The groaning competes with the radio. I commence my directive about what constitutes a saint and why this is worth knowing. I move on to the subject of canonization and I think it is at this point that I lose them. Jenny stares out the passenger window like the queen being brought out on a day trip. I try not to think about Jerome’s motivation. His arms around her as he kisses her on both cheeks when she meets him in the bar. The awkward laugh emitted from his fucking mouth when he asks Jenny what she would like to drink and he discovers that things haven’t changed from the time when they were together and that she’s still quite fond of the wine. How he’ll try not to look too pleased about their previous intimacy. How he’ll try to keep his eyes from looking at her body, he’ll smell her perfume. It’s the same all the same, she still wears Quorum aftershave, she always has. There’s something sexy about its scent on a woman’s body. And Jerome will know all this too because he has been there.

I gather together the five euro for the car park.

The lake of Glendalough stands eerily, the backdrop to our day. The conditions immediately begin to change as they often do here. The steady drifts of stratus appear to move down the mountainous terrain until their reflection seems to be touching the lake. The long ridge is proud, a magnificent background to the icy depths of the water. There’s a group of teenagers messing about with the life ring, pulling at the long rope. I watch them for a few minutes and I say nothing. When they start trying to use the ring as a lasso, I can’t leave it so I go over to them. I go on about how a stolen life ring is a stolen life. I tell them to put the ring back. I talk about social conscience and I ask what their parents would think. They tell me that their parents wouldn’t mind.

The weather looks like it is turning for the worse. Jenny beckons me over and tells me that she is going to set up the picnic, in case it lashes. She wants me to stay at the table and leave the boys alone. But, I cannot let it go. I tell her to set up the picnic, if she feels so inclined, and I head back over to the lake. Mikey and Joey trail behind me.