by Lj McEvoy
‘Was it in the country air?’ her eyelids drunkenly drooped as she fell asleep.
Chapter 11
It was close on 3am when David entered through the back door hoping not to be heard but Jean-Pierre was sitting in his fireside chair smoking his pipe, he reached over to turn on the fireside lamp. His long body was stretched out and his soft but weather-beaten skin showed no sign of tiredness even though he would commence work on the farm at his usual 6.30am.
‘Your mother and brother are gone to bed,’ he was to the point showing David how annoyed the family was at his rudeness.
David unlike his father, did feel exhausted, his tall muscular body lurched over the kitchen worktop, with every bone in his body creaking and moaning he used the counter like a support frame. Today he got the news that the Colombian film could be postponed or even cancelled. ‘Political difficulties,’ he was informed, once the Italy job was finished he would be redundant until the next offer came along if it arrived, it was a lifestyle he didn’t need at the moment. Then there was the call to Jaqueline to tell her he was finishing their relationship, screaming at him down the phone line, he just sat there accepting all she screamed at him although he needed to hold the phone away from his ear so as not to get an earache. It was like he needed it, needed the abuse, the name-calling it was his form of punishment.
Not wanting to get into a heated debate with his father he tried an apology, ‘I’m sorry papa but I needed some fresh air. It won’t happen again, I promise.’
‘I know it won’t, this evening cannot be repeated,’ Jean-Pierre was solemn ‘oh there will be many more dinners with Lauren and her children I hope. But the first is always special, and for your mother it was extremely important,’ he pointed his pipe in David’s direction, ‘Lauren was so kind listening to your mother’s worries while you were in Paris. And why did you want to hide the fact that you could speak English? I noticed that bit of rudeness when Claude and she were trying to solve her computer problem, you could have helped with the language barrier!’
‘I’ll apologise to all tomorrow, especially Maman and Mme. Connolly,’ David wanted to end the conversation, holding up his hands in mock surrender. In a way he was glad he came home but still had that feeling he was lost, that all was running ahead of him and not with him anymore. He couldn’t talk to anyone about what was going through his mind, and wished everybody would stop looking at him so sympathetically, constantly asking if he was alright. Twice he tried to talk to Jean-Pierre while sketching in the studio but he didn’t know where to start. ‘Where do I start?’ it was a phrase that was constantly repeating in his mind.
Although he really wanted to pour his soul out to his father, he couldn’t. Did he feel too proud or too stupid, he wasn’t even sure of that. The pressure was mounting, the divorce, losing free access to his children, finishing with Jaqueline and now the Colombian project was about to collapse, David felt like he was having some sort of breakdown.
Jean-Pierre watched his son, ‘he’s putting himself through hell maybe we should give him more space to get his thoughts together.’ Knowing David wasn’t sleeping at night he thought about suggesting a visit to Dr. Silvestre but changed his mind, pills were not what were required here. Talk to me son, he wanted to say but instead he asked David what his plans were for tomorrow. David shrugged giving a disinterested response he still hadn’t taken off his jacket so Jean-Pierre tried to lighten the conversation by asking was he going to go out for more fresh air now.
David’s head jerked up, misunderstanding his father. With disbelief written all over his face he immediately stormed back out the door, slamming it behind him.
‘Why did I say that, we’re losing him and all you can do is attempt a joke about the whole situation?’ Jean-Pierre quickly got up hurrying towards the door and called out several times to David, but in the darkness of the night he couldn’t see him.
David ran, sometimes falling and clambering up to The Rock, it was his hideaway when he was in trouble as a young boy now it was his solace. Hidden by the hedgerows and trees, he could stare into the night sky and when he sat up on the rock, through small gaps in the tall trees he could watch all around him.
Nobody knew of his Rock, as a child he didn’t even share it with Claude or Joel. Many times it was his fort protecting him from the surrounding enemy, battles fought and won he was always the victor. But not feeling very victorious now as he watched 3 torchlights going through the small forest, knowing it was his family searching for him, but he couldn’t find the strength to call out to them.
