Read Online The Lost Garden by Kate Kerrigan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Kerrigan
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look up over her bowl and hoped she never made her eyes slant with such a cold stare.
‘Carmel,’ Mick chided her, ‘show some respect.’ Carmel glowered at him as if unaware of what the word even meant. ‘Besides,’ Mick said, ‘Biddy hasn’t had time to get the full kitchen set up as yet.’
The insult reverberated round the silent circle as everyone’s eyes reached down to the bottom of their bowls. Biddy’s face was as set as stone. Mick coughed, knowing he had said the wrong thing, but pride would not have him take it back, so he looked down as well.
Aileen remembered there was a dish of salt next to the stove inside. As in her home, with the damp sea air and the cooking steam, it was the only place the condiment would stay dry. Biddy must have set it there and yet the old woman did not move from her seat.
Aileen thought she was right not to hop up at every command, but at the same time she wanted everyone to see that Biddy was in control of her domain.
As Aileen got up from her seat to fetch it herself, Carmel said cattily, ‘Mind you don’t leave your shadow behind or he might run off on you.’
Aileen did not know what made her angrier – the patronizing attitude to Jimmy or her suggestion that he might leave her. She went inside and fetched the salt dish, then scooped up a palmful and tipped it on top of Carmel’s spuds.
‘What are you doing?’ Carmel screamed. ‘You’ve ruined my food, you little bitch!’
Mick, still smarting from his own mistake, stood up in front of his daughter. ‘Right, madam,’ he said, ‘I have had enough of this. You apologize to this good company for using that language and you apologize to Aileen.’
‘Ah now, Mick,’ Aileen’s father, Paddy, said, ‘leave the poor girl be – sure we’re all tired here tonight. It’s been a long journey, and Aileen maybe went a bit heavy with the salt all right.’
However, Aileen knew by the tone of her father’s voice he was being disingenuous. Nobody else came to Carmel’s defence, and looking around at the group, it seemed that everyone was delighted to see Carmel Kelly get a dressing-down – even her brother, Michael. Everyone, except, Aileen thought, her own brother Paddy Junior.
‘No,’ Mick said, ‘in fairness now, you said it yourself, we’re all tired. But look at your young one. It’s her first year and she is helping Biddy as if she has been here all her life. She is a credit to you, Paddy. Carmel, you will apologize for being nasty to Aileen.’
‘I will not,’ said Carmel. ‘She deliberately ruined my—’
‘Right!’ and with that Mick grabbed his daughter by the armand marched her away out of the company, presumably to give her a good hiding, which, in their absence, the present company decided she deserved.
‘A good round kick up the behind is what she needs.’
‘Long overdue.’
‘Mick’s a fine gaffer, but he has ruined that child.’
‘The rest of us working twice as hard to make up for her.’
‘Don’t get next to her in the field, that’s for sure – she’ll not do a scrap and will take credit for your load.’
‘Wasn’t she left behind in the bothy all of last season “helping” Biddy?’
‘Sure she didn’t as much as wipe a spoon . . .’
Biddy contributed the occasional ‘humph’ of agreement, but she was the kind of wise old bird who didn’t say much, generally communicating disapproval through the movement of her brow.
Mostly it had been the three girls, Noreen, Claire and Attracta, giving out about Carmel. Mick’s exit had signalled the end of the meal and most of the men had gone off about the yard smoking or getting settled in their beds before the lamps and the fires went out.
A young man with a round, open face and the slanted eyes of a simpleton who was still sitting with the women blurted out, ‘She does be sitting about her bed mooning over Paddy Junior.’
Aileen’s eldest brother got up and stormed out of his seat.
One of the girls
‘Carmel,’ Mick chided her, ‘show some respect.’ Carmel glowered at him as if unaware of what the word even meant. ‘Besides,’ Mick said, ‘Biddy hasn’t had time to get the full kitchen set up as yet.’
The insult reverberated round the silent circle as everyone’s eyes reached down to the bottom of their bowls. Biddy’s face was as set as stone. Mick coughed, knowing he had said the wrong thing, but pride would not have him take it back, so he looked down as well.
Aileen remembered there was a dish of salt next to the stove inside. As in her home, with the damp sea air and the cooking steam, it was the only place the condiment would stay dry. Biddy must have set it there and yet the old woman did not move from her seat.
Aileen thought she was right not to hop up at every command, but at the same time she wanted everyone to see that Biddy was in control of her domain.
As Aileen got up from her seat to fetch it herself, Carmel said cattily, ‘Mind you don’t leave your shadow behind or he might run off on you.’
Aileen did not know what made her angrier – the patronizing attitude to Jimmy or her suggestion that he might leave her. She went inside and fetched the salt dish, then scooped up a palmful and tipped it on top of Carmel’s spuds.
‘What are you doing?’ Carmel screamed. ‘You’ve ruined my food, you little bitch!’
Mick, still smarting from his own mistake, stood up in front of his daughter. ‘Right, madam,’ he said, ‘I have had enough of this. You apologize to this good company for using that language and you apologize to Aileen.’
‘Ah now, Mick,’ Aileen’s father, Paddy, said, ‘leave the poor girl be – sure we’re all tired here tonight. It’s been a long journey, and Aileen maybe went a bit heavy with the salt all right.’
However, Aileen knew by the tone of her father’s voice he was being disingenuous. Nobody else came to Carmel’s defence, and looking around at the group, it seemed that everyone was delighted to see Carmel Kelly get a dressing-down – even her brother, Michael. Everyone, except, Aileen thought, her own brother Paddy Junior.
‘No,’ Mick said, ‘in fairness now, you said it yourself, we’re all tired. But look at your young one. It’s her first year and she is helping Biddy as if she has been here all her life. She is a credit to you, Paddy. Carmel, you will apologize for being nasty to Aileen.’
‘I will not,’ said Carmel. ‘She deliberately ruined my—’
‘Right!’ and with that Mick grabbed his daughter by the armand marched her away out of the company, presumably to give her a good hiding, which, in their absence, the present company decided she deserved.
‘A good round kick up the behind is what she needs.’
‘Long overdue.’
‘Mick’s a fine gaffer, but he has ruined that child.’
‘The rest of us working twice as hard to make up for her.’
‘Don’t get next to her in the field, that’s for sure – she’ll not do a scrap and will take credit for your load.’
‘Wasn’t she left behind in the bothy all of last season “helping” Biddy?’
‘Sure she didn’t as much as wipe a spoon . . .’
Biddy contributed the occasional ‘humph’ of agreement, but she was the kind of wise old bird who didn’t say much, generally communicating disapproval through the movement of her brow.
Mostly it had been the three girls, Noreen, Claire and Attracta, giving out about Carmel. Mick’s exit had signalled the end of the meal and most of the men had gone off about the yard smoking or getting settled in their beds before the lamps and the fires went out.
A young man with a round, open face and the slanted eyes of a simpleton who was still sitting with the women blurted out, ‘She does be sitting about her bed mooning over Paddy Junior.’
Aileen’s eldest brother got up and stormed out of his seat.
One of the girls
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