A weekly series from Killarney Advertiser's Jess Jukes

Felicity’s Summer in Killarney — Chapter 7

A weekly series from Killarney Advertiser's Jess Jukes

For once Felicity was having a quiet day. She and Auntie Sheila were basking in the sun listening to the radio, cold drinks in hand.

They had spent the morning tidying, followed by a meandering walk down to the river by the GAA field. They had pretended they didn’t see Socks the cat following them all the way there and back, always keeping his distance. His reluctance to be seen walking with them made Felicity laugh, and Auntie Sheila jokes that he was some sort of secret agent trailing them.

On the way back Mrs Flaherty from No.15 stopped them, and Auntie Sheila spent twenty minutes debating this year’s ‘Summer is Blooming’ garden competition with her. Mrs Flaherty was determined that her tulips would win best specimen this year.

When they finally escaped the botanical discourse, they had settled into the garden. Socks was now happily lounging in Felicity’s lap. He was the most docile creature, content to be readjusted when he started to fall. Felicity idly scratched his ears as she supped her drink.

“Have you heard from your mom? How is she doing?” Auntie Sheila asked after a while.

Felicity made a non-committal ‘hm’ sound. “They’re alright. Enjoying their summer in Italy I’d imagine.”

When summer had begun, there had been a large part of Felicity that dreaded coming down to Killarney. But now that she had spent half the summer here, she saw it as more of a retreat than missing out on whatever was happening back in Dublin.

“I remember when your mom and I used to go on holidays together back in the day…”

Auntie Sheila spent the rest of the afternoon reminiscing and telling Felicity stories that she had never heard about her mother. It was refreshing, getting to know this younger, more carefree side of her mom through the stories her auntie told.

Later on Auntie Sheila turned to Felicity. “I need your help with something poppet. The ‘Summer is Blooming’ competition is coming up and if I don’t have my garden in order then you know Mrs Flaherty will never let me forget it.”

“No problem Auntie Sheila. What needs to be done?”

Garden Improvements
The morning before the competition, they started off with a trip to Killarney Hardware. Felicity said hello to Rosie as Auntie Sheila gathered all that they would need.

While they were inside the weather turned completely, leaving them both soaked to the bone after carrying all of their supplies out to the car. Auntie Sheila bought Felicity to the Killarney Towers for a hot chocolate to wait out the rain. “It’s not like we’ll be doing garden work when it’s pouring down,” Auntie Sheila justified.

When the rain cleared Auntie Sheila and Felicity went back to Auntie Sheila’s house on Hedgerow Place. They weeded the driveway, re-potted some of Auntie Sheila’s flower boxes, and even got Jack to help them paint the low brick wall that bracketed the front garden.

Socks lay out on the wet grass soaking in the rays of sun that burst through the clouds. He occasionally meowed and yowled lazily at them, but what for no one could tell.

Hours later they were packing up for the night. Once everything was safely stored back in the shed Auntie Sheila pulled Felicity aside. “Go on, you two deserve to go out somewhere nice after your hard work.” She handed her some money. “Take yourselves out, and enjoy the weather. From the sounds of the radio it’s going to turn soon.”

Felicity thanked Auntie Sheila before returning to Jack and explaining that they’d been ordered to go and have fun. It was a Thursday, and as luck would have it there was a pub quiz on at Tigh Mary Donals. Felicity and Jack teamed up with a few of Jack’s college friends. While they didn’t win by a long shot, they definitely had fun. After the quiz, the group collectively decided it would be a good idea to go buy take away, so they all stopped in at Tango for late night refuelling.

Filled with good food, Jack and Felicity split off with a few of Jack’s friends. They all walked back towards Woodlawn together, singing bawdy tunes and laughing.

Disturbance
Jack and Felicity were walking back into Hedgerow Place when they heard a familiar yowling. They looked at one another for a brief moment before they took off in the direction of the noise. It lead them around the corner to where Felicity saw a can of paint tipped on one side in front of one of their neighbouring gardens. The garden was that of Mr McCarthy, and the awful caterwauling was coming from his prize white rose bushes.

Inside, Felicity vaguely made out a ball of dark grey, all tangled inside the bush. She knew without a doubt that it was Socks. Before she thought any better of it, Felicity reached into the thorny bush and retrieved the distressed cat.

He was wet to the touch, and Felicity’s hands came away from him dark grey. Socks almost felt like a soaked paint-roller. The poor cat dripped paint everywhere.

Felicity managed to wrestle him out of the bush. “We’ll get him all washed and fed at your aunt’s” Jack said quietly. Felicity didn’t really see the point in trying not to wake the neighbours but agreed regardless. They trekked through the estate, and Felicity struggled to keep a hold of the wriggly Socks.

Felicity handed Jack the keys to unlock the door whilst she tried to prevent Socks from getting loose. They thought they were in the clear when they saw the light in Auntie Sheila’s bedroom flick on.