Page 28 of Calling Frank O'Hare

‘Would yer? Would yer really though, Frank?’

Frank didn’t answer: Finn was on his way back and anyway, Martin was probably right.

Before turning in he found a quiet spot to ring Netta. She answered straight away which gave him some hope that she was missing him as much as he was missing her.

‘I got your messages,’ she said. ‘Your trip sounds like fun.’

‘I’m not so sure you’d call it fun. I’m just hoping it’s not awful. I’ve already upset Finn, and Martin’s … well, he’s just Martin.’

‘I’m beginning to think you don’t like them.’

Not like them? It hadn’t occurred to Frank that he might not like his brother and cousin. They were his family. He might not much like being with them, he might even try to avoid contact with them but actually not liking them, that was a different thing. ‘It’s kinda complicated. It goes way back. There’s a lot of history and it’s not all good.’

‘Do you want to tell me?’

‘Maybe when I get back. Talk to me about home. Are the kids back from their travels now? Is your dad still going to his allotment? Are the dogs behaving themselves?’

Netta’s laugh was like a sweet kiss. He ached for her, ached to be lying next to her, listening to his old soul records, all nice and comfortable. ‘You’ve only been away for a few days. You make it sound like it’s been months.’

‘Indulge me.’

‘Will’s decided he’s not coming home for Easter. Liza returned for a day, then took off again. I won’t see her now until she comes back for the start of term. Yes, Dad is still going to his allotment and yes, the dogs are fine. The big news is Robyn called because she couldn’t get hold of you. I filled her in and she said to let you know she’s having a great time and she’ll speak to you when she gets back. She seemed a bit surprised that you were with Martin and Finn.’

‘She’s not the only one.’

‘Is it going okay? Are you okay, Frank?’

‘I’m absolutely fine. It’s just a bit disconcerting. Like stepping back into the past.’

‘And that’s a bad thing, is it?’

‘I don’t know yet.’

‘It doesn’t have to be all about the past. Or the future even. It can just be about the moment. This week could be an adventure for you. Something new.’

‘Aye, I suppose.’ It had been a long time since Frank had an adventure. It wasn’t something he was good at. But anything was better than it being all about the past. Only problem with that was the past hadn’t got the memo. The bloody thing refused to go away.

19

Embracing the danger – 1980

Frank and Billy walked into the Harp Bar together, each looking for different things. Billy was looking for a good time. Frank was looking for Eve. It used to be that being with Eve was Frank’s idea of a good time but lately, things had been going downhill.

It had started with the fanzine that never was, unless you counted ten copies of the first edition. Like most of Billy’s ideas,Candidn’t get very far. Frank, Billy and Eve had all written pieces for that first edition and Frank had done the artwork as well. He’d even helped Eve to write the article about the Battle of the Bands being punk heaven. Then Billy decided splitting the tasks would make it more like a professional production. Billy and Eve would do the words and Frank the art. Martin and Finn’s jobs would be the sales. It all sounded great, except nothing ever got done.

Sure, they’d talk about content. They were good at coming up with ideas but they never turned them into something readable, in spite of how much they discussed them. Frank had stopped counting the number of times Billy and Eve, Martin and Eve, or Billy and Martin had said they’d made a start on something. Because by now, Martin had decided he was going to be a content consultant, even though he couldn’t spell to save his arse. It seemed to Frank, it was just an excuse for them to go to the Harp while he was at home either studying, or drawing something for their next big idea. And what Martin was up to was another concern. He’d been getting nice and cosy with Eve ever since he came up with that name for her. So when Billy had hinted that Martin was using those meet ups to make a play for her, it was enough for Frank to throw in the towel. He didn’t tell them it was because he was trying to keep his girlfriend and devious bastard of a brother apart. He just said he’d had enough. Eve had been in a sulk about it ever since. Not just with him but with Billy as well. According to Billy, she blamed him for Frank’s decision, even though she didn’t know that Billy had tipped him off about Martin.

The next thing to rock the boat was their choice of university. For months, all Eve would talk about was how she was going to get away from Belfast and study in England. She talked about it so much that Frank got swept up in the idea of it and began to think of it as their great adventure. Soon, all he could think of was the two of them together in the same university, doing what the hell they liked.

Surprisingly, his parents were all for him leaving the country. This was his big chance they said. Although they might not have been so keen if they’d known about Eve. So Frank sent off for the prospectuses and filled in all the forms with one parent or another watching over his shoulder, making sure he’d made no mistakes. Eve applied for the same places. Or so he thought. Last week, she’d let slip that instead of Manchester, she’d applied for Queen’s as a fallback. Just to keep her daddy quiet. This time it was Frank’s turn to be pissed off.

Billy nudged him. ‘Her Highness is over there. I’ll get the drinks in but I won’t stop. You know she hates me.’

‘She does not. You just wind her up sometimes.’

Eve was sitting with the crowd she usually hung around with. She patted the seat next to her. ‘Where’s Marty, is he not with you?’

Frank stiffened. Marty now, was it? Billy was right about those two. ‘He’s doing his homework. Why do you need to see him?’

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