Page 55 of Thursdays at Orange Blossom House
‘Out with it,’ Grace Maud says.
‘What?’
‘That was hardly a rapturous response.’
‘I just, uh …’ Patricia puts a hand to the side of her head. ‘Do you have a phone at the café that I could use? I’ll need to let Dad know that I’ll be late home.’
‘Of course!’ Dorothy says with a big smile. ‘Should we see if Sandrine would like to join us? Are we allowed to do that kind of thing?’
‘She’s a person, Dorothy, not a demigod,’ says Grace Maud. ‘I think you can ask her to morning tea.’
Dorothy’s smile widens. ‘I’ll just pop back in.’
Grace Maud turns to Patricia. ‘You’re a little old to be telling your parents where you are, so I presume when you said your mother’s mind wanders a bit that it’s perhaps more serious than that?’
Patricia’s face crumples a little, then she rights herself. ‘I don’t think I can trust Dad to watch her unless I specifically remind him to.’ She grimaces. ‘Mum always used to say she couldn’t trust Dad around us kids because fathers aren’t as careful as mothers. And she was right: the only injuries we got were when he was watching us. Now I have to ask him to watch her and I— ’ Her breath catches.
Grace Maud steps closer and puts a hand on her arm. ‘You do the best you can,’ she says firmly. Sternly. ‘If your heart is in the right place – and from what I’ve observed, it most certainly is – your best is all that can ever be asked of you. You’re their daughter, not their jailer.’
Patricia nods quickly but she doesn’t speak.
‘Are you an only child?’ Grace Maud continues.
‘No. I have a sister and two brothers.’
‘And where are they?’
‘My sister’s in New South Wales. Newcastle. My brothers aren’t that far away, but it’s not like they’re rushing to be of assistance.’
‘Couldn’t your sister help with your parents?’
A hollow laugh. ‘I don’t think so. She’s toobusy.’
‘And you’re not?’ Grace Maud grips Patricia’s arm a little tighter, then lets go as she sees Dorothy returning with Sandrine. ‘You’re allowed to live your life, Patricia.’
‘Am I?’ Patricia’s eyes are bright with tears, which she blinks away as the others arrive.
Dorothy walks with Sandrine to the café while Patricia drives Grace Maud – as she already has that morning. Patricia offered to drive Grace Maud when she called to say that Dorothy would like them all to go to class together, and Grace Maud hadn’t felt inclined to refuse. As independent as she likes to be, she doesn’t mind being taken care of, especially when there are no strings attached.
She looks back now over the past few years of Tom doing nice things for her and wonders if he was just trying to butter her up. If so, it failed. No doubt she will seem heartless if she tells anyone outside the family just how long she’s gone without speaking to her son, but that’s not the reason she hasn’t mentioned it to Patricia or Dorothy. It’s because it’s none of their business.
As they enter the café Grace Maud is intrigued to see Dorothy’s husband – a tall man with long arms, which he wraps around his wife. Dorothy looks proud, and leans into him as he hugs her to his side.
‘Frederick, I’d like you to meet Grace Maud and Patricia, my friends from yoga class,’ she says. ‘And this is our teacher, Sandrine.’
‘Dorothy talks about you a lot,’ Frederick says. ‘I am very pleased to meet you all.’
He takes their order then leaves them to it, disappearing into the kitchen. They take a table near the front with a view of the water, and Dorothy insists that Grace Maud has the best seat.
‘What a lovely idea,’ Sandrine says, smiling at each of them in turn. ‘This is the first time any students have asked me to join them.’
‘Really?’ Dorothy says. ‘But you’re so …’ She looks shy again. ‘Friendly.’
‘It is fine,’ Sandrine says. ‘I completely understand. They like me to be their teacher. I liked my teacher to be that way too.’
‘Who was your teacher?’ Patricia asks.
‘A woman in Brisbane, where I lived. Her name was Prema.’
