Effanbee
The Fly
Free Falling
Chapter 12
‘Wow!’ said Edge for the millionth time. ‘Look at this, Roo, it’s perfect for a music room.’
I followed in Edge’s wake as he strode through the house, trying hard to be practical and look for faults. Edge, however, had already bought the place in his mind, had moved in and organised everything to the finest detail.
‘Oh,’ said Edge, stopping suddenly. I bumped into him, having been examining the ceiling for cracks.
‘Sorry Edge. What is it?’ I peered round his shoulder and my jaw just about hit the floor. ‘My God, that’s beautiful,’ I gasped.
In the centre of the large, rambling house was an atrium, an airy space filled with golden light pouring through the domed glass roof. A small fountain glittered in the centre, the water playing a merry tune as it fell into the circular pond below. Plants reached up to the light, reflecting cool green colours onto the tiled floor.
‘Morleigh will be blown away by this,’ said Edge happily.
‘There are fish in the pond,’ I said, investigating.
‘So there are.’ Edge leaned over to take a look, a wide smile on his face. ‘Well, that settles it.’
‘Let’s look at the rest of it,’ I said. ‘We might find the back of the house is falling down or something.’
It wasn’t, of course. The whole thing was just about perfect as far as I could see.
‘Would you be getting a manager for the place? You wouldn’t be here very often, after all,’ I asked Edge.
‘Who knows, I might decide to retire here,’ said Edge with a wink. ‘But yes, it’s far too good a place to leave empty.’
I wandered through the house again while Edge phoned the estate agent and Morleigh and a whole load of other people. There was a lovely room upstairs which looked out on the sea, and I sat on the window seat and imagined living there with Bono. A house full of laughter and people coming and going and music being played, songs created. A house full of love, where dreams became real.
******
The road stretching away before us, straight and empty, the sea on both sides as we drove north again to the very top of New Zealand. Edge singing happily along with the radio, driving with one arm resting on the open window. Feeling more peaceful now, happy for Edge and Morleigh, glad they would have a base in New Zealand and be visiting sometimes.
At the very end of the road we parked the car and walked the narrow path to the Cape Reinga lighthouse.
‘Imagine being the lighthouse keeper,’ said Edge as we reached the end of the cape. ‘It would drive me a bit mad, I think. So isolated.’
‘Yes, it would be OK for a few days, but long-term …’ I broke off in mid-sentence, captured by the view. ‘Look, Edge, the place where two seas meet.’
We sat on the cliff top, watching the Tasman and Pacific meet and mingle chaotically.
‘The Maori legends say that this is where the spirits of the dead come to depart,’ I said to Edge. ‘It’s a sacred place, can you feel it?’
Edge nodded, aware of the unique atmosphere. ‘It tingles the skin,’ he said softly.
‘You can hear their voices in the wind, Edge. Listen …’
We listened to the wind song in silence for a while. A peaceful song, telling of all troubles ended, of a great adventure about to begin.
‘Is it so wrong, what we’ve done?’ I asked Edge quietly.
‘Does it feel wrong to you?’ he countered.
‘That’s just it, Edge. In the eyes of the world Bono and I are guilty, guilty, guilty. Yet I can’t see it as a bad thing - it goes beyond good and bad. I can’t explain it very well.’
‘I believe everything happens for a purpose,’ said Edge. ‘Maybe you both needed this to happen, not as a punishment, but as a reward.’
‘A reward? You’ve lost me there, Edge.’
‘Love is its own reward, whatever form it takes,’ said Edge gently. ‘Nothing can take that away from you, not from Bono either.’
I still didn’t understand what he was trying to say. I gazed at the waves, which reflected the turmoil in my heart, wishing I could break through the surface and see the calm depths within.
‘Edge, I’d like to ask a favour of you,’ I said hesitantly. ‘I’d like to be brought here when I die, well, my ashes, anyway. Would you do that, give me back to the wind and sea?’
