expressing
their regrets and promising prayers for her and her father.
Upon their
departure, she noticed the priest had waylaid Papa Nolan. They stood near the
side of the church, away from the crowd, engaged in deep conversation. Sean put
his hand on Aislynn’s shoulder and said, “He’ll meet us at home.” Johnny took
Aislynn’s arm and the group walked toward Worth Street.
Dinner was
nearly ready to be served when Papa Nolan returned. He fell into a kitchen
chair, his head in his hands. The sight of him sitting in the chair elicited an
automatic response in Aislynn, and she poured him a draught. She sat across
from him and asked, “Where have you been? I know I shouldn’t be so nervous, but
I worry.”
“I’ve been
prayin’.”
“Thank you, I’m
sure Da hears you.” Aislynn replied.
“I was prayin’
for me and for you.” His emphasis on the word “you” stayed suspended between
them.
Aislynn could
feel his body trembling against the table. She could see the sweat erupting
through his forehead and upper lip. His eyes were focused on his worn hands.
They had fallen on the table like a dead soldier’s, on their backs with their
palms up. He looked old and defeated. She surveyed him carefully as her stomach
churned.
The boys had
heard their father arrive, and each one sauntered in from the parlor, expecting
dinner would be served. Aislynn glanced up at them as they circled the table
and took seats. Silence swelled in the room. “Why me?” she asked.
“The priest, he
says you can’t live with us. He says you’re not family and t’would be too much
of a…” he pursed his lips and looked away from her as he squeezed out the
words, “a temptation for three single men.”
Sean exploded,
“The bastard! His mind’s in the gutter!”
The elder
Nolan’s eyes burned into him. His words seethed through his lips, softly, as
though he didn’t want God to hear, “Sean, watch yourself. The man speaks for
the Lord.”
“He’s a drunken
ol’ buggar!”
“Sean, stop,”
Aislynn cried. “Can’t you see he’s upset?” She grabbed Papa’s hand.
“We’ll talk to
him,” Brian offered.
Papa answered,
“I just did. He says it’s an improper, sinful arrangement. All of our souls
would be in danger.” He turned to Aislynn, his voice ragged, “You know dear, I
love you like you were my own, but I do want to meet my Mary again.”
“I know, Papa.”
She ran her fingers over the swollen blue veins on his hand. “I’ll get a job, a
live-in job. I’ll find someplace to go.”
“With
strangers?” Sean turned to his father. “The priest wants us to send her to live
with strange men. Who knows what they’ll do to a young Irish girl with no
protection.”
Papa Nolan’s
face contorted as he heard Sean’s terrifying words. “What are we to do? Go
against the priest, the voice of God?”
“Blast him! He
doesn’t live here. He doesn’t know how things are!” Sean’s arms gesturing
wildly.
“Sean, we’ll
work it out. Maybe she can work for the nuns.” Brian suggested.
Michael broke
in, “And what are we to do? Who’s goin’ to cook and wash?”
“You selfish
bastard,” Sean shouted, “thinkin’ about yourself when we’re turnin’ her out.”
“It’s your
fault,” Michael accused Sean, “If you didn’t fawn over her so.”
Sean’s fist rose
to the side of Michael’s face. “What are you sayin’?”
Seated beside
Sean, Aislynn grabbed his arm, “Stop it. Please. I’m not...” she choked on the
word, “family. It’s true.”
Sean stood,
dragging her with him. He shook her off his arm and took two strides toward the
door. “I’ll take care of the priest.”
“Sean, no!” Her
voice became shrill as she followed him to the door. “You’ll disgrace us all.”
“He’ll not run
our lives!” he declared as he moved down the hall.
Aislynn pivoted.
“Brian, please?”
Brian pushed
himself up from the table and ran after his brother.
Aislynn
their regrets and promising prayers for her and her father.
Upon their
departure, she noticed the priest had waylaid Papa Nolan. They stood near the
side of the church, away from the crowd, engaged in deep conversation. Sean put
his hand on Aislynn’s shoulder and said, “He’ll meet us at home.” Johnny took
Aislynn’s arm and the group walked toward Worth Street.
Dinner was
nearly ready to be served when Papa Nolan returned. He fell into a kitchen
chair, his head in his hands. The sight of him sitting in the chair elicited an
automatic response in Aislynn, and she poured him a draught. She sat across
from him and asked, “Where have you been? I know I shouldn’t be so nervous, but
I worry.”
“I’ve been
prayin’.”
“Thank you, I’m
sure Da hears you.” Aislynn replied.
“I was prayin’
for me and for you.” His emphasis on the word “you” stayed suspended between
them.
Aislynn could
feel his body trembling against the table. She could see the sweat erupting
through his forehead and upper lip. His eyes were focused on his worn hands.
They had fallen on the table like a dead soldier’s, on their backs with their
palms up. He looked old and defeated. She surveyed him carefully as her stomach
churned.
The boys had
heard their father arrive, and each one sauntered in from the parlor, expecting
dinner would be served. Aislynn glanced up at them as they circled the table
and took seats. Silence swelled in the room. “Why me?” she asked.
“The priest, he
says you can’t live with us. He says you’re not family and t’would be too much
of a…” he pursed his lips and looked away from her as he squeezed out the
words, “a temptation for three single men.”
Sean exploded,
“The bastard! His mind’s in the gutter!”
The elder
Nolan’s eyes burned into him. His words seethed through his lips, softly, as
though he didn’t want God to hear, “Sean, watch yourself. The man speaks for
the Lord.”
“He’s a drunken
ol’ buggar!”
“Sean, stop,”
Aislynn cried. “Can’t you see he’s upset?” She grabbed Papa’s hand.
“We’ll talk to
him,” Brian offered.
Papa answered,
“I just did. He says it’s an improper, sinful arrangement. All of our souls
would be in danger.” He turned to Aislynn, his voice ragged, “You know dear, I
love you like you were my own, but I do want to meet my Mary again.”
“I know, Papa.”
She ran her fingers over the swollen blue veins on his hand. “I’ll get a job, a
live-in job. I’ll find someplace to go.”
“With
strangers?” Sean turned to his father. “The priest wants us to send her to live
with strange men. Who knows what they’ll do to a young Irish girl with no
protection.”
Papa Nolan’s
face contorted as he heard Sean’s terrifying words. “What are we to do? Go
against the priest, the voice of God?”
“Blast him! He
doesn’t live here. He doesn’t know how things are!” Sean’s arms gesturing
wildly.
“Sean, we’ll
work it out. Maybe she can work for the nuns.” Brian suggested.
Michael broke
in, “And what are we to do? Who’s goin’ to cook and wash?”
“You selfish
bastard,” Sean shouted, “thinkin’ about yourself when we’re turnin’ her out.”
“It’s your
fault,” Michael accused Sean, “If you didn’t fawn over her so.”
Sean’s fist rose
to the side of Michael’s face. “What are you sayin’?”
Seated beside
Sean, Aislynn grabbed his arm, “Stop it. Please. I’m not...” she choked on the
word, “family. It’s true.”
Sean stood,
dragging her with him. He shook her off his arm and took two strides toward the
door. “I’ll take care of the priest.”
“Sean, no!” Her
voice became shrill as she followed him to the door. “You’ll disgrace us all.”
“He’ll not run
our lives!” he declared as he moved down the hall.
Aislynn pivoted.
“Brian, please?”
Brian pushed
himself up from the table and ran after his brother.
Aislynn
Similar Books
