'But Marge still didn't know what the RDA was,' Dee shot back.
Marge grinned. 'She's got you there.'
'Also, did you know that if you added no salt at all to your food you would probably still exceed your recommended daily allowance?'
Marge looked shocked. 'That's if you eat processed food, right?'
Dee smiled sadly. 'You see, Marge, this is part of the problem. People think that processed food is chicken nuggets and fish fingers but it also includes sliced bread, cereal, sliced meats, packet soups, sausages. Ordinary foods that are in all our kitchens.'
'And it would be totally unfeasible to cut it all out,' John, the journalist pointed out.
'Yes, but we can make informed choices,' the politician said piously, 'and that's what our campaign is all about; giving people information.'
'But that's just the problem,' Dee said. 'The information is confusing and conflicting and as a result most people will end up buying the product with the largest advertising budget and the cleverest branding and packaging.'
'I have to agree,' Polly chipped in. 'I think there is huge ignorance in general about what is and isn't good for us and the Government is doing nothing about it.'
'Well, I'm not one to stand up for the Government,' the journalist said dryly, 'but I think you're underestimating and patronizing the general public. Everyone knows these days what foods affect their cholesterol and their blood pressure. We are a nation that never stops talking about health and diet. Ms Hewson is completely overreacting. Our kids are still kids and they deserve some treats. For heaven's sake, we all grew up eating gobstoppers and crisps and it didn't do us any harm.'
'It's a different world,' Dee replied calmly, 'and when you were growing up there was a lot less processed food; there was no such thing as TV dinners and the microwave hadn't been invented.'
'That's true,' Polly chimed in. 'Our lives have got busier and busier and the choice of easy options in our supermarkets has increased dramatically.'
Marge grinned delightedly, 'Well, let's see what our viewers have to say on the subject. Joe in Santry, what do you think? Is Dee patronizing you?'
'Not at all; I'm gobsmacked at what she's been saying. I didn't know any of this stuff about the salt and I feel like a terrible parent because I've just been looking at the food in our freezer and it's all full of the stuff.'
'Thank you, Joe. Now I want to go to Ann-Marie in Newry. Ann-Marie, what did you want to say to our panel?'
'Hi. I just want to say that Dee is right. I try really hard to feed my children healthily but I'm a working mother and I don't always have time to cook everything from scratch. Also, I find fresh food is often more expensive than buying processed.'
'Minister, what do you say to that?'
'I would completely refute that,' Ann said haughtily. 'If you shop carefully, it's just as cheap to buy fresh ingredients.'
'But they're not as easy to prepare,' Dee said, 'and many children are no longer being taught the basic nutritional facts, let alone how to cook.'
'We have only time for one more call,' Marge cut across them. 'Nicola from Limerick. Nicola, what do you want to say?'
'I want to say that I'm fed up being told how I'm screwing up my children's lives. There's always some know-it-all on telly telling us what we're doing wrong but they should try raising six kids on one income. Half the things that girl said are processed and bad for us are what my kids live on. I can't afford to buy them steak and fish. They get sausages or fish fingers if they're lucky and stew once a week if I get a chance to make it. I don't have time to make fancy food, never mind read labels.'
'You're right, Nicola,' Dee said immediately, 'and that's why I'm saying labelling is so important. There need to be simple standards, clear labelling and stringent penalties for companies who don't keep to those standards. Then if you are buying processed food, you can pick the best of the bunch.'
'I have to agree,' the journalist said gruffly, 'and if such guidelines were properly enforced then the food manufacturers would be forced to produce better quality foods.'
'And finally, Dee, can I ask you, how is your son now?'
Dee smiled. 'He's doing very well. He hasn't had an asthmatic attack in two years and his skin is much better.'
Marge turned back to the camera. 'And I think you'll agree, that says it all. That's it for today. Thank you to my guests . . .'
When Dee stepped out of the car it was to be met by Lisa, Martha, Sam and all the children cheering and clapping.
'You were fantastic,' Lisa said, hugging her, her eyes shining and her face flushed, 'we were so proud of you. We had to pin Sam down to stop him hugging the telly.'
Sam flung himself at Dee's legs and she swung him up into her arms. 'You were great, Mum,' he said shyly.
