Gerry wrote her a list.’
John studied her face and tried to decide if she was serious. Sharon’s worried blue eyes stared back at him and he realised she was. He joined her at the table and they both sat in silence and stared at the wall, lost in thought.
CHAPTER SIX
‘Wow,’ was all Sharon and John could say as the three of them sat around the kitchen table in silence, staring at the contents of the package that Holly had emptied as evidence. Conversation between them had been minimal for the last few minutes as they all tried to decide how they felt. It had gone something like this:
‘But how did he manage to …?’
‘But how didn’t we notice him … well …? God.’
‘When do you think he …? Well, I suppose he was on his own sometimes …’
Holly and Sharon just sat looking at each other while John stuttered and stammered his way through trying to figure out just when, where and how his terminally ill friend had managed to carry out this idea all alone without anyone finding out.
‘Wow,’ he eventually repeated after coming to the conclusion that Gerry had done just that. He had carried it out alone.
‘I know,’ Holly agreed. ‘So the two of you had absolutely no idea then?’
‘Well, I don’t know about you, Holly, but it’s pretty clear to me that John was the mastermind behind all of this,’ Sharon said sarcastically.
‘Ha-ha,’ John replied drily. ‘He kept his word, anyway, didn’t he?’ John looked to both of the girls with a smile on his face.
‘He sure did,’ Holly said quietly.
‘Are you OK, Holly? I mean, how do you feel about all this? It must be … weird,’ asked Sharon again, clearly concerned.
‘I feel fine.’ Holly was thoughtful. ‘Actually, I think it’s the best thing that could have happened right now! It’s funny, though, how amazed we all are, considering how much we went on about this list. I mean, I should have been expecting it.’
‘Yeah, but we never expected any of us to ever do it!’ said John.
‘But why not?’ questioned Holly. ‘This was the whole reason for it in the first place! To be able to help your loved ones after you go.’
‘I think Gerry was the only one who took it really seriously.’
‘Sharon, Gerry is the only one of us who is gone. Who knows how seriously anyone else would have taken it?’
There was a silence.
‘Well, let’s study this more closely then,’ perked up John, suddenly starting to enjoy himself. ‘There’s how many envelopes?’
‘Em … there’s ten,’ counted Sharon, joining in with the spirit of their new task.
‘OK, so what months are there?’ John asked. Holly sorted through the pile.
‘There’s March, which is the lamp one I’ve already opened, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.’
‘So there’s a message for every month left in the year,’ Sharon said slowly, lost in thought. They sat in silence, thinking the same thing: Gerry had known he wouldn’t live past February.
Holly looked happily at her friends. Whatever Gerry had in store for her was going to be interesting, but he had already succeeded in making her feel almost normal again, laughing with John and Sharon while they guessed what the envelopes contained. It was as though he was still with them.
‘Hold on!’ John exclaimed very seriously.
‘What?’
His blue eyes twinkled. ‘It’s April now and you haven’t opened this month’s envelope yet.’
‘Oh, of course! Should I do it now?’
‘Go on,’ encouraged Sharon.
Holly picked up the envelope and slowly opened it. There were only eight more to open after this and she wanted to treasure every second before it became another memory. She pulled out the little card.
A disco diva must always look her best. Go shopping for an outfit as you’ll need it for next month!
PS. I love you …
‘Ooooh,’ John and Sharon squealed with excitement, ‘he’s getting cryptic!’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Holly lay on her bed, switching the lamp on and off, with a smile on her face like a demented woman. She and Sharon had gone shopping in Bed Knobs and Broomsticks in Malahide, and both girls had eventually agreed on the beautifully carved wooden stand and the cream shade that matched the cream and wooden furnishings of the master bedroom (of course they had chosen the most ridiculously expensive one, it would have been wrong to spoil tradition). And although Gerry hadn’t physically been there with her as she bought it, she felt as though they had made the purchase together.
She had drawn the curtains of her bedroom in order to test her new merchandise. The bedside lamp had a softening effect on the room, making it appear warmer. How easily this could have ended their nightly arguments, but perhaps neither of them wanted to end them. It had become a routine, something familiar that made them feel closer. How she would give anything to have one of those little arguments now. And she would gladly get out of her cosy bed for him, she would gladly walk on the cold floor for him, and she would gladly bruise herself on the bedpost whilst fumbling in the dark for the bed. But that time was gone.
The sound of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ snapped her back to the present as she realised her mobile phone was ringing.
‘Hello?’
‘G’day, mate, I’m hooooome!’ shrieked a familiar voice.
‘Oh my God, Ciara! I didn’t know you were coming home!’
‘Well, neither did I, actually, but I ran out of money and decided to surprise you all!’
‘Wow, I bet Mum and Dad were surprised all right.’
‘Well, Dad did drop the towel with fright when he stepped out of the shower.’
Holly covered her face with her hands, ‘Oh, Ciara, he didn’t!’
‘No hugs for Daddy when I saw him!’ Ciara laughed.
‘Oh, yuck, yuck, yuck. Change the subject, I’m having horrible visions,’ Holly laughed.
‘OK, well, I was calling to tell you that I was home, obviously, and that Mum’s organising dinner tonight to celebrate.’
‘Celebrate what?’
‘Me
