Trying Not To Love You

Part Seventy Nine

Chapter Seventy Nine

Martha did sleep on the air mattress, and despite the overwhelming smell of paint, she slept well. There was nothing like a sense of achievement to help you sleep like a baby. By midnight she’d painted what would be Ethan and Lucy’s bedrooms, and cleared the mess from hers, she had ordered a carpet shampooer for the following day, and then she scrubbed the kitchen to within an inch of its life.

It was well after two am when she gave in to sleep, but she was up by seven finishing clearing the lounge, there was SO much to do, but she had no job, no reason to take things easy, she just wanted a home and her family with her. Once she had that, she could start to plan the rest of her life.

Jack called her at eight, he, Mike and Evie were driving the van filled with her belongings up by midday, she had until then to prepare for them.

Washed windows, scrubbed floors and a lick of paint to her bedroom was as much as she’s managed by ten am. She’d need to do more at a later date, but things were liveable...just. And she was starving, she could annihilate a cooked breakfast from the cafe...which was a god send as there was no way she could cook, even if the cooker was clean enough to be passable, as  she had no food in the house.

Her hair was like rat’s tails, her face still streaked with dust, and she had on the same paint plashed clothes from the previous day, but she was uncaring. Instead she plaited her hair, wiped her face clean, then pulled on her trainers, and strolled to the cafe. Food would always beat the desire to look good.

Sunday morning was apparently a busy time; Eamonn and Bill were in the cafe on every occasion that she went there, and today was no disappointment. They both hugged her and asked how her renovations were going, whether they knew what had precipitated her moving out of the farm or even her three week absence she didn’t know, but it wasn’t their problem, so she said nothing about her father, instead she outlined all she’d done in the flat.

                “Why didn’t you call? We’ve both top class painters.”

She laughed, “you pair have bailed me out too often.”

Bill shook his head, “have your breakfast then we’ll come back with you, see what needs doing. It’s Sunday, we’ve nothing better to do.”

The three were fed and watered and leaving together when the door opened and Sonny walked in. He looked at the three of them and gave a smile.

Martha reciprocated it noting that he looked like he’d barely slept. She was somehow confident to know that it was because of her, because of them rather than him being up all night with some woman.

                “How’s it going?”

She shrugged, “slowly, but got these two strapping men helping me out, so hopefully things’ll get sorted soon.”

He nodded, “want me to collect Ethan from your Dad? Michael’s coming to the pub at lunchtime...he’ll like to see him.”

She nodded, “sounds great. My friends are arriving around them and Ethan will want to see them. We can collect him from the pub at some time.”

After an awkward pause they separated with a nod.

Eamonn and Bill were demons; they did everything, leaving her to scrub the cooker...the only major job left. Within ninety minutes, they had unblocked the toilet, re-grouted the bath and finished painting the lounge. She couldn’t thank them enough. Just as they were about to leave the doorbell rang and her three London friends were there beaming.