‘Well, it is,’ she confessed, thinking of poor Tommy Butler waiting. ‘It is actually a matter of life and death. I have to get this hat – your hat – to the right person. It’s actually a very elderly person, who could as we speak be nearing her end.’
‘Dead serious!’ Neil quipped.
‘I promise to return the one you ordered immediately.’
She watched as he loped off up the stairs and reappeared a few minutes later with a familiar box in his grasp.
‘Thanks,’ Ellie said, retrieving the Memory Hat, which was resting snug in a bed of tissue. ‘I’d better get going.’
‘Where do you have to go?’
‘I’ve got to get this to a little boy I know.’
‘I thought you said it was for an elderly person?’
‘It is,’ she admitted. ‘I have to get this hat to him to give to his grandmother. It’s her hundredth birthday today and there is this big party for her.’
‘And the boy wanted to give her the hat. Let me drive you!’ he offered.
‘I was going to—’
‘Don’t tell me you are going to walk!’
‘No, get a taxi.’
‘Well, I’ll be your taxi,’ he offered, grabbing a set of keys from the hall table and pulling on a cord jacket. ‘I insist.’
Ellie gave a huge sigh of relief, somehow knowing that she could rely on Neil Harrington to get her to where she was meant to be. She placed the hatbox carefully on the back seat and sat in beside him, rooting in her bag for the invitation.
‘Where are we going?’ he asked.
She gave him the address.
‘I’ll drive like the clappers,’ he promised, reversing his Mercedes across the road as Ellie took out her phone and began to dial the number Tommy had called from.
Chapter Fifty-nine
Tommy Butler was gutted with disappointment as he watched the family begin to file up and give his grandmother her hundredth birthday presents. All his planning and organization had been for nothing. He felt like someone had thumped him. His dad’s older brother Donal was filming everything on his camcorder.
‘A souvenir to help us all to remember this very special day,’ he told everyone as he made them ‘smile and tip their present towards the lens!’
Everyone stopped talking and watched and clapped as Lily Butler received her gifts and greetings.
Tommy loved his old nan and was so proud of her being head of the family, and the way her eyes twinkled and smiled as one by one his uncles and aunts and cousins brought up present after present. There was a big wool rug and a crochet shawl, silver photo frames, photo albums, bedjackets, slippers and a cushion for warming her feet; a huge magnifying glass that his grandmother was very taken with, and potted plants and bunches of flowers; fancy boxes of perfumes and bath oils and all kinds of lotions; a book of Irish poetry with a CD, so Granny could listen to it, and a set of rosary beads from Father Mac. His granny loved to talk to God and was always praying for the family’s intentions and exams and careers and love life and their good health, which was the most important of all.
Tommy melted away to the back of the crowd, not knowing what he was going to do when his turn came. Imagine if his nan had opened the box and seen the black funeral hat. Janey, his dad would kill him! He could end up giving her a heart attack.
No, he had to get away, get out of here. He pushed past the two nurses in their uniforms and got out to the corridor. He’d walk slowly past the desk. Then out the main door and leg it, hatbox and all.
‘Hey, Tommy!’ interrupted his brother. ‘Ma wants you inside, it’s our turn.’
‘I’m not going in,’ he said, defiantly staring at the acne-marked skin of his brother.
‘Ma said if you don’t get in she’ll kill you.’
‘Well, I’m not budging.’ Tommy looked at the lino on the floor, reckoning that if he ever lived to be one hundred years old this day might well rank in his top five worst days ever.
‘And Dad will murder you,’ threatened Ray.
‘You go in and give her your stupid box of chocolates!’
‘Well, they beat your rubbish present, whatever it is. Go on, give us a look.’
Ray did his best to grab the bag from out of his brother’s hands, letting loose with a flying punch, the two of them tumbling to the ground and trying to beat the hell out of each other.
‘J. . .., Mary and Joseph!’ screamed their mother, appearing from out of nowhere and grabbing hold of them. ‘Is this where I find the two of you, rolling around the ground like two eejits?’
They stopped instantly, compelled by her freezing blue gaze.
‘Wait till your father hears about this,’ she warned.
