Page 22 of The New Girl

When they got to the end of Ruby’s road, which was only two streets over from where Safa lived, Ruby stopped. ‘Look, my little brother Robbie has learning disabilities. Suzie, the speech therapist, will be there now so we won’t have to go in to him, but he can be kind of loud and shout and freak out sometimes. It’s not his fault; he was born that way. Just ignore it. We’ll go straight up to my room. OK?’

Safa nodded.

When they got to the house, Ruby opened the front door and bumped into her mother.

‘Hi,’ said Ruby. ‘I thought you were going to the dentist?’

Her mother had her face in her handbag, looking for something. ‘I am – I’m late because Robbie went mad when he saw Suzie today. I don’t know why – he usually likes her.’ She pulled keys from her bag. ‘There they are – I have to dash.’

‘Hello, Mrs Fitzpatrick, it’s very nice to meet you.’ Safa put her hand out as her father had taught her.

Fiona looked up. ‘Oh hello – I’m sorry – I didn’t even see you there. Very nice to meet you too.’ Ruby’s mother reminded Safa a bit of Mama. You could see she was a pretty woman, but life had created lines and dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted and very thin.

‘This is Safa; she’s from Syria,’ said Ruby.

‘Welcome to Ireland,’ Fiona said, speaking slowly and loudly.

‘Oh for God’s sake, Mum, her English is better than mine.’ Ruby’s face was red.

‘Oh right, sorry! I’ve got to go. My tooth is killing me. Bye.’

Ruby’s mother dashed out the door with her coat half on.

‘What’s for dinner?’ Ruby called.

Her mother turned around. ‘Sorry, we went to the shops, but Robbie saw a big dog and went crazy, so we had to come home. Check the freezer, there might be something in there. Your dad started work early, so you’re on your own. Sorry, love, I have to go, I’m late already. Nice to meet you,’ Fiona waved at Safa.

‘Great,’ Ruby muttered under her breath. ‘I’m starving and there’s no dinner.’

They went into the kitchen, where Ruby rummaged around in the cupboards, fridge and freezer to find something to eat.

The countertop was covered in papers, letters, medicine bottles, pens, receipts and other random items like earplugs and a teddy bear. There were three half-drunk cups of coffee on the kitchen table. Safa thought of her kitchen at home, where Mama had everything tidied away and the countertop was always so clean and there was always freshly cooked food to eat. She felt bad for Ruby.

Ruby turned to Safa. ‘Well, I guess we’ll just have to eat these for now.’ She held up two cereal bars. ‘I don’t like them, but Robbie does so we always have loads of them. Whatever Robbie likes, Mum remembers to buy,’ she grumbled. ‘Tea?’

‘Do you have any green tea?’

Ruby laughed. ‘We barely have anything. It’s normal tea or nothing.’

Safa smiled. ‘Sure, normal tea is fine.’

The door opened. Orla threw her bag on the floor. ‘Don’t talk to me. I’ve had a crappy day.’ She went over to the cupboard. Her skirt was hitched right up like a miniskirt. Safa didn’t know how she wasn’t freezing. Her legs were very brown in some parts but had streaks of white on the sides. Her hair was up in a very high ponytail and she had spidery eyelashes on.

‘Are you kidding me?’ Orla groaned when she saw the empty cupboard. ‘She promised she’d go shopping today.’

Ruby handed Safa a cup of tea. ‘Mum said she tried but Robbie kicked off, so she had to come home.’

‘I’m sick of this,’ Orla said. ‘Here, make me a cup of tea.’

‘Please?’

‘Just do it, Ruby.’

‘Fine.’

Safa had always thought it would be lovely to have an older sister, but now she wasn’t so sure.

Orla picked at the red nail polish on her thumb. ‘I got a week of early morning detention from Mrs Oliver.’

---