terrific idealist. You have to hand it to him. I admire a man like that!’ he said, then adding: ‘But this Peace Rally — now what do you think of that? Would you say now that’s such a good idea?’
To which I replied that I didn’t know and had no opinion on it at all. The only peace I cared about was to be found up on Tynagh mountain, although of course I didn’t utter those words.
To my surprise, I started really enjoying his company then — and to feel bad about the way I’d been thinking. About him. And everybody else, in fact. I began to feel regretful about it all. But promised myself I’d make up for it. I smiled as Boyle pulled off the road and drove up to her house, promising me he wouldn’t be long and giving me the wink as he assisted her out. She was completely incapable now.
He must have been about twenty minutes or so, and was still grinning as he climbed back into the car, shoving two fingers under my nose as he said: ‘So smell that, Joey Tallon! Sweet as fucking roses, man!’
Chuckling to himself all the way along the Scotsfield Road. ‘The yelps of her, Joe,’ he says, practically jumping up and down in the seat. It was almost coming naturally to me now — and I can’t tell you how good I was feeling about it — moving into that relaxing space. Where anyone could say absolutely anything and it wouldn’t bother you at all. ‘Sure,’ I said, and ‘That’s right, Boyle.’
I must have dozed off for a bit, for the next thing I remember the car is turning off the road somewhere around Lackey Cross and Boyle issaying: ‘Now listen, Josie, I might be another wee while up here, so the best thing you can do is stretch out here for a bit. Here, take another drop of Jemmy. But don’t stir till I get back. And then we’ll have you safe and sound at home in the campsite. You’ll be OK then, Josie? Catch forty winks!’
I nodded and did just that as I watched him dodge the sudden shower as he made his way on up the lane, and it was like a warm and toasty hand had come to soothe my soul. I might as well have grown wings and been gliding over cool clear water, skimming it every so often just for the sheer fucking fun. Triumph was a word that came to mind just then — I had reached some special plain. And this was just the beginning. What would it be like in the Karma Cave? With
her
in the Karma Cave? I reckoned I was getting close to … I don’t know. ‘Delirious’ was a word that I wouldn’t have been afraid of using right then.
What time it was when the birds woke me up I couldn’t say for definite. It was bright outside and it looked like it was going to be a really lovely day, but as yet I was too tired and hungover to appreciate it. I searched around for the flask. It was dry as a bone. All of a sudden — it was like the ‘old me’, I thought — I found myself becoming unnecessarily alarmed and thinking:
Oh no! He’s gone and forgotten me altogether
! Which was stupid, of course, as I realized almost immediately — I mean, he was hardly going to leave the Datsun lying there at the side of the road.
So I just got out and went off up the lane towards the bungalow at the top of the hill, nearly breaking my neck over an old pushbike someone had left lying in the middle of the drive. ‘Will you for fuck’s sake wake up, Joey!’ I said. ‘Wake up here now, Joey Tallon! Just because things are getting a little easier now doesn’t mean you can afford to start getting sloppy!’ I grinned unconsciously, thrilled at the idea of this new confidence that appeared to be growing apace inside of me. The ‘old Joey’ might have been lying like a shed skin by the side of the road. ‘Oh, Joey,’ I heard her saying, ‘I never dreamed it would be this good. You’re so …’
She’d be lost for words. I’d toss her a smile.
There was nobody around when I got as far as the bungalow. Nobody I could see through the first window anyway. But when I looked through the second,
To which I replied that I didn’t know and had no opinion on it at all. The only peace I cared about was to be found up on Tynagh mountain, although of course I didn’t utter those words.
To my surprise, I started really enjoying his company then — and to feel bad about the way I’d been thinking. About him. And everybody else, in fact. I began to feel regretful about it all. But promised myself I’d make up for it. I smiled as Boyle pulled off the road and drove up to her house, promising me he wouldn’t be long and giving me the wink as he assisted her out. She was completely incapable now.
He must have been about twenty minutes or so, and was still grinning as he climbed back into the car, shoving two fingers under my nose as he said: ‘So smell that, Joey Tallon! Sweet as fucking roses, man!’
Chuckling to himself all the way along the Scotsfield Road. ‘The yelps of her, Joe,’ he says, practically jumping up and down in the seat. It was almost coming naturally to me now — and I can’t tell you how good I was feeling about it — moving into that relaxing space. Where anyone could say absolutely anything and it wouldn’t bother you at all. ‘Sure,’ I said, and ‘That’s right, Boyle.’
I must have dozed off for a bit, for the next thing I remember the car is turning off the road somewhere around Lackey Cross and Boyle issaying: ‘Now listen, Josie, I might be another wee while up here, so the best thing you can do is stretch out here for a bit. Here, take another drop of Jemmy. But don’t stir till I get back. And then we’ll have you safe and sound at home in the campsite. You’ll be OK then, Josie? Catch forty winks!’
I nodded and did just that as I watched him dodge the sudden shower as he made his way on up the lane, and it was like a warm and toasty hand had come to soothe my soul. I might as well have grown wings and been gliding over cool clear water, skimming it every so often just for the sheer fucking fun. Triumph was a word that came to mind just then — I had reached some special plain. And this was just the beginning. What would it be like in the Karma Cave? With
her
in the Karma Cave? I reckoned I was getting close to … I don’t know. ‘Delirious’ was a word that I wouldn’t have been afraid of using right then.
What time it was when the birds woke me up I couldn’t say for definite. It was bright outside and it looked like it was going to be a really lovely day, but as yet I was too tired and hungover to appreciate it. I searched around for the flask. It was dry as a bone. All of a sudden — it was like the ‘old me’, I thought — I found myself becoming unnecessarily alarmed and thinking:
Oh no! He’s gone and forgotten me altogether
! Which was stupid, of course, as I realized almost immediately — I mean, he was hardly going to leave the Datsun lying there at the side of the road.
So I just got out and went off up the lane towards the bungalow at the top of the hill, nearly breaking my neck over an old pushbike someone had left lying in the middle of the drive. ‘Will you for fuck’s sake wake up, Joey!’ I said. ‘Wake up here now, Joey Tallon! Just because things are getting a little easier now doesn’t mean you can afford to start getting sloppy!’ I grinned unconsciously, thrilled at the idea of this new confidence that appeared to be growing apace inside of me. The ‘old Joey’ might have been lying like a shed skin by the side of the road. ‘Oh, Joey,’ I heard her saying, ‘I never dreamed it would be this good. You’re so …’
She’d be lost for words. I’d toss her a smile.
There was nobody around when I got as far as the bungalow. Nobody I could see through the first window anyway. But when I looked through the second,
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