Page 48 of Marley
“What the fuck, Len? Make yourself at home, mate.” Maca sat up complaining. Jimmie sat down on the sofa next to him.
“Thanks, Maca, I will.” Len winked as he spoke.
I got us all a beer from the fridge and called out to Jim, asking if she wanted me to crack open the bubbly. “Well that depends on your answer to our question,” she called back. “A beer will do for now.” I brought her a beer and went and sat on the opposite sofa with my brother.
“What’s up then? Spill the beans,” I told them both.
“The wedding’s all booked for the 3rd of June, 1989.” Jim said with a smile.
“Congratulations,” Maca and I said in unison, all of us raising our bottles in a toast.
“I’ve asked Bailey to be my best man.” Len added. I feel a little stab of jealousy, but that’s just a long held sibling rivalry issue. I knew that as the older brother, it was only right that Bailey was best man.
“But we’d like you two to be groomsmen.” Len quickly adds.
“Of course, it’d be my pleasure.” I told them both, having no idea what a groomsmen was, but happy to be given a role.
It was quiet for a few seconds and I just knew there was a ‘but’ coming. I watched Jimmie flick her dark hair over her shoulder and lick her lips. She was nervous. I’d known the girl since we were in play school, and I knew when she was shitting herself about something.
“Maca?” She looked at him, waiting for his answer.
“It’d be my absolute pleasure to be a part of your wedding, but I totally understand if you change your minds about me being there. I don’t wanna cause you issues with other members of your families.”
Of course, Georgia.
“It’s not a problem for Georgia. She understands that we obviously want you all there with us and she’s good with that.” Jimmie reassured him.
“That’s not the sort of thing Gia would say. Tell me honestly, Jim, how’s she really feeling about it?” Maca asked.
She looked between the both of us.
“She’s promised to make an effort to get things back on track between her and Marley before the wedding.” She smiled and looked at me as she talked and I swallowed down the lump in my throat. I promised my mum I would go home for Christmas that year. Perhaps that would be a good time to start building bridges.
“And what about me?” Maca asked again. “How does she feel about seeing me there?”
Jim takes a swig of her beer, looking at Len for guidance and when he gives his head a small nod, she looks at Maca.
“She said that forme, she could do it. To give me the day that I want, she would be able to deal with being around you, just for one day.”
“Well that makes me feel wanted.” I felt so sorry for him in that moment and pissed off with my sister.
“All I ask is that she doesn’t take anyone else with her.” Maca requested.
“What?” Len and Jimmie ask at the same time.
“A bloke, whoever she’s seeing. Ask her, from me, if she could just come on her own.” His eyes looked around to each of us. “I don’t think I could handle seeing her with another bloke.” He told us honestly.
“Maca, you have got to be kidding me? She doesn’t go anywhere to meet blokes. She goes to work and the gym, that’s it. That’s her life. She goes nowhere, sees no one. She doesn’t see any of her friends. Well, in all honesty, she doesn’t really have any friends outside of us.” Jimmie turned her gaze solely on Maca as she spoke. “When you did what you did, not only did she lose you and Marley, but in a way she lost me and Len too. Even Billy and Tom. The biggest part of her life, the part that she planned on being herwholelife, herworld, went too. I thought you got that? I thought you knew how isolated and alone she’s been.”
I watched him as he stroked the two middle fingers of his left hand over his lips. His eyes shined with tears, but he managed to swallow them down.
“No, Jim, I had no fucking idea that was the life she’s been living. I don’t know if you realise this, but you lot don’t tell me much about what’s going on in her life. Youcantalk about her around me, ya know? I’m fully aware that I’m a pussy where she’s concerned, and that my behaviour’s not normal for a bloke my age, but what we had—what I have with G ain’t normal. I don’t know what love’s like for others, but I’ve seen people go through breakups, I’ve listened to them declare that they’re heartbroken, and then a month later they’re seeing someone else, declaring their undying love for them, but that’s not possible for me. I know that I shag other birds...”
He took a swig from his beer as Jimmie chimed in with, “Lots of other birds, lots and lots and—”
“Yeah, yeah, Jim, we get it.” I cut her off.
“I don’t wanna say that I’m glad she’s as miserable as I am. You’re her brothers and her best mates, but fuck. As much as it hurts me to hear that she’s hurting, hearing it gives me the tiniest bit of hope, and shit yeah, in a weird and twisted way, it makes me fucking ecstatic.”
