Foreign Affairs

by Patricia Scanlan

  ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do. I suppose it depends how I get on in the Leaving.’ Jennifer sighed.

  ‘Listen, there’s a party on in the college next weekend if you’d like to come to it. Bring some of your friends if you want. It should be a bit of gas. It’ll be a good excuse for you to get away from your studies. What do you think?’ he asked diffidently as he neatly stacked the dishes he’d dried.

  Jennifer smiled shyly. ‘That would be nice,’ she agreed. She liked Ronan Stapleton. He was easy to talk to. Jennifer had never bothered much with fellas. Beth and Paula were much more extrovert than she was. The only fella she’d gone with was Gary O’Shea and that had only been for a couple of months last year. Gary had taken her to the pictures once. In the darkness of the cinema she’d spent half an hour trying to fend off his sweaty-handed gropes. Disgusted, she’d stood up and left him protesting that she was a prude and everybody came to the pictures to have a snog in the back seats. What made her so different? The next Saturday at the disco she heard him tell a crowd of his friends that she was a stuck-up bitch who wouldn’t part her legs. They’d guffawed and she’d been horrified.

  ‘Shut your mouth, you pathetic little creep, the nearest you’ll ever get to a girl is in your dreams. Because any girl with an ounce of sense, like Jennifer here, wouldn’t let you touch her with a ten-foot barge pole,’ Paula’d said coldly.

  Gary reddened. ‘Shut up you, ya culchie. Can’t she fight her own battles?’

  ‘Certainly, I can.’ Jennifer recovered her composure. ‘But I wouldn’t waste my breath on the likes of you.’ She’d turned and walked away and left him blustering to his friends that she and the Culchie from Waterford were just a pair of lezzers.

  Jennifer looked at Ronan’s honest open friendly face, and knew instinctively that he’d never treat her like that. ‘I’d love to come to the party,’ she said happily. ‘And I’m sure Beth, my friend, would too.’

  Ronan Stapleton walked briskly across Cross Gun’s Bridge, towards Phibsboro. He felt very pleased with himself. He had just fallen head over heels in love, and he was as full as an egg as well. That had been some feed Jennifer had given him. Jennifer Myles, Jennifer Myles. What a pretty name, and what a pretty girl. He smiled. Jenny was lovely-looking with her silky black hair and gorgeous black-lashed gentle brown eyes. The minute she’d sat down on the grass in the Botanics, he’d been very taken with her. There was a serenity about her that was unusual. After she’d had her little snack, she studied very methodically, oblivious to all around her. When she responded to his first overture and started chatting, Ronan had been delighted. When she asked him to tea, he’d been stunned. But when he walked home with her, they’d talked away and he’d started to feel as if he’d known her all his life. He’d never felt like that with a girl before. It was a shock, falling for someone as suddenly as that. Certainly, he’d been out with girls. Especially since he’d come to Dublin. Some of them were nice too. It was far easier to go out with a girl in Dublin without having his father annoying him. But this girl had really knocked him for six. And he’d met her parents, as well as the hilarious old grandfather. Her parents had been very nice and didn’t seem to find it strange that she’d asked him to tea on the spur of the moment. They’d even invited him to call again.

  Whistling, Ronan walked on. He’d bought her an ice cream on the way home from the Botanics and left himself short for his bus fare. The allowance his father gave him didn’t go very far. The money he’d earned working on the fruit farm during the summer had gone on his books and clothes.

  He was going to have to think about getting some kind of a part-time job to supplement his income. Dating girls had not been on his agenda. Ronan’s main aim was to free himself from his father’s financial grip. He’d had enough of authoritarian parental control. He wanted his independence. The sooner the better. Now that he’d found the girl of his dreams, totally unexpectedly, even if it was sooner than he’d planned, he wanted to do as well as he could at college and get a decent job. Invigorated, he entered the dingy hall of his landlady’s house, raced upstairs to the damp shabby room and sat at his desk and studied until well past midnight.

  ‘What do you think of the lad Jenny brought home?’ Jim Myles lay with his hands behind his head watching his wife perform her nightly ritual. Kit smoothed in her night-cream and then rubbed some into the palms of her hands and massaged each elbow. It was a routine she never failed to follow. Jim liked it. Its familiarity was vaguely comforting. Everything was all right in their little world when Kit sat down at her dressing-table at night and he had a little chat with her before going to sleep.

