“She said that you were good to her to the bitter end.”
“Did she really?”
“She did. And you know Nora. If you ever think about doing something like this she’ll come back and haunt sense into you.”
“She did before but it wore off.”
“If you don’t promise that you’ll never think of doing it again, I’ll hold a séance.”
“I promise you, Jerry.” She waited until his eyes began to soften and reached for his arm. “I don’t suppose that you would make me a cup of tea now?”
*
*
*
“What are you going to do?”
Jerry had confided in Gina, and she in Donal, but they all agreed it would go no further. Jerry had told Jacinta to have them over on Sunday and, as was pre-planned, he and Donal had to go out to get more cigarettes while the women shared a pot of tea. Normally, Jacinta would have caught on but she seemed to want to spend some time with her sister and Donal and Jerry were happy to make themselves scarce.
“Jeeze, Donal, I don’t fuckin’ know. This is the last thing I needed right now. Should I have called the hospital?”
“No! You did the right thing. You don’t want your poor wife to die of shame. But don’t worry, you probably saved her life.” He placed his arm on Jerry’s. “You’re not afraid that it might happen again?”
Jerry paused to light a cigarette. “I don’t think so, only Jacinta is not like Gina and the others you know? She’s a bit delicate and sometimes she does things because life gets to her.”
“Has she ever tried to do this before?”
He thought about it but he couldn’t tell him. That whole night was still a bit of a blur.
*
**
*
He’d been out having a few drinks and when he came home she went right for him. She was complaining about how hard it was for her with the baby and all. It never occurred to her that it was hard for him, too, getting used to it all. He probably should have tried to be a bit nicer but he was getting awful tired of her.
“I’ll take the baby,” she had screamed at him. “We’ll go down to the river and I’ll throw the two of us in and then you’ll be happy. You and your mother will be rid of us and you can all go back to being the big shots and everyone will be happy. Is that what you want?”
He should have said something else but he didn’t. “I don’t give a fiddler’s fuck what you do; just let me go to bed, will ya?”
He didn’t really mean it but he didn’t think that she really meant what she said either. He couldn’t believe it when she grabbed the child and ran out the door in her nightie. He ran after her of course, but she was screaming and carrying on until the Guards arrived and took the three of them to the station.
Fr. Brennan arrived with his mother a few hours later. They had talked it all through and were going to step in and do what had to be done. Jerry and Jacinta had no say in it and were packed off, him to England and her to the hospital and Danny went to live with his granny.
*
***
*
“You know, Jerry.” Donal nudged him when the silence had dragged. “You could be rich and get real doctors to look at Jacinta.”
“With what? I can barely afford aspirins on my wages.”
“And that, me-auld-flower, is what I want to talk to you about. You and I could be rich as kings soon and be able to treat our wives like queens.”
“Will I have to wear a fuckin’ crown?”
“You’ll be able to wear your arse for a hat if you like. When you’re rich you get to do what-ever-the-fuck you like.”
“And how are we going to get rich then?”
“You still handle contractors, don’t ya?”
“Ya. Why?”
“Well, you see, I know of a few rundown houses over on Lesson Street.”
“I’m not going to be a fuckin’ landlord’s agent. Not for all the gold . . .”
“Shut up, will ya? I’m not talking about renting them. The auld-fella who owns them is dying and his family won’t want them. We could fix them all up and sell them. It’s called flipping. Everyone over
“Did she really?”
“She did. And you know Nora. If you ever think about doing something like this she’ll come back and haunt sense into you.”
“She did before but it wore off.”
“If you don’t promise that you’ll never think of doing it again, I’ll hold a séance.”
“I promise you, Jerry.” She waited until his eyes began to soften and reached for his arm. “I don’t suppose that you would make me a cup of tea now?”
*
*
*
“What are you going to do?”
Jerry had confided in Gina, and she in Donal, but they all agreed it would go no further. Jerry had told Jacinta to have them over on Sunday and, as was pre-planned, he and Donal had to go out to get more cigarettes while the women shared a pot of tea. Normally, Jacinta would have caught on but she seemed to want to spend some time with her sister and Donal and Jerry were happy to make themselves scarce.
“Jeeze, Donal, I don’t fuckin’ know. This is the last thing I needed right now. Should I have called the hospital?”
“No! You did the right thing. You don’t want your poor wife to die of shame. But don’t worry, you probably saved her life.” He placed his arm on Jerry’s. “You’re not afraid that it might happen again?”
Jerry paused to light a cigarette. “I don’t think so, only Jacinta is not like Gina and the others you know? She’s a bit delicate and sometimes she does things because life gets to her.”
“Has she ever tried to do this before?”
He thought about it but he couldn’t tell him. That whole night was still a bit of a blur.
*
**
*
He’d been out having a few drinks and when he came home she went right for him. She was complaining about how hard it was for her with the baby and all. It never occurred to her that it was hard for him, too, getting used to it all. He probably should have tried to be a bit nicer but he was getting awful tired of her.
“I’ll take the baby,” she had screamed at him. “We’ll go down to the river and I’ll throw the two of us in and then you’ll be happy. You and your mother will be rid of us and you can all go back to being the big shots and everyone will be happy. Is that what you want?”
He should have said something else but he didn’t. “I don’t give a fiddler’s fuck what you do; just let me go to bed, will ya?”
He didn’t really mean it but he didn’t think that she really meant what she said either. He couldn’t believe it when she grabbed the child and ran out the door in her nightie. He ran after her of course, but she was screaming and carrying on until the Guards arrived and took the three of them to the station.
Fr. Brennan arrived with his mother a few hours later. They had talked it all through and were going to step in and do what had to be done. Jerry and Jacinta had no say in it and were packed off, him to England and her to the hospital and Danny went to live with his granny.
*
***
*
“You know, Jerry.” Donal nudged him when the silence had dragged. “You could be rich and get real doctors to look at Jacinta.”
“With what? I can barely afford aspirins on my wages.”
“And that, me-auld-flower, is what I want to talk to you about. You and I could be rich as kings soon and be able to treat our wives like queens.”
“Will I have to wear a fuckin’ crown?”
“You’ll be able to wear your arse for a hat if you like. When you’re rich you get to do what-ever-the-fuck you like.”
“And how are we going to get rich then?”
“You still handle contractors, don’t ya?”
“Ya. Why?”
“Well, you see, I know of a few rundown houses over on Lesson Street.”
“I’m not going to be a fuckin’ landlord’s agent. Not for all the gold . . .”
“Shut up, will ya? I’m not talking about renting them. The auld-fella who owns them is dying and his family won’t want them. We could fix them all up and sell them. It’s called flipping. Everyone over
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