Chapter
12
The
Wearin’ O’ The Green
“And
she scores!” Megan yelled as the ball went through the basketball hoop.
“Taylor, rack up another point for the girls’ team.”
I
shook my head and made another chalk mark on the concrete. Girls eight, guys
zip. The margin in the scores looked sort of depressing.
It
was less than two weeks until Aisling turned eighteen. Less than two weeks
until she caught up. My birthday, being March 14, is two-and-a-half months
before Aisling’s.
Aisling
came and sat beside me on the ground. I leaned over and kissed her gently,
causing her to smile. “Hey, Tayles,” she said softly, returning the kiss. “How
long has it been now?”
“Since
we started dating? Just under three months.” We’d started our relationship on
February 27, and it was now May 21. In six days it’d be our three-month
anniversary.
“Nice
to know that you remember that,” Aisling said softly. “No, I meant…this.” She
gently rested her hand on my chest.
“I
haven’t been keeping track,” I confessed. “Let me see…I went into hospital on
April 9, and the operation was on the 11th. It’s been about six
weeks.”
“Do
you think your parents will let you go down to Huskisson? I’ve already told my
aunt that we’d be there on December 2nd.”
I
nodded. “I’m positive. As long as I take it easy for the next couple of months,
there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“I
don’t want you getting sick again, that’s all.”
“I
won’t get sick,” I assured her.
“I’ll
hold you to that one.” She rested her head on my shoulder. “Tay, I was just
wondering something. Where’d you live before you moved here?”
“Wollongong,”
I replied. “Up until 1994. Then I caught meningitis. I spent about three weeks
in hospital, and I came out unable to hear.” I looked at Aisling. “That’s why I
tend to be bitter sometimes. Lost opportunities, mainly.”
“You
should’ve at least tried to chase your dream.” Aisling had known for
many years what a lot of people didn’t know – my secret dream, which was
to be a musician. I’d given up on it after I got sick all those years ago.
“Your disability wouldn’t have made any difference in who you are as a person.”
“I
know that, Aisling. Believe me, I know. But do you really think a
record company would sign a kid with a disability as obvious as mine? I take my
aids out, I can’t hear squat. It’s best if I just forget about it entirely and
focus on what I’m good at.”
- x -
June
8 was the day of Aisling’s 18th birthday party.
I
knocked on the front door of 18 Bay Street. Kieran answered and let me in.
“She’s gone all Celtic,” he whispered. “Back room.”
I
nodded and checked that Aisling’s present was in the pocket of my well-worn
jeans, then followed the main corridor through to the back room.
“I
was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up!” Aisling walked over to
me, wearing a long green dress and a headband of twisted gold wire. Her feet
were bare.
“Well,
here I am!” I caught her up in my arms and spun her round a few times. “Legal
at last!” I kissed her gently, then pulled out her present. “Happy birthday.”
Inside
the small jewellery store box was a gold chain with a emerald dangling off it.
“Oh,
Taylor, it’s beautiful,” Aisling whispered in awe. “Thank you.” She clasped it
around her neck and smiled at me.
“It
suits you.” I leaned over and kissed her again.
The
party kicked off at around seven-thirty. Aisling and her cousins Katelin and
Danya put on a short display of Irish dancing, accompanied by the music of Riverdance.
Aisling even showed off her singing skills to the strains of Shivna, a
Gaelic song. All in all, it was a highly enjoyable evening.
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