Chapter 22 #2
‘I suppose.’ She knew her mother wouldn’t bat an eyelid, and it would be handy if Luca could stay here sometimes. She took a handful of glasses from the sideboard and began putting them around. ‘You don’t have to stay for the music, by the way, if you don’t want to.’
‘I’d like to.’
‘They’re pretty good. Jim plays the uilleann pipes, and Mum plays the bodhrán. But feel free to leave any time, if you get bored.’
‘So, what about you? Do you play any instrument?’
‘Not really,’ she said, blushing. ‘I mean I do kind of join in the sessions sometimes, but it’s not exactly an instrument…’
‘Do you sing?’
‘No.’
‘What, then?’
‘It’s kind of embarrassing,’ she said, wincing.
Luca grinned. ‘Is it a comb and paper?’
‘No! Though that’s not far off.’
‘Go on… tell me.’
‘Spoons,’ she mumbled. ‘I play the spoons.’
Luca threw back his head and laughed. ‘You play the spoons? Seriously?’
‘Hey!’ she said, punching his shoulder playfully. ‘Jim taught me when I was a kid.’
‘So is it just the spoons, or do you play any other kitchen implements? Garlic press? Cheese grater?’
‘Okay, it’s not a sexy instrument, I’ll give you that.’
‘It’s not an instrument. It’s cutlery.’
‘Well, it’s more than you can play.’
The doorbell was ringing as she finished setting the table. Espie led everyone into the sitting room and introduced them to Luca.
Lily was a stooped, white-haired lady with a kind, wrinkled face. ‘Luca, I’ll try to remember that,’ she said, as she shook his hand. ‘My memory’s not what it used to be. Lady Gaga, that’s me.’
It was a joke she had made many times before, but Espie, Claire and Jim laughed anyway.
Mary was next, a stout woman with a shock of wiry grey hair and a permanently harried expression, carrying a violin case.
‘Lovely to meet you, Luca,’ she said, as she took his hand in her gnarled, twisted fingers.
‘I brought the fiddle,’ she said, to Espie and Jim, ‘but I don’t know if I’ll be able to play.
The arthritis has been very bad this past week.
But I’ll give it a go and see how I get on. ’
Espie’s neighbours, Nancy and Michael, were carrying guitars. They had lived across the road from Espie since they had moved to Dublin from Cork almost twenty years ago.
Everyone dumped instrument cases and greeted each other before taking their places at the large round table.
They were a motley collection of people, brought together at various stages by Espie, but they had forged strong friendships over the years, and Claire was touched by their joy in each other’s company.
‘So, we have new blood,’ Jim said, rubbing his hands as he sat beside Luca.
‘Do you know how to play forty-five, Luca?’ Espie asked him.
‘Haven’t a clue.’
‘Ah, not just new blood,’ Jim said. ‘Prey!’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t let them fleece you,’ Espie said.
‘We only play for small change,’ Claire said to Luca, as she sat beside him.
As the evening wore on, Claire kept them supplied with a steady supply of food and booze.
It was good to see her mother enjoying herself, and she was glad that Luca seemed happy too.
He was a big hit with the ladies, who fussed over him, plying him with pizza and cake, and telling him how handsome he was.
‘It’s good to have another man to swell the ranks,’ Michael told him. ‘We’re sorely outnumbered, aren’t we, Jim?’
‘Aye. We’re a dying breed,’ Jim agreed.
‘Well, women live longer,’ Espie said, ‘because we’re tougher and lead exemplary lives. Speaking of which, you must come for my birthday next month, Luca. We’re having a bit of a party.’
‘Great! I’d love to.’
‘I’ll be sixty-nine, but I’m celebrating anyway.’
‘So, where are you from, Luca?’ Jim asked, during a lull, while they waited for Lily to play a card.
‘I grew up here, in Dublin. I was adopted from Romania.’
‘Romania? Were you in one of those awful orphanages?’ Nancy asked, with a pitying expression.
