THE TRIO OF CABS
Emma: Dad was shouting into his phone. He was like the stereotypical Brit abroad. The type of guy who bellows ‘English!’ to some waiter, even though it’s a Greek resort. I remember him talking really slowly, as if it was a child on the other end. He kept saying ‘three taxis’ over and over. Then he went: ‘Not two taxis, not four taxis, I ordered three taxis.’ I was so embarrassed. We were standing on the kerb outside the airport terminal. We’d been in the country for less than an hour and I already wanted to go home.
Julius McGinley (son of Geoffrey McGinley, older brother of Emma McGinley): It was a right cock-up. The usual thing when you go abroad. Dad had ordered three taxis to pick us up at the airport and there were none there. Galanikos is an island: how much traffic can there be?
Daniel Dorsey: Total cock-up.
Emma: I’d started to walk away, then Dad shouted that the taxis would be about fifteen minutes. I think there were ten of us standing on the kerb with our cases. There was Mum, Dad, me, Julius and the twins – that’s six. Then there was Daniel and Liz, plus Victor and Claire. I still don’t know why Dad invited his business partner and wife, plus their grown-up kid. I was at the point where I didn’t ask too many questions.
Daniel Dorsey: Geoff said he thought of Liz and myself as family, so he asked if Liz, me, Victor and Vic’s wife wanted to come along. I think it was Beth’s idea. Geoff always did what Beth told him. We could hardly say no.
Emma: It was so hot. One of those days where there are no clouds in the sky and it doesn’t feel like there’s anywhere to hide from the sun. It had been wet in England – typical, I know – so I’d gone from that to feeling my skin tingling just from being outside. We’d been on a plane, so nobody was wearing sunscreen. I didn’t want to burn.
Chloe McGinley (Aged 8. Granddaughter of Geoffrey and Bethan McGinley, daughter of Julius McGinley, niece of Emma McGinley, sister to Amy McGinley): I didn’t like that Grampa was shouting. It was really hot, so I asked Dad if we could go to the shop.
Emma: There was a shop outside the terminal, selling the type of tat that you get in resorts. Julius said he wanted to get the girls out of the sun, so he took them over to the shop. I ended up following, mainly to get away from Dad.
The best thing was the air conditioning. Going inside was like being punched in the face, but in a good way – if that’s a thing. A good punch in the face. That’s the only reason I spent any time inside the shop because I didn’t buy anything.
Right by the door, there were three spinning racks dedicated to fridge magnets, plus an entire aisle where the shelves were full of dreamcatchers. I can’t believe anyone actually spends money on that stuff, but I guess they must. There were towels and plates, plus racks of booze, obviously. Chloe and Amy were dragging their dad around the shop and Julius was trying to stop them touching things on the shelves. You know what kids are like.
Chloe: I didn’t touch anything!
Emma: The twins had found this necklace on a shelf close to the counter. It was made of leather twine and had these little ivory horn-shaped things stitched into it. I don’t think they were actually made of ivory. I hope not. It was the type of thing I can imagine someone on a gap year wearing on a beach while they talk about how they’ve really started to get into Vonnegut.
I think it was Amy who picked it up. I’d not seen the twins in a while and, even before that, I wasn’t always a hundred per cent about which was which. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? Sometimes, when you look at them, it’s obvious which is Amy and which is Chloe. Chloe leans forward a little more when she’s speaking and Amy has this way of smiling, as if she already knows what you’re about to say. I think it depends on the angle, or the light. Every now and then, I’ll see them together and I can’t tell who is who.
Amy McGinley (Aged 8. Granddaughter of Geoffrey and Bethan McGinley, daughter of Julius McGinley, niece of Emma McGinley, sister to Chloe McGinley): Sometimes we pretend to be each other. Even Dad gets confused sometimes.
Emma: Let’s say it was Amy. She had figured out that she could blow into the horns on the necklace and it would make this whooshing sound. It’s hard to describe. Julius put it on – I think as a joke – and, whenever he turned around, the necklace made the sound. Chloe and Amy thought it was hilarious.
Julius: I don’t remember a necklace.
