Becky couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so comfortable with someone. Christine was beautiful, intelligent and listened intently to every word Becky said.
‘It’s fascinating to me,’ Christine said, her fingers stroking the stem of the wine glass. ‘My family were very much secular. To me, the whole concept of religion is… oh God, here come the wackadoos. They cornered me earlier.’
Even the way she insults people is adorable. Wait, who is she insulting…
‘Sorry?’
Christine motioned towards a group of women being seated by the window. ‘They’re all crystals and metaphysics and bogus concepts that have no place in modern, science-based mental health practices.’
Becky was a little unsure how to respond to this given that she had a degree in philosophy, which included metaphysics. She also had an in-depth knowledge of all things Wicca and carried polished tumble stones in her bag for good luck.
‘Oh… right. So, you don’t consider all forms of healing to be valid? I mean, if it helps people…’
‘Not as far asthey’reconcerned. They might as well just cast spells and dance around a bonfire for all the good it does. Now, where were we? Oh yes, I think we need more wine!’
As Christine walked towards the bar, Becky felt her heart sink. Her ex, Stephen, had felt the same way about her lifestyle, although he’d strung her along for months before telling her, ‘This whole voodoo thing. It’s ridiculous and embarrassing. Grow up.’
Becky had never practised voodoo, but she’d figured that explaining the differences and nuances of magic-based religions and beliefs would be pointless at that moment. Instead, she’d made a mental note to put his picture in her freezer and began packing her things.
His words had stuck with her, however. She was thirty. Maybe it was time to grow up. Becky slipped her rose quartz rings and pentagram bracelet into her bag. It wasn’t often that she clicked with anyone, and she really liked this woman. Maybe herwackadootendencies could have the night off. They hadn’t exactly been helping her lately anyway.
That was two years ago and she hadn’t worn her pentagram since.
Finally, the car moved off again and before long they were passing nothing but lush green fields, sheep and the occasional farmhouse, a sight Becky welcomed after living in London for the past six years. She’d lived in Scotland before then, a country which made her little Celtic heart happy, but then that same heart fell for a masseur from Croydon and off she followed.
If she had family left in Ireland, she might have come back more often, but her deeply religious parents had moved to Spain and no doubt were still trying topray away the gayfrom their home in Valencia.
After what seemed like a reasonable amount of time for the consideration of Christine’s question, Becky finally replied. ‘I think I’m just a tad nervous, but I’ll be fine. I imagine that everyone else will be feeling the same, right?’
‘Hmm,’ Christine replied. ‘It’ll be fascinating to say the least. I imagine that partners were invited to take some of the pressure off. After ten years, who knows whether you’ll actually have anything in common anymore!’
True, Becky thought. She was no longer running around barefoot and pulling Tarot cards out of her arse. She’d grown up.
Becky smirked. ‘Actually, it’s the strangest thing. We really didn’t havethatmuch in common to begin but—’
‘Can you pass me some chewing gum?’
‘Sorry? Oh, right. Sure.’ Becky reached into her bag and obliged, handing Christine two pieces of gum from the packet.She rarely chews gum, Becky thought.Wait, is this her roundabout way of telling me that my breath stinks so I’ll take some too?
She quickly slipped a piece into her mouth. Better safe than sorry. No one wanted to be stuck in a car with the halitosis queen.
‘You were saying?’
Becky paused, mid-chew, like a cow who’d just been asked to solve a maths problem. Her mind went blank.
‘About not having much in common?’ Christine reminded her.
The chewing recommenced. ‘Ah yes. It’s nothing really, just that we were all very different girls back then. We all attended the same uni, but our interests were quite diverse. It’s surprising we became as close as we were.’
She smiled to herself at the thought of their old apartment in Clondalkin. A miserable three-bedroomed dump that the five of them could just about afford if they shared bedrooms and kept their fingers crossed that the landlord wasn’t jailed for housing standards violations. She’d been the last to move in, and she remembered that moment she’d first met them all together.
‘Everyone, this is Becky.’
Becky Murphy had smiled at the group of girls who were all in various states of slouching throughout the living room. She hadn’t thought that meeting her new housemates would feel quite so intimidating, but now that she was here, it was all rather daunting. Looking around, she recognised the tall girl, Tara, from when she’d viewed the house a week earlier, and Erin, the girl who’d placed the advert at the uni coffee shop.
‘Nice to meet you all,’ Becky said, noticing how much smaller the living room looked with everyone in it. Erin motioned for her to sit on the well-worn couch. ‘You remember Tara, and this is Alex and Beth. Alex moved in last week, the rest of us have been here about a month.’
‘Welcome to the madhouse,’ Alex said. ‘Ooh, I like your necklace, it’s so pretty!’
