So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men

Cathal’s mind drifts into the past as he thinks about the events of the year prior. He recalls the days when he’d run out of the office to meet Sabine in Merrion Square below his building. One day, they visited the National Gallery together. He didn’t like the artwork she liked. Afterward, they took the bus back “to his place in Arklow” (14). Sabine napped, went out for groceries, and cooked dinner when she returned.

Cathal and Sabine had met at a conference two years prior. He’d been attracted to her appearance and style. Noticing she didn’t wear a ring, he engaged her in conversation and soon discovered she also “worked in Dublin City Centre, for the Hugh Lane Gallery” and rented “a flat in Rathgar” (15). They exchanged numbers and agreed to meet up for drinks back in Dublin.

Cathal and Sabine began seeing each other thereafter. Eventually, she started spending weekends at his apartment. They’d visit the farmers’ market where she bought expensive produce without concern. Once, she insisted on buying cherries for a tart she wanted to make but had forgotten her wallet. Cathal was annoyed he had to pay for the expensive cherries. Back at his house, he suggested they get married while she made the pie. Sabine scoffed, suggesting he didn’t know what he meant. He pressed on, suggesting they have children and get a cat.

A few weeks later, Sabine agreed to marry Cathal. She found an expensive antique ring at a local jeweler, which was even more expensive because it had to be resized. Cathal got upset over the price, and the two argued. Finally, he gave in and bought it. The jeweler informed him the ring was nonrefundable, but Cathal was unconcerned. The tension between him and Sabine dissipated over the following hours.

Cathal gets off at his stop. He sees an older man he thinks is a farmer Sabine bought mushrooms from in the past. He ignores him, walks on, and returns home, stepping over a dead bouquet on the step.

Inside, Cathal finds his cat, Mathilde, locked in the bathroom. He then examines his pantry and fridge, finding only condiments, champagne, and a penis-shaped cake his brother got for his bachelor party. He microwaves a Weight Watchers meal, feeds Mathilde, and drinks water from the faucet. He feels momentarily better. Then he turns on the television and searches for something to watch. Light and noise come in through the windows. He notices a kids’ birthday party across the street and shuts the curtains.

Cathal eats his Weight Watchers meal while recalling Sabine’s obsession with losing weight before the wedding. He tried reassuring her about the dress and her appearance but she didn’t listen, which irked him. About a month prior, she had moved into Cathal’s house. He was overwhelmed by all the stuff she brought with her and let her know it bothered him. Sabine got upset, reminding him he was the one who proposed. He countered that he thought it’d be easier and she’d just be there cooking and sleeping in his bed as usual. He tried hugging her, but she pulled away, finished organizing her things, and ate some Chinese. When she rejoined him, her mood had changed. She told Cathal she’d recently gone out with Cynthia. Over drinks, the women had talked about Irish men and what they wanted from women. They determined the men were misogynistic and selfish. Sabine then confronted Cathal for being cold, controlling, and unhelpful—mentioning his failure to thank her for her cooking, contribute to the groceries or dishes, or assist her with the move.

Cathal can’t remember now what he said in response. He vaguely recalls insulting Sabine’s eyes but dismisses the thought. What he does remember is tossing the Chinese cartons, grateful there were no dishes.

At eight pm, Cathal finds a Lady Diana documentary on television. He watches intently. At the end, he opens the champagne and pulls out the cake. He eats a large chunk and drinks a good deal, taking more to the couch where he continues flipping through the channels. Then he opens his phone and discovers a message from his brother insisting he doesn’t need Sabine anyway. 

A memory from childhood comes to mind. One weekend, he and his brother both returned home from college. Over breakfast, his brother pulled their mother’s chair out from under her. When she fell, Cathal, his brother, and his father burst out laughing and watched her recover herself and collect the fallen food from the floor. Cathal wonders now if he’d be different if his dad had been different but dismisses the thought.

Cathal falls asleep on the couch, waking up after midnight to a poker game on television. He pulls Mathilde into his arms and imagines what he and Sabine would be doing if they’d gone through with the wedding. He regrets all the money he wasted on the event and the money he squandered on the cherries for Sabine’s pie; its edges had been burnt and its center raw.

Staring out the window, he curses Sabine. Then he curses Cynthia and the cleaner at the office, Monika. A wasp zigzags through the room. He kills it and throws it outside before urinating with the door open and stumbling upstairs to bed. Lying on the mattress, he tries to ignore the sleeve of his wedding shirt sticking out of the closet, the cards people sent on the table, and Sabine’s ring glinting on the nightstand. However, he can’t stop remembering the moment she backed out of the wedding.