Page 19 of Dancing Fools and All That Jazz

Asha

Once we have got over the euphoria of making the London train, I lean against the corridor wall of the buffet car next to Ruby and Ingrida and send Jay a message.

You are not going to believe this. I can barely believe it myself.

Janine did not book our flights. Seriously.

We did not find out until we got to the check-in desks.

She has disappeared off the face of the Earth and we have no idea what she has done with our money.

Anyway, we are still going. We managed to get Eurostar tickets and I am currently on the train to London.

What a crazy rollercoaster. We still do not know if we have hotel reservations.

I will call you when we get to Paris. Let Ma and Baba know what happened. Love you XX

‘Well, what a terrible turn of events,’ I say to the others.

‘I am still a little in shock,’ Ingrida replies.

‘You couldn’t make it up.’ Ruby shakes her head.

‘Where are the others?’

‘I think Bonnie and Cath, they are in next carriage, sitting in the aisle. I do not know where Monica and Fay have gone.’

‘What was Janine thinking?’

‘Probably what a bunch of frigging idiots we are.’ Ruby snorts.

‘She was always so quiet. Barely said a word. Jay is always saying to me, you cannot judge a book by its cover and in this case, it has proved true.’

‘I very much like this saying. I have picked up some awful books in the library, when I think they would be as good as cover.’ Ingrida smiles.

‘Who would have thought Janine was capable of doing such a terrible thing?’

‘But who knows anyone?’ Ruby purses her lips. ‘I mean for real?’

Ruby’s eyes are far away but then come back into focus as she adds, ‘I never really spoke to Janine. She was as quiet as a mouse.’

Ruby then perches on top of her upright case and turns her attention to her phone as she half listens, looking up every few minutes.

‘I spoke to her quite a bit – when she and I stayed to help Clarissa tidy the studio – although she did not tell me much,’ I tell Ingrida. ‘I mean, I was completely sympathetic when she told me about her mother the other year. It must have been just before the pandemic started.’

‘I hear she need full-time care, ja? ’

‘Yes. Janine said it was early Alzheimer’s. She told me she had to give up her job in the ticket office of a Manchester theatre when her mother got worse.’

‘She has no father?’

‘She did not say.’

‘Does she have brother or sister?’

‘One sister who had left home years ago. Apparently, she is not in contact with Janine. I was itching to know why this was, but it was so difficult to get Janine to open up.’

‘Still, you managed to find out a fair amount, Asha,’ Ruby comments while looking at her phone screen.

I cannot decide if she is being funny, so I let it go.

‘I was trying to help her. I told her she should contact this sister of hers and get her to come home and help her to care for their mother, but Janine put on her coat and started for the door. I even said to her, it is a good thing that you are doing, looking after your mother. We should all look after our families, but with no job it must be hard for you. I said, I hope you are able to claim some financial help. It must be very worrying. She mumbled something about claiming benefits and being OK for money. But that is all she would say.’

‘Is that all?’ Ruby sniggers and I am not sure why. Perhaps it is something on her phone?

‘Maybe that is reason Janine take our money?’ Ingrida frowns. ‘But I still do not believe it. Janine is sweet girl…’

‘Did you know she is only twenty-three?’

‘ Ja , it is very young to be carer.’

‘I must admit, I wondered how she was coping by herself. Can you imagine only having a demented mother for company?’

‘ Ja . It is very sad.’

‘It was not the sort of thing I could ask Janine when we moved to online rehearsals. Let’s face it, there was very little time for conversation.

But once we resumed live classes, I tried to be caring and compassionate whenever I spoke to her.

I did tell her she could always call on me for help.

But now look. She has left us high and dry. ’

We go quiet for a while, moving with the motion of the train and listening to the hum of chatter in the buffet car.

Jay sends me a message asking if we have called the police. I reply we have not but turn to the other two. ‘Should we report it to the police? I mean, she must have known what she was doing.’

‘ Ne , it would not be good to go to the police until we know more.’

‘But it does look like theft…’

The more I think about it, the more annoyed I feel with Janine. I cannot believe I was ready to whiten her teeth for free.

My phone buzzes again and I read Fay’s message.

Asha, the battery on my phone is about to die and I cannot access my charger in this crowded space. Can you check the situation with the hotel and let me know where we stand? We may need to use your phone to find an alternative if we do not have reservations. I am in carriage C.

