The Builders by Maeve Binchy

Author:Maeve Binchy [Binchy, Maeve]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
Publisher: GemmaMedia
Published: 2009-01-03T13:00:00+00:00

Pat came to lunch and for the first time ever brought something to eat.

‘I got you an apple tart, Mam. You’re always making things for me to take home. You could have it at one of your suppers.’

‘That’s very good of you. But what exactly do you mean one of my suppers?’

Nan was afraid that her children would discover she saw so much of Derek Doyle. They would laugh at her. Tell her what she knew already. That she was being silly.

‘Well you must eat a big supper, you eat nothing at lunch-time,’ Pat said.

Nan breathed easily again.

‘Yes of course … well I’m on my own you see,’ she began.

‘And if you’re wise that’s the way you’ll stay Mam,’ Pat said very firmly.

‘What are you saying?’

‘Well I’m not going to get tied up with any fellow, I can tell you that for nothing!’

‘But why?’

‘They’re no good, Mam. Look at what Dad did to you. Look at Bobby and how he won’t marry Kay. Look at the way Jerry’s behaving with Jo. Tell me one marriage that works. Just one would do.’

Nan was so shocked she could hardly speak.

Pat had never mentioned her father, none of them ever did. It was a subject they didn’t talk about.

And what did she mean Bobby wouldn’t marry Kay? Surely she understood that Kay was such a feminist that she didn’t believe in marriage. And surely Jo and Jerry had a wonderful marriage. So Jo said, all the time.

Pat felt that she had won.

‘There you are! You can’t name one happy marriage.’

‘The Whites next door, they loved each other right up to the very end.’

‘Oh Mam, they were weirdos, you know nothing about them.’

‘I know a lot about them,’ Nan cried.

‘Well then you’re the only one who does. But you must admit, marriage is hopeless and it’s the wise woman like yourself and myself would stay well clear of it.’

‘Tell me about Jerry and Jo,’ Nan said sadly.

She became even sadder as she listened.

Jerry had loads of other woman, everyone knew about it. Yes of course Jo knew, she just didn’t admit it.

But now there was one serious one. Jerry might be moving out. Half of Dublin was talking about it. Jerry had a very high profile now that he was Ronnie Flynn’s accountant.

‘Ronnie the Rat,’ Nan said to herself thoughtfully.

‘What’s that?’

‘Nothing. And does Kay really want to get married?’

‘Of course she does Mam. She says Bobby’s too independent. He does his own washing, and likes to think they’re just flat sharing, not actually living together.’

‘And do you say any of these things to your father when you visit him?’ Nan asked.

This was another first. She had never asked the children anything about their outings to the man who had left her twenty years ago.

‘What visits, Mam? He has no time for us, just a series of young ones and then if they get serious he tells them you won’t give him a divorce. Is that true?’

‘Of course it’s not.’

‘Is this upsetting you, Mam?’

‘Only about Jo and Bobby.

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