Amy: The necklace sounded like a bird whenever Dad moved about. I wonder what happened to it.
Emma: The twins were laughing, so Julius bought the necklace. It was twenty or thirty euros: a ridiculous price for what it was. I think the shop owner expected Julius to haggle – but he paid whatever the guy said. Julius has always been like that with money – make it, spend it.
Julius was putting on the necklace next to the counter but, as he was straightening, he winced, like there was a pain in his side.
Julius: Pain in my side? I don’t remember anything, but it was probably just a strain, or something. I’d have got it playing five-a-side, or maybe volunteering. I’m always helping out with something.
Emma: By the time we got out of the shop, the first taxi had appeared. Dad was shouting ‘three taxis’ at the driver because, apparently, that makes things happen quicker. I told Mum she should get in the cab, what with her condition and everything. She said: ‘Don’t be so silly, I’m not dead yet.’
She was quite defiant at that point. Mum never wanted to talk about the diagnosis and basically pretended it wasn’t there. She’d always been like that – putting everyone first, except herself. When we were growing up, she would always make sure that Julius and myself had eaten before she had something. I remember she once missed an Elton John concert because Dad had tickets to go to Silverstone. She loved Elton John and had always wanted to see him live – but then Dad said a mate had given him Grand Prix tickets, so they ended up going to that. She didn’t even query it.
So it was no surprise that, even in the heat at the airport, she told Julius he should take the taxi to get the girls out of the sun. I thought he’d insist that Mum should go first, but he shrugged and then got inside with the girls.
I remember looking across to Daniel and he seemed pretty annoyed by it all. He’s used to getting his own way and I can’t imagine him waiting for much.
Daniel: I was worried about Liz. That sun was very hot. She should have definitely been in that first cab.
Emma: Dad was marching up and down the pavement, muttering about when the next taxi would arrive. Daniel was busy doing nothing – because that’s what Daniel does. I don’t know what Liz and the rest were up to, but I was with Mum. It’s not a busy airport, but one of those big planes took off and there was a huge roar. It was so loud, it was like you could feel it, rather than hear it. Like the whole world was quaking. I remember Mum looking up, watching the plane go overhead, and she seemed so frail and small. It was her neck where you could see it the most. There were indents and dimples, almost like she was permanently breathing in. I think that was the first time where I really, really understood what was going to happen to her. After you get a diagnosis like she had, it’s all words at first. A doctor will say that something is going to happen, but it doesn’t necessarily mean much. Then I saw her like that and it was like everything was real.
Liz Dorsey (wife of Daniel Dorsey): Beth was starting to look really thin by the time we got to Galanikos. She kept trying to say she was fine, so I didn’t push her. If she wanted to talk about it, then she would.
Emma: I was trying to think of something to say – but then Mum started to talk. She goes: ‘Nine years, hey? I never thought we’d be back.’
We both looked across to the terminal and the statue that sits in front. It’s this giant bird-thing. A gull, maybe? When I was a girl and we used to visit, I remember that I always wanted to climb on it. It seemed so big back then, but, as I got older, I guess I realised it wasn’t.
After what happened the last time we were all on Galanikos, I never thought we’d go back. I was thirty-three by the time of this holiday and so much had happened in those nine years.
It was probably the familiarity of that airport that brought it all back for Mum. We’d visited the island so many times when I was growing up – and then, after everything with Alan, we stopped.
Mum goes: ‘It’s nice to all be together as a family.’ I suppose I’d not thought of the holiday like that until she said it. It’s probably because family has never meant as much to me as it did to her.
I know that sounds bad. People will probably hate me for it – but I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not. Mum loved her kids and grandkids. She enjoyed having everyone around her – but I was always happier when it was just me and her. Or, when he was in a good mood, when it was just me and Dad.
Mum once told me that she’d always wanted a huge family, five or six kids. I asked her why she’d only had two, but she never really answered. I think it was probably Dad…
Then, later, she didn’t say it, but I know she’d have loved more grandkids. She adored Chloe and Amy, and she completely doted on them. She never said it out loud because that wasn’t her way, but I know she’d have wanted me to try for children again. I think… um…
… Sorry, can you stop the recording? I need a minute.
