Page 13 of Dancing Fools and All That Jazz

‘I wish I was in Paris this weekend.’ Joanne kicks at the bedroom carpet. ‘Anything would be better than having Grandma here. She’s so strict. I mean, honestly, we’re old enough to look after ourselves.’

‘There’s no way I am leaving the two of you in the house alone.’

‘Well, I plan to be out most of the time.’

‘Fine, but only if you do all your schoolwork. Do not pull a face. And be kind to Grandma…’

‘Because she pays our school fees…’

‘No. Because she’s your grandmother.’

Joanne rolls her eyes and heads out of the bedroom, leaving me to my thoughts.

How will she and James react when they find out what their father has done? James, in particular, has always been very close to him.

They’ll be fine, kids always are. They adapt . I instantly eject Ruby’s would-be advice, annoyed her voice has yet again jumped into my head.

Her number and emails are now consigned to trash. I never go to the door when she picks up the twins on her lift days and when I collect Will, I wait in the car around the corner and send James to knock on.

I’ve also stopped answering the house phone after Ruby tried me three times. I stood there barely able to contain my anger as I listened to her recording her pathetic messages before hitting delete.

The first was almost two weeks ago, the day I sent her the text telling her to keep away.

Monica, we need to speak. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Let’s talk on the way to dance tomorrow. I need to explain.

Forgive her? Like hell.

The second message – a few days later – was close to tearful.

Monica, please pick up. I know you’re there. We need to speak. Come on, we’re best mates…

The final message was late last Thursday evening. Thankfully Vince was away and the twins in bed. Ruby had clearly been drinking, and her slurred words were no longer beseeching but accusatory.

What do I have to do, Monica? You want… want me to what?

Postray… pro… prostrate myself on the floor?

Tear out my hair or flay myself with birch branches?

I mean, it was a frigging mistake. I never intended for you to…

oh, what’s the bloody point? Don’t worry, I’ll stay away.

I can be just as stubbing… stubborn as… as… Oh piss off.

I made a rude sign to the answer machine, stabbed delete, and I haven’t seen or heard from her since.

Ruby didn’t make the final dance rehearsal a few nights ago.

‘Dear, oh dear, this is no time to miss class.’ Clarissa had wrung her hands.

‘This competition has to be the priority for everyone if we are to be in with a chance of winning. You all know Sheila’s dreadful group will be our main competitors.

We cannot possibly allow them a higher ranking than us.

Ingrida you will have to stand in for Ruby. Now places please…’

Ingrida danced beautifully; her arm and hand movements are so graceful. It is obvious she has trained in ballet. Without being mean, she’s a far better dancer than Ruby.

Clarissa put us through our paces and the excitement in the studio was electric.

‘Well done, Ingrida. It’s not easy to step into another position with all the changes in spacing and direction.’

‘It is very kind of you to say so, Monica. But I do hope Ruby will be there for the competition.’

I absolutely hope she is not. I find my jaw tensing as I bend to take off my jazz shoes. If Ruby does come, I’ll be civil with her, but I’ve already told Janine I will not share a room with her under any circumstance.

Poor Janine, she seemed a little overwhelmed with the rehearsal.

‘What time do we have to be at Manchester Airport?’ I asked her.

‘Oh… er… I’ll check.’

‘Is it Terminal one or two?’

Fay picked that moment to interrupt, and I didn’t catch Janine’s mumbled answer before Fay started on her latest diatribe. I pity poor Ingrida having to share a room with Fay.

The house phone interrupts my thoughts, and I wait for Joanne to answer it to ensure it’s not Ruby.

‘Mum – Clarissa.’ She throws the phone onto the bed from the doorway.

‘Clarissa, how are you? I was going to give you a ring to check which terminal we fly from. It is so exciting to think we’ll be in Paris this time tomorrow.’

‘Yes, the time has finally arrived. And Hazel will be coming too.’

‘Amazing news.’

‘Of course, it is going against the advice of her doctors, and we will not be able to get travel insurance for her, but this could be her last…’ Clarissa’s voice catches and my heart goes out to her.

‘It is her dearest wish to see us perform in the competition and I am willing to do everything in my power to make it happen.’

‘It’s wonderful Hazel’s going to join us,’ I respond.

‘She will need plenty of rest at the hotel. Her energy levels are so low.’

‘We can all help look after her.’

‘Thank you, Monica. Knowing Hazel, I am sure she would climb a mountain – on her knees if she had to – in order to watch us. She is a most determined lady, despite her poor health.’

I have often wondered about their relationship.

No one has ever questioned if they are together as a couple or just close friends, but Clarissa told me they met in the West End of London where they were both teenage dancers.

When Clarissa turned to choreography, Hazel – who appears to have come from a well-off family – funded her career and encouraged her to open dance schools up and down the country.

She was the brains behind both starting and eventually selling off the Kirkland franchise.

When she found Clarissa was bereft without her own dance classes, it was Hazel who encouraged her to start a new amateur dance group.

It has now been running for over fifteen years.

I can’t imagine Clarissa without Hazel, or vice versa.

They’ve been together for forty-plus years, and I feel a stab of envy at their obvious closeness and mutual support.

‘Now the reason I called is I am more than a little worried about the flight.’

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine. By the way, do you have our boarding passes?’

‘Those? Oh, no. Janine advised me that as we are a large group booking, we must check-in together and the passes are issued at the airport. No, Monica, my troubling thought is about Sheila.’

‘Sheila?’

‘Yes? What if Sheila’s group is on the same flight as us?’

‘Erm… I hadn’t thought about that. Well, if her group appears, Clarissa, we’ll just smile politely, hold our heads high and keep ourselves to ourselves.’

‘Yes, of course we will. Thank you, Monica. Oh, you must think me paranoid, but you know I cannot stand that woman after what she did to me. The only reason Sheila Bold won the Expression North West heats was because she used my choreographic techniques. It is dance plagiarism. After all those years under my tutelage. I feel utterly betrayed. I hope you never have to experience such hurtful behaviour.’

I think to myself I could tell her quite a bit about hurtful behaviour, but I say something supportive and once I’ve checked which terminal we are meeting in, we say goodbye.

Once I’ve dropped the twins at school in the morning, I’ll pick up Bonnie, Cath, Asha and Ingrida then park at the airport. Ruby can make her own arrangements – that’s if she comes.

As for Vince, he has no idea what’s coming to him.

I zip up the suitcase and pat the top, his tablet safely nestling inside.

No idea whatsoever.