‘Yeah. I was in a couple, actually.’
Claire shot him an apologetic look and he gave her a little shrug, seemingly not bothered.
‘Ah, that’s terrible,’ Jim said, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘I’m sorry for that.’
‘Have another piece of cake,’ Mary said, sliding the plate across to him. ‘Sure there isn’t a pick on you.’
‘They were desperate places, weren’t they?’ Michael shook his head sadly.
‘It was no Disneyland,’ Luca said.
‘Shooting was too good for that bastard Ceausescu and his wife,’ Espie said.
‘But you’re here now,’ Jim said consolingly, putting a hand over Luca’s on the table. ‘That’s the main thing.’
‘And you’ve got a great girl there,’ Michael added, giving Claire a wink.
Claire squirmed, but Luca grinned as he took another huge slice of cake.
‘It’s still your turn, Lily,’ Espie said, nudging her.
‘What’s trumps again?’
‘Diamonds,’ everyone chorused patiently.
‘Do you have any songs of your people, Luca?’ Michael asked later, as they all set up to play.
‘He’s from Dalkey,’ Claire said.
‘Sorry. I haven’t been in Romania since I was seven. Anyway, I’m not a singer.’
‘He only sings for Claire’s benefit, apparently,’ Espie said archly.
‘Actually, do you have any paper?’ Luca asked Claire.
‘Sure.’ She went across the hall to the room she used as a study and grabbed a sheaf of A4.
‘Thanks,’ he said, when she handed it to him, and produced a pencil from a pocket. ‘Do you guys mind if I sketch you?’ he asked, raising the pencil and paper.
‘No, not at all,’ Espie said, and everyone agreed.
Luca’s fingers flew over the paper as they began to play, and Claire watched him, fascinated not only by his skill but by the way he seemed to capture the very essence of each person with just a few strokes.
Soon the table was covered with sketches.
‘They’re really good,’ he said, nodding at the shambolic group of musicians.
‘They are.’ They were all playing well, and Nancy and Jim, who took turns singing, both had beautiful voices.
The only discordant note was the violin, which constantly jarred on the ear as Mary kept hitting wrong notes. ‘Sorry, that was brutal, wasn’t it?’ she said, when they had finished the first song. ‘I can’t seem to get my hands to do what I want them to do.’
‘It was grand, Mary!’ Jim said. ‘We all know what you meant.’
‘Maybe I should stop playing,’ she fretted. ‘I don’t want to spoil it for everyone.’
‘Don’t be daft,’ Espie said. ‘It wouldn’t be the same without you.’
‘Oh well, if you’re sure…’ Newly emboldened, Mary scraped away for the rest of the evening, missing more notes than she hit, but clearly having a whale of a time.
‘I take it all back,’ Luca said later, when they were alone in the kitchen.
‘Spoons is a very sexy instrument.’ He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, one hand sliding up underneath her shirt to caress the bare skin of her back.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he said. ‘It seems like ages since you’ve been in my bed. ’
‘I’ve missed you too.’
He bent to kiss her again, and Claire clung to him, kissing him back, her breathing becoming ragged.
‘I won’t be able to see you next week either,’ she said. ‘There’s a book launch at the shop on Thursday, Mark’s coming over on Saturday, and I don’t want to leave Mum on her own too often.’
‘Mark’s coming over?’ He frowned, releasing her.
‘Just for the night.’
‘But you’re still sticking to your five-date rule?’
‘Yeah. I still need more practice.’
‘Okay. Good. Don’t let him rush you into anything.’
‘I won’t,’ she said, laughing at his grumpy expression and his over-protective attitude. If she didn’t know better, she’d almost have thought he was jealous.
‘Ready, Luca?’ Jim said, appearing in the doorway. He had offered Luca a lift home.
‘I’ll see you the Saturday after next, then,’ he said, as Claire saw them to the door. ‘You’re still coming to Ali’s party with me?’
‘Definitely. I’ll pick you up.’