Blaze by Di Morrissey

Author:Di Morrissey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

It was a welcome diversion for Larissa when she met Miche at Sydney Airport. They hugged warmly, both deeply glad to see the other. For Miche it was a familiar friend in a strange place, for Larissa it brought back memories of New York, of Blaze, of Gerry, of Lorraine – a world that seemed now so far away, so long ago.

Miche loved Larissa’s cottage and, after she’d struggled to stay awake through the day, they walked up to Oxford Street for dinner.

‘This is hip. Very Greenwich Village,’ said Miche approvingly. She lifted her glass. ‘Here’s to you, darling Riss. I’m sooo glad you’re here.’ They clinked glasses and Miche braved the subject of Gerard. ‘You must miss him. I’m sorry I didn’t see him. He adores you so, why doesn’t he move here?’

Larissa clutched her chest in mock alarm. ‘Ah, the directness of youth. An arrow straight into my heart. I’m grappling with one of those life decisions.’

Miche merely raised an eyebrow and Larissa looked crestfallen. ‘Oh, Miche, it’s so hard. I’m really confused. I like it here, except Ali is . . . difficult, as you’ll discover.’ Larissa paused at the cloud that passed over Miche’s face as they both thought of Lorraine. ‘I adore Gerry, but I feel I’ve moved on in some way and I can’t put my finger on it. I just know I can’t go back to my old life. Having him here was so wonderful – and I know he enjoyed it too. He loves Sydney, but he felt like it was a holiday being here. Gerry wants to move to New Hampshire and on to a new life, but I don’t know that I want to give up my career and be . . . mother, wife, whatever.’

‘That’s not a lot of comfort to me, Riss. I thought life became clearer with age and wisdom,’ said Miche gently. Then, seeing Larissa’s sad expression, she sighed. ‘Why is it women always have to give up something in order to do something else? I always wondered what my mother was going on about, raving on that I was the inheritor of the breakthroughs by the baby boomers. But Nina and Mom had to fight to achieve what they wanted. They talked about saving the world, making it a better place, easier for us. Yet look at you . . . me . . . even Ali . . . our lives aren’t exactly perfectly laid out on a platter. The world still seems to be run by and for men.’

‘I sort of agree,’ said Larissa. ‘Until men have the responsibility of looking after the kids, the old folk or the sick, nothing will change. We still have to fight over pay, lack of child and home-care services, violence against women, the glass ceiling.’

Miche threw up her hands. ‘I’m not going to fight that one. Be like Ali. If you hit a glass ceiling, put a boot through it and to hell with anyone else. Mom always told me not to be modest, to believe I can do anything.

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