The Enumerations

by Máire Fisher

  The old woman’s eyes snap open.

  221.

  Dominic settles into a wicker chair in the small café in Silver Oaks. The rain is sheeting down and the tarmac is steaming. He remembers the rain of his childhood, falling on a tin roof, spattering a dirty window pane, creating rivulets in the dust, making the soil heavy and dark. The sky, grey in the morning, grey at bedtime. The sun struggling through the clouds, like a headlamp in the fog. Day after day of winter rain, everything cold, his trousers permanently damp from the knees down.

  Dominic’s waiting for Harry. The café has become their regular meeting place since he first took her to meet their mother a few months ago. A cup of coffee, and then they’ll make their way to her room, spend some time with her before Dominic gets back in his car, hits the paths he likes to run and then heads back home and into the shower before Kate and Maddie get back from Greenhills.

  The doctors don’t advise spending too long with Martha. It’s good for her to see them, they say, and now she knows who they are, their visits brighten her week. But she’s frail, easily tired and twenty minutes – fifteen even – is as much as she can cope with. Dominic and Harriet spend half an hour or so chatting. Catching up on the week that has passed, catching up on the years they were separated. Harriet wishes the two families could meet – let in-laws, nephews and nieces, cousins, get to know each other. Dominic has promised this will happen. Soon, he tells her. ‘I just need a little more time, Harry. Especially now, with Noah …’

  Harry understands, of course she does. I’m holding you to that promise, Gabe. He’s Gabe to her, and she’s Harry to him, and every Sunday afternoon, their Mum is just a few metres away.

  But today, as he waits for Harriet to arrive, his phone rings. Kate’s on the other side, frantic, and Gabe becomes Dominic. ‘Oh, Dom, I thought you’d be running, thank God you took your phone with you. Dom, you have to phone the tracking company, you know the one, for the car—’

  ‘Kate,’ he cuts across her. ‘Kate, what is it?’

  ‘The children, Dom. Noah and Maddie, they’ve gone.’

  ‘They’ve what? How?’

  Harriet’s walking in now, sees her brother and waves. Dominic holds up a hand, mouths a ‘Sorry’ at her as he listens to Kate and tries to make sense out of her panic.

  ‘They were here, with me at Greenhills and then Maddie – well never mind about that – the thing is, they were here, Noah and Maddie, and then they were leaving.’

  ‘And you couldn’t just go after them? Pick them up?’

  ‘No, no, Dom. I couldn’t. The thing is, they were in my car.’

  ‘What? Noah was driving? Kate, that’s impossible, he doesn’t know—’

  ‘No, not, Noah. Juliet – Bart Ryan’s daughter. She was driving and—’

  ‘The Ryan girl? Driving our children? Why—’

  ‘I don’t know, Dom! If I knew …’ Kate’s voice is breaking. ‘It’s not important for now. What I need you to do right now is get on to the tracking company and tell them I need to know where they’re going. Where they’ve gone. Mr Bill will take me to them.’

  ‘I still don’t understand—’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, Dominic! Can you just do that and we can sort everything out later? I’m so worried. What if Juliet has an accident? She’s got our children with her.’

  ‘Yes, yes, of course.’ Kate’s words are making sense now, her panic and fear spreading to him. ‘I’ll do it now.’

  Dominic cuts the connection and scrolls through the names in his phone, searching for the number of the security company.

  ‘What’s the matter, Gabriel?’ Harry can see just how worried her brother is.

  ‘It’s Noah and Maddie. They’ve taken Kate’s car and we’ve no idea where they’ve gone.’

  222.

  15:22

  The mouth mumbles and Maddie leans closer.

  Hands spasm on the white sheet.

  ‘Mmmmuh. Mmmmuh tuhhh.’ Her head turns and looks at the bedside table.

  ‘Tuhhh.’

  A hand waves at the glass.

  ‘Her teeth,’ Juliet whispers. ‘She wants her teeth.’

  Careful now. All the better to eat you with.

  Maddie picks up the glass, takes it to the sink in the corner of the room and pours out the water.

  As she does this, a pair of green eyes fix themselves on Noah. He tries to look away, but a hand reaches out and plucks at his arm.