Edge looked at me carefully. ‘It would be an honour, Roo. But you’re not planning on leaving any time soon, are you?’
‘What?’ I looked at Edge, then saw what he meant. ‘Oh, no, I’m not about to jump off the cliff or anything. I daresay God will keep me around a while longer, if only to see if I’m capable of even more idiocy.’ I looked back over the seas, imagining becoming part of it and being carried all round the world, endlessly.
Edge smiled. ‘The world’s a better place with you in it,’ he said kindly. ‘That’s why God will keep you around.’
I wanted to believe this but couldn’t. The wind whispered to me that all would be well. I couldn’t believe that, either.
******
Edge suggested we stay another night at the hotel and I was happy to have someone make decisions for me, to go along with whatever came next.
We sat in the cosy hotel bar, drinking champagne in celebration of the new Edge house. The TV in the corner was showing the news, I watched it disinterestedly, letting the champagne drift my brain into free-fall.
‘That place looks familiar,’ observed Edge as an aerial shot came on. ‘It’s the earthquake zone, isn’t it?’
It was. the newsreader narrated the story over shots of the village before and after, talking of the tremendous financial cost and the even bigger human one.
‘Oh, shit,’ muttered Edge as the picture changed to one of a group of rescuers. Covered in mud, one carrying a child. Two others, limping along … ‘That’s us,’ said Edge in a low voice, glancing round at the other people in the room.
‘It’s OK, I think no-one would recognise us,’ I whispered back. ‘I didn’t notice anyone filming at the time.’
‘Must be amateur footage. I didn’t notice anyone either - we had other things to think abut, as I recall,’ said Edge dryly.
The newsreader ended the item by announcing that a large donation had greatly helped the disaster fund, that it had been made anonymously and no-one had been able to trace its source.
I raised an eyebrow at Edge. He gave the faintest nod, affirming my tacit question. I noticed a couple on the other side of the room giving us a hard stare and began to feel nervous. It hadn’t escaped Edge’s radar either and we picked up our drinks, a wordless agreement to make a quick exit passing between us.
We were too slow. As we stood up to leave we were intercepted by the couple.
‘You were just on the telly, weren’t you?’ the woman said.
I looked at Edge, wondering if we should lie or tell the truth.
‘Yes, we were there, just helping out,’ replied Edge casually.
The man grabbed Edge’s hand in a bone crushing handshake. Nothing would do but for us to sit down with them and let them buy us a drink. I felt uncomfortable about the whole thing, but Edge handled it with grace and charm, telling the story undramatically, making it sound like an ordinary day’s work. The other people in the room joined us and we soon had drinks lined up on the table.
I hated being the centre of attention, and admired the way Edge calmly answered questions, although I sensed he was not too happy with the situation either.
It was a long time before we were able to make our excuses and leave.
‘Do you think anyone recognised you?’ I asked Edge as we climbed the stairs. This took a fair amount of effort due to the free drinks.
‘I think maybe a few did,’ said Edge. ‘They had the good sense not to make a fuss though. Good people, weren’t they?’
‘Um, yes.’ I agreed. ‘Some of them might be your new neighbours, y’know.’
‘I’d be fortunate if they were,’ said Edge with a benign and slightly woozy smile.
In my room, sitting up in bed watching a dreadful movie, I wondered if Bono would call. Maybe I’d missed him. I picked up my phone to check. The batteries were dead flat.
‘Shit,’ I cursed. I’d been looking forward to talking with Bono, he’d have got a kick out of tonight, I thought. And I wanted to thank him and the rest of the band for the donation, as my fellow countrymen could not. I stuck the phone on charge, turned off the TV and light and lay down with a sigh.
I’ll be back home tomorrow, I thought as I drifted down into sleep. And then the letting go will truly begin. No more procrastination, no last chances. Game over.
Chapter 12
‘Wow!’ said Edge for the millionth time. ‘Look at this, Roo, it’s perfect for a music room.’
