The Perfect Gift

by Emma Hannigan

  ‘So what brings you to me?’ Nell asked. The girl stared at her in silence. Her elfin features, round chestnut eyes and stringy, matted hair made her look like a little woodland creature. Her skin was sallow and the dark circles under her eyes made her look wretched.

  ‘Do you speak English?’ she asked, suddenly thinking she could be foreign. The girl nodded.

  ‘Tea?’ Nell asked. ‘Toast? Scrambled eggs and bacon?’ The girl nodded again. ‘Sit down there and make yourself comfortable,’ she said, pretending she didn’t notice the awkwardness.

  The pot walloping was a welcome icebreaker as Nell worked swiftly. She glanced over quickly and realised the girl was shivering. Nell grabbed one of her well-loved cashmere throws and draped it gently around the girl’s shoulders. She flinched and moved only a fraction away from her touch.

  ‘I’m not going to do anything to you,’ Nell said. ‘You’re the one who landed on my doorstep, don’t forget.’

  There was still no response so Nell made a pot of tea.

  ‘You’re lucky I hadn’t eaten yet. I hate cooking, so you mightn’t have been quite so lucky if you’d turned up later.’

  She held out a full plate of eggs. The girl didn’t look up or even acknowledge her.

  ‘Hey, wakey-wakey,’ she said. A grubby hand and stringy arm reached out and took the plate. The hollow eyes looked up and she tossed her head back ever so slightly in thanks.

  ‘I’m not the world’s best chef. But I’m guessing after a night out in that weather, anything would be pretty darn delicious right now.’

  The girl nodded again. She picked up her knife and fork and ate hungrily. She was clearly starving but well able to use cutlery and although she was obviously thirsty, she didn’t slurp her tea either.

  As soon as the plate was cleared, she rested the knife and fork together.

  ‘Thanks,’ she whispered.

  ‘Where are you from?’ Nell asked. The girl shrugged. ‘I won’t tell on you. I just need to know if someone is missing you. Maybe there’s someone you should phone?’

  She shook her head again and looked tortured.

  ‘Surely somebody would like to know where you are?’

  She shook her head. The look of utter desolation on her face was like looking in a mirror many years ago.

  ‘Do you have a name?’ The girl looked directly at Nell. She was about to speak but instead dropped her gaze and looked at the table.

  ‘Are you in some kind of trouble?’ Nell asked.

  She shook her head emphatically.

  ‘So you’re not on the run or anything like that?’ She shook her head again. ‘Do you have parents?’ She raised one shoulder. ‘Well either you do or you don’t,’ Nell said. ‘I’m not a patient person. This blood out of a stone style of conversation doesn’t bode well with me. Tell me a few things and I’ll stop asking. If we can’t be straight with each other, I’ll have to send you on your way. I have a good set-up here. I don’t need a little string of misery like you landing in and messing it all up.’

  ‘Ma’s died. Da and the brothers won’t miss me,’ she said in a thick Dublin accent.

  Nell inhaled deeply. She hadn’t heard that inner-city accent for so many years.

  ‘Dublin northside, I take it?’ Nell said. Her eyes flicked up in shock. Nell put her hand out and laid it gently on the table close to the girl’s small grimy one. ‘It’s OK, I recognise your accent, that’s all. I ran from the same place a long time ago. I lived in The Fairways. Do you know it?’

  Tears flowed silently down the girl’s cheeks as she bit her bottom lip and nodded.

  ‘It’s OK,’ Nell said. ‘There’s life after the flats.’

  The girl managed to compose herself while Nell cleared the dishes. She flicked on the radio for a bit of diversion. The sound of deep growling thunder outside brought Nell to the window.

  ‘I’ve to go upstairs to the observatory. Part of my job is to report on the weather. Although you’d need to be deranged to not know there’s a storm ripping in this direction.’

  The girl still didn’t move or speak. ‘I’ll be up there. Follow if you want. Would you like to take a shower and I’ll find you something clean and dry to put on?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Right, follow me so. Don’t rob anything or I’ll track you down and you’ll be sorry, you hear?’