  ‘Gahh,’ the mouth says. ‘Gahhh bahhh.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Maddie’s voice croons, ‘don’t worry. We’ll have you sorted out in no time.’ She comes back to the bed and holds out the lower plate. The mouth opens and gulps it in. Then Maddie does the same with the upper plate and it’s sucked in too. The teeth close with a click and a soft voice wavers into the room.

  ‘Gabriel?’ She’s staring at Noah. ‘Gabriel, Sunday? Sunday afternoon?’

  Noah doesn’t know what to do. He nods and she smiles. ‘Gabriel.’ The plucking stops and her hand lies quiet.

  223.

  Kate sits in a car next to Mr Bill, driving along slick, shiny roads, on her way to find her son and daughter. The security company is feeding her directions over the phone.

  Rain is falling, sluicing away the heat, sending it swirling down gutters. Thunder claps its mighty hands and lightning jags through the sky. The road is barely visible and the windscreen wipers are squealing, struggling to do their job.

  Mr Bill’s hands are steady on the wheel. ‘Don’t worry, Mrs Groome,’ he’s saying. ‘We’ll find them.’

  Kate tries to smile, to say thank you to this kind man. She remembers (as if it happened in a long-ago dream, and not just this afternoon) how she thought she’d ignite if he so much as touched her, recalls the warmth that had risen in her every time she thought of seeing him walk across the lawns at Greenhills to greet her. Now her mind feels washed clear; the only thoughts in her head are of Noah and Maddie.

  Where on earth could her children be going? Is this just a joyride, a way of thumbing their noses at all of the rules and regulations of Greenhills? Surely not an idea Noah is even remotely capable of entertaining, never mind executing.

  The security company breaks into her thoughts, telling her to turn left into Maple, keep on for 500 metres and then first right in Elm and second left into Oak. ‘That’s where your car has stopped, Mrs Groome. It’s in the parking lot of a retirement complex. One of our vehicles will meet you there and make sure everything is in order.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Kate gives the directions to Mr Bill. ‘I must call my husband,’ she tells him.

  Dominic answers on the first ring.

  ‘Kate?’

  ‘It’s all good, Dom. They’ve found the car, we’re just arriving there now. It’s a place on Oak Street.’

  ‘Oak?’

  He stops abruptly and Kate says, ‘Don’t worry, I can see it. I can see my car. But … this is really bizarre, Dom. What in God’s name are the children doing here? It’s a place called Silver Oaks.

  ‘Kate—’ Dominic pauses, and then Kate sees a familiar maroon 4×4 parked under the trees. Dominic’s car? In the same car park?

  ‘Kate? Kate!’ Dominic’s voice, tinny and frantic.

  Are Noah and Maddie really here? And Juliet?

  Kate needs answers. She cuts Dominic off and turns to Mr Bill. ‘I’m sorry. I have to …’ She’s fumbling with the seatbelt and he leans over her and unsnaps it. ‘I don’t know what’s going on,’ Kate babbles. His hand covers hers, warm and comforting, and Kate feels stupid, so stupid to ever have thought— but there’s no time for that now, no time to think about anything except getting out of the car.

  She’s standing in the parking lot, hardly feeling the rain, staring at her husband’s car.

  ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Mrs Groome?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Kate says. ‘Fine. Thank you, Mr Bill. You’ve been so kind.’

  ‘I’ll come with you. Check up on
Noah and Juliet.’

  Together they hurry into the building and up to the front desk to ask for help.

  224.

  15:25

  The old face lights up as she looks over Noah’s shoulder.

  ‘Gabriel,’ she says again. ‘Gabriel, you’re here.’ This time it’s not Noah she’s looking at.

  His father’s in the doorway, out of breath, blinking.

  ‘Hi, Dad,’ says Maddie, as if she’s been a visitor in this room every day of her life.

  ‘Maddie, Noah …’

  Juliet steps forward. (‘Into the breach,’ she says to Noah, later. ‘I hope you appreciated my heroism, dude.’) ‘Hello, Mr Groome. We haven’t met. I’m Juliet, Noah’s friend.’

  Dominic shakes her hand, but doesn’t say a word.

  ‘Gabriel. Gabriel, who are these people?’ The old woman’s eyes flicker and her voice rises on the question. ‘Where’s Harry? Is Harry here?’ She’s lifting herself off the pillows, pushing back the blanket, her thin legs reaching for the floor.

