doing here?’
‘Sorry, Dan, but I had to come and talk to you. It’s your father. Well, it’s your mother really that’s posing the problem but I suppose you could say that your father started it.’
‘What in the name of God are you talking about?’
‘They’re fighting again. At each other’s throats this time.’
‘For God’s sake, they are always fighting. They can’t fucking stand each other. So what’s new that has you hunting me down in Dublin about it?’
Columbo seemed winded and Dan motioned to a bench at the end of the corridor. After Columbo had downed his considerable bulk on the low bench there was barely enough room for Dan. Impatience was rising within him, but it was directed at his absent parents so he decided to spare Columbo his more barbed thoughts.
‘It’s a bit delicate but I suppose you see a lot in your line of work. Makes you cope with the unpalatable.’
‘Has my mam taken a swipe at him or what? For God’s sake, Columbo, spit it out!’
‘Jesus, no, it’s nothing like that. She has only upped and taken into her head that your father is having a fling, and I’ll tell you this much it’s making the woman mighty sour. She looks like she is about to blow. She’s talking newspapers, Liveline , the lot.’
‘An affair? Who with, for God’s sake?’
‘Dan, a bit of faith in your father, please. There isn’t a more decent man in the town of Leachlara.’
‘Well, who does she think he is having the affair with so, or are you saying my mother is making it up?’
‘It’s a shocking misunderstanding really, nothing to it at all. There’s a girl, Leda Clancy, that does the odd night behind the bar at Shanahan’s. You know her, I’d say. She would be a daughter to Ted Clancy, a farmer from Briartullog above the town.’
Dan nodded. He was beginning to suspect where this was going and his gut knotted at the sickening prospect. The Clancy girls were younger than he was. He thought one of them might have been living in one of his father’s houses on Leeson Street. He was there the night that her father arranged the flat for her with his dad.
‘Well, she has taken a bit of a shine to your father and your father has been very nice to her – like he is to everyone else in the town, I may say.’ Columbo’s indignation was rising with each snippet of the drip feed to Dan. His master was under fire and arms were to the ready for his staunch defence. ‘He even brought her to the Dáil outing that last time we came. Very important to get the young vote, you know, and your father never forgets the young. You know that, Dan.’
Columbo could see that Dan was struggling with the news. No response was forthcoming so hegamely continued. No point in letting silence fester. Dr Abernethy here was going to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
‘She is a grand girl really but I suppose you could say that she has had her head turned by your father. Some louser is after making a note into a hymn for your mother and between the jigs and the reels she has put one and two together and come up with the atomic bomb. I tell you this much, if I got my hands on the fucker that’s spreading this slurry about an innocent man—’
‘What makes you so sure it’s not true?’ Dan’s voice was no louder than a whisper.
‘Jesus, am I not after telling you that there’s nothing to it? Only some little wily weasel getting to your mother and trying to spoil all your father’s hard work? No civil word is coming from your mother’s direction. If this blows your father is a goner. The girl is still in school and there is no way it’s going to look good. The thing is, Dan, they need you home. Now. Today.’
‘I can’t. This is my life right here. This hospital, lectures, being a doctor. I can’t just head off home to Leachlara to sort this mess out. If it’s a misunderstanding they will get over it without my being there.’ Dan was saying the words but he knew in his heart
‘Sorry, Dan, but I had to come and talk to you. It’s your father. Well, it’s your mother really that’s posing the problem but I suppose you could say that your father started it.’
‘What in the name of God are you talking about?’
‘They’re fighting again. At each other’s throats this time.’
‘For God’s sake, they are always fighting. They can’t fucking stand each other. So what’s new that has you hunting me down in Dublin about it?’
Columbo seemed winded and Dan motioned to a bench at the end of the corridor. After Columbo had downed his considerable bulk on the low bench there was barely enough room for Dan. Impatience was rising within him, but it was directed at his absent parents so he decided to spare Columbo his more barbed thoughts.
‘It’s a bit delicate but I suppose you see a lot in your line of work. Makes you cope with the unpalatable.’
‘Has my mam taken a swipe at him or what? For God’s sake, Columbo, spit it out!’
‘Jesus, no, it’s nothing like that. She has only upped and taken into her head that your father is having a fling, and I’ll tell you this much it’s making the woman mighty sour. She looks like she is about to blow. She’s talking newspapers, Liveline , the lot.’
‘An affair? Who with, for God’s sake?’
‘Dan, a bit of faith in your father, please. There isn’t a more decent man in the town of Leachlara.’
‘Well, who does she think he is having the affair with so, or are you saying my mother is making it up?’
‘It’s a shocking misunderstanding really, nothing to it at all. There’s a girl, Leda Clancy, that does the odd night behind the bar at Shanahan’s. You know her, I’d say. She would be a daughter to Ted Clancy, a farmer from Briartullog above the town.’
Dan nodded. He was beginning to suspect where this was going and his gut knotted at the sickening prospect. The Clancy girls were younger than he was. He thought one of them might have been living in one of his father’s houses on Leeson Street. He was there the night that her father arranged the flat for her with his dad.
‘Well, she has taken a bit of a shine to your father and your father has been very nice to her – like he is to everyone else in the town, I may say.’ Columbo’s indignation was rising with each snippet of the drip feed to Dan. His master was under fire and arms were to the ready for his staunch defence. ‘He even brought her to the Dáil outing that last time we came. Very important to get the young vote, you know, and your father never forgets the young. You know that, Dan.’
Columbo could see that Dan was struggling with the news. No response was forthcoming so hegamely continued. No point in letting silence fester. Dr Abernethy here was going to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
‘She is a grand girl really but I suppose you could say that she has had her head turned by your father. Some louser is after making a note into a hymn for your mother and between the jigs and the reels she has put one and two together and come up with the atomic bomb. I tell you this much, if I got my hands on the fucker that’s spreading this slurry about an innocent man—’
‘What makes you so sure it’s not true?’ Dan’s voice was no louder than a whisper.
‘Jesus, am I not after telling you that there’s nothing to it? Only some little wily weasel getting to your mother and trying to spoil all your father’s hard work? No civil word is coming from your mother’s direction. If this blows your father is a goner. The girl is still in school and there is no way it’s going to look good. The thing is, Dan, they need you home. Now. Today.’
‘I can’t. This is my life right here. This hospital, lectures, being a doctor. I can’t just head off home to Leachlara to sort this mess out. If it’s a misunderstanding they will get over it without my being there.’ Dan was saying the words but he knew in his heart
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