‘Apologies, Apologies. I’m saying sorry to everybody lately, to Francoise, to my children, my family, to a judge and now to a crazy Irish woman I hardly know. When will it all stop David? What’s gone wrong?’ he felt alone, desperate. Eventually when the lights disappeared he knew they had given up on their search, he curled up on the ground falling into a torturous sleep.
Chapter 12
Ensuring her cell phone was in her pocket, Lauren commenced her run. She loved exercising through the fields and small forest here, it was so different to jogging in Dublin, there she had her set urban route never trailing off course, but here even if she took the same route because of the time of year the scenery and countryside was constantly changing. But having a set route here was also a way to reassure herself as sometimes she was afraid that if she changed her daily route she wouldn’t find her way back, occasionally Lauren was brave but preferred to concentrate on the terrain rather than worrying about getting lost. Everything to Lauren was changing from autumn to winter, the different aromas, the trees and plant life now starting to hide from the coldness of winter.
Of course Dublin has its beauty spots too she admitted. The magnificent sandy dunes and Velvet Strand in Portmarnock, the wonderful heritage town and fishing port of Malahide, the panoramic views of Dublin Bay which Howth offers, even that jewel of a town called Skerries with its insurmountable abundance of wildlife and offshore islands. These were but a few she could recollect but just like many a city person she never gave herself time to appreciate the natural beauty in her own home town.
Having started out as a nice sunny morning Lauren looked up to where she could see dark clouds starting to form. ‘Don’t rain until I’m finished,’ she warned them but the skies didn’t take heed as only half way through her normal route it started to downpour.
Detesting the idea of jogging in the rain, she decided to turn back taking a short cut past the large rock centred in a small clearing within the forest. Other than Jean-Pierre Lauren rarely came across life of the human type within the small forest, so she stopped with fright as she noticed somebody was there and by the size of the body it was a man. Hunkered down his face was covered by his arms, slowly he looked up to her. Slight panic was exchanged between them as they instantly recognised each other. Lauren could see the desperation in his eyes as she remembered seeing them before, in Peter’s eyes the night before he died. David’s dark eyes followed her as she walked towards him, kneeling down she put her hand on his shoulder, ‘Ca va?’ she asked softly.
He tried to speak but in the end he just wrapped his arms around her small waist, resting his head on her shoulder and cried. They were big sobs of grief and desolation. Lauren nearly fell over with his weight but eventually she settled into a comfortable supporting position. The feeling that he was releasing everything locked up inside him was so plain for her to feel and see.
‘I’ve never let myself do that for Peter and I didn’t give Peter the chance to either,’ regrettably she confessed to herself.
Not knowing whether to say something or not she decided her best option was to stay silent and wait until he finished. It seemed like an eternity with her arms aching and the rain pouring down on both of them. They were there for only five minutes or so but it seemed like an eternity to Lauren as she held on tightly to him, afraid for him. Eventually he stopped with some sighs then there was silence, neither moved.
But the hush was sh
ort-lived, ‘I’m sorry,’ he said in English.
‘Ohh, for what?’ Lauren said lightly trying to sound casual.
Turning his head to look up at her but not letting go of his grasp he said, ‘for my rudeness last night, for now, I’m sorry I don’t mean to be so... so,’
‘Now who’s lost for words,’ smiling as she interrupted him.
David didn’t return the smile but got the feeling she meant well.
Lauren still held onto him knowing that when he was ready he should be the one to break the hold. But after a few minutes he didn’t so she decided to give him the hint as her arms were about to fall off, ‘Come on, we’re half way between your parent’s farm and my house, where do you want to go?’
‘Thanks,’ picking up on her pointer slowly he released her looking down in the direction of the farm, he didn’t want to go back there not yet anyhow, ‘to my…. your house please.’