  Noah’s father is next to her in seconds. He’s holding her down, firmly, gently.

  ‘Harry’s coming, Mum. She’ll be here soon.’

  But she isn’t listening. Her eyes are back on Noah. ‘Is everything all right, Gaby-Baby? My Little Man?’

  Puzzled, Noah looks at his father. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed and the shape of his body has changed. Before, it was all squares and rectangles. High squared shoulders, tight rectangular jaw. Now, he has no edges. His shoulders have relaxed and his face is softer.

  ‘Dad?’

  ‘Noah.’ Dominic stands up and walks towards his son. For the first time in ages, they are so close they are almost touching.

  ‘Felix?’ Noah says, ‘Gabriel?’

  That’s right. You ask him. Ask Dominic-Gabriel-Dad. Looks like he’s got some explaining to do.

  ‘Yes,’ his father replies without hesitating. ‘Gabriel Felix. Father, Joseph Felix. Mother, Martha. Martha Felix, née Groom, aged 82.’

  225.

  It all happened when Dominic was so young. When Dominic was Gabriel.

  ‘Just a boy,’ they said, ‘and who could blame him?’ That was the official line. But blame him they did, of course they did. He saw it in their eyes as they watched him coming down the corridor. The corridor, with door after door leading into room after room, lined with metal framed beds, each with someone like Gabriel, like Dominic, sleeping in it.

  That was when he hadn’t been separated from the other boys. For yelling too loudly, screaming that it wasn’t him, it wasn’t him, it wasn’t him.

  It was all terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

  226.

  15:37

  Noah looks out at the rain. It’s hard, steady. The lightning has ended and the thunder has gone. It’s still windy, though. There’s still an edge to the air.

  It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring. Only, there’s no old man here. Just an old lady, looking mighty confused.

  Noah’s fingers tap on the windowsill. They tap, tap, tap-tap-tap, keeping him company. The rain beats down and the wind swirls through the trees and his fingers tap tap, tap-tap-tap, left hand. Tap tap, tap-tap-tap, right hand.

  If he angles his hand slightly his nails catch and click on the wooden windowsill and the sound becomes more of a tip-tip-tap. More click than clack. Tapping, tipping, clicking.

  An old man shuffles past the open door, nodding as he goes. ‘Good afternoon, Mrs Felix. I’m afraid rain has stopped play. Indefinitely.’

  There’s the slow whine of the wheels of a tea trolley.

  The wheels on the bus go round and round. And round and around and around.

  Noah’s thoughts circle, his eyes flick around the room. From his father to his sister, to Juliet. She smiles at him and mouths a word. He can’t figure out what she’s saying and then he sees her breathing in deeply. And out. And in and out. He does the same. There’s so much to take in, so much to work out.

  He breathes in and out. His thoughts slow and he’s able to look around the room. Now there’s a woman in the doorway. She looks almost as nervous as he feels.

  ‘Harry?’ the old woman squeals in excitement. ‘Harry, you came!’

  ‘Yes, Mum,’ the woman with green eyes says gently. ‘I always do.’

  She’s going to take up a whole page in Noah’s notebook, maybe even more. And then she’s going to find her place on his family tree, just below her mother. Mrs Martha Felix née Groom; Mrs Harriet Davenport.

  227.

  ‘Name?’ asks the woman briskly.

  Kate says, ‘Groome, but I don’t know—’

  Before she can finish, the lady is beaming and saying, ‘My word, more visitors for Mrs Felix. Is it a special day, dear? Normally it’s just her son, and her daughter.’

  Kate looks at her, wide-eyed, but the lady is too busy telling them where to go to notice. ‘Down to the end of the corridor, and turn left – that will take you down to frail care. She’s in Room 24.’

  228.

  15:41

  More voices outside, except this time they are far from calm. ‘This is it. Room 24.’ Noah’s mother appears, with Mr Bill just behind her.

  ‘Noah!’ She sees him first. ‘Maddie! Juliet …’ Her breath comes out in a rush. ‘Thank God. Oh, thank God.’

  Only then does she take in the other people in the room: his father, Harriet Davenport, Martha Felix tucked into bed.