I followed in Edge’s wake as he strode through the house, trying hard to be practical and look for faults. Edge, however, had already bought the place in his mind, had moved in and organised everything to the finest detail.
‘Oh,’ said Edge, stopping suddenly. I bumped into him, having been examining the ceiling for cracks.
‘Sorry Edge. What is it?’ I peered round his shoulder and my jaw just about hit the floor. ‘My God, that’s beautiful,’ I gasped.
In the centre of the large, rambling house was an atrium, an airy space filled with golden light pouring through the domed glass roof. A small fountain glittered in the centre, the water playing a merry tune as it fell into the circular pond below. Plants reached up to the light, reflecting cool green colours onto the tiled floor.
‘Morleigh will be blown away by this,’ said Edge happily.
‘There are fish in the pond,’ I said, investigating.
‘So there are.’ Edge leaned over to take a look, a wide smile on his face. ‘Well, that settles it.’
‘Let’s look at the rest of it,’ I said. ‘We might find the back of the house is falling down or something.’
It wasn’t, of course. The whole thing was just about perfect as far as I could see.
‘Would you be getting a manager for the place? You wouldn’t be here very often, after all,’ I asked Edge.
‘Who knows, I might decide to retire here,’ said Edge with a wink. ‘But yes, it’s far too good a place to leave empty.’
I wandered through the house again while Edge phoned the estate agent and Morleigh and a whole load of other people. There was a lovely room upstairs which looked out on the sea, and I sat on the window seat and imagined living there with Bono. A house full of laughter and people coming and going and music being played, songs created. A house full of love, where dreams became real.
******
The road stretching away before us, straight and empty, the sea on both sides as we drove north again to the very top of New Zealand. Edge singing happily along with the radio, driving with one arm resting on the open window. Feeling more peaceful now, happy for Edge and Morleigh, glad they would have a base in New Zealand and be visiting sometimes.
At the very end of the road we parked the car and walked the narrow path to the Cape Reinga lighthouse.
‘Imagine being the lighthouse keeper,’ said Edge as we reached the end of the cape. ‘It would drive me a bit mad, I think. So isolated.’
‘Yes, it would be OK for a few days, but long-term …’ I broke off in mid-sentence, captured by the view. ‘Look, Edge, the place where two seas meet.’
We sat on the cliff top, watching the Tasman and Pacific meet and mingle chaotically.
‘The Maori legends say that this is where the spirits of the dead come to depart,’ I said to Edge. ‘It’s a sacred place, can you feel it?’
Edge nodded, aware of the unique atmosphere. ‘It tingles the skin,’ he said softly.
‘You can hear their voices in the wind, Edge. Listen …’
We listened to the wind song in silence for a while. A peaceful song, telling of all troubles ended, of a great adventure about to begin.
‘Is it so wrong, what we’ve done?’ I asked Edge quietly.
‘Does it feel wrong to you?’ he countered.
‘That’s just it, Edge. In the eyes of the world Bono and I are guilty, guilty, guilty. Yet I can’t see it as a bad thing - it goes beyond good and bad. I can’t explain it very well.’
‘I believe everything happens for a purpose,’ said Edge. ‘Maybe you both needed this to happen, not as a punishment, but as a reward.’
‘A reward? You’ve lost me there, Edge.’
‘Love is its own reward, whatever form it takes,’ said Edge gently. ‘Nothing can take that away from you, not from Bono either.’
I still didn’t understand what he was trying to say. I gazed at the waves, which reflected the turmoil in my heart, wishing I could break through the surface and see the calm depths within.
‘Edge, I’d like to ask a favour of you,’ I said hesitantly. ‘I’d like to be brought here when I die, well, my ashes, anyway. Would you do that, give me back to the wind and sea?’
Edge looked at me carefully. ‘It would be an honour, Roo. But you’re not planning on leaving any time soon, are you?’