  ‘I thought he was a very nice chap. To tell you the truth, I was very pleased. I hope she starts going out with him. It would be good for her. She never brought that O’Shea lad home. Not that they were going together for long.’ Kit started to brush her hair.

  ‘He’s made a hit with Dad.’ Jim chuckled. ‘He told me he was going to cook him a feed of cabbage the “proper” way.’

  ‘Hmmm,’ murmured Kit drily. ‘Imagine the poor unfortunate, though. He’s not getting fed properly in those digs. I hate to think of a young lad like him not getting a bit of decent grub. Could you imagine if it was our pair? Jenny’s got a soft heart, hasn’t she?’ Kit smiled. She could understand why her daughter had asked Ronan back for tea. She would have done the same herself once.

  ‘She’s got a soft heart like her mother.’ Jim held back the covers for Kit and put his arms around her as she snuggled in against him.

  ‘He has nice manners. There’s a bit of breeding there,’ Kit said with satisfaction and then gave a prodigious yawn, echoed by her husband.

  ‘I think I’ll ask him to dinner some Sunday. If Jenny keeps in touch with him. What do you think?’

  ‘It’s fine by me,’ Jim said drowsily.

  I’ll cook roast beef and mushy peas, Kit decided before she too fell asleep.

  Her period had come with a vengeance. Jennifer lay curled up in bed with a hot-water bottle on her stomach. The cramps were awful but she didn’t really care. At least she would be OK for the start of the exams and even more importantly for the party next week in Bolton Street Tech. She smiled to herself. It was hard to believe that a day when she’d been so down in the dumps could have turned out so well.

  Meeting Ronan had been the nicest thing. She still couldn’t believe that she’d invited him home for tea. It had been an impulsive thing to do. Most unlike her. But it had all gone well except for that dreadful moment when Grumps opened his big mouth. It had been nice of Ronan to laugh about it and give her that little wink. He seemed very understanding. He said his father sometimes embarrassed him. It created a little bond between them. Mr Stapleton sounded like a right dictator. Jennifer was glad she wasn’t his daughter. She was really looking forward to the party. Beth was thrilled with the invitation, needless to say.

  ‘It’s much more sophisticated than going to Mick’s. Is Paula coming too?’

  ‘I have to ask her first.’

  ‘Well, we’ll go ourselves,’ Beth said briskly.

  Jennifer laughed at Beth’s no-nonsense attitude. Paula would probably be mad with her for taking off the way she had earlier. Finally, Jennifer phoned. She apologized for rushing off the way she had done. ‘I just felt harassed, I needed to be by myself,’ she explained.

  ‘I thought you were annoyed with me for not going to the disco,’ Paula said frostily.

  ‘Well I was a bit miffed. It was just the humour I was in.’

  ‘That’s OK,’ Paula said magnanimously.

  ‘I went to the Botanics for a walk and I met a nice guy called Ronan Stapleton. He’s a student in Bolton Street. There’s a party there next Saturday, Beth and I are going if you want to come.’

  ‘OK,’ Paula agreed.

  ‘Great,’ Jennifer said happily.

  She burrowed down in the bed and cuddled her hot-water bottle. It had been a lovely day, she decided, period pain and hurt f
eelings notwithstanding. Next Saturday would be even better.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  ‘He’s very nice, Jenny,’ Paula approved. They were in the students’ restaurant in the Tech. The party was in full swing around them. Ronan had gone to get them some beers and the three girls were sitting taking in the scene. Paula had come and they were all ready to enjoy themselves. Orange and red seemed to be the predominant colours, the music throbbed loudly, a fug of smoke enveloped the place and the dim lights gave a night-clubbish atmosphere. Jennifer felt on top of the world. She felt confident about her exams. She’d been able to answer most of the questions. The heat was off and she was going to enjoy herself.

  Ronan had been waiting for them at the side entrance. He’d led them down the wide stairs to the party and squeezed her hand and said how glad he was that she’d come. He’d smiled that wide boyish smile. Jennifer smiled back, oblivious to Beth and Paula grinning at each other. ‘It’s love!’ Beth clutched her heart dramatically. Jennifer never heard her, she was too busy looking at Ronan wending his way through the throng to get their refreshments. He’s very nice, she thought happily, thinking that it must have been fate that made her go to the Botanic Gardens that day.

