No Dress Rehearsal Read Online Free PDF Page B

one. But even though it was new, already the hem was hanging. Lately, Sinead always looked like she was fraying and unravelling. She needed a break.
    Lizzie nearly burst with fondness – and longing. She missed her best pal. She hated not being able to talk to her. It was one of the worst things about being dead – apart from being dead, that was. With a real passion she badly wanted life to work out for Sinead. The way it hadn’t for her.
    The funeral Mass turned out to be a well-attended affair – long-lost cousins and old school friends and neighboursall showed up. It wasn’t unlike Lizzie’s 21st birthday party. She really hadn’t known that so many people cared about her. She felt the by-now-familiar wash of bitter regret that she’d only found out when it was too late.
    Everyone had lovely things to say about Lizzie. The priest just went to town on her. She was “kind, hardworking, a great story-teller. A good daughter, employee, friend.”
    Paid her television licence. Always stood her round. As good as invented a cure for cancer.
    â€œAh stop.” Lizzie was hot with pride. “I’m mortified.”
    Then Neil gave a speech and played a blinder. He spoke about his love for Lizzie. How he wished he’d shown it more while she’d been alive. He had them all in the palm of his hand. Seventy per cent of them were openlyweeping. Then, all of a sudden, the mood of enjoyable sorrow was broken. By a horrible, quavery version of “The Camptown Races”.
    Everyone present turned and glared at the scarlet Sinead.
    â€œSorry,” she whispered. She looked at the caller-display panel, and switched the phone off. “My boss.”
    Lizzie’s aunt leant over and muttered to Michael who worked at the offlicence nearest to Lizzie’s flat, “What kind of boss rings a person when they’re at their best friend’s funeral?”
    And Lizzie had to agree. It was crazy carry-on.
    When the service ended Lizzie suddenly became aware of certain changes in the way she felt. The nausea and feelings of doom and isolation were definitely getting fainter. When she saw her parents and Sinead and Neil crying,the sorrow wasn’t as bad as it had been a couple of days before. Now she could watch their grief with some distance.
    And as for her own, as yet unknown, future, a calmness had crept in and settled inside her.
    After she’d been buried and the mourners had gone their separate ways, Jim and Jan caught up with her.
    â€œHow was your funeral?” Jim asked.
    â€œLovely. You’d want to have seen the crowds!”
    â€œAnd how do you feel now?”
    â€œNot at all bad, actually.”
    â€œGreat.”
    â€œThere’s just one thing …”
    There usually is, their faces said.
    â€œI feel …” she tried to find the right word, “…regret about the way I only half-lived my life …”
    Jim and Jan were looking at her. Their faces were giving nothing away.
    â€œI wish I’d known,” Lizzie pushed on. “I’d have done things differently. I’d have made the very most of my life. And I wondered if there was any chance I could tell this to … some people?”
    â€œWhat people?” Jim asked. “Neil?”
    â€œWell, I’m not so worried about him. Neil is very good at living life to the full. It’s why he didn’t want to marry me – that’s very clear to me now. No, the person I was really thinking of was Sinead.”
    Jim and Jan raised their eyebrows at each other. “Why not?”
    â€œSo what should I do? I don’t want to scare her.”
    â€œGrand. Well, appearing in a dream is a popular way.”
    â€œCan I pop by and visit my parents too?”
    â€œAh, sure, you might as well.”
    â€œAnd Neil?”
    â€œGo on then. While you’re at it.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    First Lizzie visited her parents and had a lovely talk with