AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Don’t be silly, of course we have to sell up,’ Nola snapped. It seemed anything else was ridiculous.
‘At least think about it,’ Iris urged, linking her arm into Nola’s. ‘Just think about it.’
*
You could always stay. Those words hung about Nola like a melody she couldn’t forget as she walked across the beach again. The fact was, she hadn’t time to think about staying or doing much of anything else over the last couple of days. The Delahaye Drama School was much busier than she’d ever expected. Apart from enrolling what felt like half the kids from around the county, she also had lessons to plan. In a few short evenings, it had become clear to her that so many of the drama classes she’d paid a fortune for over the years, were little more than old rope.
The one thing she’d been clear about from the get-go of setting up her own school was that the students would get something out of it and the parents would see the value of it. That meant a lot of hard work and planning before she even held her first class. She would start with the basics, everyone would have a folder so there would be accountability and the term would end in a wonderful piece of theatre that the village would be talking about for years to come.
It was a strange thing. She felt so happy, almost complete, as if everything was just as it should be, but something still held her back from telling her sisters the whole truth of what her life had become in London. And maybe that was why she felt as if somehow the city was not yet finished with her. She couldn’t think of going back without feeling a wave of loneliness for what she’d be leaving in Ballycove and it was funny, because after all those years, the only thing she truly missed was her friendship with Shalib. Dear, dear Shalib. But they talked regularly on the phone and she knew, he should be thinking of retiring one day soon anyway. There wouldn’t be a job in the coffee shop forever for her.
Her sisters were right, even if they didn’t say it exactly, but she had far more to stay for than she had to return to London for. Suddenly, it felt as if everything became much clearer to her. The difference between Nola and her sisters, now, as far as she saw it was that both Iris and Georgie had taken their lives into their own hands. They’d decided to steer a new course in a direction that until now hadn’t even seemed possible. And yet, here they were, both ready to throw up everything to follow the simple dream of being content and happy. And maybe that was enough. After all, Nola herself, when she thought about being an actress, what was that all about, if not to be happy? Didn’t she always believe that once she’d made a name for herself in the theatre or if she was lucky TV or film, then she’d think about settling down, doing the things most young girls expect to grow up and do one day.
That was when she knew what she had to do. If she was going to make a go of things here, there was one thing that would give her more security than she’d ever known in London.
The school had emptied out for the holidays, but she knew that the principal would be still here, trying to figure out timetables and teacher training for the following term. Gary Cotter was a teddy bear of a man, hardly suited to a life of laying down heavy discipline, but he managed to run a school based on values of nurture and excellence that had kindness at their core. Nola had experienced that herself and she knew that he’d only followed the rules when he’d forced her hand into resignation – he was giving her the easy way out and there were plenty who wouldn’t have been so generous.
‘Nola,’ he said, looking up from his desk. ‘What on earth are you doing here at this hour?’
‘I had to talk to you,’ she said, pushing through the door, suddenly aware of her windswept appearance. ‘It’s about…’ What was it about? She wanted her job back, but there was no way that was going to happen. ‘I’ve been thinking about next year.’
‘Okay?’
‘I hear you haven’t been able to fill my post.’ She plopped down into a chair opposite him.
‘Well, I did tell the board you’d be irreplaceable.’ He smiled at her now. ‘If I can’t get someone to fill it, it’s going to be a nightmare to be honest. It’ll mean no musical, it might even mean we have to cancel transition year and the parents will go mad over that.’ He blew out a long, worried sigh.
‘What if I was to propose taking on the musical as an outside contractor – a freelancer?’
‘Oh, I don’t know, Nola – it would be most unusual.’
‘That doesn’t mean it can’t be done.’ She sat forward in her chair, feeling as if she was somehow channelling Georgie’s enthusiasm and driving force.
‘Tell me what you have in mind.’
‘My new theatre company,’ she began. ‘Right here in Ballycove. You’ve probably heard it’s already booked solid for the summer.’ She smiled at him because she could see he needed her to pitch something he could take to the board. ‘My suggestion is that you hire my drama company to complete production on the school musical. You can explain that it’s just about getting you to the finish line in terms of keeping the timetable up and running. Then, you can take on a part-time teacher for the academic hours around that block on the timetable. It might get you out of a spot.’
‘Bloody brilliant.’ He clapped his hands together. ‘I’ll have to take it to the board mind, but when it’s put in context of having to cancel classes, well…’
‘Fantastic.’ A frisson of excitement shot through Nola. She might actually be doing this and as she walked back home, filled with buzzy energy, she couldn’t wait to tell Georgie and Iris. They’d be thrilled to hear she’d finally come to her senses and it looked like she was coming home at last.
*
It was early that evening when Iris heard the doorbell ring. Unusual in itself as no-one ever really used the front door anymore. She padded towards the hallway, half expecting it to be Nola having forgotten her key again. She pulled the door back to reveal the last person she expected to see standing there.
Myles was standing on the doorstep, suitcase in hand. For a moment, Iris stopped, dazzled, trying to figure out what he was doing – did he think he was coming on holiday? Iris looked at him, suddenly out of the familiar surroundings where for so long he’d held all the cards. Here, as night was drawing in, standing in the pool of yellow light that seeped out from the hall, he looked pathetic. And not even in a way that she could feel sorry for him either. No, the man she saw standing there trying desperately to make some sort of unspoken connection with her looked like a stranger to her.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing here, Myles?’ Georgie appearing at her side was like a lioness, cornered and protecting her cub. He took a step backwards.
‘I… I… I…’ he stuttered. ‘I’ve come to see my wife.’ Even his voice was smaller than Iris remembered.
‘Well, now you’ve seen her, you might as well turn around and crawl back under whatever rock will have you,’ Georgie said, moving forward, breaking away from inside the hall and standing, hands on hips between him and Iris. Honestly, Iris expected her to level a punch at him. Suddenly, she remembered them as kids. Georgie fought all their battles, happily taking on any kid who dared to mess with the Delahaye girls. She was fearless. Quite a few had been left with bloody noses thanks to her nifty left hook.
‘Iris?’ he wheedled, trying to peer around Georgie and make eye contact with her.
‘I have nothing to say to you, Myles.’ Iris stepped forward and she felt an unexpected surge of confidence.
‘Yes, why don’t you toddle on back to yourpregnantgirlfriend, Myles?’ Nola said now from behind him. She and Aiden Barry had just pulled up in that huge jeep on the drive outside. Iris knew that the way she leaned on the word meant Nola would never forgive him for doing her out of a brood of nieces and nephews.