  Nell walked toward her room and the girl followed.

  ‘These clothes aren’t what you’d call high fashion,’ she explained as she found a cotton turtleneck, a pair of leggings and a long cardigan with buttons up the front. ‘I’ve no bras to fit you, but these pants and socks will do for now. They’re clean and dry, which is more than can be said for your own.’

  She left the pile of clothes on the windowsill in the bathroom and handed the girl a towel.

  ‘Take your time. There’s plenty of hot water. I won’t call anyone and I won’t do anything to get you into trouble. If you feel like talking when you come out, that’s up to you. If you want to leave, that’s fine too. Just let me know if you’re going so I can bolt the door. If you want your clothes washed, bring them out when you’re changed, right?’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘No worries. I’ll be up there as I said.’

  Nell heard the gentle murmur of the shower pump a few moments later. Even though they looked nothing like one another, this little waif reminded her of her young self. She hoped the girl hadn’t been abused or mistreated, and most of all she wondered how on earth she had ended up in her boiler house. She half expected her to steal the clothes and run. Thinking it might help, Nell found two twenty euro notes and left them on the small hall table inside the front door. If she planned to run off again, the girl would need food.

  Nell clambered back up the stairs and continued with her work while wondering what would happen next.

  Chapter 10

  It was a week since Mr Grace’s announcement. Róisín hated starting a day exhausted, but that, unfortunately, was how she felt today.

  The best solution she’d come up with was the possibility of making Mr Grace an offer to buy the building outright. She’d toyed with that plan in her own head a number of times before. She had been reluctant to spend any serious cash on aesthetics seeing as it wasn’t her building. So this way, it could all work out for the best. She remembered her mother’s words in the letter: Seize every moment … Let your passions soar … That was it exactly – she just needed to take her courage in her hands and give it her best shot. Nourriture was her passion and her life. She needed to stand up and fight for it now.

  Feeling brighter, she decided she’d put in a call to the bank and make an appointment. Surely if she could dangle a cash carrot for the landlord, he’d snap it up? Of course, she didn’t know what the other buyer was offering, but …

  There was no time for pondering on it now. The local primary schools were having a fund-raising day and the entire village were getting involved. The money would go toward expanding the community centre.

  Róisín was going to be setting up a food tent. She’d rolled out the concept at several festivals last summer and it had made more money than she’d ever imagined. This time, she’d invested in two hotplates so she could make fresh crepes to attract the children as well as the more foodie adults. She forced herself to concentrate on the here and now and checked off the list of cured meats, sundried tomatoes, olives, cheeses, breads and pastries that would line the tent.

  ‘Are the quiches out of the oven yet, Brigid?’ she called into the kitchen.

  ‘Just this minute,’ she said. ‘The fruit crumbles and tarts are about five minutes from being done too.’

  ‘You’re a superstar,’ she said with a smile. ‘I’ll go on over with the foods that are ready.’

  ‘Most of it is already in place,’ Brigid said. ‘I sent the strapping young lads on a mission. You’ll probably need to go and make sure they haven’t drop-kicked it all from the door of the tent. They’re great work horses, but
most of them wouldn’t notice if the quiches were upside down or if the Westphalia ham was draped over a chocolate cake.’

  Róisín laughed as she scooped up a neatly stacked pyramid of cupcakes on a wide board.

  ‘There are another sixty cupcakes on the way,’ Brigid said, reading her mind.

  ‘Thank you. I love you. You know that, don’t you?’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Brigid said, smiling at her. ‘See you in a few.’

  Róisín couldn’t bear the thought of having to tell her incredible staff that they mightn’t have jobs any longer. Brigid was meant to start work at eight each morning, but it wasn’t unusual for her to be there by seven, especially on a day like today. She never moaned and was always enthusiastic about trying new ingredients. She’d instantly come on board with the section for special dietary requirements when Róisín suggested it.

