Chapter 34
MELODY
‘Thank you all so very much for coming,’ Prunella says, into a microphone from the bridge.
Prunella and Melody are standing in the centre of the Grace Plunkett Bridge.
Prunella has gone to town on decorating, with two pink and red heart balloon tunnels at both entrances to the bridge.
There are tall tables with white table linen and a single lily in a vase on each table.
Prunella is wearing a lily white dress and looks as though she’s about to get married, Melody is in red.
They speak into microphones to address the large crowd that has gathered on one side of the bridge.
Of course they’ve not been able to shut down the bridge for the hour they have held the space for this event and mid-speech a man pushing a toddler in a buggy approaches the bridge from the rear. He stares at them, confused.
Melody turns around. ‘Would you like to pass, sir?’
‘Yes,’ he shouts, annoyed and confused.
Prunella and Melody part ways to allow him to pass and he walks self-consciously, with hundreds of eyes on him, over the bridge, glaring at everyone in confusion, while the toddler points at the balloons with a pudgy finger.
Melody is nervous, which is unusual for her.
She’s distracted, jumpy, fidgety. She’s happy for Prunella to lead the speech.
She scours the crowd and sees familiar faces.
Derek, dressed in black tie with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates in his hands.
It breaks her heart to see him here looking so hopeful and, while she’d told her mum about the event on multiple occasions, she seriously doubts Belinda will come.
They had many heart-to-hearts over the past few months while Melody was actively ‘working on herself’ as if she was in training to complete a marathon.
Though she was in training to be able to go the distance with love.
Melody has come to the conclusion that her mum was forcing her to grow up.
Forcing her to be alone, to see if that’s what she wants.
Then it occurred to Melody that perhaps her mum is doing the same thing herself.
Belinda had done Melody a favour: on those nights alone when she wouldn’t stay with her in her apartment, Melody had turned to Al.
He had met her with vulnerability and honesty, and meeting him had been the beginning of a startling change in herself.
Being comfortable with someone else had been the beginning of her becoming comfortable with herself.
It seemed to be the opposite of what pop psychology preached, but it was working for her.
Her feelings for Al had given her strength to have a deeper belief in herself.
To achieve the kind of relationship she’d had with a man like him, brief and fleeting as it was, had become the goal.
She wanted to feel that again, and she was willing to put the work in to get there. She had been doing so for months.
Melody locates Claire’s brother Tom in the crowd.
He gives her an awkward salute when their eyes meet.
And her friend Gemma is here with her two teenage daughters, which is again heartbreaking because it’s not just Gemma who’s hoping her ex-husband shows up, it’s her children too.
A sea of faces look up at Melody and she can see hope on every face, their eyes alight with wonder and expectancy.
Melody had believed Night and Day were bringing hope to their lives, but now she realises if these people are not reunited with their loves, then all they have achieved is assembling a collection of broken hearts and hurting them all over again.
Are Prunella and Melody equipped to deal with the fallout?
She continues to scan the crowd, really only looking for one person. She can’t find Al. She shouldn’t be surprised that he’s not here; she didn’t invite him but she has attempted to summon him in another way.
‘Despite what my co-host believes,’ Prunella continues, ‘love locks have become romantic tokens, universal symbols for the commitment, strength and constancy of a relationship.’
Ed is standing by, recording everything for the podcast, and a camera too for social media.
Melody was under the impression that Jasper and Prunella were giving their marriage another go, but from the moment they arrived Prunella has been scanning the crowd a little too eagerly, as if searching for someone, Melody can only guess who. But then Melody is searching too.
Suddenly Melody spots Belinda in the crowd and she grins and almost yelps with happiness. She doesn’t want to get her hopes up, it could be just as support for Melody, which she appreciates.
‘And finally,’ Prunella says, ‘we want to pay tribute to Joe and Grace Plunkett, whose love was on the edge of loss. Their story means something different to everyone, but for all of us here we are drawn to them and their powerful love. Their tragic circumstances touch all of our hearts and symbolise enduring love, and sacrifice. I hope that you will take their strength and belief, and bring them into your love lives. Now go, find your loves!’ she says, lifting her hands in the air in celebration.
The crowd cheer and start moving, roaming around as if they’re searching.
Melody’s heart breaks for those who can’t find who they want.
But her heart surges when it works out, when suddenly somebody starts hugging another person in the crowd as they locate one another, both ready to reunite, both here with hope in their hearts.
Melody sees Claire’s brother Tom embracing his wife.
Her friend Gemma, who broke up with her husband over the dishwasher, holds hands with her daughters and walks through the crowd.
Melody watches them, the three of them together, remembering when the girls were born and reflecting on how much they’ve matured to young women now.
