plain-looking but she had a smile that would tear the heart out of you. Even when she was asleep.
The door of Billy and Mary’s bedroom was open: they weren’t there. The baby round and soft like a cream bun lay in its cot near the bed. There was a lovely white lacy bedspread, and on the wall there was a picture of Our Lady in a field of flowers. It had a blue lamp lighting under it. It was called ‘Queen of the May’. Mary told Mikey once that the day she and Billy got engaged he had won a competition at a carnival where you had to throw rings over things and he had chosen that picture for her because she liked it so much.
Mikey put his small bag in his own room which was neat as anything. She always had a bright cleanpillowslip on the top as if he was the highest quality coming for the weekend. Sometimes Mikey’s mind went back to what the house had looked like in his mother’s day when they hadn’t any such style or time for it.
It was puzzling, but maybe she had gone to get him fish and chips. He waited downstairs and listened to the news on the television. And eventually he began to get worried. They never left the children all alone in the house, even though they were perfectly safe, but it was just the way they were. His anxiety increased. He walked across to the take away and to his surprise there was Mary serving. There were four people waiting for their order and only one of the young girls who worked there was behind the counter. They were working flat out.
‘Mikey, Lord is it that time already?’ She was pleased but flustered to see him.
‘Will I get behind there and give you a hand?’ He knew the way he had done it with them a few Saturday nights during the summer when they had been very busy. And the prices were on the wall.
‘Oh Mikey, would you?’ She was very grateful.
He hung up his jacket and took an apron from a drawer. In a few moments they had the crowd thinned, and Mary was able to draw
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