Despite the Angels (37 page)

“Okay, Lucy, organise your day and do something useful with it,” she said to herself as she showered. So she went to the supermarket and the butcher’s and bought some steak for dinner. At four o’clock she had finished all the housework, not difficult in a house with as little furniture as they had and was sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee, doing the Simplex crossword. The phone rang. It was Jen.

“You busy tonight?”

“I don’t know, Martin’s out at training. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“Well, if you can, come round for dinner. Peter’s coming over, and Sarah and Mark. It’ll stretch, you don’t have to let me know till later,” Jen paused. “Luce, are you OK?”

“I’m fine,” Lucy straightened up. “Just did all the housework. A bit tired, I suppose, wrenching people this way and that all week and then hoovering all day.”

“I’m glad I’m not one of your patients,” Jen laughed, “it sounds painful!”

“Figure of speech.”

“Yes. OK, Hope we’ll see you.” Jen rang off.

“Put the steak in the freezer section. Now. And plan to go out to Jen’s. Martin will go if you’re decided. Go on.”
  Lucy went to the fridge and took out the meat. She held it for a moment, then opened the little freezer section and rammed it in, on top of the bag of peas. She shut the fridge and looked at it, why did I do that, she wondered, after going out to get it?

“Because just occasionally you hear your old friend. About something trivial like going out to dinner, but it gives me hope. Now, go and have a long hot bath, and relax. You’ll enjoy the evening.”

At half past seven Lucy phoned Jen.

“I’m sorry, Jen, I don’t think I can come. Martin isn’t back.”

“Come on your own?”

“How would I get there, I’ve no car.”

“Maybe I can get Mark to swing by you. I’ll give them a buzz, if they haven’t left yet.” Jen rang off. Lucy heard Martin’s key in the door and ran into the hall.

“We’re invited to Jen’s for dinner!”

“Oh, God, Lucy, I’m knackered. I don’t want to go anywhere. Been with the lads all afternoon. Had a few. Just want to sleep. After dinner.” He pushed past her into the living room and spreadeagled himself on the couch. “What is for dinner?”

“Well, it was steak, but I put it into the freezer after Jen phoned. I think she’s probably doing spag bol, she said it would stretch. Come on, I’ll drive.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No. I’d prefer steak with my wife to spag bol with her friends and their dreary boyfriends.”

“They aren’t dreary and the steak is frozen now.”

“Go out for fish and chips, so. Like I said, I’d prefer to be with my wife.”

“He had that chance all day, Lucy. Go on, you’re ready to go out and have a fun evening.”

“I’d like a fun evening.”

“Can’t we have a fun evening together?” Martin reached out, grabbed Lucy’s hand and pulled her towards the couch. “I know a great game for two people. Did I ever tell you about it?” His hand pushed up under her blouse. Lucy giggled.

“Oh dear. We’re still at that stage. Go on, enjoy!” Trynor left.

Lucy was sewing a sheet together to make a ghost outfit. Big tacking stitches, just enough to last the night. And I’m not going to be naked underneath, not at his rugby club. So if it rips I’ll be safe. I won’t need make-up, if I’m as pale as I feel. At least it’s not in the morning, I would be useless at a morning party. Martin came in, dressed entirely in black plastic, with red horns on his head and a long forked tail.

“How do I look?”

“Ravishing. But you’ll melt in that. Bring some ordinary clothes in the car, to change into.”

“I can’t wear ordinary clothes to a Halloween party. Everyone will be dressed up. Is that all you’re doing?”

“I’ve been at work all week. And you know I’m not feeling great. I’m looking forward to lying in in the morning. Dry toast and nothing to do.”

“You wanted to be pregnant.”

“Doesn’t stop me feeling sick. You try it sometime.”

“He did, more than once. And once he had appalling vomiting. Died of it. Roki was telling me. It shocked them both. You don’t look as pale as you think. You’re nearly at twelve weeks, it will be better soon. Put some white stuff on your fac
e, and enjoy the party. Roki loves parties even more than I do. It could be a good night.”