Julius: Mum couldn’t wait to be on holiday with the girls. She’d spent weeks telling them about the hotel, the pool and the slides. They were more excited about the all-you-can-eat buffet. Mum had told them there was unlimited ice cream and they couldn’t believe it.
Emma: I didn’t know how to reply to her. I don’t know if she expected a response, or if she was just talking. I was thinking that I shouldn’t have come, that the last thing I wanted was for everyone to be together again as a family.
I didn’t tell anyone this at the time, but I deliberately chose a seat on the plane that was a few rows away from everyone else. When we all compared boarding cards, I shrugged and said it must have just worked out like that – but, really, I didn’t want to be with everyone else. I couldn’t stand it. I was embarrassed, if you want the truth. We used to have family get-togethers all the time – and then we didn’t. It was my fault, obviously – and everyone knew it.
After all, we could hardly have had a big Sunday meal together while I was in prison.
THE BRAVE BOY
Emma: There was a big dinner on the first night at the hotel. It was Mum’s idea, so I couldn’t really say no. We were right in the middle of the restaurant, with all ten of us around this one table. I was last one down, so didn’t get a choice about where to sit. The twins were at one end with Julius, while I was at the other. I had Dad on one side, Daniel on the other, and Mum opposite.
Julius: I dodged a bullet on that first night. No way was I getting stuck next to Dad and Daniel when they started knocking back the wine.
Emma: Daniel was telling this really long and really boring story about a skiing trip where he dislocated his shoulder. It was the type of thing you think might never end. You could circumnavigate the globe in a rubber dinghy, come back to the hotel and he’d still be banging on about it.
He was making it sound like he’d been on the beaches at Normandy, but the essence was that he’d ignored a bunch of signs, skied into a rock and fallen on his massive arse.
Daniel: Ah, the skiing trip! Did I tell you about how I dislocated my shoulder? We’d just left my villa and it was my sixth run of the day. I was on my best form until I dislocated my shoulder. Still managed to finish, mind. It was this Swiss guy’s fault for not looking where he was going. I probably should’ve sued him, but it wasn’t worth it in the end.
Emma: I asked Daniel if the doctor gave him a sticker for being a brave boy. He didn’t like that.
Daniel: Emma? What would you expect from her? She always has to have the last word. I bet she didn’t have such a smart mouth in prison.
Emma: I can’t stand the bloke. He’s one of those men that, before they’ve even opened their mouth, you know they’re one of those ‘you-can’t-say-anything-nowadays’-types. The sort that goes on about winning two World Wars, even though he wasn’t there for either. He’ll own a massive four-wheel drive, even though he never goes anywhere near the countryside. He’ll spend an hour droning on about the plague of average speed cameras on the motorway, or complaining that there’s now a vegan option at his favourite pub. He’ll talk about running over all cyclists, or saying how women’s football shouldn’t be anywhere near the TV. Not that he ever watches the lefty-liberal BBC, obviously. You think all that before he even opens his gob – then he starts talking and you realise he’s everything you thought he was but much, much worse.
Sorry, where was I? Oh, yeah. Daniel Dorsey. Complete dickhead.
Julius: I knew Emma was going to blow that first night. I could see it, even from the other end of the table. She and Daniel are, um… very different people.
Emma: Daniel owns forty-nine per cent of Dad’s company, so it’s hard to avoid him. I try to stay away from him, but there wasn’t much I could do when the only free seat was at this side. I was doing my best to ignore him, but he wouldn’t shut up. I swear, that skiing story was into its second hour and he’d somehow blended it into another ‘kids today’ rant, which is another of his favourite moans. He was saying something about how young people always want everything on a plate, and I suppose I snapped.
Julius: Don’t get Emma started about Boomers versus Millennials, or Gen X.
Emma: He kept saying how kids today aren’t willing to work for anything, and how they waste all their money on phones, so I fired back at him. I said: ‘Didn’t you buy a bunch of council houses because the government sold them off on the cheap?’ He took a breath and I think he was going to carry on as if I hadn’t spoken, so I kept talking. I said: ‘It’s a shame young people can’t do that now, isn’t it? Shame that houses today are ten or twelve times’ their average salary while you bought yours for eight grand.’