Turning to walk, Lauren linked his arm staying silent with the only words spoken by David as the rain continued to pour down on them. Everything came flooding from him never thinking twice about who he was talking to, half in French half in English he rambled on apologising time and again. At one stage Lauren slipped in the mud, embarrassingly giggling as she tried to save herself but he just caught her in time with his arm tightly clasping hers, continuing to let his words flow never-ending.
When Lauren opened her door the heat in the house hit them both.
‘You like it hot in here,’ David waved his hand in front of him pretending to fan himself.
‘I think it’s the fact that we’re so cold and wet,’ Lauren quickly thought of an excuse because she forgot to turn the heating off again. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and then get some towels and a quilt you can wrap yourself in while I dry your clothes. The kitchen is down here.’
‘I know,’ he said as Lauren looked at him puzzled, ‘it’s my home too, or least it was,’ the pain showed on his face again.
‘Well you charge too much rent, Mr. Landlord!’ smiling she put her hands on her hips noticing he attempted to return a smile, ‘and when are you going to shift all those motor bikes from the second garage, Keith is dying to get his hands on them,’ she joked.
David chuckled, ‘as soon I get some type of accommodation sorted. I promise.’
Lauren got thinking as they entered the kitchen, Gabrielle and Jean-Pierre are so kind to her and their family so friendly; she would do anything to help them. Without hesitation she made a suggestion, ‘Listen instead of getting soaking wet sitting on a hard rock, if you want to you can consider the small office I’ve set up here as your thinking shop… as your little bit of solace, you know a place if you feel you only need your own company, it’s no problem really.’ Lauren could understand the need to get away from family and friends every once in a while, from sympathetic faces, from memories. But then she hesitated, there were memories for him here; maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all, ‘I mean, it’s up to you but you’re more than welcome…’ starting to get embarrassed again.
‘Thanks I’d like that,’ he interrupted, ‘I…I may need it,’ the words came out as a sigh placing his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. Feeling comfortable admitting this to her, he understood now what Maman was trying to say when she was describing Lauren to him - Casual, understanding, patient, a listener she seemed to ooze these qualities, where did she get this talent from and why for us? She could easily make a person want to sit down and talk all night to her. Quickly he discovered this fact between his breakdown at the rock and the walk up to the house, he knew he was babbling but she just listened holding his arm, letting him know she was there for him.
‘But please, don’t tell anybody where or how you found me, it’s hard enough,’ he croaked the request.
Lauren could see he was having difficulty controlling his emotions. ‘How long have you been there?’ she asked softly. ‘Not all night I hope,’ she joked. Embarrassed he looked away, not willing to admit his foolishness. ‘Jesus Christ David. All night? You’ve got to telephone your parents and tell them you’re okay!’
‘I will, but first can we get dry?’ he picked at his wet clothes.
‘Oh yeah right, you strip off I’ll go get some towels and a quilt. Put on the kettle while you’re doing nothing, will you?’ she turned running up the stairs to get what she needed. Upon her return, she asked him would he prefer to have a shower first or some coffee, ‘There’s a shower in the main bedroom you can use, oh, but you already know that don’t you?’
‘Tea please,’ he was starting to strip. She turned away to get everything ready, ‘I suppose you’re hungry too.’ Finishing her little preparation she looked out the window with a bemused look on her face, her tongue moistening her lower lip, she was extremely tempted to turn around as if by accident, but thought better of that little piece of devilment. A French hunk of a movie star naked in my kitchen, now that’s something to email home and tell the office girls about. But then would the office girls bother reading your email, she thought regretfully remembering how they always treated her as an outsider being part owner and the boss’s daughter.
‘After the shower, thanks,’ he chuckled, ‘you can turn around now,’ amused by her discreetness, ‘I drown her shoulder in tears, blab out my problems to her like a lunatic, but she still shows me some discretion.’