‘Sorry, Ma,’ apologized Ray, running his fingers through his hair and fixing his tie. ‘I was only trying to get him to come in.’
‘You go in, Ray, we’ll be along in a minute.’
She stood beside Tommy, saying nothing as he got his breath back.
‘What’s going on, Tommy?’ she asked. ‘You’ve been acting strange for the past few weeks.’
‘I was planning something for Nan, that’s all, a good surprise, but it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it.’
‘Look, your grandmother is a very old lady, things don’t mean that much to her any more. What she likes to see is all her family around her. That is worth more than anything. So forget whatever it is that went wrong. The family present is inside and your grandmother is waiting for us all.’
Tommy sniffed. His ma was right, like she always was. Today was about his grandmother, not him. He was just following her back into the dining room when he spotted a commotion at the reception desk. It was the hat lady and a tall man and they had a hatbox with them. His box with the Memory Hat, his grandmother’s special birthday present.
Ray gave their grandmother his box of handmade chocolates with the big gold ribbon around it.
‘Sweets for the sweet,’ smiled his mam. Vonnie had gone up next with the baby and her present of a big squashy pink pillow that would help support Granny in the chair and in bed.
‘Just what I needed for my bad back!’ declared Lily, plumping it up for the camera. She had loved the beautiful silver photo frame with the enlarged photo of their family with his nan on the day of Tommy’s confirmation.
‘It’s an antique,’ joked his dad. ‘Irish silver from the year you were born, and today we will take a photo of you with all the family to put in it.’
Now it was his turn, and Tommy proudly lifted the big blue and white hatbox and carried it towards her. He could see her wondering what it was.
‘Open it!’ shouted everyone.
His nan’s hands were shaking so bad he had to help her lift the lid off the hatbox but when he saw her face he knew he had brought the best present ever.
‘It’s a hat,’ she said softly. ‘A new hat. ’Tis years since I’ve had a new hat.’
‘Do you like it, Nan?’
‘Oh, it’s so beautiful,’ she enthused, her gnarled fingers touching the delicate circle of cream with its shimmer of colours. ‘One of the finest hats I’ve ever seen.’
‘It’s a Memory Hat,’ Tommy explained, showing it to her. ‘See this, Nan? If you look close, these are all the places you lived since you were a little girl.’
All around the circle of the hat base what seemed like a vague pattern turned out, when looked at closely, to be delicate drawings of Mountjoy Square, Meath Street, Leeson Street.
‘My homes,’ she chuckled. ‘Look at our steps and the front doorstep where Jessie and Kitty and Pat and Paula used to play.’
‘And this flower.’
‘The lily – my mother’s favourite flower.’
‘It’s an Easter lily,’ Tommy reminded her.
‘Aye, the patriots. We never forgot them,’ she said firmly. ‘We wore one every year to commemorate the Rising.’
‘And there are nine silk roses,’ he explained, ‘one for each of the family – your childr
en, Da and all his brothers and sisters. And see these smaller leaves? They’re for us, your twenty-four grandchildren, and the little baby buds are your great-grandchildren. The tiniest one is Vonnie’s new baby!’
‘All my beauties!’ she marvelled, almost overcome.
‘Do you remember when you worked in Bewley’s, Nan?’
‘Those were the days. Sweet cake, hot scones, cherry and almond buns and macaroons and walnut cake, everything fresh! Tea and coffee for everyone.’
‘This is a piece of lace from your uniform at Bewley’s.’
‘Well I never, my old uniform!’ declared Lil, peering at it. ‘I thought the moths had got it long ago. You know that’s where I met my Tom.’
‘I remembered that too. These are the rich roast coffee beans Grandad liked so much.’
‘A cup of coffee and a cherry bun – that were his favourite.’
From a tiny piece of brown felt, the polished and lacquered beans stood up almost like petals.
‘That was from the lining of one of Grandad’s jackets, Nan. I found it in your old sewing box.’
Lil Butler stroked it softly, with tears in her eyes.
‘This is something of Uncle Terry’s and Uncle Mick’s, from when they fought in the war.’
‘God be good to them,’ she said, touching the narrow ribbons.
