Desperately Seeking - By Evelyn Cosgrave Page 0,54
news. Did you know that Ruth’s thinking of getting a new kitchen? The one she has was never great – it’s too small. And she’s so creative in the kitchen, she needs space. She was thinking of knocking through to the dining room and making one big room of it, but it’s nice to have a formal dining room. It’s so civilized. So now she’s thinking of extending out the back. They have plenty of room – it wouldn’t take from the patio at all. She was here earlier today, you only just missed her. She was getting ideas from my kitchen. She’s going to have an architect draw up proper plans and she was wondering if she should ask Mike or not. She’d like to give him the business but he might be embarrassed. She was wondering what I thought.’
Since she paused here, I figured she was wondering what I thought. Which was that Ruth should have her head flushed down the toilet, getting my mother involved in her shady speculations like that. Yet again, I resisted saying what was on my mind.
‘Mum, Mike isn’t likely to be embarrassed either by Ruth or her kitchen, no matter how small it is. And he’s a fabulous architect, so he doesn’t need the business. Tell Ruth to do whatever her conscience tells her is right.’
Mum clearly saw my lack of sympathy for Ruth’s dilemma, but she didn’t scold me as she might. My mother has more sensitivity than her favourite daughter gives her credit for. ‘Oh, yes,’ she said, after a long pause in which she refilled our cups and started on her second fancy, ‘I knew there was something else.’
‘Oh.’ Was somebody having new wardrobes fitted?
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Anna’s paying us a visit.’
‘Anna?’ I said amazed. ‘Our Anna in New Zealand?’
‘Of course our Anna. She’s coming with Tommy and the kids in August. It’ll be around the time of your birthday. Won’t that be nice?’
I had to agree that it would. I hadn’t seen Anna in about four years, and that had been at Ruth’s wedding so I’d blocked most of it out. She hadn’t had the rest of the family with her, either. Wow! It would be nice to see her again.
‘Did you know about this?’ It was my turn to accuse Dad.
‘I knew,’ he said, ‘but family news is your mother’s domain.’
‘So when exactly is she coming?’ I asked.
‘The details aren’t clear, but some time in late August. You know the way it is with New Zealand – it’s the other side of the world so you’re losing days or gaining them, I never know which. But I remember thinking that it would coincide with your birthday so I was thinking of having a party for all the family. Though why I keep having parties for you, I don’t know.’
‘Oh, Mum, that’s a lovely idea,’ I responded, genuinely enthused, ‘but you know what would make it really special – for Anna, I mean? If you kept it to the immediate family. Just you and Dad and the six of us and the husbands and kids. Any more might be too much for Anna. We never get the chance to have time together, just the six of us – it’s always something crazy like a wedding where you never get to talk. What do you think?’ I was surprised by my own enthusiasm but I’d meant everything I said.
‘Well, actually,’ returned Mum, ‘that’s what I was thinking myself.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yes. And your father agrees.’
‘Great, then. That’s settled. It’ll take the harm out of turning thirty.’
‘You don’t look thirty,’ she said, ‘and you certainly don’t act it.’
I took this as a compliment but decided not to thank her.
Yes, sometimes it’s good to touch base with the family and rekindle a little excitement. Marion would be delighted: Anna and she have always been great friends. I was a little surprised that Mum was throwing me another party, especially after my disappointing news, but I suppose she needed an excuse and nobody else was having a significant birthday any time soon. Nor was I bothered about turning thirty, not really. I was about to be married and I was finally starting to take hold of my ‘professional’ life. I don’t think there’s very much grey under the swamp of colour in my hair and my skin seems to be justifying the expensive creams I slather on it. All in all, not too bad for a girl at the beginning of the new millennium.