Perfect Wives

by Emma Hannigan

  Darius had been amazingly supportive when she’d tentatively suggested bringing Saul here a few months ago. Their home was in London, but working in film meant they’d travelled extensively with their boy since he was born.

  ‘I know it would mean you mightn’t see him as often but I think he’d have a better chance of leading a normal life away from the city,’ Jodi said.

  ‘I agree,’ Darius said. ‘I know I’m being selfish when I say I’d obviously prefer to have you both with me.’

  ‘But you’re going to be filming all over the world for this next movie and Lord knows where the next one will be,’ she argued.

  ‘I know,’ he said softly. ‘I can commute and you guys can come to me. It’s not going to be that different from the way we’ve always worked it, I suppose. Just because I’m on location here in the UK at the moment doesn’t mean I will be in the future … But are you sure you want to go back to Ireland of all places?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said firmly. ‘It may not have been perfect for me as a child but, at the end of the day, it’s home.’

  As she arrived at the whitewashed cottage and let herself in, Jodi was thrilled she’d gone with her gut instinct and made the move. She’d bought this place a year ago in a derelict state and paid exorbitant amounts of money to have it turned into the beautiful home it had become. It was the original gate lodge to the manor house, which nestled behind the trees and fields she could see from her kitchen window. The old stable-style door let her into the open-plan kitchen-cum-living area.

  ‘If you like we can stick to really stark modern materials, like chrome and slate,’ the interior designer had suggested, ‘or we can soften it by adding an Aga to the kitchen area, a wood-burning stove to the living room, with under-floor heated flagstones and big colourful rugs.’

  ‘I like the sound of the second option,’ Jodi had said immediately. ‘I love the idea of a cottage but I don’t want it to be dark and depressing. In other words, I want a city person’s take on a cottage!’ She giggled.

  There was nothing gloomy about the finished house. Cornflower blue and white gingham was cleverly mixed with stripes and damasks. The oiled oak table with matching chairs added to the homely warmth that the cream Aga supplied. Squashy sofas with tons of scatter cushions complemented the hand-knotted rugs. It was just as she’d imagined it in her dreams, and, most importantly, Saul loved it too.

  ‘Look, Mum! The shelf spins around so I can choose my cereal for breakfast,’ he had yelled, as he’d explored each nook and cranny when they’d arrived a few days before. Jodi had stood with her arms folded and smiled as her precious son ran from room to room, shrieking with glee.

  ‘Look in here.’ Jodi unhooked the black latch on a bedroom door to reveal what she hoped would be a little boy’s paradise. She’d gone to great pains to appeal to Saul’s passion for outer space and was dying to see his reaction.

  ‘Mum my room is the bestest place I’ve ever seen,’ he gasped. The Velux windows looked like a glass roof. ‘It feels like I’m in a room with just sky! Mum!’ he screeched. ‘I have a bunk bed too so my new friends can come for a sleepover!’

  ‘I told the designer you had to have a bunk bed and I needed a vegetable patch. So you can have friends to stay and I can eat my own lettuce!’

  ‘My deal’s better,’ he said, throwing himself on to the bottom bunk. ‘I don’t like lettuce!’

  The walls were decorated with stars and spaceships, and a big shiny red rocket adorned the back of the door.

  ‘Happy?’ she asked Saul.

  ‘I’m like Buzz Lightyear living in here!’

  Jodi hoped Saul would settle at Bakers Valley. She pictured his happy little face when he had waved her off, and she reminded herself that he was in a safe and loving environment.

  Jodi hadn’t been lying when she’d told Darius why she wanted to move back home to Ireland. She did want their son to have a carefree country childhood. But, deep down, there was another reason why she had wanted to return.

  She was tired of running from her past mistakes. She wanted true, lasting contentment and for that she had to face her demons and air all the skeletons in her closet.

  Lifting the kettle on to the Aga hotplate, she set about making herself a mug of her usual herbal infusion. She remembered what Darius had said about it. ‘That stuff tastes so disgusting it must be good for you. Either that or the Chinese-medicine lady just sees you coming!’

  ‘It’s got so many cleansing properties,’ she reminded him.