  ‘I’ve never seen so many pint glasses in my life,’ Paula remarked and Jennifer emerged from her daydream. It was closing time and there was a steady stream of new arrivals from the Bolton Horse pub across the street. The girls were all staying at Paula’s. They could stay out a bit later than they would if they were at home. Helen was not quite as strict as their parents.

  Ronan arrived back with a tray containing their drinks, a plate of ham sandwiches and a bowl of peanuts. ‘I grabbed these while the going was good,’ he laughed. ‘There won’t be much left when this horde of savages gets loose.’ He indicated a group of students who were leaning against a pillar chatting. Before the girls knew it, about ten of them arrived over, pulled up chairs and demanded to know how ‘Stapo’ had managed to surround himself with the three most gorgeous women in the room.

  The ratio was about ten fellas to every girl. Jennifer, Beth and Paula were in constant demand for dancing. The girls were having an absolute ball.

  ‘This is great fun,’ Jennifer murmured as she and Ronan smooched to a slow set.

  ‘I wasn’t too sure if you’d really enjoy it. Your friends are having a good time. I like them,’ he said.

  ‘They like you too,’ Jennifer smiled. ‘But I’ll have to go home with them when they’re going. I’m staying at Paula’s aunt’s house, you see.’

  ‘Don’t worry, it’s no problem,’ he assured her. ‘But I was wondering if you’d like to go to the pictures some night next week. I’d ask you tomorrow but I always go home on Sunday and come back on the bus on Monday morning.’

  ‘I’d like that,’ Jennifer said. ‘But I’ll have to OK it at home. I’m only allowed out at weekends. You know, with the exams. My parents are a bit strict.’

  ‘I bet they’re not as strict as mine,’ he teased. ‘All I want to do is to make sure you’ll see me again. You just tell me when it suits.’

  ‘Sure.’ She gave him a spontaneous little hug and he hugged her back.

  ‘You have my number. I’ll just casually mention it tomorrow and see how it goes down with Ma and Da. We can fix something up,’ Jennifer said as the dance ended and they went to rejoin the girls.

  ‘He’s asked me to go to the pictures.’ Jennifer confided to Beth and Paula much later. They were in the loo, prior to going home. It was two a.m. and they knew they’d want to get going. Time was pushing on.

  ‘Are you going to go?’ Beth asked. ‘You’d be mad not to. He’s nice. Just your sort.’

  ‘I know.’ Jennifer beamed at her friends. ‘Ronan’s the nicest fella I ever met.’

  ‘Look at the colour of your woman,’ Beth hissed, giving Jennifer a nudge in the ribs as a bespectacled girl with red curly hair weaved her way across to one of the cubicles. She was green in the face.

  ‘I’m going to be sick,’ she slurred as she staggered into a cubicle and threw up.

  ‘I suppose we’d better wait and see if she’s all right,’ Jennifer murmured as Beth and Paula made faces at the retching sounds. Five minutes later, the girl re-emerged. Her glasses were perched on top of her head and, whereas she’d been a ghastly green before, now she was pure white.

  ‘Are you OK, do you need any help?’ Jennifer asked kindly as the girl rinsed out her mouth and washed her hands.

  ‘I’m fine, it must have been those bloody ham sandwiches.’ She tried, but failed, to focus on Jennifer. ‘Stay cool,’ she waved a limp hand and then she disappeared out the door.

  ‘God, I hope those sandwiches were OK,’ Jennifer declared. Was it her imagination or was she starting to feel queasy?

  ‘There was nothing wrong with those sandwiches,’ Paula snorted. ‘Didn’t you see her? She’s stoned out of her skull. She was smoking pot!’

  ‘How do you know?’ Jennifer couldn’t believe her ears.

  ‘You can smell it down there.’ Paula laughed. ‘You pair, you haven’t a clue.’

  ‘If my mother knew I was at a party where people smoked pot, I’d be murdered.’ Beth was half dismayed, half thrilled.

  ‘Imagine if it was raided.’ Jennifer was an avid watcher of American detective series on TV and there were always drug busts on them.

  ‘Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen. Anyway go and say goodbye to Ronan. We’d better leave this den of iniquity pronto and get a taxi. I don’t fancy walking to Griffith Avenue,’ Paula ordered.