‘And do you recognize these?’
‘Ah sure, they’re from me darling boy Joey! He was a magnificent bird, the most intelligent creature that ever lived! His little feathers are worth a hundred of them old ospreys if you ask me.’
Then his grandmother lifted the hat on to her head, the shape perfectly framing her face, her hundred-year-old brown eyes still a-sparkle as she turned her head from side to side to show off the Memory Hat.
‘Come here, Tom. Thank you for buying me such a wonderful hat. It’s the nicest present of all.’
Tommy looked down at her as everyone cheered and laughed. She thought he was his grandad! Her mind was confused once more, forgetful.
He wanted to say, ‘Nan, it’s me, Tommy,’ but for some reason he said nothing as she reached for his hand.
‘I always knew you were a good one!’ she whispered. ‘Best of the bunch.’
Tommy could feel the lump in his throat as Uncle Donal took a photograph of the two of them, with Lily Butler proudly wearing her new hat.
Ray and Vonnie both clapped him on the back and admitted he had bought the best present ever.
‘Tommy, you always manage to surprise us,’ quipped his mam, wrapping her arms round him, her eyes welling with tears. ‘Your da and I are right proud of you. It was a lovely thing you did for your grandmother, so thoughtful.’
Tommy hated it when his mam got soppy but he felt like she did – proud of himself. Even the hat lady came up and gave him a kiss, and said what a grand fellow she thought he was.
Moments later there was a gasp of amazement as one of the staff carried in the enormous birthday cake with one hundred candles on it. Everyone pushed forward to see it and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ at the top of their voices. Tommy and the younger ones in the family helped his nan to blow out all the candles.
‘I’m all out of puff,’ she joked.
It was the best birthday party ever, his nan even getting up and having a little dance with his da and each of his brothers, moving slowly round the floor in her floaty skirt with her hat still proudly on her head. Uncle Aidan lifted her off her feet, he was so tall.
A man from the newspapers came and took her photo, as Tommy tried to explain about the Memory Hat. His nan posed like she was a model.
‘I am very impressed,’ said Mr McHugh when he shook his hand. ‘And, Tommy, I took the liberty of printing out and making up a small booklet about the past hundred years – your grandmother’s time. I did it in big print for her and I’ll give you all a copy. Most of it is what you have on your computer file.’
Tommy was astounded. Old McHugh might be a dry old stick but maybe he was nice with it.
The hundredth birthday party for his nan, Lillian Butler, was the best day ever and seeing her surrounded by all his family and wearing his Memory Hat was something he would never ever forget.
Chapter Sixty
Ellie almost collapsed with relief. Neil held her in his arms and told her everything was going to be OK as they watched Tommy go up and give his grandmother the Memory Hat. Ellie was so happy and proud that it had all worked out, and Tommy and Lily were clearly delighted.
‘Well done,’ said Neil as they joined the family party. Later they danced the Hucklebuck, the Birdie Song and a Butler family version of ‘The Walls of Limerick’ to the tune of ‘Riverdance’, and ate vol-au-vents, cocktail sausages and chicken tikka. They managed two plates of birthday cake while sipping congratulatory glasses of champagne.
‘ ’Tis the least we could do,’ insisted Mary Butler, inviting them to join them, ‘after all the trouble you went to over Tommy.’
‘The hat is a gorgeous piece of work!’ declared Lily Butler appreciatively, squeezing Ellie’s hand, when Tommy introduced her as the hatmaker lady. The curious centenarian demanded to know who the handsome gentleman with her was.
‘Just a friend,’ she smiled.
Ellie was so happy that she had not let her youngest customer down. Of all Lily’s vast brood of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Tommy was clearly his granny’s favourite.
‘She’s a great old girl,’ remarked Neil, standing beside Ellie, watching as Lily Butler took another few steps around the dance floor with her youngest son, Pat. ‘I wonder will the two of us be as good as her when we pass the century mark?’
‘I doubt it,’ she laughed. ‘Our generation are big softies. Lily and her crowd had it tough.’
As the music slowed Neil pulled her closer. She rested her head against his chest, aware of his breathing and his face against her hair. Ellie was struck with the very serious realization that she really, really fancied him.