It does not take me long to get through.

‘ All?, Ibis Paris Bastille Opéra. Puis-je vous aider? ’

‘ Bonjour , do you speak English?’

‘ Mais oui . Can I ’elp?’

‘I wish to check if you have reservations at your hotel for our party?’

‘What name?’

‘It could be under Janine Young?’ When she says no, I give the receptionist all our names, including Clarissa and Hazel’s.

‘No, I am sorry. No one with zose names iz staying ’ere.’

‘So, do you have any spare rooms for the next three nights?’

Ingrida scans my face hopefully as I listen to the reply and say a brief, ‘ Merci. Au revoir ,’ before ending the call.

I shake my head. ‘Fully booked. Oh, and get this, the receptionist explained it was due to the large dancing competition taking place at the Opéra Bastille this weekend…’

‘No shit.’ Ruby snaps her phone away and stands up. ‘I reckon we need a stiff drink.’

‘I need to go and tell Fay. Her phone is on the blink, but I have my charger here.’ I reach for it from inside my handbag. ‘I am sure she would rather book the hotel. Watch my case. I will go and give this to her.’

I squeeze my way down the moving train past all the standing passengers.

Amazingly, Fay has managed to find probably the only empty seat in the furthest compartment.

I sense from the glare on the face of the young man next to her that Fay had made him move all his belongings in order to free up the seat.

He has a huge number of bags now both on his lap, on and under the table and spilling into the corridor.

Fay steadfastly ignores him as I quietly report my findings.

‘Thank you, Asha. I am not surprised. Why would Janine book our hotel if she had no intention of booking our flights? I will look for somewhere. Now that I have managed to procure a seat,’ – she pauses to throw the young man a disdainful sneer – ‘and now I have the charger,’ – she leans across the man to plug it into the table socket – ‘I will make it my mission to get us accommodated. Thankfully, you can usually reserve hotels without having to pay up front.’

‘I hope we can find somewhere.’

‘Oh, Paris is a big place. There will be a hotel with space for us all, I am sure.’

I hope she is right; I do not fancy spending the night on the streets of Paris.

‘Thanks, Fay. Let us know how you get on via the chat group and hang onto the charger. I do not think I will be able to make my way back up the train a second time.’

There had been no sign of Monica in any of the carriages I have traversed, so I glance through the glass of the door into first-class beyond Fay’s coach and spot Monica sitting in a large, almost empty area.

I wave, but she does not see me. She is using what looks like her husband’s card to pay her upgrade to the ticket inspector.

All right for some.

As I battle my way back to the buffet car, I think about Monica.

She has very symmetrical features and, I have to say, perfect teeth – I wonder who her dentist is – but she is quite distant and aloof.

I thought we would get to know one another better when she helped Ma make the saris for our costumes, but she remained quiet and completely wrapped up in the sewing.

It is hard to see how she and Ruby, seemingly so different, had such a close relationship – I guess what Ma would call chalk and cheese.

I wonder who has caused the fall out, Monica or Ruby? Perhaps Ruby will tell us.

Cath and Bonnie are sitting cross-legged next to each other in the aisle of the crowded car next to the buffet car and have to stand to let me pass.

They are laughing aloud and Cath bursts into song on and off.

I can see they are getting annoyed looks from the weary passengers who are either putting on their headphones to block out the noise or shaking their heads in an irritated manner.

When I finally get back, Ruby presents me with a can of gin and tonic. Ingrida tentatively raises her can to me and Ruby raises a plastic cup filled with red wine.

‘Sorry, I do not drink.’ I hand back the can.

‘Would you like a tea or coffee?’

‘No, thank you. To be honest, I feel a little nauseous.’

‘It’s the motion of the train. Renowned for it.’ Ruby hands me a bottle of water instead. ‘I got you this too.’

‘Thanks.’

She opens the can of gin and tonic, saying, ‘Shame to waste this.’

To my surprise, she continues to sip both her red wine, which she must know is very bad for staining teeth, and the gin.

Ingrida only has the odd sip from her tin. From the grimace on her face, I am not sure she likes it and I think she has only accepted it so as not to offend Ruby.

‘Tell us more about your fiancé, Asha?’

‘I have been with Jay for almost six years. I cannot imagine being with anyone else.’

‘You find love at first sight?’ Ingrida asks.

‘Wow, you’re a romantic, Ingrida.’ Ruby smiles.