Maison Majella chapter 11: "Why is Baby Aisling looking at me like that?"
Don Shields in a pair of snickers
We’re pleased to announce the next story from the BGB universe, Welcome to Ballywood, will kick off on December 26th aka Stephenses Day. Told by Aisling, it features the usual gang, as well as a whole new crew (literally) who arrive in BGB and cause chaos.
A yearly subscription would make the perfect gift for the Aisling fan in your life this Christmas. – E & S
And now for the penultimate chapter of Maison Majella …
“John, who knew you were so handy with a tile cutter? This looks amazing!”
John goes shiny with pride. He’s been working away in Baby Aisling’s bathroom for hours, perfectly matching up the little pink pattern on the tiles I picked out nine months ago. I just came in to drop him in a San Pellegrino and he’s already done the whole surround of the sink.
“Thanks Majella. I taught myself a few months ago when the shower in the gym needed to be done. It’s actually very soothing.”
The whole house is a hive of activity. Operation Let’s Get Plastered kicked off in earnest yesterday with the arrival of Ruby and Elaine, who have actually taken two days off work and said they are willing to stay through the weekend to get all their jobs done. The living room was the first room to be more or less finished so they’ve been set to work on the cleaning and painting in there. Elaine claims that Charli XCX would be so proud if she knew brat was getting them through. They’re being so careful with their work too. Traditionally I haven’t been too much of a perfectionist but with this house I want every t crossed and every i dotted. My interiors Instagram account Maison Majella won’t take off if I have sloppy skirting boards and unfinished dado rails. My 238 followers have standards.
Aisling has a spreadsheet of everyone’s jobs on the go and has been cracking the whip on quality control and making sure nobody is taking the piss with their sanding and cutting in. Carol dropped in a slab of mince pies and some brandy butter earlier but we’re already down to crumbs. I was hoping to leave school early, it’s all colouring pages and dossing and watching Christmas films this week, but today was the big nativity dress rehearsal so I actually ended up staying late to coach one of my innkeepers through a bout of stage fright. I was caught for an hour on the blasted Tinnadaly Road but I did manage to stop to pick up some high value beverages and snacks for my army of workers.
“Where’s Ais?” I ask John, as he lines up another tile for the snip.
“Oh she had to go out for a work meeting. Locally though, so she won’t be long.”
Locally? Who could she be meeting for work, locally? The unmistakable sound of Baby Aisling laughing distracts me and I find Rocky with her in the kitchen, charming the paint smudges off Titch Maguire and Cyclops. She’s very like her mother in that sense.