LMPYITP: The Random Passages

You Know It Could Be a Canter

"Google that address." I instructed Raoul.

            "Sure." He replied with a nod. He turned to the judge. "Your Honor, if I may?"

            The judge nodded while Raoul typed something on the laptop connected to the screen.

            "Huh." Raoul shrugged. "I didn't know people live in fairgrounds."

            "Some people do." I revealed. "For about a week out the year...hope my house is the pig barn though 'cuz they got a nice one there. Ours don't even exist no more." I glared across the table at Noel.

            He rolled his eyes before glancing away towards the judge and Fiona.

            "What Mrs. Gallagher fails to accept or realize is that her husband was in agreement with these arrangements from the beginning." Fiona informed all of us.

            "You're lyin', Dolores!" I quipped.

            Raoul placed his hand on my arm. "Jules-"

            "And one mustn't tell lies!"

            "Are you accusing the Baroness of withholding the truth from us, Mrs. Gallagher?" The judge questioned me.

            "Yes, I am, Your Honor." I nodded. "'Cuz she certainly ain't as honorable as her title makes her sound!"

            "Would you care to elaborate?"

            "Yep. Everyone around this table knows she's lyin' 'cuz they know Liam can't keep secrets. Our Liam can only keep secrets when they benefit him. If Noel told him about these 'arrangements' he would've flipped his lid and I'dve never heard the end of it."

            The judge heard both sides of the case with Fiona and Raoul doing most of the talking. Fiona claimed Noel was just doing everything he could do to be a good uncle to a young man with such unstable parents. Raoul presented me as the best stepmother Gene could've ever asked for. How I stepped in when it seemed like other relationals (mainly his second-to-eldest uncle) stepped out.

            And then, it was time to leave.

            "Jules!" Noel called as we all headed down the sidewalk after exiting the courthouse.

            "Keep him away from me!" I shouted scurrying off as fast as I could.

            Raoul pulled me towards him and down the sidewalk. "Come on, Jules. This is us." He said pointing at the car parked by the curb.

            We got in and Raoul instructed the driver to get a move on. He told him to take us to another part of London but didn't give a specific location.

            I tried not to glance out the window as we pulled away but I could still see Noel out of the corner of my eye. Still stood there silently calling for me to come back.

            "As much as I hate to admit it," Raoul broke the silence between us, "Noel did have good intentions with doing what he did."

            I scowled at him. "Some of the worst things have been done with best of intentions!" I quipped. I turned back to the window. "They call Fiona the Steel Magnolia. Who the fuck she think she is? She ain't classy enough to be Dolly Parton!"

            "What exactly was it that happened between the two of you?"

            "I don't think it took too much! Yins used to be on the same side 'til I come along and drove yins apart."