exciting journey Kitty had ever made. She loved the sawdust-covered, wooden floorboards and the Christmas atmosphere amongst the butchers, cheekily calling out to the women from behind their market stalls.
But that was as nothing compared to the last forty-eight hours.
Everything about this trip was a novelty, such as sloping off in the dead of night to the Pier Head to catch the ferry before the buses were even running. The sandwiches Maura had made her for the journey contained tongue. She had never before in her life had anything more exotic than jam or Shippam’s fish paste.
Meanwhile, as Liam drove slowly away from the port towards the streets of Dublin, back at number nineteen Tommy and Maura were clearing up the kitchen following supper.
Angela had been in a foul mood, a seamless continuation from her bad temper at breakfast, when she had discovered that Kitty was taking a holiday to Ireland.
‘I cannot believe this,’ she had screamed. ‘Why her and not me? It’s desperate, Mammy, that I am being left behind, it is, desperate,’ she sobbed.
Angela wailed and cried at the unjustness of it all, adding to the load of Maura’s day.
‘Every cloud has a silver lining, Angela,’ Maura replied. ‘Ye become the eldest child whilst Kitty is having her holiday.’
Maura had no idea that that was exactly what Angela was dreading.
‘Thank God Kitty’s gone,’ said Tommy wearily when he and Maura were preparing for bed. ‘She needs this holiday. The air on the farm will put the colour back in her cheeks. They say a change is as good as a rest, don’t they?’
With a sigh, he pulled up the sash window. The night sounds of the tugs on the river filled the room. Putting his head outside to blow away his cigarette smoke, with a heavy heart he whispered, more to the moon and the stars than to Maura, ‘I only wish I was going with her.’
Hardly a day passed without Tommy thinking of Cork and the village where he had been born and raised. He thought now of his own family – his mammy, daddy and those of his siblings – who had travelled on to America rather than stay in Liverpool. Whenever someone mentioned Cork within earshot of Tommy, he always repeated the same comment: ‘Aye, God’s own county, and there is no finer a place on this earth, so there isn’t. No better people, no finer horses, nor more beautiful women.’
Tommy spent some of his day, every day, dreaming of Cork.
‘I sometimes wish we had gone on to America, Maura. We both should have done what my brothers did. Maybe this terrible thing wouldn’t have happened in America.’
Maura listened to him, all the while keeping her own thoughts close. How glad she was that she had indulged and spoilt Kitty over the last few days.
‘Come to bed, Tommy,’ she whispered.
Maura was exhausted from having to wake at two o’clock to spirit Kitty away into the night and coping with the demands of her children. Malachi and Declan ran Maura ragged on the best of days and today was no different. Maura was already missing Kitty in so many ways.
‘She is with Kathleen and Nellie, and no doubt having great craic while we are here worrying ourselves stupid. Come to bed,’ she said softly.
Tommy pulled the window down and the curtains across before he slipped into the comforting arms of the woman who loved him as no other ever would.
Who was not from Cork.
Kathleen and Liam chatted away as they drove across Dublin, with Nellie throwing in the odd comment or question. Kitty could barely understand what they were talking about. She knew none of the names or the places they were discussing. Liam had a list of deliveries to collect, which would make the journey longer.
Kitty stared out at the wide river and the tenement buildings. Had it been only three days since she had found out what was wrong? Now she knew why her period hadn’t arrived. She had started only a year ago and had not thought anything of having missed. She’d had no idea what this
But that was as nothing compared to the last forty-eight hours.
Everything about this trip was a novelty, such as sloping off in the dead of night to the Pier Head to catch the ferry before the buses were even running. The sandwiches Maura had made her for the journey contained tongue. She had never before in her life had anything more exotic than jam or Shippam’s fish paste.
Meanwhile, as Liam drove slowly away from the port towards the streets of Dublin, back at number nineteen Tommy and Maura were clearing up the kitchen following supper.
Angela had been in a foul mood, a seamless continuation from her bad temper at breakfast, when she had discovered that Kitty was taking a holiday to Ireland.
‘I cannot believe this,’ she had screamed. ‘Why her and not me? It’s desperate, Mammy, that I am being left behind, it is, desperate,’ she sobbed.
Angela wailed and cried at the unjustness of it all, adding to the load of Maura’s day.
‘Every cloud has a silver lining, Angela,’ Maura replied. ‘Ye become the eldest child whilst Kitty is having her holiday.’
Maura had no idea that that was exactly what Angela was dreading.
‘Thank God Kitty’s gone,’ said Tommy wearily when he and Maura were preparing for bed. ‘She needs this holiday. The air on the farm will put the colour back in her cheeks. They say a change is as good as a rest, don’t they?’
With a sigh, he pulled up the sash window. The night sounds of the tugs on the river filled the room. Putting his head outside to blow away his cigarette smoke, with a heavy heart he whispered, more to the moon and the stars than to Maura, ‘I only wish I was going with her.’
Hardly a day passed without Tommy thinking of Cork and the village where he had been born and raised. He thought now of his own family – his mammy, daddy and those of his siblings – who had travelled on to America rather than stay in Liverpool. Whenever someone mentioned Cork within earshot of Tommy, he always repeated the same comment: ‘Aye, God’s own county, and there is no finer a place on this earth, so there isn’t. No better people, no finer horses, nor more beautiful women.’
Tommy spent some of his day, every day, dreaming of Cork.
‘I sometimes wish we had gone on to America, Maura. We both should have done what my brothers did. Maybe this terrible thing wouldn’t have happened in America.’
Maura listened to him, all the while keeping her own thoughts close. How glad she was that she had indulged and spoilt Kitty over the last few days.
‘Come to bed, Tommy,’ she whispered.
Maura was exhausted from having to wake at two o’clock to spirit Kitty away into the night and coping with the demands of her children. Malachi and Declan ran Maura ragged on the best of days and today was no different. Maura was already missing Kitty in so many ways.
‘She is with Kathleen and Nellie, and no doubt having great craic while we are here worrying ourselves stupid. Come to bed,’ she said softly.
Tommy pulled the window down and the curtains across before he slipped into the comforting arms of the woman who loved him as no other ever would.
Who was not from Cork.
Kathleen and Liam chatted away as they drove across Dublin, with Nellie throwing in the odd comment or question. Kitty could barely understand what they were talking about. She knew none of the names or the places they were discussing. Liam had a list of deliveries to collect, which would make the journey longer.
Kitty stared out at the wide river and the tenement buildings. Had it been only three days since she had found out what was wrong? Now she knew why her period hadn’t arrived. She had started only a year ago and had not thought anything of having missed. She’d had no idea what this
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