After another twenty minutes they decided to leave the Butlers to enjoy the rest of the evening as a family.
‘Come on, I’ll drive you home,’ offered Neil as they said their goodbyes and collected the other hatbox from Tommy.
Neil put it carefully in the boot of his car.
‘It wouldn’t do to get them mixed up and give your mother the Memory Hat,’ giggled Ellie, realizing she felt slightly tipsy once the fresh air in the car park hit her. She should never ever touch champagne. Ever.
They were both silent in the car and Ellie had to admit to surprise at what good company Neil had been and how relaxed he’d been with Tommy’s family. He was actually very charming, and kind, and sexy, and what was the phrase Lily had used to describe him? ‘A true gentleman.’
As they drove in the darkness listening to Frank Sinatra, she wondered would he ask her out, ask her for a drink, a meal, but he said nothing as they pulled into Hatch Street. She could sense he was staring at her.
‘Ellie, thanks for bringing me along to something totally different on a Saturday night,’ he teased. ‘Not my usual scene, but I did enjoy it.’
Ellie cringed. It was awful. She had probably messed up some big date of his or dinner with that girl Gayle he was seeing. No wonder he’d wanted to get home!
‘Neil, thanks so much for turning up trumps and helping me and driving me there and being nice to Tommy and everyone. It was way beyond the call of duty and I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your night.’
‘Shh,’ he said, reaching forward and kissing her. Ellie was momentarily stunned, then she found herself responding to him.
‘I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t want to be,’ he said, pulling her closer. ‘I can promise you that.’
Ellie felt giddy.
‘And besides, getting to meet someone like Lily was very special,’ he admitted. ‘Seeing her with all her sons and daughters and grandchildren and great-grandchildren around her – it makes you think, Ellie. That’s what it’s all about.’
She nodded in agreement, feeling his arm round her neck. She tilted her face towards his, wanting him to kiss her again.
‘We’re not meant to be on our own,’ he said slowly, staring at her in the dark.
Ellie could feel her eyes well with tears, thinking of how alone she really was.
‘Are you OK?’
She sniffed. ‘It’s silly, just me feeling a bit sad and emotional.’
‘I didn’t mean to upset you,’ he said, stroking her hair and the side of her face.
‘I know.’
He kissed her again and Ellie felt the warmth of his breath and tasted his lips as she kissed him back. It was just as she remembered. Perfect. They kissed and kissed until she felt dizzy and giddy and wanted more.
‘Ellie, are you sure?’ he asked.
She considered, blowing her nose on a tissue. She wanted him to come inside, to have him finally kiss and stroke her and talk to her and hold her and stay with her.
‘I know I’m emotional after Lily and upset about things, Neil, but I really do want you to stay . . .’
‘Giggly, sexy and sad!’ he sighed. ‘Too much champagne! I should get the picture!’
He thought she was drunk again.
‘No, it’s not that,’ she protested uselessly, as he pulled away from her.
Ellie felt the happiness of the past few hours she’d spent with him deflate, like a big red balloon becoming smaller and smaller till it was nothing. Everything good between them suddenly gone! Blown away like thistledown.
He kissed her on the cheek. Ellie was tempted to pull his dark head down towards her again as they said polite goodnights.
‘I hope that Rosemary likes the hat,’ she called after him, watching the tail lights of his car disappear into the darkness.
Chapter Sixty-one
Constance carefully replaced her beautiful wedding hat in its protective striped hatbox. It would always remind her of that perfect September day. The wedding, the house full of her children and grandchildren instead of the empty shell it had now become. Everything was so still and quiet. Although she could hear the radio going in the kitchen and the clock ticking in the hall, the house was silent, as if waiting for something. Waiting for flesh and blood, children and mess and noise and laughter and loving to fill it again. Her breath caught in her throat – for she could never again provide these things. She wanted to cry for all that had passed, slipped through her fingers like sand, babies, toddlers, teenagers now all grown and gone, getting on with their own lives while she sat in empty rooms surrounded by old toys and books and mementos.
The Hat Shop on the Corner Page 27