Bringing the tea over to the table, she noticed that with his moody brown eyes how he looked like ‘a little boy lost’ wrapped up in the patchwork quilt. ‘Christ it’s no wonder he’s so successful in the movies, he could play anything from an action war hero to Peter Pan! But a very sultry sexy peter pan,’ she thought, ‘oh God cop on Lauren! Just don’t go there and besides he would definitely not be interested in plain old you.’
They continued to talk for a while, well really David talked and Lauren listened as they drank their tea and ate the croissants. But then as quickly as he started he just stopped as he rose to go up and have a shower, ‘Are you going to stay in those wet clothes forever?’ looking at her almost dry tracksuit.
‘I’ll shower in the main bathroom,’ she felt herself start to blush again.
‘No we’ll swap,’ swinging his arm in the direction of the stairs in a gentlemanly manner, ‘after you,’ he smiled.
Finishing her shower Lauren quickly got dressed in the en suite. Walking out into her bedroom, still trying to put her hair into a ponytail she suddenly stopped, ‘I don’t believe it!’
David was on her bed stretched out with his back to her.
‘Now I think that’s taking my kindness a bit too far, mister!’ He didn’t move, ‘David?’ waiting for a response she walked over to him, he was fast asleep. Looking relaxed for the first time since she met him last night Lauren decided not to disturb him, a peaceful sleep may help him think a bit clearer.
A half-hour later she telephoned Gabrielle.
‘What do you mean he’s asleep in your house? How did he get there?’ Gabrielle was annoyed and gob-smacked once more at David’s rudeness.
Lauren assured her it was okay telling her a little white lie of how they bumped into each other in the forest while she was out jogging this morning, deliberately skipping the details. She hated lying even if it was a small white lie but she promised David, what could she to do? ‘Never again,’ she promised herself.
They agreed to leave him sleeping and if need be Gabrielle would call up later in the day to allow Lauren to go and collect Emma and Keith. Gabrielle then had the task of telephoning the family’s different cell phones to tell them the news and stop the search.
Lauren checked on him a few times, but he didn’t move from his original position. On her fourth visit and as she left his dried clothes at the end of the bed she heard the doorbell, afraid it might wake him if it chimed a second time she quickly ran down the stairs. It was Gabrielle and Jean-Pierre.
‘Come in, come in please. Is it that time already?’ she asked them checking her watch.
‘No we’re a littl
e bit early, we hope you don’t mind,’ they looked uncomfortable as they huddled together at the doorstep.
‘Of course I don’t,’ Lauren attempted one of her brightest smiles so they would relax a little, ‘would you like some tea or coffee, he’s still not awake.’
‘Coffee please,’ they both chorused together.
‘Or whatever you’re having,’ Gabrielle said as she kissed Lauren on each cheek, ‘and thank you,’ clasping Lauren’s hands.
They sat in the kitchen for a while whispering, then Lauren heard movement on the stairs gently nudging Gabrielle’s arm to inform her of her son’s arrival.
Scratching his head as he walked in he looked surprised to see his parents there and stopped at the doorway quickly glancing at Lauren.
‘Do you want something to eat or drink?’ Lauren got up and with her back to Gabrielle and Jean-Pierre she gave him a reassuring wink.
Turning to his parents, ‘Maman, Papa I’m so sorry,’ he was trying to control his emotions once more, they both rose rushing over to him, the three hugged together.
Again Lauren looked out the kitchen window, but this time she didn’t want to turn around. A rush of regret formed inside her as she thought of her own family, she longed for the Corvasieur’s closeness, openness and their love for each other. Never having the experience of such emotions with her own parents especially her mother, Daddy she admitted held a special piece of her heart but he only showed his true feelings when there was too much drink taken, when she was young she just took it as normal but now she knew better. Feeling uncomfortable watching such openness now, ‘Emma and Keith will never feel this way,’ she determined. As a hand gently touched her shoulder, she turned to face David.