nothing about any pictures that might be on in Dublin.
It is so long since I've been to the pictures – maybe two years.
I don't care what film we see. I just want to be with Joe.' The
angels laughed. As I talked to them I was remembering all of
what the angel Elijah had told me.
When I arrived home I told Mum I was meeting a friend in
Dublin and I was going to go to the pictures. Mum said, 'Just
make sure you're on the last bus home.'
She didn't ask any questions, either, so I guess the angels
were helping.
There was a newspaper on the table in the dining room, so I
opened it and went straight to the film section. There were so
many pictures on, I just picked one. I knew nothing about it,
but I didn't care and the angels didn't say anything either, so I
assumed everything was okay. I have to laugh at that now.
It was a beautiful summer evening and O'Connell Bridge
looked wonderful in the evening light, with its lamps and big
flowerpots. Joe was a few minutes late, and as I stood there I
watched what was going on around me. There was a woman
and child sitting begging from the many passers-by rushing
home after their day's work. There was a woman selling roses,
but no one seemed to have the time to stop and buy. I could
tell from the colours of the energy around the people what
kind of humour they were in: if they were in a hurry or full of
excitement. Joe came from the opposite direction and tapped
me on the shoulder. I jumped and he laughed as I turned
around. I was so happy to see him. He took my hand and we
went straight to the cinema.
The film I had chosen was called The Virgin and the Gypsy .
The cinema was packed: lots of people were going to see this
film, so we had to sit quite near the front. About ten minutes
into the film, I started squirming in my seat: this was not a
film I wanted to see, certainly not with Joe on our first date.
The sex scenes were very explicit: I was shocked. This kind
of film was not common in Ireland at that time, back in the
70s. Perhaps that's why there were so many people there!
After a few minutes more, I told Joe I wanted to leave. We
did, and Joe didn't mind at all: I think he felt as uncomfortable
as I did.We walked away from the cinema up O'Connell Street
towards Nelson's pillar. It was such a beautiful evening that I
was glad to be out of the cinema. Strolling hand in hand with
Joe was a much nicer way of spending our first date.We talked
as we went. One of the first things Joe said was that he was glad
he hadn't chosen the picture! We both laughed.
We walked in front of the GPO – a beautiful grey-stone
building I always loved. We nodded hello to the policeman
standing guard outside. I noticed a couple kissing and
cuddling, their angels tall and standing very close to them, as
if they were helping them to join together. I smiled as we
walked past them. Joe put his arm around me, it felt good. I felt
safe in his company.
We crossed over the road at the traffic lights and went into
a restaurant. I had never been in a restaurant at night before;
this one was long and narrow with a tiled, marbled floor and
the tables were enamelled and screwed to the floor with high
wooden benches on each side. The backs of these benches
were about four feet high, so when you sat down you couldn't
see who was at any other table. We sat on the wooden
benches facing each other. Joe knew by the look on my face
that I had never been in a restaurant like this before and he
told me that the tables were called booths. Just then, the
waitress came over with her pencil and paper and we ordered
tea and sandwiches.
We talked about our parents – his father was dead. We
talked about brothers and sisters – Joe was the youngest of his
family and I was the third eldest of mine. Joe asked, 'What do
you think your Da would say if he knew we were on a date
together?'
'I am not sure about my Da,' I replied, 'but I know Mum
would more than likely object.'
So we both agreed we would keep it secret.
We left
It is so long since I've been to the pictures – maybe two years.
I don't care what film we see. I just want to be with Joe.' The
angels laughed. As I talked to them I was remembering all of
what the angel Elijah had told me.
When I arrived home I told Mum I was meeting a friend in
Dublin and I was going to go to the pictures. Mum said, 'Just
make sure you're on the last bus home.'
She didn't ask any questions, either, so I guess the angels
were helping.
There was a newspaper on the table in the dining room, so I
opened it and went straight to the film section. There were so
many pictures on, I just picked one. I knew nothing about it,
but I didn't care and the angels didn't say anything either, so I
assumed everything was okay. I have to laugh at that now.
It was a beautiful summer evening and O'Connell Bridge
looked wonderful in the evening light, with its lamps and big
flowerpots. Joe was a few minutes late, and as I stood there I
watched what was going on around me. There was a woman
and child sitting begging from the many passers-by rushing
home after their day's work. There was a woman selling roses,
but no one seemed to have the time to stop and buy. I could
tell from the colours of the energy around the people what
kind of humour they were in: if they were in a hurry or full of
excitement. Joe came from the opposite direction and tapped
me on the shoulder. I jumped and he laughed as I turned
around. I was so happy to see him. He took my hand and we
went straight to the cinema.
The film I had chosen was called The Virgin and the Gypsy .
The cinema was packed: lots of people were going to see this
film, so we had to sit quite near the front. About ten minutes
into the film, I started squirming in my seat: this was not a
film I wanted to see, certainly not with Joe on our first date.
The sex scenes were very explicit: I was shocked. This kind
of film was not common in Ireland at that time, back in the
70s. Perhaps that's why there were so many people there!
After a few minutes more, I told Joe I wanted to leave. We
did, and Joe didn't mind at all: I think he felt as uncomfortable
as I did.We walked away from the cinema up O'Connell Street
towards Nelson's pillar. It was such a beautiful evening that I
was glad to be out of the cinema. Strolling hand in hand with
Joe was a much nicer way of spending our first date.We talked
as we went. One of the first things Joe said was that he was glad
he hadn't chosen the picture! We both laughed.
We walked in front of the GPO – a beautiful grey-stone
building I always loved. We nodded hello to the policeman
standing guard outside. I noticed a couple kissing and
cuddling, their angels tall and standing very close to them, as
if they were helping them to join together. I smiled as we
walked past them. Joe put his arm around me, it felt good. I felt
safe in his company.
We crossed over the road at the traffic lights and went into
a restaurant. I had never been in a restaurant at night before;
this one was long and narrow with a tiled, marbled floor and
the tables were enamelled and screwed to the floor with high
wooden benches on each side. The backs of these benches
were about four feet high, so when you sat down you couldn't
see who was at any other table. We sat on the wooden
benches facing each other. Joe knew by the look on my face
that I had never been in a restaurant like this before and he
told me that the tables were called booths. Just then, the
waitress came over with her pencil and paper and we ordered
tea and sandwiches.
We talked about our parents – his father was dead. We
talked about brothers and sisters – Joe was the youngest of his
family and I was the third eldest of mine. Joe asked, 'What do
you think your Da would say if he knew we were on a date
together?'
'I am not sure about my Da,' I replied, 'but I know Mum
would more than likely object.'
So we both agreed we would keep it secret.
We left
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