  ‘Dominic?’ she asks. ‘What on earth is going on? Why are you all here?’

  ‘Kate, I can explain.’ He reaches out to take her hand but she steps back.

  ‘Explain? Explain what, exactly?’

  He waves an arm, taking in the whole room. ‘This,’ he says. ‘All of this.’

  His father’s sister – Noah’s new aunt – manages a smile. ‘Hello,’ she says. ‘My name’s Harriet Davenport. And this is my mother, Martha Felix. I’m … We’re …’

  Mr Bill breaks the awkward silence. ‘Come along, Noah,’ he says. ‘We’d better get you back. And you too, Juliet. It’s getting late.’

  Juliet’s face is tight. ‘I suppose we can say goodbye to all our privileges. No phone time, tv, Internet? Not to mention how my father’s going to take this one.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ says Mr Bill. ‘There are bound to be consequences, but I’ll put in a good word for you. About how you were trying to help a friend. Ms Turner will be pleased to hear that.’

  He turns to Noah’s mother. ‘Will you be all right getting home, Mrs Groome?’

  ‘Me?’ She looks at him blankly and then the question registers. ‘I’ll be fine,’ she says. ‘Thank you. But before these two go back to Greenhills, before anyone goes anywhere … I want Dominic to tell us why he is here.’

  ‘Dominic?’ Noah’s grandmother turns her head from side to side. ‘Who is Dominic?’ Her voice is low and whispery.

  Noah’s father’s face is etched with sadness. ‘I’m so sorry, Kate. I’ve wanted to tell you, I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to let you know.’

  ‘Gabriel? Gabriel?’ The old woman plucks at her blanket. ‘Is that you, My Little Man?’

  Noah’s father bends down and kisses her cheek. ‘It’s me, Mum,’ he says. ‘It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m here to see you.’

  She smiles up at him, and Noah wonders if there are dimples hiding in her lined cheeks.

  229.

  Mum?

  Her husband – the man who has called himself an orphan these many, many years – has a mother who is very much alive?

  Kate studies the woman in the bed. Green eyes. The legs under the covers are long, the sleeves of her nightgown too short for her arms.

  ‘Who is she, Gabriel?’

  Who are you? is what Kate wants to ask, but she stops herself when she sees how agitated the old woman is becoming. ‘Before we go anywhere, Dominic,’ she says again.

  ‘Of course,’ her husband says. ‘There’s
a little coffee shop near the entrance. Why don’t we all go and sit there for a while.’ He looks over to the woman who called herself Harriet Davenport. ‘Harry? Would you mind staying down here with Mum, until …’

  ‘Of course I will,’ Harriet says quickly, her voice full of understanding. ‘Take your time, Gabe.’

  There it is again. Mum. Gabe. Gabriel. Kate’s head is spinning. Nothing’s sticking. Nothing’s falling into place.

  Dominic looks at Mr Bill. ‘Will you wait a while?’

  ‘Sure. I’ll just let Greenhills know that there’s nothing to worry about. Panic over.’

  230.

  15:45

  Noah looks at his watch for the first time since arriving at Silver Oaks with Juliet at the wheel.

  Ms Turner will be delighted. That’s what she says whenever they make progress. ‘I’m delighted, Noah. Delighted for you.’ And then she’ll make a note in his file at the end of the session, confirm the exact time that she’ll be seeing him next. Well, Ms Turner’s certainly going to be more than delighted by these 4 – no, 5 – facts:

  1.Noah Groome has not looked at his watch for nearly an hour now.

  2.Noah Groome abandoned his Sunday-afternoon routine.

  3.Noah Groome found out all sorts of things about his family – all waiting to be filled in on his Family Tree.

  4.Considering what he has done and where he is, Noah Groome’s anxiety levels feel remarkably low.

  He stops, listens carefully, then adds the last item to his list of 5 Things About Noah That Will Delight Ms Turner.

  5.Noah Groome cannot hear one peep. Not a snigger, a rumble, a growl. All is silent.

  Maddie’s at his elbow, and Juliet’s next to her and they’re following his parents.

  231.

  Kate knows she should be incandescent with fury. She should be screaming, shouting, but the more she reaches for feelings of anger, disbelief and total and utter bewilderment, the further they retreat.