  ‘So has bleach and I’ve no intention of drinking that.’

  Deciding to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of her new home, Jodi flopped on to the sofa. The old walls of the cottage seemed to envelop her in their embrace. She felt safe there, away from the bright lights and people vying for her attention. For the first time in her thirty-two years, she had a real home.

  Chapter 2

  Francine Hennessy was rattled, a feeling she certainly wasn’t accustomed to. She’d allowed exactly six minutes per child to settle her three eldest, Cara, Conor and Craig, into their classes. Normally that worked perfectly but this morning she’d been totally thrown by Cameron’s behaviour.

  ‘Stop him, Carl!’ she’d called frantically to her husband.

  Like a little eel, their youngest child had escaped his father’s grip and made a mad dash back to their car. ‘I’m not going!’ he yelled over his shoulder. ‘I hate school and I’m not going!’

  By the time Francine and Carl had given up on gentle coaxing and resorted to prising each finger away from the headrest in the back seat, the bell had rung in the school, indicating the official start of the day.

  ‘I’m going to die of shame,’ Francine said, as cold sweat ran down her back. ‘It’s day one and Cameron is late.’

  ‘Just keep your cool,’ Carl told her. ‘I’ll carry him and you take his bag. Let’s do this together. Team Hennessy will overcome.’

  ‘Nooooo!’ Cameron yelled. He continued to wrestle and kick in his father’s arms as the trio made their way back into the school and towards the kindergarten classroom.

  Francine shouldered the door open. She could never be sure that those frequently used handles were clean. ‘We’re here finally! Hello, everybody, how are you doing?’ She plastered a smile on to her face.

  A young man came towards her ‘Hello there,’ he said warmly. ‘We’re just getting started.’

  ‘This is Cameron.’ Francine gestured at the little boy, who was still doing his best to wriggle out of Carl’s arms. ‘I’m Francine Hennessy and this is my husband, Carl.’

  ‘Good to meet you. I’m Mr Matthews.’

  ‘So you’re Miss Myrtle’s replacement.’ As Carl led Cameron to the one free chair in the room, Francine lowered her voice conspiratorially. ‘You’re most welcome to Bakers Valley school. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it here. We have a wonderful sense of community. We’ll probably get to know one another quite well …’ Francine paused for effect. ‘I’m head of the parents’ committee, you see.’

  ‘Good for you, Mrs Hennessy,’ he said.

  ‘Oh, call me Francine, please!’

  The teacher hesitated momentarily, then said, ‘Okay, Cameron? You all set, my friend?’

  ‘No! I hate it here and I hate you!’ Cameron yelled.

  ‘Cameron!’ Francine said, in a high-pitched voice. ‘Please have some manners!’

  ‘As you can tell, he’s a little bit reluctant to come to school, but he’ll be running in the door and loving every second in no time!’ Carl said, in an attempt to smooth things over.

  Mr Matthews dropped down to Cameron’s level. ‘It’s everyone’s first day today, mate, so there’s no need to feel upset. We’re all going to help each other and find out what’s fun about this place.’ Cameron pouted and eyeballed the man. ‘I have a new house as well as a new school. Maybe you can tell me all about the cool stuff in the village.’

  ‘Okay,’ Cameron mumbled.

  ‘I have a desk j
ust for you right over here. It has your name on a sticker. Want to check it out?’

  ‘Okay.’

  Mr Matthews took his hand and gave a thumbs-up to Francine and Carl over his shoulder.

  ‘The first week is always the worst, isn’t it?’ Francine interjected, in a knowing voice. ‘Once they all realise this is the plan of action, and everyone has to conform, it’s all much simpler. Sit down nicely, Cameron, there’s a good lad,’ she instructed him, with a fixed smile.

  Mr Matthews responded with a silent wave and a wink.

  ‘We should leave him be, love,’ Carl said, then turned back to Cameron. ‘We’re very proud of you, son! See you later on. Cheers, Mr Matthews. Take care! Good luck. Thanks a million. Bye!’

  ‘Catch you later,’ Mr Matthews said.

  Carl caught his wife by the elbow and led her from the room.