Dawn was looking for Mohmi. It would have been enough just to call her, but Dawn was playing, trying to guess where Mohmi might be and going to each place in turn. There were some places she could not follow her, where Mohmi would be private; or she might be on earth looking after one of her other humans, so she had not found her yet. She had some wonderful news to share. Eventually her excitement got the better of her and she called, very gently.

“Mohmi?”

“Yes?” Mohmi was there beside her. “Have you a problem?”

“Well, I had a small one, I was trying to find you…”

“Hide and seek again? You would think you had never had an adult life, the way you love the childhood games.” Mohmi wrapped some of her energy around Dawn and hugged. Dawn leant into the embrace.

“I met Trynor while I was looking for you. Then it got more important to find you. Did he tell you? Lucy is pregnant. So I need to know, can I have that body? Please?”

“We’ll have to think about it, discuss it with Trynor and Jotin. And Roki. Come on.”

The three guides were waiting. Mohmi greeted them, then asked them if it was suitable for Dawn to listen to the discussion. They agreed and showed her where to sit, a little separated from the four guides, but able to join in if invited. She listened avidly to the discussion about her next life.

“Well, really I don’t see what it has to do with Jotin at all,” said Roki, “David is married to someone else, with their own children. This baby is my Martin’s.”

“And Lucy’s. And she’s meant to be with Dawn. Has Martin any souls he has unfinished business with who are free at the moment?”

“Not now.” Roki grinned. “Not now that he has got his girl.”

“And do you think that will be the end of that? You’re a bit naïve if you do.” Jotin was puzzled. Roki was quiet for a moment, as he thought about it.

“No,” he answered eventually. “It’s complex, isn’t it? Martin is completely happy right now, but it’s not really right. I should have known. I get carried away, sometimes. I’m sorry.”

“That’s OK,” said Trynor. “WE all know it can be put right. It’s just that this time, Jo and I really want Lucy and David together, to raise Dawn. Then we can be relaxed about their next lives. See if they can produce anything more significant than beautiful vases together.”

“Cold fusion?” Roki’s tone was sarcastic.

“If we knew what, we could do it ourselves. Alexander Fleming’s guide didn’t know anything about penicillin. Found it quite mystifying actually, all her own lives had been in societies with witch doctors.”

“So you don’t know what you’re doing at all, then?”

“Look, Roki,” Jotin was firm, “it is perfectly simple. This life was arranged so that Lucy and David could get together and enjoy a whole life, instead of those three interrupted ones. Then you wrecked the plan, Lucy got confused and is having a baby with the wrong man.”

“Plenty of people do the wrong things,” grumbled Roki.

“Yes and plenty of guides work themselves to a frazzle trying to stop them,” said Mohmi, “It’s up to all of us to accentuate the positives. Actually, I think I remember a song the humans used to have about that.” She began to hum.

“So, do we have any idea whether Dawn should take this one?” Trynor looked around the guides and then smiled at Dawn.

“I’d be a bit nervous of it, really,” said Jotin, “We can’t be sure of getting them together. If they don’t, Dawn will only be with Lucy and she’s done that before.”

Trynor turned to Jotin. “Do you think we’ll be able to get them away from Kathleen and Martin?”

“Hey, hold on a minute!” Roki was on his feet. “Are you trying to ge
t her away from Martin now? While he’s happy?”

Trynor sighed. “Oh, Roki, I thought you understood. It is a mistake. Just because Neil wants to get his own back on Lewis for getting his own back, he goes and marries Lucy this time. Neither of them should be together. You know that. We have been discussing it for four thousand years. You agree with me, mostly. Why not now?”

“Because I see him happy now. It’s hard to resist. He makes such trouble for himself, he’s not happy too often.”

“Well, you should help him to work on that. Stop him depending on other people to make him happy.”

