Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy [129]
Cathy and Lizzie provided endless cups of tea as a file of people passed through each day. The Associates all came together in a group and the women would hear bursts of laughter as they planned a great new world—a world without the present government, the previous governments, the banks and the law.
The Associates were mild men who talked big, and Muttie had always been at their center. They were jovial and blustering when they were with him, but Cathy could see their faces fall when they were out of his presence.
“It won’t be long now, God save us all,” said one of them, a man not usually known to respect the Almighty and ask for divine help.
But mainly people came in one by one, monitored by Lizzie and Cathy. They were given fifteen minutes at the most. The kind Ita O’Meara came. She spoke about everything except illness. They talked horses and greyhounds. “Very sound woman,” Muttie remarked approvingly when she left. And they came in their droves, first asking Lizzie what would be a good time. She kept a notebook on the hall table.
Fiona and Declan came and brought little Johnny with them. They told their secret to Muttie: that they were expecting another baby. He said it would remain a secret right up to the end of his life.
Dr. Hat came and brought some scones that he had made himself. Emily Lynch had been teaching him to cook, and it wasn’t bad at all if you put your mind to it. Muttie promised that when he got stronger he would think about it.
Josie and Charles came and talked about how a devotion to St. Jarlath could help in almost any situation. Muttie thanked them and said he was as interested in St. Jarlath as the next man and that if ever he needed him he would certainly try to get in touch with the saint. However, fortunately, he was getting better now and would be back to full strength before long.
Like everyone else, Charles and Josie Lynch were mystified. They so wanted to talk to Muttie about their inheritance from Mrs. Monty and how it should be spent or invested. Up to now they hadn’t told anyone how much money was involved, not even Noel. But it seemed insensitive to talk about such things to a man who was so near death. Could Muttie really not know that he was dying?
Molly and Paddy Carroll felt the same. “He’s talking of going to New York in a couple of months’ time.” Molly was genuinely puzzled. “Muttie won’t go as far as the River Liffey, for heaven’s sake—doesn’t he know that?”
It was a mystery.
Noel came and brought Frankie. As Frankie sat on Muttie’s knee and offered him her sippy cup, Noel talked more openly than he did to anyone. He told Muttie about the terrible fright when Frankie had been lost and how he had felt a pain in his chest as bad as if someone had put a great spade into him and lifted out his insides.
“You’ve made a grand job of this little girl,” Muttie said approvingly.
“I sometimes dream that she’s not my little girl at all and that someone comes to take her away,” Noel confessed.
“That will never happen, Noel.”
“Wasn’t I lucky that Stella contacted me? Suppose she hadn’t—then Frankie would be growing up in a different place and she’d never know any of you.”
“And wasn’t she lucky that she got you, even though you work too hard,” Muttie said begrudgingly.
“I have to work hard. I want to have some kind of a job that I’d be proud of by the time she’s old enough to know what I’m doing.”
“And you gave up the gargle for her. That wasn’t easy.”
“It’s not too bad most of the time. I’m so busy, you see, but there are days when I could murder six pints. Those are bad days.”
“What do you do?” Muttie wanted to know.
“I ring my buddy in AA, and he comes over or meets me for coffee.”
“Marvelous bloody organization. Never needed them myself, fortunately, but they do the job.” Muttie was full of approval.
“You’re a great fellow, Muttie,” Noel said unexpectedly.
“I’m not the worst,” Muttie agreed, “but haven’t I a great family around me. I’m luckier than anyone I ever heard of. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for us, traveling like