Summer Soap (Episode 3): Clar’ drops bombshell over coffee in the park

Welcome to The Echo’s annual feature - Summer Soap. Now in its ninth year, Summer Soap is a daily fictional serial run over 12 parts, which starts today and runs till Saturday week. Called The Space Between Us, the story is about a man who bumps into an ex-girlfriend and discovers she can travel through time. It was written by Robyn Kelly, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the third episode, Francis and his ‘ex’ have a coffee in the park, and she has something to tell him...

HE couldn’t understand why, but Francis had never been so nervous in his life to be asked something. This was probably because, when Clara had something to say, she usually just came right out with it. She wasn’t one to dance around something if it concerned her.

“I was wondering, if you’re not busy, if you’d like to hang out for a bit… when we get back to Dublin?”

That was it? She just wanted to hang out? Didn’t seem like something to get worked up over.

“Oh yeah, that’d be nice. I just need to make sure I’m back home before dinner for my mam.”

Of course. I won’t keep you long. Just thought it would be nice to… talk.

He didn’t quite think he could say no after seeing her get upset. Maybe she’d feel more comfortable talking about what’s bothering her if they were alone. Why did he feel like such an ass?

“Are you sure you’re alright, Clar’?”

“Oh yeah, don’t worry about me. Sorry that was a bit random.”

She let out one of those breathy laughs you do when you read a tweet that’s mildly funny, in a conscious effort to diffuse the discomfort. For the rest of the journey the two began to find their rhythm once more, chatting about life after Dublin, family and recently watched movies. By the time the train heaved into Heuston Station, any awkwardness had glided off with the rain washed from the windows. He lifted her bag down for her then retrieved his own to follow her out onto the platform.

So, where to?

Clara looked around as if she’d spot anything in the station besides a busy Supermac’s and the even busier Galway Hooker.

“Why don’t we mosey on into town, grab a coffee around Stephen’s Green?”

Francis nodded in agreement and offered to carry her bag on their walk into town. He hadn’t been back in Dublin for about two months at this stage. Somehow the city was the same but completely different; Still bustling with the same crowds but new one-way systems to watch tourists get confused by on their trips to Temple Bar.

Clara walked about a half-step in front of him with the confidence of a model as if two hours ago she wasn’t hiding in a train bathroom wiping her tears. Francis wished he could understand his lack of complication, it frustrated him. He had wanted to be like her, maybe that’s why he had been such a prick when they were dating. He couldn’t help but wonder why she’d want to be nice to him after everything he put her through. An urge to profusely apologise warmed his body. He wanted to drop the bags and wrap his arms around her from behind… but of course, that would be ridiculous.

There’s a quiet coffee spot just around the corner from the shopping centre here, why don’t you go ahead into the park and I’ll come find you.

“Can I give you some cash for the coffee?”

She playfully winked at him as she walked off. Stepping inside the gates of Stephen’s Green brought him back to his early teenage years. The summers he spent by the lake with his mates sipping warm cans of Kopparberg and listening to shite house music on an old speaker. He couldn’t help but smile. Given that the weather was relatively nice (in other words; not raining and above ten degrees) it was busy enough.

Most of the benches were taken so he took recluse on the steps of the old paint-chipped gazebo. He leaned back and retrieved his phone to text Clara and let her know where he was, and was pleasantly surprised to see he hadn’t been blocked after all this time.

“I’ve set up camp with a posse of geese at the gazebo.”

Who even says that?, he thought to himself before accidentally hitting send.

This day had been mad, it would only make sense to send at least one cringeworthy text to the last person he wanted to embarrass himself in front of.

The gaggle of geese plopped one by one into the lake. The last gosling let out the tiniest quack before making his splash. Looking around, he noticed the other groups taking their time out here. A group of pre-teen girls comparing Lush hauls, two businessmen recounting a slightly amusing office story, and a dog walker on rollerblades, kneeling on the grass to fill three small bowls of water. How bizarre, he felt like he had been here before, this exact moment. Francis brushed it off as an inexplicable moment of déjà vu.

Once convincing himself of this, he saw Clara out of the corner of his eye. She was standing about 20 yards from him. Just standing. She was… frozen. He called out to her and as if suddenly awoken she briskly walked over.

Sorry, I was just… zoning out.

She took a seat next to him and handed him his coffee. She remembered his order, a cappuccino with a light sprinkling of cinnamon. It occupied his once again nervous hands.

“Clar’, can you please tell me what’s up? You seem off… you’re worrying me.”

She seemed shocked by the abruptness of his question, but braced herself with a deep breath for the answer.

“This is gonna sound insane. You can’t laugh.”

He was certain she could hear his heart pounding through his shirt.

“Please just tell me.”

She closed her eyes.

“I… can travel in time.”

Episode 4 will be published in print tomorrow and online.

If you want to begin the Summer Soap, read episode one here.