  ‘There’s a gluten- and dairy-free baking two-day course up in Dublin. Would you consider letting me go?’ she’d asked. Róisín booked her on and within two weeks of the suggestion they had a new table of special breads on offer, alongside the usual ones.

  A knock at the back door to the kitchen revealed a deliveryman who Róisín didn’t recognise.

  ‘I’m from the organic fruit company,’ he said. ‘I have two large juice machines with attachments for smoothies. We were meant to be here last week but the machines were delayed. Our overseas suppliers let us down.’

  ‘Oh brilliant, I totally forgot you were coming!’ she said. ‘Come on in. Things are a bit hectic today, but that’s fine.’

  ‘The machines are quite large, so where do you want me to set them up?’ he asked.

  ‘I wanted to make the juice bar over here,’ she explained. ‘I like the idea that this section can be seen from the road. I’m hoping to entice some of the many cyclists who visit.’

  ‘I get you,’ he said. ‘Good idea. I’ll get started on setting them up.’

  Róisín thanked him, then headed off across the road with the cupcakes.

  ‘Guys,’ she called out to the two students who were helping erect the tent, ‘sorry about this but I need all hands on deck in the café for fifteen minutes.’ She checked the time. ‘We have an hour before the punters will even begin to trickle in here. I promise I’ll get you a tonne of help over here once the new juice bar is sorted. I need all eyes on the demonstration too.’

  The lads downed tools and munching on warm cupcakes followed her across the road. Ballyshore was the type of place that still operated on an honesty policy, so Róisín was fairly confident that nobody would disturb the goods.

  With a bit of shifting and shouting and lots of jibing, Róisín and the staff managed to install the new juicing section. The demonstration from the supplier was quick and to the point. By the time he left, everybody had managed to take a turn and they were ready to sell juices.

  ‘I’ll write up one of the big blackboards later on this evening,’ Róisín said. ‘It’s better to have a few juices on each day. We’ll rotate them depending on what’s in season. That way they’ll be cheaper to produce and we’ll maximise on taste.’

  Knowing she needed to concentrate on the festival tent, she kept to her word and dispersed all but one member of staff across the road.

  ‘Let’s blitz this and once it’s ready to go, Eoin and Steve can take the walkie-talkies for when they’re running low on supplies.’

  Everyone seemed happy and the two lads, who were enthusiastic and there to make cash for the summer, took charge of the foodie tent. She made sure the walkie-talkies were working before stationing herself at the new crepe station.

  Mercifully, the storm and incessant rain of the previous couple of days seemed to have abated and already families were appearing on the street. She had a bird’s-eye view of the shop from where she was cooking, so Róisín was happy she could cope with even the busiest day. Jill had promised to come for the afternoon, so they’d have some fresh blood to keep everyone going.

  The rest of the morning flew as she tossed pancakes and filled them with chocolate and strawberries. Although she had some delicious savoury ideas, the children were her main customer base and all they wanted was sweet stuff.

  ‘Hello love,’ Keeley said appearing by her side. ‘The village is buzzing. I think there are twice as many people as last year!’

  ‘I know, I’ve been flat out and I know the lads have been messaging across to Nourriture to restock the tent all day.’

  ‘Good for you,’ she said. ‘I’m not staying long. I wanted to bring Billy and Jess for a few minutes. Liv is up to her tonsils in preparations. Her students are arriving tomorrow.’

  ‘God help them,’ Róisín said with a grin. ‘Knowing Liv, she’ll have them cooking and cleaning while she takes to her bed. Why are you taking the kids again?’

  ‘Ah they love it at our house. Your father is putting the finishing touches to their bunk-beds.’

  ‘Did you do a paint job on them?’ Róisín asked as she continued to toss crepes.

  ‘I certainly did. I got different duvet covers for them, too. It’s very sweet really. The top part looks like Gotham City and the bottom is like the palace from Frozen! It’s a clever way of dividing a small room and making both children feel as if they have their own area.’

