what’s going on with that girl lately – she’s as moody as she was as a teenager, and I don’t know when I last saw Lucy but there’s nothing new there. You’ll have to give me all the news. And how are you, Keith? You’re very quiet.’ Mum was in great form. It’s when she goes quiet that I get worried.
‘I’m great, Mrs Delahunty, really great.’
‘Well, that’s good. I get so worried about ye young people. There’s always a drama somewhere. And how are your parents? Is your father recovered from that cold? If you ask me it’s the flu injection that causes the colds. They can tell me anything they like, I know what’s happening. He’s recovered so?’
‘He has, yes. He’s in great form again.’
‘That’s good. Kate, you’re looking a little peaky. But there’s a surprise. I told you to take those vitamins. You need something to build you up when you won’t eat properly. Isn’t it true, Keith? I keep telling her but she never listens. Now, where’s my balloon whisk?’
At this point I had to sit down even though my mother believes you should only sit down to eat. Soon we would be getting the idleness-of-youth speech. I keep trying to tell my mother that none of us is all that youthful any more but she never listens. I asked her if there was any coffee and she told me it was too late in the day for coffee, dinner would be served soon. So I sat on the edge of a kitchen chair and tried not to fall off the edge of the universe.
Keith, however, was full of good humour. ‘You have a fabulous view from your kitchen window,’ he said directly to my mother.
‘You’re right, Keith. It helps to alleviate some of the drudgery of cooking.’
‘Smells gorgeous.’
‘Oh, thank you. It’s nice to be appreciated.’
‘You must give me the recipe.’
‘It’s as simple as anything. I’ll write it down for you before you go.’
I’d find Keith’s appreciation of my mother and her kitchen truly sickening if he wasn’t truly genuine. What a great son-in-law he’ll make.
Suddenly there was a commotion at the kitchen door and Dad appeared with Lucy and Marion in tow. Then I had a flashback to the night before. I was holding forth in the luxury loos of O’Flaherty’s nightclub, impressing upon the two girls my need to assert myself and bring my life to the next phase. Marion tried to impress upon me that the ‘next phase’ didn’t have to be marriage – for one who rushed into marriage herself she takes it very seriously now. They must have been a little worried about me still, or maybe they were just curious.
Anyway, here everybody was, so, grabbing Keith’s arm for support, I hoisted myself up, took a deep breath and said, ‘Hey! We’re getting married!’
At first I thought the silence might kill me. My father was the first to move. ‘Well, that’s great news altogether. Congratulations!’
He gave me a soft squeeze, a bedtime squeeze, and he shook Keith’s hand heartily.
Then my mother awoke from her stupor. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘oh yes, yes, this is wonderful. My little baby getting married. Oh, yes, yes, yes.’
She hugged and kissed us both and, though I’m not absolutely sure, I think she shed a tear. All in all, given that this was the fifth time one of their daughters announced an engagement, they were suitably moved and delighted.
So, we sat down to the marvellous lamb and a very fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Dad had wanted to open a bottle of champagne but Mum persuaded him to leave it until dessert. The lamb would get nothing from the champagne and the champagne would be spoiled by the lamb. She was right, of course. As I looked round the table at everybody I was almost happy. Keith was beaming like an idiot, Mum was wearing her patented smile of satisfaction, but I’m not sure if that was for us or because the lamb was a success, and Dad was grinning into his wine, thinking I don’t know what. Lucy was getting drunk and Marion was just glad that everything was going smoothly.
Suddenly Dad decided it was time for the champagne. One of his great pleasures in life is his wine cellar. It was the first improvement he made to the house. The second was a wall-to-wall bookcase in the living room to house his books on the subject. When all the other parents were attending meetings on how to keep your