'Thanks, sweetheart.'
'I didn't like that nasty lady who was fighting with you.'
'She was just doing her job,' Dee explained.
'Why?'
'That's what the show is all about, people who feel differently about things discuss them and then the audience can decide who makes the most sense.'
Sam wrinkled his nose in confusion. 'But you were just trying to tell them about eating good food.'
Dee smiled. 'Yes, I was.'
'You made mincemeat of that minister, if you'll pardon the pun,' Martha grinned, 'and that stuffy journalist came over on to your side at the end.'
Dee nodded. 'Yes, I was chatting to him briefly afterwards and he seemed quite nice.'
'I liked that chef, Polly Underwood, she seems lovely.'
'Yes,' Dee agreed, 'and she really knows her stuff. She took my email address and she's going to send me some recipes.'
'Come on, let's go inside,' Lisa said. 'The phone hasn't stopped ringing since the programme finished. You listen to your messages and I'll get you a cup of tea.'
'Come on children,' Martha said, 'snack time.'
Dee carefully took off Lisa's boots, flopped on to the sofa in the kitchen and, tucking her feet under her, listened to the messages on her answering machine.
'Dee, Ronan here. You were fantastic! We had the TV on in the café and everyone was cheering you on. Well done, darling, but please don't run off to become a TV star; we'd never manage without you.'
The next message was from Sheila. 'Dee, tried to get you on your mobile but maybe stars don't answer their own phones. Seriously, you were wonderful and you really lit a fire under that old witch Ann Baker. Well done you, and don't forget your friends when you're rich and famous!'
Next there was a stilted message from her aunt.
'Hello, hello, Dee? It's Aunt Pauline here. I saw you on television this afternoon; I can't remember the name of the programme—'
Dee giggled.
'—anyway, I thought you were very articulate and composed, and you put your argument across quite well. You might have looked more authoritative with your hair up and I don't know where you got those boots from, but apart from that I think you made quite a good job of it. I hope Sam is well. Good bye.'
Next, Dee was surprised when Julia's voice rang out.
'Hi, Dee. I'm up at the nursing home and we've all been watching you on television. Weren't you marvellous? I had no idea you were such an authority on food. Anyway, the girls here want me to tell you that you looked great and well done. That's from me, too, of course. Not sure about those boots, though. Bye-bye, Dee, see you soon. Love to Sam.'
And lastly, Dee froze when she heard Neil's voice.
'Dee, Mum just called to tell me about your television appearance. Well done, she says you were great. Sam's a lucky boy to have you. See you soon . . . I hope. Bye.'
'Wow, was that Neil?' Lisa turned to look at her.
Dee nodded. 'He shouldn't really have left a message; Sam could have heard it.'
'Does Sam know his dad's name?' Lisa asked.
'Yes, of course.'
'Maybe you should phone Neil and tell him to be more careful.'
Dee sighed. 'I'll send him a text later.'
'It was nice of him to call, I suppose,' Lisa offered.
Dee grinned. 'Careful, you just said something positive about him!'
'Don't hold it against me.' Lisa handed her a cup of tea.
'Thanks.' Reaching into her bag, Dee pulled out her mobile phone and switched it on. Immediately it started beeping as message after message came through.
'You're popular,' Lisa laughed.
'I know, it's amazing, everyone seems to have been watching the programme.'
Lisa took a sip of her own drink. 'You'll be in demand now.'
Dee laughed. 'Well, if they're all willing to give me five hundred euros for twenty minutes work I won't object.'
'You'll be able to give up the day job and become a lady who lunches, albeit healthily,' Lisa joked.
Dee sighed. 'It will be a very long time before I can afford to give up the day job.'
Lisa immediately picked up on her tone. 'What's up?'
Dee's eyes met hers. 'Things are a bit of a struggle at the moment; funds are low, as they say, and Ronan wants to expand his menu.'
'Well, that's good . . . isn't it?'
Dee shrugged. 'It would be, except he wants me to take on an assistant. He's afraid that the café is too dependent on me and if I get sick or am knocked down by a bus, he's up a certain creek without a paddle.'
'I see.' Lisa nodded. 'And you can't afford an assistant?'
