Chapter Thirty-Four Kate’s House
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kate’s House
Preparations were well underway for Freya’s big birthday party the following week, and the next day everyone gathered round at Kate’s house. They were all horrified at the online trolling Freya had received. She hadn’t left the house since, and Amelia had said she didn’t want any visitors.
Kate had said the best thing to do was carry on with the party plans and show Freya how much she was loved.
Amelia told them all she hadn’t wanted to leave Freya on her own, saying “We really do need a big shop and I also have to collect some jewellery supplies for her as I think it would be good for her to get back to work, and we know how much she loves creating her earrings and bracelets.”
“That’s so kind of you,” said Maureen. “You’ve been an absolute treasure. Thanks for looking after Freya.”
Kate smiled at Amelia. “You get off now. It will take you all afternoon to get up to Birsay and over to Harray for Freya. We’ve got things under control here.”
When Amelia had left, Kate said, “She really has been such a great help, especially as Evie seems to have done a disappearing act.”
“I thought she would have been here today,” said Kate. “But never mind. There’s a lot to get through so we’d better get started.”
They had been hard at work ordering the decorations and amassing as much pink and silver as they could get their hands on. The Minion plates and glasses were all boxed up and everyone assured each other the yellow tablecloths were bright enough.
Delima had ordered fresh flowers for the centre of each table and was decorating the vases with stickers of Kylie Minogue in her ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ outfit, which was Freya’s favourite.
Kate was packing little bags of silver and pink stars that would be scattered over all the tables, trying not to think about how long it was going to take to clear it all up.
The Minion cake and costume were safely in her kitchen alongside eight giant candles, one for each decade, otherwise, Kate had joked, eighty candles would have had the fire brigade on standby.
Jack had tried the Minion outfit on at home and made Ola giggle but terrified the life out of poor baby Hari, who had yelled his head off at the sight of his dad engulfed by a bright yellow monster. Delima had to make a few alterations to make the costume fit but declared it to be a triumph.
“I’d only do this for Freya,” Jack grumbled. “It’s boiling hot and I look like a right eejit.”
They had ordered jumbo bags of sweeties and helium balloons and Happy Birthday banners. “Christ,” said Patsy, “It’s going to look like a bunch of unicorns have thrown up in the hall. Have we gone over the top?”
Kate looked up from threading multi-coloured fairy lights through pink feather boas that were to be draped over chairs, and said, “This is Freya we are talking about. She will love it. And she needs cheering up. She’s been through such a lot.”
They all fell silent. Poor Freya had actually told Kate and Edwyn to cancel the party.
They’d talked her out of that, but it was shocking to see her so distraught.
Andrzej said he would go round and visit her to make sure she was OK.
She had said she didn’t feel up to seeing anyone, but he couldn’t bear the thought of her being alone.
He was furious about the online abuse and told Maureen that all he wanted was just five minutes in a room with the person who had started all the rumours.
It took a lot to rile the big man, but any upset caused to the people he loved turned him from an amiable teddy into a ferocious grizzly bear.
Andrzej was appalled to see Freya sitting in her darkened kitchen with all the curtains drawn, wearing an old grey dressing gown. He didn’t even think she would have possessed such an ugly garment. She had a defeated look in her eyes that he had never seen before.
Andrzej sat down beside her, took her hand, and said, “Don’t let these bad creatures dim your light, Freya. They are not worth it.”
She’d glanced up at him briefly. Her expression was so hurt and she looked shrunken and defeated.
“I know that, Andrzej. It’s just been such an awful shock.
I genuinely haven’t thought about my life as Magnus for so long.
No one ever mentions it anymore and I really believed I was accepted.
I just feel as if everyone will look at me differently now, when I go out or into town and I couldn’t bear it. ”
“But you are accepted, Freya. No one has paid any attention to these stupid lies.” He saw Freya’s chin wobble and went on, “I know you don’t feel like it now but this will blow over and these sad, sick people will find another target for their spite.
Anyway, don’t you have an art class this afternoon for the kids?
You should be getting yourself out of these drab rags and into something bright and beautiful and more like the Freya we all know and love. ”
“No one will come this afternoon. They won’t ever come again,” said Freya with a sob.
“Come on, lass, you know that’s not true,” Andrzej said. “Look. I can help you set things up. Please, promise me – you’ll at least try?”
“It’s the thought that amongst the parents, there might be someone who thinks these horrible things about me,” whispered Freya.
Andrzej shook his head. “We don’t know that, Freya. It might just be some vile idiot on the internet making trouble.”
Freya really didn’t think anyone would turn up for her Saturday class, but she would have to make the effort now she had promised Andrzej. She got herself washed and changed and they both put out the paints, paper and jam jars of water on her big scrubbed pine table.
Andrzej asked if she wanted him to stay, but she told him she needed to do this alone. Freya took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and focused her gaze, like Ripley in the movie Aliens, just before she took on the monster.
Freya was a big fan of that film. She often asked herself what Ellen Ripley would do when confronted with a problem.
“She’d tell them all to go to hell!” Freya said out loud.
She told herself she wasn’t going to be cowed by the kinds of bullies she’d had to deal with when she was a much younger woman.
‘At least back then, the feckers would be rude and vile to your face and you’d have a chance to tell them to bugger off.
These days they hide behind their phones,’ she thought.
Looking out of her window later that afternoon, Freya saw dozens of young girls and boys with their parents, waiting in the front garden.
The children clutched handmade cards and little bunches of flowers for her.
They didn’t make a fuss. They just filed into her sunny room and sat at the table or on the floor, quickly becoming engrossed in painting bold prints of their tiny hands and covering everything with glitter.
Their mums and dads waved at Freya and said they would pick their kids up in a couple of hours, as usual. Their trust in her was unspoken but it was deep and powerful. Freya managed not to break down in tears, but her heart was full of gratitude. She loved these people.