‘What?’ I looked at Edge, then saw what he meant. ‘Oh, no, I’m not about to jump off the cliff or anything. I daresay God will keep me around a while longer, if only to see if I’m capable of even more idiocy.’ I looked back over the seas, imagining becoming part of it and being carried all round the world, endlessly.
Edge smiled. ‘The world’s a better place with you in it,’ he said kindly. ‘That’s why God will keep you around.’
I wanted to believe this but couldn’t. The wind whispered to me that all would be well. I couldn’t believe that, either.
******
Edge suggested we stay another night at the hotel and I was happy to have someone make decisions for me, to go along with whatever came next.
We sat in the cosy hotel bar, drinking champagne in celebration of the new Edge house. The TV in the corner was showing the news, I watched it disinterestedly, letting the champagne drift my brain into free-fall.
‘That place looks familiar,’ observed Edge as an aerial shot came on. ‘It’s the earthquake zone, isn’t it?’
It was. the newsreader narrated the story over shots of the village before and after, talking of the tremendous financial cost and the even bigger human one.
‘Oh, shit,’ muttered Edge as the picture changed to one of a group of rescuers. Covered in mud, one carrying a child. Two others, limping along … ‘That’s us,’ said Edge in a low voice, glancing round at the other people in the room.
‘It’s OK, I think no-one would recognise us,’ I whispered back. ‘I didn’t notice anyone filming at the time.’
‘Must be amateur footage. I didn’t notice anyone either - we had other things to think abut, as I recall,’ said Edge dryly.
The newsreader ended the item by announcing that a large donation had greatly helped the disaster fund, that it had been made anonymously and no-one had been able to trace its source.
I raised an eyebrow at Edge. He gave the faintest nod, affirming my tacit question. I noticed a couple on the other side of the room giving us a hard stare and began to feel nervous. It hadn’t escaped Edge’s radar either and we picked up our drinks, a wordless agreement to make a quick exit passing between us.
We were too slow. As we stood up to leave we were intercepted by the couple.
‘You were just on the telly, weren’t you?’ the woman said.
I looked at Edge, wondering if we should lie or tell the truth.
‘Yes, we were there, just helping out,’ replied Edge casually.
The man grabbed Edge’s hand in a bone crushing handshake. Nothing would do but for us to sit down with them and let them buy us a drink. I felt uncomfortable about the whole thing, but Edge handled it with grace and charm, telling the story undramatically, making it sound like an ordinary day’s work. The other people in the room joined us and we soon had drinks lined up on the table.
I hated being the centre of attention, and admired the way Edge calmly answered questions, although I sensed he was not too happy with the situation either.
It was a long time before we were able to make our excuses and leave.
‘Do you think anyone recognised you?’ I asked Edge as we climbed the stairs. This took a fair amount of effort due to the free drinks.
‘I think maybe a few did,’ said Edge. ‘They had the good sense not to make a fuss though. Good people, weren’t they?’
‘Um, yes.’ I agreed. ‘Some of them might be your new neighbours, y’know.’
‘I’d be fortunate if they were,’ said Edge with a benign and slightly woozy smile.
In my room, sitting up in bed watching a dreadful movie, I wondered if Bono would call. Maybe I’d missed him. I picked up my phone to check. The batteries were dead flat.
‘Shit,’ I cursed. I’d been looking forward to talking with Bono, he’d have got a kick out of tonight, I thought. And I wanted to thank him and the rest of the band for the donation, as my fellow countrymen could not. I stuck the phone on charge, turned off the TV and light and lay down with a sigh.
I’ll be back home tomorrow, I thought as I drifted down into sleep. And then the letting go will truly begin. No more procrastination, no last chances. Game over.
wonderful as ever Effanbee
that house really sounds fantastic.... 
any chance we could make it the PLEBA mansion?
that house DOES sound fantastic, I could really see Roo's vision of "living there with Bono. A house full of laughter and people coming and going and music being played, songs created. A house full of love, where dreams became real." 
