She never really looks forward to her stoic visits to her father, but it's the only day she is permitted to see the old man at all and so she has learned to make the most of it. Her father is able-bodied enough but he employs a home help who comes in three times a week to do his shopping, washing and cleaning.
Frank is well equipped to light the fire himself every evening and cook simple meals.
Cassie lies in bed for a few minutes before getting up to do her yoga stretches. Then she washes at her washbasin and puts on her yellow woolen dress. The material is scratchy against her bare arms but on this cold February morning she is glad of its warmth.
She sits down at her small table and looks out at the tops of the trees as she eats her breakfast. A bowl of museli pre-soaked in almond milk topped with some freshly sliced banana and drizzled with organic honey. She chews every mouthful well as she calmly contemplates her surroundings.
There is a gentle hush in the air. It's unusual enough that the birds are not chirping away outside but even more unusual is the tiny robin that alights on the window ledge and presses his soft brown head against the glass. Cassie goes to open the window and the robin flies away and lands on the nearest branch, his head cocks to one side and then the other as if he is searching Cassie's face for some sort of explanation. Cassie laughs and leaves the window a little open as she goes to check the time.
At 3 minutes to 12.00 Cassie leaves her upstairs sanctuary. By 1 minute to 12.00 she is standing on her Fathers doorstep waiting to ring the doorbell. Her queue is sound of the bells of St Patrick’s church.
It's always the same. She could count her heartbeats until she hears the creaking of the door of the front room opening and the sound of Frank’s slippers shuffling along the tiles of the hall.
Something is wrong. After one heartbeat too many Cassie knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that something is gravely amiss.
She goes to the front window and her heart is in her mouth. She presses her face up to the glass to see if she can make out anything through the thick lace curtain. She can see shadows. She can see the large form of her father sitting in his chair by the fireplace. His head is slumped to one side.
Cassie reacts and bangs on the window loudly with her knuckles. The hairs are standing up on the back of her neck. She presses her face closer to see if there is any movement. There is none.
She looks up and down the avenue. The last few mass goers are trailing behind late for 12 o’ clock service. In shock Cassie runs to the end of the avenue through the silver church gates and into the churchyard. She hurries over to the open doors of the chapel and as she approaches she can hear the choir singing “Hosanna In Excelsis ".
Mass is over. Cassie is in a daze. She walks to the altar and enters the sacristy at the side. Father Ladanum is disrobing and has his back turned. "Father" Cassie calls him softly. "Excuse me?"
Father Labdanum turns and looks at her. His dark eyes are deep and warm and Cassie feels her knees going weak. The priest rushes forward to take her arm and leads her to the nearby chair. He sees how pale and shaken she is. He bends down on his haunches and looks into her face. He strokes her hair back and tilts his head to one side as if to listen. She can see his black priest’s shirt and collar underneath the white robe that is partially open at the front. She can smell the anointing oils mingled with the musky smell of his skin.
"It's my Father." Cassie says quietly "I think something is wrong with him."
"You're Cassie Light aren't you?" the priest asks.
Cassie nods her head.
"Where is your Father?" he asks her.
"He didn't come to the door”, she answers as if in a trance, “my Sunday visit, he didn't come to the door, he always does. I can see in through the window and I can see he is there in his chair. He's not moving. His head is crooked, oh my god, my father, I have to get back to him"
Cassie rambles, her words are tumbling out of her mouth and fear grips her heart as she suddenly feels she has to go back.
She gets up to leave.
'I'll come with you" Father Labdanum says.
"Have you a key for the house?"
A light went on in Cassie's head and she feels stupid for not remembering sooner. There is a key to the front door in her mother's china trinket box on the bookcase beside her bed.
Father Labdanum waits by the front door while Cassie gets the key. His presence is strong and comforting as Cassie opens the door and enters the house.
Frankincense is dead. They find him as they expected to, sitting in his chair in front of the fireplace. His feet are positioned perfectly. Cassie goes to straighten his head and finds that she cannot. He is stone cold.
Frankincense is cremated. His ashes are sprinkled in Galway bay. The funeral is small. Cassie meets some old relatives who are very sorry for her loss. They go back to the house after the service and drink tea in the front room. Father Labdanum is there too. When everybody is gone he asks Cassie if she is all right and then he leaves too. Cassie stares at her father’s chair. She closes her eyes and the air smells as if he is still here. The silence tells her nothing has changed. She sits in her chair by the window. She cries and nobody hears.
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To be continued soon: Find out about Cassie’s past, her mother, the secret behind her Fathers strange behavior and Cassie and Father Labdanum get closer.
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