Ella decided the order in which photographs were taken, telling each press photographer to take one of every frame as individual shots were set up. It was hard to believe how much had happened in the last year. I’d thought Ella was really tempting fate when she accepted Billy’s offer of a management job while also dating him, but six months later she’d moved lock stock and barrel to live with him.
They were both incredibly gregarious and together they were a formidable team, bouncing business ideas off each other the way Geoff and I did with more dreamy creative stuff. Billy said we were like Yin and Yang; Geoff and I had the moon’s Yin energy while he and Ella channelled the fiery Yang of the sun. Maybe he was right, because Geoff and I had taken things a bit slower, still living separately though we spent most of the week together.
Once the official photographs were over, it was time for more informal shots with friends and family. It had felt right standing with Geoff, Julie, Shannon, Liam and his dog Koda. My new family. Yet I had a twinge of regret for Trevor since he had been part of my life for so long and I occasionally worried about him being lonely. I’d invited him along but he’d said it wouldn’t be his thing. No, that’s how we’d always differed, each unable to find joy in the other’s interests. It was right that we had gone our separate ways.
“Geoff,” I said as our family photograph finished. “Tell everyone to start helping themselves to food from the trolley, will you?”
He clapped his hands above his head, announcing, “Right everyone. Food’s here.” Then he placed an arm around my mother as he led her over and started to serve her and my father. There was no doubt about it – he was a natural, the way he fitted so effortlessly in with my friends and family, getting everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.
James’s cousin Maria came up to me. “Congratulations, Kate, you must be so proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“Yes, I’m thrilled. Thanks for coming, Maria – it means a lot to me to have you here.” I placed my arm around her shoulder. It felt wonderful to have so many people I knew circulating and chatting with each other in this room. This was the key to my remaining calm – I was always relaxed with friends and family around.
“Kate, I’ve rounded up the journalists to chat and share a glass of wine with you.” Ella steered me over to the seating area near the bay window. The book had already garnered great enthusiasm when early editions were sent out to food critics, so in effect the main bulk of the publicity work was already done, but Ella always wanted more.
“Kate Bakes: Cooking with Love and Style. Explain the title of your book,” said a male journalist.
“The most important ingredient in cooking is to add a sprinkling of love. The nurturing instinct drives us, along with the desire to make our friends and family happy by cooking mouth-watering food. You know the way a mother wants to give her baby the most nourishing food because she loves her and she wants to see her thrive? And the way a woman seduces her lover with delicious, sensual food?” Geoff was across the room with Liam and I’d presumed he wasn’t listening as the chatter level was high. On hearing my last sentence, however, he turned and flashed me a smile. I blushed and hurried on, “My book is not only full of gorgeous easy-to-follow recipes for all occasions, you’ll also find simple prayers for blessing food, all from different spiritual traditions. Along with that, there are mantras for transmitting the energy of love to food. Remember Socrates said ‘Let food be your medicine’. I believe food can heal us physically, emotionally and spiritually. The sharing of food can strengthen bonds between friends and families.” attention as quite annoying, knowing
“There’s a Buddhist or Hindu image on the back of the book,” the youngest journalist butted in. “What’s the significance of that?”
“She’s called Quan Yin - the Buddhist Goddess of compassion. As a symbol she represents divine loving energy.”
“Do you see yourself as the Food Goddess then?” a female journalist asked.
I laughed. “Thankfully, I’ve no such delusions. However, I believe the Goddess energy is alive and well in every woman and man who believes in love. Cooking with love is a good way to channel her.” And, laughing again, I held my book up to the side of my face. “In other words buy Kate Bakes and do some cooking!”
“I love the stories and illustrations about Goddesses and food. What inspired that?” the second female journalist asked. Geoff arrived over to sit beside me, wrapping one arm around my waist. After a year, it still triggered the same tingling up my spine. I asked him to tell the reporter about the Goddess sketches and how we worked on creating food stories for each of the Goddesses mentioned in the book. The two female journalists were transfixed by him as he spoke. Geoff had an incredible effect on women. Quite simply, every female from two years of age to ninety was putty in his hands. Initially it made me feel very insecure to be with a man who had that kind of magnetism until I realised he was quite oblivious to it. Well maybe not totally oblivious, as he was well able to turn it on when he wanted to sell a painting. But in reality he regarded unsolicited female attention as quite annoying, knowing there was nothing deep or meaningful to it.
My eye was drawn to movement outside the window. I asked to be briefly excused, leaving Geoff to keep the journalists entertained as I headed outside in search of James, who was walking Liam’s husky. “Koda’s a stunning animal, isn’t he?” I said, bending down to stroke the dog’s luxuriant mane.
“He seems really fond of you,” said James, as Koda nuzzled close to me.
“He’s like family since Geoff has him so often,” I said, caressing the dog. Then standing up to my full height, I asked, “What do I and Billy have to do, to persuade you to join us here? I’ve told you how much I need you.”
“I’ve already told you – get me a man, darling.”
“You’d be spoilt for choice if you worked here. I mean anyone can turn up at the Lifestyle store … Sorry, emporium.” I’d forgotten it had been re-christened the “Heritage Emporium”. “James, the café is more like a restaurant. It’s so popular at weekends. Not to mention some of the gorgeous men who come on our shorter cookery courses. Did you meet the Italian guy, Lorenzo?”
