‘OK, then. Meet us in an hour at the DART station in Clontarf and we’ll go to Barcode for pizza. Text me when you’re on the train in Sutton and we’ll get on the same one in Killester,’ Sophie said crisply. ‘See ya!’
Jasmine slipped her phone into her pocket and walked back into the breakfast room. Her grandmother had just placed a basket of toast on the table, and a mug of steaming coffee. Coffee, just what she needed. ‘Thanks, Gran,’ she said gratefully, inhaling the rich aroma.
‘Eh . . . Granddad,’ she said to her grandfather who was immersed in his crossword. ‘That was Sophie on the phone and we had sort of made a loose arrangement to meet up and she was just ringing to confirm,’ she fibbed.
‘Oh!’ He looked disappointed. ‘Ah well, another time, perhaps,’ he sighed, lowering his head to his paper.
‘That’s nice that you’re meeting Sophie. Did you have a good time last night?’ Jacqueline asked, sitting down beside her at the table.
‘Yep, it was cool,’ Jasmine lied. ‘Gran, can you give me a lift to the DART station in a while? I don’t think Mom and Dad will be back in time.’ She nibbled on the toast and found it surprisingly tasty.
‘Of course, dear.’ Jacqueline smiled fondly and Jasmine leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘You are so kind to me, Gran. When I get back we could go for a walk on the beach with Nomos.’
‘Lovely, Nomos will enjoy that.’ Her grandmother’s eyes lit up. Nomos, hearing his name mentioned, uncurled himself from the sunspot on the floorboards by the windows and padded over to them. Privately Jasmine thought Nomos was a silly sort of name for a dog, and a big golden Labrador at that, but her grandfather had called him after the god of law in Greek mythology. Jasmine had heard her dad say once to her mom, ‘Frank is so pretentious, he thinks he impresses people calling his dog that ridiculous name.’
‘You are just as bad as he is sometimes,’ her mom had retorted, annoyed that Des should criticize her father.
‘Hi, Nomos, walkies later,’ she said, surreptitiously feeding him a piece of toast, loving how he lapped her fingers with his tongue, his tail wagging like crazy. She would adore to have a dog but her parents wouldn’t allow it. ‘A city apartment is no place for a dog,’ her father said firmly and no amount of begging or pleading could change that. Being with Nomos was what she loved most about coming to visit her grandparents. Nomus loved her like no one else did. There was no need to demand love or attention from him. It was willingly given and returned in equal measure.
‘I’d better go and put on my make-up and put my hair up.’ She swallowed the last of her toast, gulped her coffee and smiled at her grandmother.
‘Breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, dear,’ Jacqueline said firmly.
‘Yes, Gran,’ she said meekly, doing as she was bid.
Three quarters of an hour later she sent a text to Sophie. On the subway. C u in a while. A woman with a toddler squirming in her arms, sitting opposite, smiled at her. ‘Lovely day, isn’t it? This one’s a handful – she wants to be walking,’ she said, jigging the little girl on her knee.
It astonished Jasmine how complete strangers in Ireland would strike up conversations, mostly about the weather, it seemed. She had never known people to be so obsessed with weather and weather-related matters. At home, people didn’t make eye contact and kept to themselves on public transport.
Some Spanish students chattered away gaily in the seats on the other side of her aisle. Vociferous and expressive and full of self-assurance, they seemed so vibrant and cool, she thought enviously. She would love to be that self-possessed. Although she gave the appearance of confidence she wasn’t really a confident girl. Deep down she was unsure of her place in life and the world. Unsure of her looks, her academic capability, her ability to attract boys. She had been really nervous going out with Leanne and Sophie last night and that was why she had drunk the vodka so quickly. Leanne and Sophie seemed so sure of themselves. And they were such good friends. She envied them. She had friends of course, but none that she could truly be herself with. Her set was riven with jealousy, competitiveness and spiteful backbiting. Just the way their mothers behaved, she supposed, Jasmine thought glumly as the suburbs flashed by interspersed with verdant green hedgerows and a view of the sea sparkling in the sun before it disappeared. The little girl was on the floor now, between the woman and Jasmine. The train gave a slight lurch and the toddler grabbed Jasmine’s knees and flashed her a gummy smile. She just had two front baby teeth and her eyes were the bluest Jasmine had ever seen. Her heart melted and she smiled broadly as she reached out to steady the child. ‘Say ta ta,’ said the woman.
‘Ta ta,’ the little girl said obediently, beaming at Jasmine.
‘She’s lovely,’ Jasmine astonished herself by saying, enjoying the feel of the pudgy little hands placed so trustingly on her knees.
‘It’s time for us to get off now. Say day, day,’ the woman said, standing up and taking the little girl’s hand.
‘Day, day,’ said the infant, blowing a kiss as her mother led her to the door.
‘Day day,’ Jasmine echoed, feeling a bit silly. This was so not her. If any of her friends back home saw her they would think she had lost it big time, speaking baby talk to strangers on a train. She watched the mother and daughter walk along the platform and wondered would she ever have children of her own. Most of her friends, like her, had been
