Chapter 36
It was the first Monday of the Easter holidays and the McCoys had invited me to join their trip to Kilmare Forest Park.
I knew how busy their mornings were because of the colour-coded schedule, but it was the things not on the schedule that seemed to make things the busiest: getting Ronan dressed, washed, teeth brushed, the ‘simple’ things.
Things I hadn’t been around for and so hadn’t properly realised the efforts it took.
It was the first trip away from home they’d planned since Ronan’s accident; the nerves were definitely high with Mrs McCoy in the kitchen stuffing backpacks and filling a cool box with food and drinks.
Mr McCoy was down the hall with Ronan getting him ready.
I’d offered to help in the kitchen but Mrs McCoy was in a rhythm.
‘No, you’re fine, Brendan, maybe when all’s packed up you can give a hand with loading Matty’s motor when he gets here?’ she said.
I offered the same to Mr McCoy when he dashed quickly past the doorway.
‘Don’t worry your head, Brendan, Ronan and me have a wee morning routine worked out but he’s not playing ball right now; he’s not in a bad mood or anything, I think it’s more the excitement.
He’s frisking about and not letting me get him dressed properly, the rascal.
Sit yourself down. Is Emma getting you sorted with a cup of tea or something? ’
‘Yes, thanks.’
As I sat there, feeling useless, listening to the bustling of Mrs McCoy in the kitchen and the mumbled voices of Mr McCoy and Ronan down the hall, a horn beeped outside.
Matty had pulled up at the end of the drive, leaning with his arm on the open window. He saluted me when I came out the front door.
‘Well, Brendan, bucko, powerful day for a drive to Kilmare,’ he said, squinting up into the clear sky. ‘You’ve this motor well spruced.’
‘Was there a hen party in it on Saturday night or what? There was glitter everywhere, flippin’ nightmare.’
‘Aye, hen party on a pub crawl, my ears are still ringin’,’ he said, climbing out and lighting up a cigarette.
‘They’re running a bit behind but won’t be long,’ I said.
‘Not a bother,’ he said, exhaling smoke. ‘I’m in no rush, yous’ll be a blessin’ compared to Saturday night’s rabble, even if your wee friend starts his laughin’ the way he did yon time I did that school run for him I wouldn’t mind. How’s he doin’?’
‘Aye, he’s doing a million times better these days, Matty, you’ll not believe the change in him.’
‘Ah well that’s powerful, especially after all he’s been through.’ He took another drag of his cigarette, squinting in the sun.
‘Right, I’d better run in and give them a hand,’ I said.
‘Not a bother, Brendan, I’ll get the ramp down so it’s good to go. Tell them don’t be rushin’.’
When I stepped back inside Mr McCoy was wheeling Ronan up the hallway.
‘Well, Ronan,’ I said, happy to finally see him.
‘Brah-din,’ he said and emitted a giant laugh.
‘Whoa, whoa, whoa!’ I said. ‘Hold on! Ronan, did you just say my name?’
‘Brah-din! Brah-din!’ he said through more laughter.
‘When did you start saying my name?’ I said, almost too overjoyed to get words out.
‘He’s been saying it over and over this morning – that’s what’s caused him to be so frisky, he’s been excited to surprise you,’ said Mr McCoy.
‘Brah-din,’ he said again with clarity.
‘But,’ said Mr McCoy, ‘it also means I’m holding you responsible, Brendan, for the delay this morning.’ He winked at me. ‘I’m only joking, I was a bit excited myself to see your reaction.’
‘Ronan, you’re seriously amazing!’
‘Yee-ahsh,’ he said.
‘Right, we’ve delayed enough,’ said Mr McCoy. ‘Emma,’ he called, ‘how you getting on?’
‘Nearly there,’ she called from the kitchen. ‘Do you want to go ahead and get Ronan out and I’ll set stuff in the hall when it’s ready to be loaded?’
I went outside with Mr McCoy to help get Ronan onto the electric ramp that lifted him into the back, and then clamped down the wheelchair and strapped him in; he was grinning and crooning the whole time, and saying my name quietly every now and again.
After he was secured, I helped Mrs McCoy load the backpacks and cool box into the boot.
‘Right, I think that’s us then,’ she said before locking the front door.
‘Did you put the kitchen sink in the back there too, Emma?’ called Mr McCoy from the passenger seat beside Matty.
‘Righto, Mr Cheeky,’ she said, joining Ronan and me in the back and buckling her seatbelt.
‘Right there, clan,’ said Matty, like a captain of a ship, ‘are we all set?’
‘Yes!’ we all said.
‘Then off we go!’
Along familiar local roads and country lane shortcuts through small villages, speeding down dual carriageways past fields, rivers, cyclists, hot food bars at roadside picnic spots and farms in the distance with grazing cows; Matty drove with his window down, the warm breeze tousling our hair in the back seats.
Ronan’s mouth was open in a wide grin, as if to vacuum in as much oxygen as he could.