  ‘I’m not sure if I’m happy with that new teacher,’ she said, under her breath. ‘He’s very standoffish with parents, don’t you think?’

  ‘Ah, no, love. He’s just intent on settling the kids, which is right. Sure he’s not there to entertain us. As long as Cameron clicks with him, that’s all that matters surely.’

  ‘I suppose,’ Francine said uneasily. She’d preferred Miss Myrtle’s approach. She was far more traditional and motherly, and had regularly sought Francine’s advice. This teacher was of another ilk altogether, with his boyish looks and London accent.

  ‘I’d better head into the office,’ Carl said, kissing Francine’s cheek. ‘Are you going for a coffee with the other mums?’

  ‘Not today. I’ve things on,’ Francine said, a pained look crossing her face. ‘I’ve a lot to organise.’

  ‘I know you do.’ Carl paused briefly. ‘It’ll be fine. Think of all this as a change of direction in life.’

  ‘Of course I will,’ she said, and waved to her husband. ‘Besides, the parents’ committee needs to start up again. We must welcome the new mothers and all of that.’

  ‘I’ll leave you to it so,’ Carl said.

  ‘Have a good day,’ she called, as he disappeared.

  They always travelled in separate cars to the school on the first day back so they could shoot off to their jobs afterwards. Francine took a deep breath as she moved towards the small gathering of mothers. ‘Good morning, ladies!’ she said brightly.

  ‘Hi, Francine,’ said Jane. ‘You look lovely as usual. You always manage to make me feel like I’ve just crawled out from under a rock. Look at the state of me, in my jeans and sweatshirt. Your suit is divine.’

  ‘Thanks, sweetie,’ Francine replied. ‘It’s D&G – they know how to cut fabric to set off a woman’s body.’

  ‘Well, it helps if your body doesn’t have wobbly bits and an unwanted shelving system like mine!’ Smacking her own backside, Jane roared laughing.

  ‘Are you flying off to work, Francine?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘Where else would I be going?’ Francine snapped.

  Sarah looked slightly taken back.

  ‘Sorry,’ Francine said. ‘I’m just a bit anxious. Cameron kicked off earlier on. He wasn’t one bit happy about going to school. You’d think he’d be more than ready after years of being brought in and out of here to drop off and collect the older ones.’

  ‘It was probably because you were here,’ Jane pointed out. ‘When he’s with the childminder he’s probably an angel.’

  ‘Ah, they save the dreadful behaviour for their mothers, all right,’ Sarah agreed.

  ‘Is Annie doing the pick-up today?’ Jane asked. ‘I can take Cameron, if you like.’

  ‘No, but thank you for the offer,’ Francine said tightly. ‘Annie is actually having some time off childminding. You know the way I always take August off work to be with the children?’ The others nodded. ‘Well, I’m extending my annual leave to settle Cameron into school.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Jane said.

  ‘He’s my baby. The other three are getting so big now that I’m suddenly realising my time with my youngest is precious.’

  ‘If your job is willing to let you take the time, you’re dead right,’ Sarah said.

  ‘I’ve to go in this morning for a quick meeting, but I’ll be back in time to collect Cameron.’

  Francine excused herself and hurried to her car. Tears were threatening. She knew she’d been a bit snippy with the girls just now, but she wasn’t ready to tell them her woes. Not until she’d got her own head around things. She’d even put on her work suit to fool herself into believing things were the same as before.

  Chapter 3

  Jodi couldn’t believe how quickly the morning passed. She’d promised herself she’d unpack all the cases and organise her own room and Saul’s by the end of the week. So far, she’d managed to upend two bags, so all she’d done was make a huge mess.

  Still, she had oodles of time to get sorted, she mused, as she stepped over a pile of hoodies and sweatpants, grabbing her keys and sunglasses from the kitchen table. Her brand new cream convertible Mini sat like a little enamel and chrome carriage at the front door. She adored it and would never tire of the new-car smell. But while the September sun still shone she was going to make the most of the weather. Patting the car on the way past it, she waltzed off towards the school.

  She hoped Saul had enjoyed his first day. If he came out sobbing and begging not to go back, she didn’t know what she’d do.

