Read The House of Memories for Free Online
Authors: Monica McInerney
Tags: Fiction, Contemporary Women
and put down his cup. “Ella, it’s terrible. The cup’s too clean.”
I swatted his arm affectionately, glad of the change in topic. Our conversation turned to general subjects, my flight, the London weather, his own work. Yes, he was very busy, as always, he told me. Yes, the house was still full of lodgers. Four at present, with a waiting list. Yes, they were all double-jobbing: PhD students by day, tutors by night. Geniuses in the making, all four of them.
One was a literature student, he said. “You’ll like her. Very cheerful girl. She has the most extraordinary hair. Bright pink one week, blue the next. You’ll have lots in common too, books, words, grammar—”
It wasn’t the time to tell him I’d given up editing. “She sounds great,” I said.
“And you and work, Ella? Any plans yet?”
It didn’t matter that I’d just stepped off a long flight. Lucas was always to the point like this. Another thing I loved about him. “No, not yet. I’ll register with some temp agencies tomorrow.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t?”
“Come and work for me again. You already know I pay well. Promptly too.”
“You don’t need to pay me. As soon as I finish this tea, I’m going to scrub this place from top to bottom as a service to society.”
He smiled. “That’s not the kind of work I meant. And that’s not why I asked you to come to see me.” He stood up, walked across the room and shut the door. When he returned and sat down opposite me, his expression was serious.
“Ella, I need your help.”
TWO
From: Charlie Baum
To: undisclosed recipients
Subject: It’s Been a Noisy Week in Boston
The latest report from the Baum trenches is as follows:
Sophie (10): Planning eleventh birthday party. Still. The invite list has changed twenty times. She’s having more fun than a nightclub doorman.
Ed (8): Maths homework last night. He counted all the way to 100 and on to 200 and beyond. He reached 253 and sighed. “Counting never stops, does it?”
Reilly (6): Teacher reported discussion in class today about religious ceremonies around the world. She asked why Easter is celebrated. Reilly’s answer: “Jesus died at Easter, right? And he was on a cross. And the cross was made of wood. And the wood was brown. And chocolate is brown. So that’s why we eat chocolate. And the reason the chocolate is given out by the Easter Bunny and we have chocolate bunnies is because Jesus was up on the cross, right? And below him, on the ground, running around everywhere, were rabbits. Lots and lots of rabbits.”
It appears Lucy and I may need to rethink our “no religious education” policy.
Tim (4): Bathtime. Emptied entire contents of Lucy’s henna shampoo into water while my back was turned for seconds. We now have one very brown son.
Lucy (36): Reaching new levels of overtime. Tired. Tired but happy. I hope.
Charlie (36): Current weight ninety-five kilos. Diet producing extraordinary results of an invisible nature. Meals cooked for the family this week: spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti carbonara, pizza, boeuf bourguignon. Meals eaten by cook this week: salad, salad, salad, salad. Odds on cook falling asleep in next salad he is forced to eat: excellent.
Snip the cat (kitten age): Slept, played, slept, chased fly. Caught one mouse. Ate one mouse, excluding tail. Tail left on kitchen table. Children still retching. Father also.
Until next time, everyone please stay sane.
Charlie xx
From: Charlie Baum
To: Lucy Baum
Subject: re: Modern Couples
Yes, aren’t we modern, sending each other e-mail rather than leaving notes on the fridge? Thank you for your probing questions. Yes, I remembered Reilly’s doctor’s appointment, tomorrow at four p.m. Yes, I will book Sophie in for an eye test. I wonder will she be able to find her own way there? (Hahaha. It
was
my sense of humor that first attracted you to me, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it??)
Two questions for you now:
Q1. Do you know how much I love you?
Answer:
I swatted his arm affectionately, glad of the change in topic. Our conversation turned to general subjects, my flight, the London weather, his own work. Yes, he was very busy, as always, he told me. Yes, the house was still full of lodgers. Four at present, with a waiting list. Yes, they were all double-jobbing: PhD students by day, tutors by night. Geniuses in the making, all four of them.
One was a literature student, he said. “You’ll like her. Very cheerful girl. She has the most extraordinary hair. Bright pink one week, blue the next. You’ll have lots in common too, books, words, grammar—”
It wasn’t the time to tell him I’d given up editing. “She sounds great,” I said.
“And you and work, Ella? Any plans yet?”
It didn’t matter that I’d just stepped off a long flight. Lucas was always to the point like this. Another thing I loved about him. “No, not yet. I’ll register with some temp agencies tomorrow.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t?”
“Come and work for me again. You already know I pay well. Promptly too.”
“You don’t need to pay me. As soon as I finish this tea, I’m going to scrub this place from top to bottom as a service to society.”
He smiled. “That’s not the kind of work I meant. And that’s not why I asked you to come to see me.” He stood up, walked across the room and shut the door. When he returned and sat down opposite me, his expression was serious.
“Ella, I need your help.”
TWO
From: Charlie Baum
To: undisclosed recipients
Subject: It’s Been a Noisy Week in Boston
The latest report from the Baum trenches is as follows:
Sophie (10): Planning eleventh birthday party. Still. The invite list has changed twenty times. She’s having more fun than a nightclub doorman.
Ed (8): Maths homework last night. He counted all the way to 100 and on to 200 and beyond. He reached 253 and sighed. “Counting never stops, does it?”
Reilly (6): Teacher reported discussion in class today about religious ceremonies around the world. She asked why Easter is celebrated. Reilly’s answer: “Jesus died at Easter, right? And he was on a cross. And the cross was made of wood. And the wood was brown. And chocolate is brown. So that’s why we eat chocolate. And the reason the chocolate is given out by the Easter Bunny and we have chocolate bunnies is because Jesus was up on the cross, right? And below him, on the ground, running around everywhere, were rabbits. Lots and lots of rabbits.”
It appears Lucy and I may need to rethink our “no religious education” policy.
Tim (4): Bathtime. Emptied entire contents of Lucy’s henna shampoo into water while my back was turned for seconds. We now have one very brown son.
Lucy (36): Reaching new levels of overtime. Tired. Tired but happy. I hope.
Charlie (36): Current weight ninety-five kilos. Diet producing extraordinary results of an invisible nature. Meals cooked for the family this week: spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti carbonara, pizza, boeuf bourguignon. Meals eaten by cook this week: salad, salad, salad, salad. Odds on cook falling asleep in next salad he is forced to eat: excellent.
Snip the cat (kitten age): Slept, played, slept, chased fly. Caught one mouse. Ate one mouse, excluding tail. Tail left on kitchen table. Children still retching. Father also.
Until next time, everyone please stay sane.
Charlie xx
From: Charlie Baum
To: Lucy Baum
Subject: re: Modern Couples
Yes, aren’t we modern, sending each other e-mail rather than leaving notes on the fridge? Thank you for your probing questions. Yes, I remembered Reilly’s doctor’s appointment, tomorrow at four p.m. Yes, I will book Sophie in for an eye test. I wonder will she be able to find her own way there? (Hahaha. It
was
my sense of humor that first attracted you to me, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it??)
Two questions for you now:
Q1. Do you know how much I love you?
Answer: