—25—
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
South Morang train line towards South Morang
The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
Hurstbridge train line to Flinders Street
Frankie took a step back on the platform as the train, now carrying a copy of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven, chugged away from the station. She had arrived a few minutes early before meeting Cat in order to slip onto a few extra trains, deposit a book on an empty seat and fly out as the doors started to close. She was trying to extend her reach, though she wasn’t quite sure why. It’s more about the blog than the dates, she kept telling herself. As she watched the train take off out of sight, she felt the sticky sensation of being watched. She spun around on her toes, karate hands in the air. Nothing. Just regular commuters milling about.
Frankie made her way over to her platform, subtly slipping Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng on a waiting bench as she passed. She looked around for Cat, then leaned up against a cool, brick wall to wait. It was another one of those unpredictably hot Melbourne days; it began with a warm, light drizzle and was easing its way into a balmy summery afternoon.
She stood near two young women, both of whom had dark, liquid lines rimming their lids and thick bangs framing their petite faces. Bits and pieces of their conversation floated over the sounds of travelling trains.
‘Oh, how sweet!’
‘No, it’s too much.’
‘… Freddy …’
‘Swiping right—’
Frankie spotted Cat weaving through the crowd and watched with a smile as her friend cupped a sloppy green drink in one hand while furiously trying to push back stray curls from her eyes, poking the strands back into the large bun sitting askew high on her head. Frankie looked at her watch.
‘Well, look at that! Record time, Cooper. Only six-and-a-half minutes late!’
‘You know I can’t start a Hump Day without a hit of All Kale the Queen.’
‘Whatever you say, mama,’ Frankie replied, planting a kiss on Cat’s cheek.
The train pulled up, only two minutes late, and they piled on with their fellow travellers. Cat pushed her way to the closest priority seat and collapsed onto it, her knitted T-shirt stretching across her growing belly. She sipped her drink and raised her eyebrows expectantly at Frankie. Frankie checked the seat availability on the train and, once satisfied that she wouldn’t be an encumbrance, slipped down next to Cat.
‘Well?’
‘Well, what?’ Frankie asked.
‘Don’t play games with me, Franklin Roosevelt.’
Frankie looked around her, searching for the answer to the mystery she called her best friend.
‘It’s time,’ Cat prodded.
‘Time for what?’
‘For me to spend some quality time with your boyfriend.’ Cat held up her hand, blocking Frankie’s protests. ‘Ba ba ba! I won’t take no for an answer. We can’t take any more chances with this one. I need to see once and for all if he’s worthy of your time.’
Frankie stared at Cat. ‘Firstly, Sunny is not my boyfriend,’ she said, then after pausing for effect, added, ‘and secondly, let’s be honest, Cat, I think you’ve already done just enough damage for one relationship …’ She mimed peeling a banana, taking a large bite out of the imaginary fruit.
‘Damage? Well, I never!’ Cat blew her cheeks out and stuck her chin in the air. ‘So ungrateful, dear Frankie. So ungrateful.’
Frankie smiled; Cat’s puffed-out cheeks got her every time.
‘I love you, Cat, but even you must realise it is totally and utterly unnecessary for you to spend any prolonged period of time with Sunny. I mean, I’ve barely spent any time with him!’
Cat blew out her cheeks again and crossed her arms with a loud hmph, but her feigned anger didn’t last long. ‘You know, I’m just so protective of you, Franks,’ she said before they reached the next stop. ‘I can’t stand the idea of anybody messing you around. I just want to make sure he’s the real deal,’ she said tenderly as she dipped her hand in her oversized shoulder bag, pushing its contents around noisily.
‘I know you do, Cat.’
‘Shit,’ Cat hissed, flinging her head back. ‘I left my phone at home and Claud insisted I text him as soon as his new short-tipped knitting needles arrived. He has been itching at the bit to get his lace knitting skills down pat. He’ll be so disappointed!’
Frankie smiled and handed over her phone. The image of burly Claud pored over his delicate creations, bringing garments to life so lovingly, never ceased to bring joy to her day. As Cat tapped away ferociously on her iPhone, Frankie leant back in her seat, moving to the beat of the train.
When they arrived at their stop, Frankie and Cat eased their way up from their seats. As soon as their feet touched the platform, Cat whirled around with a suspiciously large grin plastered to her face.
‘Don’t you just love Wednesdays, Frankie?’ she said blithely as she glided towards the ticket post.
And then Frankie felt her phone vibrate. As she pulled it from her bag and saw a message from one Sunny Day, she flashed a look at a bounding-away Cat and opened it.
Sunny: Sounds fun. See you then xx
Eh? thought Frankie. What arrangement did I make with him? She scrolled up through her messages to check.
Frankie: Hi hot stuff, want to come to a morning rave tomorrow with my best friend (arguably the more beautiful and sophisticated of the two of us) tomorrow morning? Pick me up at 6.30am? Kisses, Frankie xoxo
Frankie caught up with Cat and grabbed her by the shoulder, bringing her to a halt.
‘What the hell, Cat!’ she cried, waving her phone around in the air. ‘You texted Sunny from my phone?’
‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist, Frank,’ Cat said. ‘Please give me a chance to suss him out and make sure he’s not some cad with only one thing on his mind!’
‘You’re unbelievable.’
‘Oh, thanks, Frankie.’ Cat rubbed Frankie’s back affectionately.
Frankie pulled away abruptly and picked up the pace. ‘I’ll meet you at the shop,’ she called back as she power walked the hell out of there.
‘The nerve. Absolutely no boundaries. Hot stuff? She will rue the day. Rue the day!’ Frankie grumbled under her breath. She arrived at the bookstore, thrust her key in the lock, and with a final curse on the day she laid eyes on Catherine, she threw open the door. Upon entering, she closed her eyes and breathed in the thick smell of paperbacks, taking a moment to let the spirits of the great books wash over her.
No sooner had she placed her bag under the counter than she heard the ominous rattle of the front door opening. Expecting to see Cat grovelling at her feet, she jumped at the sight of her parents walking into the store. Well, not so much walking, but rather Putu racing towards her daughter, tugging a reluctant Rudolph along by the arm. Frankie quietly groaned.
‘Mum, Dad, how lovely to see you,’ Frankie uttered through gritted teeth.
‘Hello, my beautiful little bookworm.’ Putu, still clutching her husband, used her free hand to smother Frankie in a deep bosom hug. ‘Your father and I just couldn’t wait until we saw you on the weekend! Rudolph, tell your daughter the exciting news!’
Frankie only barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. ‘Mum, I’d love to chat, but you can’t just barrel through the door, interrupting my work day, whenever the feeling strikes. I don’t have time right now.’
Putu looked around the empty store. ‘Darling, please, I’m sure the books can take care of themselves for a few moments. This is a family matter.’
It took all of Frankie’s inner will not to throw herself across the counter and seize her mother by the throat. ‘Fine,’ she growled. ‘You have two minutes,’ she added, nodding at the store’s Alice in Wonderland-themed clock to make sure her mum knew she was serious.
Putu straightened, threw her tousled hair behind her shoulders and prodded Rudolph, who was absentmindedly flipping through one of the Enid Blyton satires, Five Go Gluten-Free. ‘Your father and I have decided to move to Richmond! Isn’t that right, Ruddy?’
Frankie looked from her glowing mother to her tranquil father. To Richmond? Putu and Rudolph currently lived a safe forty-five (on a good day) minutes away in Eltham. And sometimes even that felt almost too convenient.
‘Richmond?’ Frankie tensed. ‘You’re moving to Richmond? Where? When?’ Please say in twenty to thirty-five years.
‘Ruddy, do you want to tell her?’ Putu couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. She beamed up at her husband, who simply patted her back in reply. ‘In two weeks! We just landed the most adorable two-bedroom, one-bathroom, verandah-out-the-front Victorian.’ Putu clasped her hands, jiggling on the spot.
‘And I assume you’re well over in the other side of town?’ Frankie prayed to God, Allah, Buddha and her dead dog Bratwurst. Please, let this be a short Airbnb kind of move.
‘We’ll be two streets away from you! Oh, it will be so fun. We can have girls’ nights and pop over to veto each other’s outfits before parties. Oh!’ Putu’s hands threw to her chest. ‘I could even come and hang out with you and Cat at the bookstore. You’ll just be a hop, skip and jump away now!’ Putu clapped her hands excitedly, but Frankie’s head had started to pound. She loved her mother, but she could, under no circumstances, live closer than fifty kilometres to her. How could her father have allowed this to happen? She glared at Rudolph, who was now snoring on the chair in the children’s section.
Mouth still agape, Frankie’s mind raced frantically for a tactful response. ‘This is so … different.’
‘I know!’ Putu practically squealed with delight.
Cat flew through the door. ‘Well, if it isn’t my absolute favourite pod of people!’ Putu instantly embraced her, then pulled back and gazed at Cat. Without a word, she placed her hand firmly on Cat’s belly, closed her eyes and began to chant under her breath. After a few moments, she opened them, and looked deeply into Cat’s eyes. ‘My beautiful creator of life! I’m so happy to see you.’
The back door creaked open, and in blew Claud, knitting needles in one hand, pen and paper in the other. He reached the growing group and stopped, clearly unnerved by the scene unravelling before him. ‘Rudolph, Putu, how nice of you to drop by.’ It was no secret that he hated Putu’s impromptu visits, which left a trail of destruction and distraction behind her. ‘Is there a book I can help you find?’
‘Darling,’ Putu ignored the question, ‘looking exceptionally handsome as always.’
Claud blushed. He had never quite gotten used to people commenting on his perfect bone structure and chiselled jawline.
He turned to grab a pile of books from the shelves that lined the bottom of the counter.
‘Oh I wish I could stay all day and gossip with you two,’ Putu winked, ‘but we better get a wriggle on. We’re going to scour that little second-hand furniture shop down the road for some snazzy lamps. Now that we’re such hampsters!’
‘Hipsters.’ Frankie rolled her eyes.
Putu went to nudge Rudolph awake. ‘You just let me know when’s a good time to send my feng-shui lady over to yours. She’ll be in the area in the next two weeks, neighbour.’
And just as quickly as they had arrived, they were gone. Then Frankie remembered the messages. She moved to face Cat. ‘Cat, what on earth were you thinking inviting Sunny behind my back?’
‘I’m sorry, it’s the—’
‘Baby hormones?’ Frankie bit. ‘Don’t bring your banana-sized, unborn baby into this!’
‘Okay, okay.’ Cat threw her arms up in defeat. ‘I’m just worried about you. I need to know that he’s good enough for you.’
Frankie eyed her meddling but genuinely concerned friend and was defeated; she could hardly hold a grudge against her. ‘Fine,’ she conceded. ‘But you better not make me look any worse tomorrow! And absolutely no more virtual contact.’
Cat Cooper is now friends with Sunny Day.