Gino’s restaurant had been one of the best discoveries of their lives, and one that happened purely by accident. What year would it have been? She conjured up an image of them all in her mind that first night, and tried to picture their boys and their ages. Oh yes, the old memory was still all there. She couldn’t tell you what shopping she brought home yesterday, or where she’d left her slippers last night, but she could tell you every word of her and Henry’s favourite song when they were courting, ‘Be My Baby’ by the Ronettes. It must have been about 1972, because their eldest, Charlie, would have been around eight, which would have made the twins, Robert and Roger, seven, and their youngest, Eric, would have been six. Sometimes she wondered how on earth she’d managed to have four boys by the time she’d turned twenty-one, but back in those days… well, she chuckled to herself. She’d married Henry when they were both seventeen, they didn’t have a telly or any heating in their two-bedroom tenement, and they did like a cuddle.
That night, Hogmanay, all the boys were still awake way past their bedtime, as they’d promised them that just this once they could stay up for the bells. In Scotland, they still used that phrase ‘the bells’ to describe the stroke of midnight on the 31stof December, but back then it actually had meaning, as all the church bells would ring out and the whole city would come alive with people in the streets, cheering, dancing and celebrating the new year. Especially in their part of town. Their two-bedroom tenement was just off Ingram Street in the City Centre, not the most salubrious of areas back then, but they made the most of every opportunity to bring a bit of cheer and joy to their lives.
Minnie didn’t care that they didn’t have much. They had enough to get by, and she was grateful that Henry’s job as a junior planning officer gave them enough money to have the luxury of a separate bedroom for the boys. Most of their friends were living in a one-room-and-kitchen with one or two babies.
It must have been about ten o’clock, when they’d heard the music coming from outside. Other men might have moaned or gone to find the source to get it turned down, but not her Henry. Laughing, he’d pulled her up from their threadbare couch for a dance around the living room, shouting to the boys to join in. The tune was uproariously upbeat, but she didn’t recognise the words that she could make out, so as they’d twirled around the room, she’d guessed where it was coming from.
‘Must be from that new Italian restaurant next door,’ Henry had said, reaching the same conclusion at the same time.
Roger had stopped dancing and was looking out of the window. ‘Dad, there are people dancing outside too.’
Henry had still held her in his arms as he’d turned to see for himself that Roger was right. Outside, on the pavement below, a couple was dancing just as they were, and some of the people milling around them had stopped and were watching, clapping, joining in.
‘Shall we go down?’ Henry had asked, that familiar mischievous grin on his handsome face.
Minnie had hesitated for a second. ‘But the boys… it’s late.’
He’d squeezed her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. ‘It’s Hogmanay! One late night won’t do them any harm.’ Then he’d sealed the deal by adding, ‘Might make them sleep later in the morning.’
Minnie hadn’t needed any more persuading. This was the one night of the year that her own parents had let her stay up late for as long as she could remember.
They’d grabbed warm coats for the excited boys, hats, scarfs and gloves, and off they went down three flights of stairs, all of them giggling and trying to sing along with the tune. When they’d got outside, they formed a circle, holding each other’s home-knitted gloves as they spun around in time to the music, their breath making clouds in the cold air.
When the tune had finished, the couple whom they’d seen dancing from the window stopped and the man had greeted the gathering.
‘Come in, come in! The restaurant is open and a drink is on the house!’ he’d exclaimed, his accent a melodic mix of Italian and Glaswegian inflections.
A few people from the crowd took him up on the offer, a few more drifted off. Breathless from the dancing, Henry and Minnie were about to do the same and return home, when the man stopped them. ‘Ah, my neighbours! I see you and these boys every day when you’re passing. I have a son too, but he’s much younger than all your big strong lads. Come inside, meet my wife and celebrate with us.’
Henry’s delighted gaze had met hers, waiting for an agreement, which, of course, she gave with an amused roll of the eyes. ‘Go on then.’
The man had cheered, the boys joined in, and before Minnie could catch her breath, she was swept inside, to a room with whitewashed walls and wooden benches and tables on a stone floor, and the most mouth-watering, delicious aroma Minniehad ever experienced. She was surprised to see that the only people already inside were the ones who’d come from the street. The place must have been empty and that’s why this man and his wife had gone outside to dance.
Their host began passing around glasses, helped by his dancing partner, who Minnie now realised was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. They were probably around the same age, but Minnie could only dream of having those huge brown eyes and the jet black hair that went all the way down to her waist.
‘Alicia, come meet our new friends,’ he’d beckoned her, and she’d sashayed over to them carrying a tray of drinks. ‘Please, tell me your names,’ he’d asked them.
Henry was already holding out his hand. ‘I’m Henry and this is my wife, Minnie. And these are our boys, Charlie, Roger, Robert and Eric. We live on the top floor next door and it’s a pleasure to meet you.’
Their host shook his hand with glee and vigour. ‘And you, my friend. I’m Gino, and this is my beautiful Alicia. Welcome to my restaurant. I hope it will be the first of many times that you come here.’
It certainly was, Minnie mused now, as she popped a splash of milk into her tea, before stirring it. As she treated herself to the last mince pie from a box Emmy had brought over at Christmas, she felt another little tug of sentimentality.
That night. they’d all sang and danced, and they’d partied until the bells rang out at midnight and beyond. And it had been the start of something wonderful. The following summer, they’d moved out of the city centre to a suburb on the South Side. Money had been tight for a long time after that, but every year, they managed to save and scrape together enough for the whole family to go to Gino’s on Hogmanay. It had given them so manyof the very best memories of their lives and it was a tradition she and Henry had carried on till this day.
Tonight, well, it would only be a table for two. But Minnie Ryan was determined to enjoy it like it would be her last.
10 A.M. – NOON
5
AILISH
The hospital foyer was crowded with people wrapped up against the cold and had an air of damp coats and worry. The faces of the visitors were mostly set in deflated expressions, with only the occasional kind look of a passing member of staff. Ailish knew how tough it could be to work here. Her daughter, Emmy, had been a nurse for her entire career, and Ailish had lost count of the times she would come home deeply affected by someone she’d lost on the ward. It was even harder now that she’d moved to elderly care – a role that Ailish always thought had been inspired by Emmy’s love for her grandparents, Henry and Minnie.
Her own parents had passed away when Emmy was too small to remember them, just a few years apart, both of them to cancer in their sixties. It was one of the many reasons Ailish felt so guilty about this lethargy that had descended on her, that she felt both unwilling and unable to shake. Surely, whether her life had fallen apart or not, she should be making the most of things and living every day to the fullest?
Right, deep breath, slap a smile on and let’s do this.If only she had the motivation to apply their motto to her own life these days.