“I’ll try.” Roki sat down and put his head in his hands. “Just don’t take her from us just yet.”

“I don’t think I could,” Trynor looked at Mohmi, “So what do you think, listening to us all bickering?”

“I think Dawn should wait. You might get them free. Let’s give it a while. Have you any other souls in mind for this baby?”

“Yes,” said Trynor, “Quite a few possibilities. We’ll have a chat, see who would be most helpful to Lucy in this situation, or who could get most out of it. Sorry, Dawn. I hope it will work out, and we’ll be working with you soon.” Trynor went over to Dawn and wrapped her in energy. Jotin joined them and the two guides stood for a while with Dawn, exchanging love and good wishes. Then Dawn moved away, smiling at them all.

“It’s a pity for me, but listening to you, I think you’re right. Let me know when it’s the right time. I’ll be around.” She flickered and her light went out.

“Probably gone to the library,” said Mohmi, “she likes to review old lives, to do the next one better.”

“She does them well as a result. Almost an expert. We chose well, by chance!” Trynor hugged the others. “I’d better get going. Have to hurry up on finding someone to take this new body.”

Lucy sat up a little gingerly in the high hospital bed, a bit tender after the baby’s sudden arrival. Three days early and in a great rush to be here.

“I was only here an hour and there she was,” she told Jen, who’d popped in on her lunch hour to view the new arrival, “and isn’t she beautiful?”

“She is,” said Jen, looking enviously at the pink face, its little mouth working, “and I think she thinks she’s feeding. Look!”

“She’s dreaming. Takes after her mother. I dreamt about her the night before she arrived. How she would look when she’s older.”

“What are you calling her?”

“Aisling. Because of the dreams.”

“Some of those dreams were of Dawn, how she would have looked, had she grown up. How you saw her in spirit.” Trynor was sitting close by, taking care of Lucy and standing in for Aisling’s guide, who wasn’t really needed much at this early stage, particularly when Aisling was asleep.

“It’s a pretty name.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, that’s why I like it, apart from meaning ‘dream’. Martin liked it too. We went through lots of names, he was really fussy.”

“Who was fussy?” Martin was standing in the doorway.

“You, I was just telling Jen about the struggle to find a name.”

“God yes.” Martin sat down heavily on the end of the bed. Lucy moved her feet out from under him.

“Some of your ideas were really crap,” she said.

“And I didn’t like yours, so it was even.”

“Not really, I only had two other ideas, you produced loads of weird names.”

“Trying to be helpful.”

“By suggesting Jezebel?”

Jen sniggered. “You didn’t, seriously?”

“Why not, it sounds pretty?”

“The poor kid would have been bullied at school as soon as they found out what it meant.”

“What does it mean then?”

“Please Martin, not again. We went through all this before. She’s Aisling and she’s lovely.” Lucy leant back and closed her eyes. Jen stood up.

“I’ll go, and let you get a rest.” She leant forward and kissed Lucy, an unusual gesture from an old classmate, but one that Lucy suddenly felt very glad of. “Bye. Bye Martin.”

“Bye.” Martin moved further up the bed till he was sitting at Lucy’s hips. She shunted a little further over, to release the tension of the blanket pulling her down. “I’ve some great news, Lucy. Our lives are going to change!”

“Yes, everyone has told me. A baby changes everything.”

“No, not that. I’ve signed on for a new course in jewellery making. Starts in September.”

“What?” Lucy opened her eyes and looked at him. Martin was smiling at her. “An evening course?”

“Of sorts. It’s a full time evening course. Leads to a diploma.  It’s handy - the new College in Donnybrook - so I can go straight to the course after work each evening. And it’s some weekends. Pretty intensive, must be good. Their brochure is very impressive.”

“What are you talking about? Since when did you want to make jewellery?”

“Since he envied you when you came back as Alessia from Malatos with the gold pin for your mother and he saw how she looked at you with admiration and respect,” Roki said from the end of the bed, “and this time he’s going to do it.”