Read Online Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly - Free Book Online
Authors: Sheila Connolly
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mother-in-law and taking care of a squalling kid. She just packed up and left one day.”
“And she never returned? In all these years? Never called or wrote to see how you were?”
“No. Or at least, if she did, Gran never told me. She really believed in family loyalty, and when my mother ran out on us, she was as good as dead to Gran. Heck, I turned eighteen a few years ago—if my mother had wanted to find me, she could have. Gran raised me on her own.”
“It was a hard life, then?” Ellen pushed a plate of toast toward Maura.
Maura took a piece and buttered it. “I guess, but we managed. I’ve been working since I was sixteen, but Gran told me that I had to finish high school. Then I started working full-time. Just like Rose at the pub. Didn’t she ever want to see more of the world than this small town?”
“She’s a good girl, and she’s stuck by her dad. As you said, family comes first.”
Maura resolved to have a chat with Rose when they had a bit of quiet time together. But talking about Rose had reminded her of what she wanted to ask Ellen. “Can you sit for a moment?”
Ellen checked to see that her stove was turned off, then took a chair next to Maura, pulling the still-silent Gráinne into her lap. “Nice to have a few minutes of my own. You said you wanted to talk?”
Maura fumbled for a way to ask politely but in the end just blurted out, “Jimmy and Mick asked me if I want to work at the pub while they figure out who the new ownerwill be. I hadn’t planned to stay around long, and I’ve got a ticket back next week. I’m not sure what to do.”
Ellen tilted her head at Maura. “What is it you’re asking me?”
“I’m not sure.” Maura considered. “Probably a couple of things. I mean, I’ve been here, what, not even two days? First Bridget Nolan hands me the keys to her car, and then these guys offer me a job. They said you’d give me a deal on my room if I stayed. Sorry, that sounds kind of pushy, but they’re the ones who brought it up. I don’t even know if they talked to you about this. And I really can’t afford much.”
Ellen sat back in her chair and laughed heartily, and Gráinne in her lap looked up at her curiously. “Ah, that’d be Jimmy, I’ll wager. No harm done. But is that what
you
want? Why’d you come to Ireland at all?”
“Because Gran wanted me to come—I’m doing it for her sake. I think she wanted to come back herself, but we never had the money. When she got sick, she went fast—she was only seventy. I think she wore herself down, between worrying about me and working, and sometimes she even took on extra jobs just to make ends meet. I helped as much as I could, but it wasn’t a lot, until I finished high school. So before she went, I promised her that I’d come over and at least tell Bridget Nolan face-to-face.” Maura looked down at her plate, her eyes blurred with tears. “I never even knew until after she’d died that she kept in touch with Mrs. Nolan—Gran never talked about her life in Ireland. I only found out when I was clearing out her things.”
“I’m so sorry—she must have been a good woman. Sounds like you’ve had a hard time of it. So you’ve no place to go back to? No one who’s waiting for you back home?”
“No,” Maura said, then added, “Jeez, that makes me sound pathetic. No home, nobody in my life, and here I am dumping on you, when I only met you the day before yesterday. It’s not your problem.”
Ellen was silent for a few moments, thinking. Then she said slowly, “But you came to me, asking what to do. Since you asked, let me tell you this: I think you need to give yourself some time. You’ve had a lot to worry you, for a long time, and maybe now you should just step back and not decide anything for a bit. If you go back now, you’d have to deal with finding a place and a job and all that. You need to give yourself time to grieve for your gran. If you stay here, you can get by on little while
“And she never returned? In all these years? Never called or wrote to see how you were?”
“No. Or at least, if she did, Gran never told me. She really believed in family loyalty, and when my mother ran out on us, she was as good as dead to Gran. Heck, I turned eighteen a few years ago—if my mother had wanted to find me, she could have. Gran raised me on her own.”
“It was a hard life, then?” Ellen pushed a plate of toast toward Maura.
Maura took a piece and buttered it. “I guess, but we managed. I’ve been working since I was sixteen, but Gran told me that I had to finish high school. Then I started working full-time. Just like Rose at the pub. Didn’t she ever want to see more of the world than this small town?”
“She’s a good girl, and she’s stuck by her dad. As you said, family comes first.”
Maura resolved to have a chat with Rose when they had a bit of quiet time together. But talking about Rose had reminded her of what she wanted to ask Ellen. “Can you sit for a moment?”
Ellen checked to see that her stove was turned off, then took a chair next to Maura, pulling the still-silent Gráinne into her lap. “Nice to have a few minutes of my own. You said you wanted to talk?”
Maura fumbled for a way to ask politely but in the end just blurted out, “Jimmy and Mick asked me if I want to work at the pub while they figure out who the new ownerwill be. I hadn’t planned to stay around long, and I’ve got a ticket back next week. I’m not sure what to do.”
Ellen tilted her head at Maura. “What is it you’re asking me?”
“I’m not sure.” Maura considered. “Probably a couple of things. I mean, I’ve been here, what, not even two days? First Bridget Nolan hands me the keys to her car, and then these guys offer me a job. They said you’d give me a deal on my room if I stayed. Sorry, that sounds kind of pushy, but they’re the ones who brought it up. I don’t even know if they talked to you about this. And I really can’t afford much.”
Ellen sat back in her chair and laughed heartily, and Gráinne in her lap looked up at her curiously. “Ah, that’d be Jimmy, I’ll wager. No harm done. But is that what
you
want? Why’d you come to Ireland at all?”
“Because Gran wanted me to come—I’m doing it for her sake. I think she wanted to come back herself, but we never had the money. When she got sick, she went fast—she was only seventy. I think she wore herself down, between worrying about me and working, and sometimes she even took on extra jobs just to make ends meet. I helped as much as I could, but it wasn’t a lot, until I finished high school. So before she went, I promised her that I’d come over and at least tell Bridget Nolan face-to-face.” Maura looked down at her plate, her eyes blurred with tears. “I never even knew until after she’d died that she kept in touch with Mrs. Nolan—Gran never talked about her life in Ireland. I only found out when I was clearing out her things.”
“I’m so sorry—she must have been a good woman. Sounds like you’ve had a hard time of it. So you’ve no place to go back to? No one who’s waiting for you back home?”
“No,” Maura said, then added, “Jeez, that makes me sound pathetic. No home, nobody in my life, and here I am dumping on you, when I only met you the day before yesterday. It’s not your problem.”
Ellen was silent for a few moments, thinking. Then she said slowly, “But you came to me, asking what to do. Since you asked, let me tell you this: I think you need to give yourself some time. You’ve had a lot to worry you, for a long time, and maybe now you should just step back and not decide anything for a bit. If you go back now, you’d have to deal with finding a place and a job and all that. You need to give yourself time to grieve for your gran. If you stay here, you can get by on little while
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