great.
Anne Korff was in her vegetable garden at the back of the house. She heard Lottie barking and came round to the front, cradling a bunch of carrots, two parsnips, and a dozen potatoes in her arms. J.J. offered her the cheese.
“You came down with it?” she said. “Ah, J.J., that was good of you. You shouldn’t have.”
“No problem.” J.J. could see that Anne had no room in her hands to take the cheese. He opened the door for her, and she preceded him into the house.
“Would you believe that this is supposed to be my lunch?” she said. “Time these days. It just goes by like crazy.”
She dumped the vegetables in the sink and rinsed her hands under the tap. J.J. put the cheese on top of her fridge.
“Be seeing you,” he said, making for the door.
But Anne called him back. “Wait now. While you’re here I have something to give you.”
“No, no,” said J.J. “There’s no need.”
“Not for bringing the cheese,” said Anne. “I was thinking of you when I found it.” She dried her hands on her jeans. “Now. Where is it?”
She began to rummage through the drawers and cupboards. J.J. fidgeted beside the door.
“What are you up to these days anyway?” she said.
“Oh, same old same old,” said J.J. “School, hurling, music.”
“A boy of many talents,” said Anne. “Where the hell is that CD? I saw it a few days ago. Somewhere…” She moved to a different cupboard on the other side of the room. “Such a lot of junk. I need to sort myself out. There just isn’t any time…”
“No,” said J.J. “Any idea where I can buy some?”
Anne laughed. “I wish I knew. People use that expression so easily, don’t you think? Buying time. It can’t be done.”
“Ah, it can, though,” said J.J.
“Yes?” said Anne. “You know how?”
“Not yet. But I will.”
“Oh?”
“Yep. That’s what my mum wants for her birthday, and I plan to get it for her. Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
Anne stopped rummaging and looked at J.J. Her face was thoughtful. “You really mean that?”
“Absolutely. One hundred percent. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”
“No, it’s just…” Anne stopped herself. “Ach! It’s too crazy.”
“What’s too crazy?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking that sometimes a person with so much determination can find a way to solve a problem that no one else can solve.”
“What do you mean?” said J.J.
Anne began poking in the cupboard again, but J.J. could tell that her attention wasn’t where her fingers were. “You’ve got an idea, haven’t you?” he said. “I wish you’d tell me.”
She sighed and closed the door of the cupboard. She gave him that thoughtful look again, as if she were appraising him.
“I have run out of ideas,” she said. “That’s the problem. I know where the time is going, but I don’t know how to stop it. The situation is very serious, J.J. Much more serious than anyone realizes.”
J.J. sat down on a stool. Jimmy could wait. Anne’s words were creating an urgent tide in his blood. This mattered.
“Why? Where is it going?”
Anne seemed to be speaking as much to herself as to him. “A determined and talented young man. Perhaps that’s what we need.”
“I meant what I said, you know,” said J.J. “I don’t care what it takes. If I can buy time for my mum, I’ll do it.”
“I can see that you’re determined,” said Anne. “But I wonder if you’re brave enough?”
“Brave enough? Why? What will I have to do?”
“You’ll have to find out what the inside of asouterrain looks like, for a start,” said Anne. “If you have what it takes to go through, the rest of it might not be too bad.”
“Go through where?”
“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” said Anne. “If you’re really sure you want to do this, I’ll take you there. But after that you’re on your own.”
----
THE LAD THAT CAN DO IT
Trad
----
2
The souterrain was a much greater test of
Anne Korff was in her vegetable garden at the back of the house. She heard Lottie barking and came round to the front, cradling a bunch of carrots, two parsnips, and a dozen potatoes in her arms. J.J. offered her the cheese.
“You came down with it?” she said. “Ah, J.J., that was good of you. You shouldn’t have.”
“No problem.” J.J. could see that Anne had no room in her hands to take the cheese. He opened the door for her, and she preceded him into the house.
“Would you believe that this is supposed to be my lunch?” she said. “Time these days. It just goes by like crazy.”
She dumped the vegetables in the sink and rinsed her hands under the tap. J.J. put the cheese on top of her fridge.
“Be seeing you,” he said, making for the door.
But Anne called him back. “Wait now. While you’re here I have something to give you.”
“No, no,” said J.J. “There’s no need.”
“Not for bringing the cheese,” said Anne. “I was thinking of you when I found it.” She dried her hands on her jeans. “Now. Where is it?”
She began to rummage through the drawers and cupboards. J.J. fidgeted beside the door.
“What are you up to these days anyway?” she said.
“Oh, same old same old,” said J.J. “School, hurling, music.”
“A boy of many talents,” said Anne. “Where the hell is that CD? I saw it a few days ago. Somewhere…” She moved to a different cupboard on the other side of the room. “Such a lot of junk. I need to sort myself out. There just isn’t any time…”
“No,” said J.J. “Any idea where I can buy some?”
Anne laughed. “I wish I knew. People use that expression so easily, don’t you think? Buying time. It can’t be done.”
“Ah, it can, though,” said J.J.
“Yes?” said Anne. “You know how?”
“Not yet. But I will.”
“Oh?”
“Yep. That’s what my mum wants for her birthday, and I plan to get it for her. Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
Anne stopped rummaging and looked at J.J. Her face was thoughtful. “You really mean that?”
“Absolutely. One hundred percent. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”
“No, it’s just…” Anne stopped herself. “Ach! It’s too crazy.”
“What’s too crazy?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking that sometimes a person with so much determination can find a way to solve a problem that no one else can solve.”
“What do you mean?” said J.J.
Anne began poking in the cupboard again, but J.J. could tell that her attention wasn’t where her fingers were. “You’ve got an idea, haven’t you?” he said. “I wish you’d tell me.”
She sighed and closed the door of the cupboard. She gave him that thoughtful look again, as if she were appraising him.
“I have run out of ideas,” she said. “That’s the problem. I know where the time is going, but I don’t know how to stop it. The situation is very serious, J.J. Much more serious than anyone realizes.”
J.J. sat down on a stool. Jimmy could wait. Anne’s words were creating an urgent tide in his blood. This mattered.
“Why? Where is it going?”
Anne seemed to be speaking as much to herself as to him. “A determined and talented young man. Perhaps that’s what we need.”
“I meant what I said, you know,” said J.J. “I don’t care what it takes. If I can buy time for my mum, I’ll do it.”
“I can see that you’re determined,” said Anne. “But I wonder if you’re brave enough?”
“Brave enough? Why? What will I have to do?”
“You’ll have to find out what the inside of asouterrain looks like, for a start,” said Anne. “If you have what it takes to go through, the rest of it might not be too bad.”
“Go through where?”
“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” said Anne. “If you’re really sure you want to do this, I’ll take you there. But after that you’re on your own.”
----
THE LAD THAT CAN DO IT
Trad
----
2
The souterrain was a much greater test of
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