‘We forget how much he doesn’t get out and about,’ said Mrs McCoy beside me with Ronan to our right.
‘We get caught up in the day-to-day of it all and get stuck in a rut; we normally settle for a quick walk to the village and back or sometimes in the wee park but it’s all local things, close by; we really need a change of scenery, all of us, it’s just finding the time. ’
‘He keeps you busy, don’t you, Ronan?’ I said.
‘Yeah-sh,’ he said.
‘Hmmm,’ said Mrs McCoy, ‘didn’t like the sound of that “yes” there, Ronan. Is that a deliberate cheeky wee “yes” that really means “yes I do keep you busy even though half the time I don’t need to” sort of “yes”, is it?’
Ronan did a cheeky giggle.
‘When’s the last time you all went on a trip?’ I asked.
‘Oh, Brendan, God knows, definitely before the accident. We went with, um …’ she leaned in and lowered her voice and indicated Mr McCoy in the front, ‘… the other McCoys, Aaron’s brother.
We went on a trip down south with all them …
’ She looked at me with knowing eyes. Then, even more quietly so it was hard to hear her with the breeze coming through the window and the country music playing on the radio, ‘Aaron’s not speaking to them now, but yes, it was the cousins we went down to Cork with for a week and stayed in a wee cottage near the beach, it was lovely …
Jesus …’ She paused and put her hand to her cheek.
‘It doesn’t seem like it but it was actually Easter week last year, yes …
’ she shook her head, ‘… God, yes, that seems like years ago …’ She made a ‘huh’ kind of noise as if to say, Funny thing, time, then took a sharp breath and looked at me.
‘When’s the last holiday you went on with your family? ’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘we don’t really go on holidays. I’ve never been out of Ireland, actually.’
‘Really? Never been on a plane?’
‘No – oh, sorry, actually we did go to Blackpool once when I was really young, but we got the boat …’
‘What’s that about Blackpool?’ Matty called from the front.
‘Brendan was saying he went on a holiday to Blackpool with his family, Matty,’ said Mrs McCoy.
‘Oh did he indeed? I’ve been to Blackpool many’s a time ma’self. The old Pleasure Beach?’ Matty said, turning briefly and winking at me. ‘It’s a trip I do with the lads most years, one’a them lads-only holidays.’
‘Well,’ said Mrs McCoy, ‘I don’t think we need to know the details of that, do we?’
‘You can tell me later, Matty,’ said Mr McCoy.
‘Nope, what happens in Blackpool stays in Blackpool,’ said Matty. ‘Besides, a gentleman never tells.’
‘Oh, is there a gentleman in this vehicle, is there?’ said Mrs McCoy with a smile.
‘Meee!’ said Ronan and we all burst into laughter.
‘Well, you’re more than welcome on the next trip, Ronan,’ said Matty. ‘It’s gentlemen only, so you’ll meet the criteria perfectly. And you too, Brendan, if you’re up to it?’
‘I think I’ll stick to the usual family trips to Portrush, thanks, Matty,’ I said.
‘Suit yourself,’ he said.
‘Is that where you go on your family holidays, Brendan?’ asked Mrs McCoy, as if to say, Who on earth goes there?
‘Ah, no, just a day trip like today, we do lots of wee trips during the summer instead of one big holiday. Although we didn’t do any last summer because Mum wasn’t up to it.’
‘Oh, is she OK?’
‘Yes, well, her mummy died and she found all last year tough, but she’s much better now.
I think we’ll be doing our trips this summer,’ I said, feeling Mrs McCoy’s gaze on me in the same spirit as Mrs O’Neill, inviting me to share more.
‘That’s why today feels so good,’ I said, ‘it’s been ages since I’ve been away.
It’s like my summer’s come a bit early. I know it’s not something big and exciting like your summers in Boston or the skiing, but it’s actually pretty exciting for me.
I even get excited about Portrush with my family,’ I said, laughing self-consciously.
‘Brendan, sorry, I wasn’t putting your family trips to Portrush down,’ she said hurriedly, ‘the opposite! Because yes, OK, we have done the Boston trips and the ski trips; we always planned big, but now … well, a day at Portrush as a family sounds just wonderful.’
‘Well, we can easily do that, can we not?’ I said. ‘We could do a trip up there next week after we see how today goes with Ronan being out and about?’
‘Brendan,’ she said, looking at me with great warmth, ‘you’re absolutely right, of course we can, after we see how today goes. Aaron!’ she called and he turned. ‘Portrush next week?’
‘What? Portrush? That dump? What do you want to go there for?’
Mrs McCoy and me laughed.
‘Well, we’ll get there and find out, won’t we?’ she said.
‘I don’t know what that woman’s on about,’ said Mr McCoy to Matty as he turned back.
‘It’s why I never tied the knot, Aaron,’ said Matty. ‘Young, free and single … well … maybe not the young part anymore,’ he said, glancing at himself in the mirror and giving a quick laugh. ‘Right, next stop, Kilmare Forest Park!’