When they get to the other side of the crowd and their dad isn’t there, the three of them look at each other.
They stand in a circle holding hands, facing each other.
‘We have each other,’ she hears Gemma saying, with a brave face. ‘You are both the loves of my life.’ The girls wipe tears from their cheeks and the three of them embrace.
Melody, who is rarely moved to tears, wipes a tear from her own cheek.
‘This is fun,’ Prunella says, placing the microphone down. ‘You’re quiet, is everything okay?’
‘Yeah, it’s just, a lot,’ Melody says, looking around.
‘It sure is,’ she says proudly. Then, Prunella, the woman who wants everything, disappears from her side, eager to get away.
Belinda inches towards her and they embrace. ‘You came!’
‘Of course I came.’ She’s dressed in a red patterned Orla Kiely dress, her long grey hair, with red streaks in the front, a strong red lip. ‘You look beautiful,’ she says, sizing her daughter up and down.
‘Are you here for me, or for Derek?’
‘He’s here?’ she asks, looking out, and Melody senses hope in her mother’s tone.
She realises Belinda has made an effort with her outfit too, this is not just for Melody’s sake.
The noise levels have gone up as everyone talks, catches up, makes friends, consoles others who have travelled here and yet are still alone.
‘Of course he’s here. Look.’
They both look out and see Derek standing alone, as still as a statue in the moving crowd. He has the bouquet of flowers in one hand, the box of chocolates in the other.
‘I hate those chocolates,’ Belinda says.
‘Stop, Mum.’
‘Sorry.’ Belinda’s lips quiver in a smile. ‘He does look dashing.’
‘Mum, I just want to say, you’re free to make whatever decision you want.
It’s fine if you want to be alone, but you broke up with Derek because of a jigsaw puzzle.
That’s what set it off. You want everything solved quickly so that you can live your life.
Derek places life on top of the problem and he lives around it.
He doesn’t let it get in the way. Maybe you stop trying to solve all the puzzles and clear them away, you can live with and on a puzzle.
Or buy a new table. A table specifically just for puzzles. ’
It makes perfectly good sense to Melody.
Belinda looks confused. ‘Darling, I have absolutely no idea what you just said, or what that means.’
‘Oh,’ her smile fades.
‘This really isn’t your thing, dear, all of this relationship love talk, but I can tell you’re working on it.
Good for you,’ she says, patting her patronisingly.
‘Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to say hello to a dear friend.
’ She grins and does a little dance off the bridge, making her way to Derek.
Melody watches her mother move through the crowd. She stops before him and he hands her the flowers. She smells them. Then he hands her the chocolates and Melody sees her mum shake her head.
Melody rolls her eyes. Why does she have to be so honest all the time?
Without blinking, Derek hands them to a woman standing alone beside him.
The woman is delighted. She opens the box of chocolates, and offers them around.
A man, who is also standing alone, steps closer and leans in to look at the chocolates.
Their heads are bent close as they examine them.
Melody observes the woman secretly check out the man, and the man secretly check out the woman.
It’s so sweet, and beautiful. People just want a connection and there surely must be someone for everyone.
Melody wants to cry. Melody never used to cry. What is wrong with her?
Derek holds out his hand to Belinda, she takes it and they start dancing, even though there’s no music. The crowd clear for them and make a little space around them.
‘Is he here?’ Prunella asks, beside her again.
‘Where were you?’
‘Never you mind. Did he come?’
‘Who?’
Prunella laughs. ‘Oh, come on, do you think I haven’t noticed the lock on the bridge? MY and AC. Melody Yates. I’m guessing that’s your bridge guy, Al Collins?’
Melody glances over at the bridge where she had subtly connected the lock to the thin stem of the lily on the bridge earlier before everyone had arrived.
‘I just wanted to see if it would work,’ Melody mumbles, embarrassed.
‘You wanted to see what would happen, or you hoped? It’s not a magic spell, Melody, it’s love. The binding of a love lock is only symbolic of the binding of your souls. If you want him you have to tell him.’
‘Well it doesn’t matter, I can’t tell him anything. Because he’s not here,’ she says, folding her arms and suddenly feeling cold.
She pictures Al’s blue eyes, his smile on hers, the sound of his laughter, the look on his face when he realised he was trapped in the revolving door with her.
The long walk around the city, holding hands, on their first night together.
Discovering every new thing about him for the first time, loving it all from the second she met him.
The nights they spent together, the pure ecstasy of being with him.
It was all perfect. She tries to swallow the lump in her throat, and watch those whose dreams are coming true.
At least it happened once, briefly. At least she had a taste of it.