  ‘Things have changed, Jodi,’ Darius had reassured her over the phone on the run-up to today. ‘When we went, nobody gave a toss if you were traumatised or not. Unless you were bleeding or missing an eye, you just had to get on with it. But kids enjoy school now. I bet he’ll love it.’

  Now that she’d actually left him there, she was beside herself with worry. She’d been so gung-ho about making sure the renovations were done and that Saul was enrolled at the school, she hadn’t had time to properly reflect on any of it. She bit her lip guiltily. What if he was miserable here? She hoped she hadn’t acted too rashly in moving them to Ireland when once she’d fled from everything it represented. The misery and hardship had almost destroyed her. Until now Ireland had meant only unhappy memories. She thought back to the last time, fifteen years ago, when she’d been home to the council estate where she’d grown up.

  In many ways it seemed like a lifetime ago but Jodi would never forget where she’d come from and how one kind man had changed the course of her life for ever.

  He had been none other than the late great Jason Flood, one of the world’s greatest talent spotters. He’d come to Jodi’s school to audition girls for the role of a Dublin schoolgirl in a film he’d been shooting.

  Jodi hadn’t even dared to read for him and wouldn’t have if he hadn’t spotted her sitting alone in a corner of the canteen at lunchtime.

  Her teacher, Mr Greg, had approached her and told her the scout wanted to meet her. She was shaking and barely able to stand upright as she entered the hall where the man sat.

  ‘Can you read this page for me?’ he asked, leaning forward in his seat.

  Once she began to read, Jodi felt herself drifting away from the room and her life. She’d found it easy to be someone else.

  ‘Do you go to acting classes?’ the man asked, as she finished.

  ‘No,’ Jodi said, barely above a whisper.

  ‘How old are you, love?’

  ‘Seventeen,’ Jodi said, as her usual uncertainty took over once again.

  Raising his hand, he called Mr Greg over. ‘Can you contact this kid’s parents and see if they’ll pay for drama and elocution lessons?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t think that’ll be an option,’ Mr Greg said, putting his hand on Jodi’s shoulder. ‘Things at home aren’t so easy.’

  ‘Right.’ The man put his large hands out and held Jodi’s. ‘If I pay for them, will you go to some acting classes for me?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Jodi said, with such conviction that tears filled his eyes.

  A couple of days later, she went straight from sch
ool to Miss Hazel’s school of acting in Dublin and completed an intense four-month acting course. On its completion, she’d gone to London wide-eyed and terrified, with only a few lines to say. She’d almost bottled it but the alternative hadn’t been appealing. Jodi shuddered as she thought of the fateful moment when her life had changed for ever. Young as she was, Jodi had understood that the break from the harsh reality that was her life could only be beneficial. The planned two-week stint had stretched to six. Her tiny blink-and-you-miss-it part grew legs. By the time the movie wrapped, she’d been in a total of eight scenes. Jodi knew she had Jason Flood to thank for turning her life around. She never forgot him.

  Her cameo performance didn’t go unnoticed. Offers began to roll in. Nobody was more bemused by the upturn of events than Jodi herself. She’d been away for several months by the time she finally returned to see her mother. She’d begun filming Runaways, which turned out to be her first big feature film.

  ‘Decided to come back, did ya?’ her mother Bernadette had sneered, as she’d walked through the door of the shabby council house. ‘Thought you’d moved to London and didn’t want to know the likes of us no more.’

  ‘This is the first day off I’ve had, Ma. I’ve some money for you,’ Jodi said, handing her mother the notes.

  ‘About time you gave back. After all the years I’ve slaved to keep a roof over your head,’ Bernadette said, as she flicked through the wad of cash eagerly. Within minutes the front door had slammed and she’d headed for the pub.

  Jodi hadn’t expected anything else. The real reason she’d come home was to see her six-year-old brother, Tommy, and her nana.

  ‘Nana collects me from school every day now.’ Tommy had filled her in on the news. ‘Ma is too tired so she lets Nana mind me.’ Jodi had felt sick to hear this but relieved her mother was allowing Nana to help out.