“No good, he’s straight.”
“You’re joking me! I must be losing my gaydar.”
“A sure sign you’re no longer looking at men. You’ve got it bad, Kate.”
“You know, I think you’re right. I miss Geoff when I’m not with him and it’s like everything that happens, I can’t wait to share with him. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before.”
“Will you still say that once you’re famous?” I felt Geoff’s arm around my waist. I hadn’t heard him creep up from behind – I’d been watching Ella steering the journalists out to see the Heritage Emporium.
“Of course I will.” Was it possible he felt insecure? “You know when we were joking earlier about going away? Well I hadn’t time to tell you but my agent is planning an international tour for early next year.” His face fell but he made an effort to smile for my benefit. I asked softly. “So are you coming with me as my partner?”
His eyes widened. “Is that a proposal of some sort?”
“Yes, I suppose it is. Heck we are partners. Why not formalise it and move in with me?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said, sweeping me off my feet to twirl me around and plant a kiss on my lips. I hadn’t anticipated how great the idea of him as my partner would feel. I wanted to smother him in kisses but we had to settle for mutual grinning and giggling instead as our eyes conveyed the intensity of our heartfelt feelings.
“Well, if that’s the case you’re going to need a really good cookery teacher to take your place while you tour the world,” James said, interrupting our lovers’ gaze.
“Oh James – really? You mean it?”
“Yes, Kate. I’ll join you after Christmas.”
“You two. Sometimes, I don’t know who I love more,” I cried, wrapping my arms around both of
them. I could have included all my family and friends in that statement, such was my intense feeling of joy. I would never have dreamed life could be as wonderful with family and friends as it had been that day on the mountain. The level of contentment I now enjoyed was beyond my wildest dreams – so far from where I had been when I had first set out on my journey. I hadn’t discovered the Holy Grail and nothing had happened instantaneously. Rather it was the slow realisation that only I had the answers to what made me happy and once I’d begun to tap into that, everything else followed.
Acknowledgements
I am most grateful to all who encouraged and supported me during the writing of this book.
Thank you to my wonderful children, Mark, Janet and Emily for brightening up my life, always loving my stories and making allowances for me throughout the writing process.
Thank you Ferdia Mac Anna for patiently mentoring me and telling me I had a gift for writing comedy. That was the best thing you could have told me: - Ferdia you are a gem. Much thanks to Vanessa O’Loughlin at Inkwell Writers Group who guided me every step of the way. Thanks to my copy editor Helen Falconer – there would be no book had you not been so encouraging at that crucial end stage.
Thanks to my parents Joe and Breedge Mc Farland who gave me loving support and provided me with a retreat whenever I was exhausted from long hours of writing. I am also grateful for the encouragement received from my sisters Paula and Lynda Mc Farland.
Thanks to former politician Mary O’Rourke for entering me in an essay competition while she was my history teacher. Seeing my winning essay in print gave me the first seed of hope that I could one day be a writer. Many years later, a novel writing course facilitated by the beautiful and talented Valerie Blumenthal gave me the confidence to pursue that dream.
I am blessed to have many wonderful Goddess friends:
First and foremost I have to thank Mary F, for being my rock of support – Mary you are the Goddess I aspire to be.
Thanks to my college pal Carolyn O’Louglin who is a wizard at working the law of attraction to benefit others in the most generous way possible. Constance Harris for her insight and encouragement every step of the way; you truly are as nurturing as the Goddess Demeter. Shelley Murphy for her support, humour and optimism.
Friends and neighbours Mary O’Halloran and Elizabeth O’Halloran for providing much needed artistic encouragement. To my loyal and trusted friend Pauline Grenham, who always offers practical advice. To Carmel Foley who embodies the Goddess in her wisdom and humour.
Thanks to Mary Mc Cann and Denise Mc Cann for being unconventional women in the manner Clarissa Pinkola Estes urges us to be. To Selina Brennan who loves the Goddess principle as much as I do.
Thanks to Ann Farrell and Cathy Hughes for Goddess fun and Kathleen O’Donnell for your prayers and good wishes.
Thank you Debbie Williams for walking so gracefully into my life one day in Coole Park accompanied by your gorgeous dog Koda – your image inspired the latter part of my book and I simply had to give Koda a starring role. Thank you to the women and men who accompanied me on my travels through South America. And special thanks to the wonderful and generous Healer and all at the ashram in Brazil – your work continues to benefit me in so many ways.
Thanks also to the women who provided me with stories of internet dating, but for obvious reasons do not wish to be named.
Thank you to the men who believed in me, the Goddess and this book;
My good friend Inigo Batterham along with Val O’Halloran and Fergal Geraghty who each told me I was a writer long before I believed it myself. Thank you Jason O’Shaughnessy for sharing your extraordinary story of healing and allowing me believe that miracles do happen.
Thanks to all my Twitter and Facebook friends for your words of encouragement. And finally, a special and sincere thanks to my ex husband for the love and the lessons we shared. We remain united in loving our children.
In lak’ech,
Mary Elizabeth
Supportive website: - www.goddessmeca.com
Mary Elizabeth Coen assists the Goddess through sharing my love of cookery, fashion, mythology and blogs.
My website was set up to complement this book. Since my main character is a cookery teacher there are a lot of food references throughout the novel. You can find all of these recipes on my website to download free of charge.
Love & The Goddess Page 33