Cecelia Ahern 3-Book Collection: One Hundred Names, How to Fall in Love, The Year I Met You

Since that job in the supermarket Jedrek had found jobs here and there – driving a van, furniture removal – but nothing solid, nothing that allowed him to use his skills and knowledge, or to breathe a single sigh of relief that his family was safe. But nine months ago, something had changed inside him. Nine months ago, when he met up with his friend Achar at Erin’s Isle Football Club, his spark, which had so obviously gone out, was ignited again.

Achar had been a colleague of his in SR Technics and when they met again the friendship between their two families brought happiness and joy back to their homes. Their children were similar ages and enjoyed playing together, their wives got along and it made days out more pleasurable, plus Jedrek had the added support and conversation of a man who was going through exactly the same thing as Jedrek. He’d been unable to talk about it before but here was someone who understood.

It was while on a family day out in Malahide Sailing Club, when Achar and Jedrek were racing their eldest sons in a pedal boat, that they attracted the attention of other families who had gathered that fine day. To everyone’s surprise the unfit fathers won. Then when challenged by the other fathers they beat them too. And anyone else who dared take them on. This simple fun day out made both men feel as though they had accomplished something, they were good at something, they had made their families proud. They had a skill and they wanted to be recognised for it. They both had time, they both had hunger, they both needed acknowledgement and a pat on the back from society, from people other than their wives. This record attempt was a great deal more than it appeared on the surface.

Kitty finally ended the phone call to her editor. She looked strained, and Jedrek knew what a person under immense pressure looked like.

‘Ready?’ he called.

‘I’m sorry for keeping you,’ she replied, holding the stopwatch in her hand. ‘Ready now.’

‘On three,’ Jedrek said, and he and Achar prepared. ‘One, two … three,’ he said, and their legs started pumping wildly.

When they reached the buoy one hundred metres away they turned to find her jumping up and down on the grass in celebration, two thumbs up high in the air.

Jedrek and Achar laughed and gave each other a high-five.

Kitty sat on the bus, her adrenalin rushing inside her so much that she wanted to jump up and dance in the aisles. Instead she took out her notepad and wrote:

Name Number Four: Jedrek Vysotski

Story Title: Guinness World Records

Chapter Twenty (#ulink_e3deac2b-8be3-5c96-aba8-7221f0d15360)

From outside the door in the Mater Hospital, Kitty could hear a hair dryer blasting, and when she entered the room she found Mary-Rose standing over a head of hair, hard at work, a mop of blond flying around the room. She saw Kitty and turned the hair dryer off.

‘Ah, just on time, my assistant has arrived.’

The woman beneath the hair peeked out from the strands that had been blown across her face. Her eyes were big and brown, huge in her shrunken face. Kitty felt a wave of dizziness pass over her, but she smiled and waved, then wanted to kick herself for smiling, and then again for not speaking. She found she was like one of those people who didn’t know what to say to children; when it came to people who were ill, she simply hadn’t the words, couldn’t think of anything remotely in common to chat to them about, all her mind kept telling her was: they are sick, they are sick.

‘Diane is the beautiful bride today,’ Mary-Rose introduced them.

Congratulations? Should she say that? Was it appropriate? She was getting married but she was also about to die – how could she be congratulated for that? So instead she said, ‘Ah,’ and nodded her head.

‘Well, I’m not beautiful yet,’ Diane said. ‘Hopefully I will be after Mary-Rose is finished with me.’

Kitty still hadn’t said anything.

‘Do me a favour and hold these clips?’ Mary-Rose asked, handing her a container to hold.

Delighted to have something to do, Kitty jumped into action and stood behind Diane so she wouldn’t have to look at her, then made it her job to be completely helpful, offering clips when Mary-Rose still had two in her hand, one in her mouth and was manoeuvring another firmly in Diane’s head.

Mary-Rose began chatting casually without any uneasiness, without awkwardness, as if this was a normal day, just like any other.

‘Will you have a bridesmaid?’ Mary-Rose asked, a clip between her teeth.

‘My daughter, Serena, she’ll be here any moment. She’s getting her hair done too. She’s sixteen and loving all the excitement.’

‘I bet,’ Mary-Rose said. ‘Her mum is getting married, I’m excited for you!’

Excited? All Kitty could feel was misery for the poor sixteen-year-old who was going to lose her mother.

‘I know, I’m excited too,’ Diane laughed. ‘I’m trying to figure out why her dad and I didn’t do this years ago!’

‘Will you make a speech?’ Mary-Rose asked, and Kitty wondered why she couldn’t think of questions like that to ask. She was a journalist, she was supposed to be able to ask all kinds of questions, but her head had dried up, which wasn’t a new experience.

Mary-Rose picked up strands of hair and moved them, twisted them, pinned them, manipulated them to look silkier, thicker, beautiful and healthy. The way she pinned each section before moving on to the next was hypnotic to watch.

‘I’ll speak if I can,’ Diane said. ‘Serena wants to speak.’

‘She’s a brave girl.’

‘She’s been the bravest.’ There was a silence and Kitty felt awkward, but then Diane laughed. ‘She sat me down to help me choose a coffin, would you believe?’

Mary-Rose laughed. ‘I hope you picked a nice one.’

Kitty almost fainted at the conversation.

‘Apparently there’s new personalised coffins which you can have themed to suit your taste – football club emblems and that kind of thing.’

‘And what did you choose?’

‘Well, she wanted me to choose the sunset-themed one – the sea, the palm trees, the beach. I used to surf, you see.’

‘It sounds beautiful.’

‘Too good to be burned,’ Diane joked. ‘I’m being cremated.’

‘Well, they could always cremate you and keep the coffin,’ Mary-Rose said, and the two women burst out laughing. Kitty couldn’t believe her ears; she watched the two of them in shock. How could they joke like this about death?

‘Oh, stop.’ Diane wiped the corners of her eyes. ‘You’ll ruin my make-up.’

‘It’s okay, I can do it again,’ Mary-Rose said. ‘I once had a client who told me she was choosing a dark oak because it would bring out the colour of her eyes.’

And with that they both started laughing again.

The door opened and an excited member of staff announced the arrival of the bridesmaid.

‘Oh, darling.’ Diane immediately stopped laughing as she took in the sight of her daughter wearing a pretty and simple dress for the low-key affair. ‘You look beautiful.’

‘Stop, Mum,’ Serena said, embarrassed. ‘We’re not crying today, remember?’ She went to her mother and embraced her, and Mary-Rose immediately stopped working and stepped back. Kitty followed her lead. As soon as they pulled away, both of them in tears, Mary-Rose chose the right moment to work again. She worked silently, quickly, almost becoming invisible in the room.

‘Nearly there,’ Mary-Rose said, reaching for another pin. ‘This is the last one.’ She twisted the final strand of hair around her finger and expertly pinned it in place so that the pin was invisible.

‘Wow,’ Kitty finally spoke.

‘I want to see,’ Diane said excitedly.