  ‘Well done, Mum,’ Róisín said as she gave a customer change.

  She cooked one each for the children and wrapped them in the special cardboard cones she’d ordered.

  ‘Now you two must let me know if these are any good,’ Róisín said. ‘You’re my official testers.’

  The silence, followed by the chocolaty cheeks and wide smiles were all the praise she required.

  ‘Will you have one, Mum?’

  ‘No thanks. I need to watch my waistline!’

  ‘You haven’t a pick on you,’ Róisín said swatting her. ‘Is the B&B full?’

  ‘Booked solid for the foreseeable future, which is a great compliment. Many of the guests are returning too …’ She sighed. ‘Your father’s not much help, though. He’s having the life of Reilly. He’s taken to his retirement like a duck to water. Well, to be exact he’s spending most of his time on the water.’

  ‘With Jimmy in the boat?’ Róisín asked as she continued to serve customers.

  Before Keeley could answer, a gaggle of children burst into the tent along with Jill. The noise level rose and Róisín waved goodbye to her mum and Billy and Jess.

  She needed to have a word with Liv. While she knew their mother adored Billy and Jess, she was also extremely busy. Leaving her with them so often wasn’t fair.

  Róisín felt as if her face was becoming crispy from the heat of the hotplates, so she asked Jill to take over for a bit.

  ‘Deadly,’ she said grabbing the wooden tool for spreading the batter. ‘Wait until you see me in action. Roll up and get your crepes!’ she yelled. It was clear she had a great connection with the little ones and she was like the Pied Piper as they flocked to her and formed an orderly queue. Róisín laughed as ‘work Jill’ shone through.

  After a while longer of serving at the tent shop, she walked over to Nourriture.

  Much to her delight, the shop had been having a bumper day’s business.

  ‘My God, I figured we were stealing all the custom in the tent,’ she said to Brigid.

  ‘Not at all! I’ve had to put on another batch of sourdough. The cupcakes, croissants and cream puffs all sold out too. There are lots of fresh things coming from the oven shortly, though, so there’s no need to panic.’

  ‘Great stuff. Thanks, Brigid. I’m going to fly up to the office for ten minutes if anyone needs me. I need to do a bit of paperwork and besides, Jill is cracking her teacher whip out in the tent.’

  Taking the stairs two at a time, Róisín felt this was exactly the right time to ask for a loan. Fair enough, today was an exception to the rule, but the fact that Nourriture had the potential to sell this amount of food was heartening. In her mind she was jumping two steps ahead and en
visaging a mobile shop that could be sent out to all the music and arts festivals. Lads like Steve and Eoin were tailormade for sending off as salesmen.

  Her optimism was bolstered further by the enthusiastic lady on the other end of the phone at the bank up in Galway city. Apparently they were eager to lend and were open to discussion with anyone who had ideas.

  ‘Can I make an appointment to come and see you?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m free tomorrow morning at eleven or Tuesday of next week,’ said chirpy Sandra.

  ‘Tomorrow morning would be great,’ Róisín said. Sandra explained what the bank looked for and how many months’ paperwork she needed to bring along.

  ‘Right, I have it all written down. I have all those things in my office. I own and run Nourriture so I know the answers to all the potential questions.’

  ‘That’s great,’ said Sandra. ‘You must bring any business partners along too.’

  ‘Oh no, it’s just me,’ she said.

  It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Róisín was almost high with excitement, but forced herself to stay calm. It was too early to say anything to anybody else, but then she thought of calling her dad. He’d been steady and level when she’d needed advice in the past.

  ‘Hi love,’ he said, answering instantly. ‘I’m here with your sister having a nice cup of tea and we’re looking at the fabulous beds I made. How are things?’

  ‘All good,’ she said. ‘I was just calling to let you know that Mum should be there any second with the children.’ She didn’t want to talk about money or business while things were difficult financially for Liv and Martin.

  ‘They’ve just pulled up in the drive,’ Doug said. ‘Wait until you hear their reaction.’