'No, if I pay someone else I'll just about break even. I'd be better off giving up the catering altogether and getting a job as a cook. At least then I wouldn't have the worry or responsibility of running things.' Dee dragged a weary hand across her eyes, smudging her beautiful eye make-up.
'What if Happy Days moved to another premises, would that help?' Lisa said quietly, her eyes riveted to Dee's.
'No! Oh, God, no, Lisa, I don't want that at all.'
Lisa visibly relaxed. 'Thank God for that.'
'But I might have to increase your rent,' Dee said quickly before she lost her nerve. Lisa nodded. 'That's fair enough.'
Dee stared. 'It is?'
'Sure. I mean, you haven't increased it since we opened and that's over three years ago now. How much were you thinking of?'
Dee pretended to consider the question. 'Annual inflation is usually about five per cent, isn't it? So if we say fifteen per cent, would that be okay?'
Lisa grabbed Dee's pad and scribbled down some figures. 'I'm not sure about that.'
Dee's heart sank. If she couldn't agree a reasonable figure with Lisa she didn't know what she would do, and the fact that she'd brought up the whole issue would probably come between them and ruin their friendship.
'It doesn't seem enough.'
'Excuse me?'
Lisa smiled. 'I said, it's not enough. You supply and cook all the food and you help out in the crèche. It's a routine we've sort of slipped into over the years and never formalized and maybe we should. I'm sure your accountant would be a lot happier if we did.'
Dee rolled her eyes. Her accountant, a conservative old buzzard, had been a friend of her father's and he came in once a year to prepare her tax returns and give her a lecture on the proper way to run a business which was basically not the way she was doing it. 'I don't want to impoverish your business in order to prop up mine,' she said now.
'We have to put our heads together and work something out. Happy Days is a successful business and so is Deli Delights, yet we're both working harder than ever. I'd love to take on another person and then we could increase the number of children, thereby increasing income, and at the same time giving Martha and me some more free time. I'm terrified of losing Martha to another crèche and I think I will if I don't reduce her workload soon. Also, I'd like to be able to offer the older children more variety and take them out on trips and that's just not feasible at the moment.'
Dee stared at her. 'You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you? Why didn't you say something before?'
Lisa reddened. 'I thought you'd want me out. Your business is doing so well I was afraid you'd want to expand and there wouldn't be space any more for Happy Days.'
Dee shook her head emphatically. 'No, whatever the future holds I want it to include Happy Days. It's important for Sam that you're here,' she smiled at her friend, 'and for me.'
'I'm glad to hear it.' Lisa stood up. 'Look, I need to get back to the troops but do you want to talk again later?'
'Why don't I make you dinner and we can talk then?' Dee offered.
'Great.'
'Right, just let me get changed and I'll give you a hand with the kids.'
'You don't have to do that—'
Dee grinned. 'I know, but there's no way I'm going to get any real work done today so I may as well be in there with you guys.'
Lisa laughed. 'I won't say no. The children will be delighted to have a TV star to play with.'
Lisa left and Dee read the text messages on her phone as she finished her tea:
WHAT A WOMAN!! PROUD OF U!! XX LAUREN U WER GRT, DEE, WELL DONE. DINNER 2NITE 2 CELEBRTE? PAULA SAYS SHE'LL BABYSIT. X. CONOR
Dee replied immediately:
SORRY, GOT A MEETNG WITH LISA. CAN WE DO IT FRIDAY? X. DEE
She decided to text Neil before she forgot. It would be a disaster if he called again and Sam answered or overheard the name.
NEIL. TNX FOR GD WISHES BT PLEASE DON'T PHONE AGAIN – SAM MIGHT BE HERE. DEE
She pressed send and within a few seconds got a reply.
SO SORRY, DEE, NEVER THOUGHT. WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. NEIL
She sighed, relieved, although he now had her mobile number, she realized. Still, it looked as if he was keeping to his word. He hadn't been in touch in the three weeks since his surprise visit and she did appreciate that. She would arrange to see him again soon, she decided. She'd had time to get used to the fact that he was back in Ireland and she wanted to talk to him, question him, study him, and see if he really deserved to be part of her son's life. She would have to meet him in the city, though, Banford was too small and she didn't want to risk Sam seeing them or hearing about Neil's visit from a nosy neighbour.