‘I’d have to hunt some sheet music down but we’re getting ahead of ourselves Maureen. We’re going to start in middle C and run through Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do like this.
Maria sang the scale and Maureen nodded. ‘You’ve very good pitch.’
‘Thank you. I want to hear you do it now. On the count of three here we go. One, two, three and...’
Maureen sang the ditty then looked to Maria to see what she had to say.
‘It was very hard to hear you over the tambourine, Maureen. Do you think we could run through it again without it this time?’
‘I didn’t even realise I was shaking it.’ Maureen laughed, looking at the instrument in her hand as though she’d had no part in rattling it.
Maria smiled and took a deep breath. ‘Okay, so again on the count of three.’
As Maureen tapped the tambourine against her thigh, Maria thought to herself, it was going to be a very long hour indeed.
Chapter 12
Maureen was practising her scales as she set about prepping the vegetables to go with her roasted salmon in lemon butter sauce. Maria had given her a practise CD and she was a committed student. Pooh was watching her quizzically from his basket. She’d had words with him earlier. He was to be on his best behaviour this evening or there’d be ructions because Donal was coming to dinner. She glanced at the wall clock. Aisling should be home anytime now, she thought and on cue the telephone rang.
‘Mammy, we’re home,’ Aisling gushed.
‘Is that you, Aisling?’
‘Who else has been away, Mammy?’
‘Don’t be clever with me and welcome home! I got your postcard and it sounded like you were enjoying yourselves. Did you write to Quinn’s mammy and daddy too?’
‘I did.’
‘How many postcards did you send them because I’m only after getting the one.’
‘I sent one each to all our friends and family. I didn’t have time for writing any more than that. I was on my honeymoon, remember.’
Maureen was appeased. ‘Did you have a lovely time?’
‘Ah, we did, Mammy, it was wonderful. It was a fairyland so it was. I’ve hundreds of photos to show you.’
‘I’m looking forward to seeing them. How’s Quinn?’
‘My husband, you mean?’
Moira yelled out in the background, ‘Mammy, she’s driving me mad saying that. Tell her to stop.’
‘How long have you been home?’
‘Half an hour.’
Maureen shook her head; she’d bang their heads together if she was there.
‘Quinn’s got a cold, Mammy.’
‘I’m not surprised, given you’ve been honeymooning in the Arctic. What do you expect, getting up to shenanigans in the freezing cold?’
‘Mammy, what’s that music?’
‘Oh, it’s the piano scales. I’m after starting singing lessons.’
‘Why?’
Maureen’s nose grew as she said, ‘Because, Aisling, I’ve decided to use the voice the good Lord saw fit to give me. I’d forgotten what a joy it is to sing but the karaoke on your hen night brought it back to me.’
Aisling sniggered down the line at the memory of her mammy prancing about on stage with her skirt tucked in her knickers.
‘Has your sister told you about the yoga pants party I’m after having next week?’
‘She mentioned something about a Tupperware party.’
‘It’s not Tupperware it’s yoga pants, I’ve told Moira a hundred times. That girl’s ears are painted on.’
‘Where did she get Tupperware from then?’
‘Because it’s like a Tupperware party only we’ll be selling yoga pants and I expect it to be a family effort, Aisling.’
‘Mammy, I’m lost. I don’t see the connection between the two.’
Maureen rolled her eyes. ‘Never mind, just be sure to pencil in next Saturday.’
‘I will. Bronagh said everything ticked over smoothly while I was away. She seemed a little preoccupied though, Mammy.’
‘Did she? I saw her earlier in the week and she was grand. Her mam’s having a good spell. Bronagh’s probably on another diet. You know what she gets like.’
‘You’re probably right.’
‘I went to see a good film yesterday called Castoff. It was about Tom Hanks and a coconut he made friends with.’
‘Sounds riveting, Mammy. Who’d you go with?’
‘My friend Donal.’ She remembered her promise to Donal to pin Aisling down for a date when she got home so he could arrange the lunch he had planned. ‘And listen, for some mad reason he wants to meet you and your sisters. Roisin, as my official yoga pants supplier, is coming over next weekend, Noah’s at his fathers. So, how’re you fixed for a Sunday pub lunch at Johnnie Fox’s? His two daughters will be there too and, Aisling, don’t be going on to Moira about it either. I’ll have a quiet word with her.’
Maureen heard a frenzied whispering and the next thing Moira came on the phone. ‘So, we’re finally going to meet this Donal fella then.’
‘He’s not ‘this Donal fella’ he’s Donal, thank you very much. And you are to behave yourself next Sunday. I’ve not met his two girls yet and I don’t want you showing me up,’ she said, repeating another version of what she’d said to Pooh earlier. ‘And you’re not to be wearing anything that shows your knickers either. Do you hear me?’
‘I hear you. Mammy?’
‘What is it?’
‘Before you go, can you tell Aisling her and Quinn aren’t to be carrying on in the bedroom with me next door.’
Maureen frowned. ‘I will not. She’s a ring on her finger, she’s perfectly entitled to be carrying on, unlike some I could mention.’
‘Mammy it is not 1950.’
Maureen spied the spuds boiling over. She’d no time for getting into a morals debate with her youngest child, and she said goodbye in time to Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do in ascending C major.
Chapter 13
Maureen had the meal she was preparing for her and Donal as ready as it could be without actually dishing it up when she heard his knock on the door. She gave her hands a quick wash and dried them on her apron, remembering to take it off before she made her way to the door.