Julius: I don’t think Emma realised that she was shouting. Everyone else had stopped and I could hear every word from the other end of the table. There was this moment of silence and then Daniel came back at her.
Emma: He said: ‘That’s easy to say when someone else has paid for you to be here.’
I was going to say that I only came because Mum wanted me to. He wasn’t done, though. He was shouting in my face. I could see the red veins across his nose from where he’s such a massive pisshead.
He goes: ‘I don’t think you’re in a position to be lecturing others on morals.’ Then he held up his wine glass and angled it towards me, like he’s making a toast. He said something like: ‘Chill out. Have a drink and enjoy yourself.’
Julius: I thought Emma was going to smack him. I looked across to this waiter who was carrying some dirty plates across towards the kitchen. He was frozen and watching, like everyone was. There was this long pause and it felt like anything could happen. Good job Mum was there.
Emma: The words were stuck, like I couldn’t get out a reply. He knew exactly what he was doing when he tilted that wine glass towards me. You know that saying about ‘When they go low, we go high’? Daniel is the opposite. He’ll go as low as he possibly can… though not in any physical sense, of course. It’s been a good two decades since he last saw his feet over that gut.
Daniel: Back in your box, little girl. Back in your box.
Emma: Dad just sat there and it was Mum who answered. She spoke really quietly – and yet it felt so powerful. Like, sometimes the quietest voice in the room is the one that talks the loudest. She goes: ‘Let’s not do this now.’
That put an end to it because everyone listened to her, even Daniel. Daniel gulped his wine, then turned to Julius at the other end of the table and asked something about how Julius’s bank was doing. I don’t remember exactly how Julius replied, but it was something like how it had been a big three months and that the only reason they’d given him the days off for the holiday was because he’d built up so much time owing.
I wish I’d listened properly now. I didn’t know then that it would be important.
Julius: I don’t think anyone asked about the bank.
Emma: That first dinner set the tone. It wasn’t just me and Daniel, although I guess we were the loudest. Liz was moaning on about how she could only get one bar of reception on her mobile. She kept saying how it was like being in a third-world country, even though she was eating an all-inclusive buffet, while chugging down the red wine like it was water. She’s the sort who’d be surprised to find out they have electricity in the north – but then she did choose to marry Daniel, so her judgement isn’t the best.
Then there was Victor and Claire sitting in the middle, hardly saying anything to each other. Claire was barely eating, while Vic’s plate was piled high with meat, fish, and probably a bit of everything else from the buffet.
…
I feel sorry for Vic sometimes, considering who his parents are. Then I remember that he’s a forty-year-old man and that he’s made his own decisions. I don’t know how or why Claire married him. Julius, Vic and me are all stuck with these families – but she chose to marry in.
…
I suppose I’m not one to talk about making bad decisions.
Julius: Victor and Claire hated each other. No doubt about that.
Claire Dorsey (wife of Victor Dorsey): I didn’t want to be at that dinner and I never should have gone on that holiday. Vic wanted a free trip and he somehow talked me into going. He said we could get our marriage back on track with a week in the sun to relax. I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but I suppose I didn’t see anything wrong with spending a week by the pool. More fool me, huh?
Emma: Sometimes I wonder whether everything would have been different had I been sitting next to Claire. We’d have found something to talk about and there wouldn’t have been all those arguments at the very beginning.
After the row with Daniel, things calmed down for a minute or two – then Dad asked me to get him some more of the paella. I stood up to do it without thinking. Part of it was probably because I wanted to get away from Daniel – but I think there was a moment where I felt like a little girl again. When I’d been young and we’d been on the same holiday, Dad would’ve asked me to fill up his plate from the buffet and it felt like going back through time. Before I knew it, I was scooping rice onto a plate.
Claire: As soon as Emma headed off to the buffet, I followed. There was too much tension at that table.
Emma: Claire was standing next to me and we were making small talk about the food. Nonsense stuff, like ab. . .
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