  Ronan, being a gentleman, walked up towards the Plaza cinema with them and along to the taxi rank in Parnell Square.

  ‘I’ll phone you tomorrow.’ He smiled.

  ‘I’ll be waiting,’ Jennifer assured him as he held the door of the taxi open for them.

  ‘Of course you can go to the pictures with Ronan once the exams are over,’ Kit said after she’d consulted Jim.

  ‘Thanks, Mam, thanks a million.’ Jennifer was ecstatic.

  ‘You’d better say thank you to your father as well,’ Kit reminded her.

  ‘I will, of course I will.’ Jennifer went off in search of her father.

  Kit smiled, remembering how she’d had to ask her parents’ permission to go to the pictures with Jim. Her palms had been wet with perspiration. She didn’t mind Jennifer going out with Ronan, and, to give him his due, Jim hadn’t minded either.

  Kit was glad Jennifer was going out with a chap. It would do her good. Not that she’d want her daughter to be as sophisticated as Paula. No, Kit thought. Paula was a nice girl and everything, but she was far too grown-up for her age. She’d often wondered if Jenny felt a bit left out of things as both Paula and Beth were dating. But her daughter never let on if that was how she felt. Nonetheless, Kit was glad Jenny had met a nice chap. She wouldn’t feel left out of things now. The way you worry when you’re a mother, Kit thought wryly as she went downstairs to make the tea.

  ‘He’s a student! Dead loss,’ Brenda declared as she shoved her rucksack into the bottom of her wardrobe and then started to dry her hair.

  ‘Why?’ Jennifer demanded.

  ‘No money!’ Brenda said succinctly.

  ‘I don’t care,’ she declared. ‘I don’t care at all.’ Nor did she. When he phoned she’d been sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring.

  ‘I can go,’ she said almost before he’d finished his hellos. Ronan laughed. And she’d had to laugh too. If Brenda’d heard her she’d have killed her for being so eager. Brenda maintained you should never let a fella know how much you fancied him because it put you at a disadvantage. As far as she could see, Brenda had not taken her own advice and had put too much pressure on Eddie. He’d chickened out. It was all very confusing. Well she wasn’t going to start worrying her head about things like that. No doubt Paula’d have advice for her too. They could all keep their advice. Jennifer felt very much at ease with Ronan. She wasn’t going to start usin
g any subterfuges to get him to fall for her. That just wasn’t her way.

  Chapter Forty

  ‘What do you think of this one?’ Kathy pointed to a length of flowered chiffon material. Brenda eyed it dubiously.

  ‘It’s a bit fussy for a bridesmaid’s dress.’ She frowned. Her friend’s face fell.

  ‘Isn’t there anything you like?’ Kathy asked with a faint hint of exasperation.

  No there isn’t, Brenda wanted to say. I hate all these materials. I don’t want to be bridesmaid at your blooming wedding. I just wish you’d go off and elope so I won’t have to see Kenny putting the ring on your finger. And what’s worse, have to walk down the aisle with Eddie because he’s your bloody best man. With difficulty, she kept her mouth shut. Don’t be such a bitch, she remonstrated with herself. Kathy’s your best friend. Try and show some enthusiasm.

  Brenda sighed. It was hard to muster enthusiasm for Kathy’s wedding. Her pal was in a tizzy of excitement. They’d spent the entire morning looking at fabrics for the wedding and bridesmaids’ dresses. Traipsing from one end of town to the other. Kathy had agonized over the vast arrays of silks and satins before finally selecting a luxurious duchess satin, although the wild silk was equally enticing and she spent ages making her decision, much to Brenda’s irritation. The previous weeks had been spent studying huge books of patterns with hundreds of beautiful styles of wedding dresses. In the end, with Brenda’s help, Kathy had chosen a Butterick design with a fitted bodice and wide princess-style flowing skirt. It looked sensational.

  Although she was trying her best to be as sensitive and supportive as a best friend and chief bridesmaid should be, Brenda was finding it all a terrible trial.

  It was now more than six months since Eddie had broken it off and she was still devastated. Not that she was letting on, of course. She was out every night of the week with her new friends from work. She even went drinking in the Autobahn with Kathy and Kenny, knowing that Eddie was occasionally there. He never brought a girl with him and as far as she knew, he wasn’t seeing anyone else. So Kenny told Kathy, who always kept Brenda informed of developments.