Read Online Wandering in Exile by Peter Murphy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Peter Murphy
Ads: Link
in London is doing it.”
Jerry nodded as he absorbed it all. “But come here to me. Where are you going to find the money to be fixing houses? Gina says you can’t even change the jack’s-roll.”
“That’s where you come in. I got the houses and you got the men and the material.”
*
*
*
After that, Jacinta was back to her usual self and tried to convince him that she had just gotten mixed up.
“I was just having a few drinks and I forgot if I had taken my pills. I must have taken them before because as soon as I took some more I didn’t remember anything. I’m so sorry for scaring you all like that but there’s nothing for anybody to be getting worried about.”
Jerry was more than happy to accept her explanation; he had too many other things to be thinking about.
And Jacinta never had to mention that Deirdre had come by to see her, too, to ask why Danny wanted nothing more to do with her. Jacinta had lied to her but Deirdre’s tears were like acid and burned all the way into her soul.
4
1980
“Are you well, Mrs. Boyle?”
“Fair to middling, Mrs. Flanagan, but I suppose I shouldn’t complain.”
The two of them stood on the steps of the church as the winds swirled plastic bags up into the trees. They had seen each other often but they hadn’t really had a chat since that day in the priest’s house. Jacinta was ready to leave but Mrs. Flanagan had something to say. She just didn’t seem to know how to begin.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Jacinta asked nervously.
“I would like to have a little chat, if you can spare the time.”
“Of course, but not here in the wind. Let’s go over the road and have a cup of tea,” Jacinta offered and nodded toward the Yellow House, “or something stronger if you prefer,” she added as the two women linked arms and forced their way through passing cars.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said about my Anthony,” Mrs. Flanagan finally announced after she had sipped her sherry and placed it carefully on the paper doily.
It took Jacinta a moment to remember what she had said. “Sure of course you would. You’d think on nothing else.”
“Well,” Mrs. Flanagan paused like she was measuring what she was about to say. “It’s no secret that my Anthony was no saint, but he wasn’t the worst of them either.”
“Not a bit of it,” Jacinta lied and wondered where Mrs. Flanagan was taking her.
“I know he got mixed up in things that would have been better left alone, but he wasn’t the only one.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“Well, I have been praying to God because I know he hasn’t got to heaven.”
“Sure how can you be sure? Maybe he said a good act of contrition before . . .”
“Ah now that’s very nice of you to say, Mrs. Boyle, but I think he’ll be a while yet before he gets there.”
“You don’t think that he’s in Hell?” Jacinta asked as earnestly as she could. If there was any justice, and if God paid any attention to all the neighbor’s curses, Anto would have a front seat close to the fire.
“No. I have a feeling that he is going to have to stay in purgatory for a while.”
“Lord save us,” Jacinta answered because she could think of nothing else to say.
She didn’t believe in any of that anymore. All the grey days in the hospital had chased all that nonsense from her mind but she knew better than to say that aloud.
“What I was wondering,” Mrs. Flanagan said as she finally got to the heart of the matter, “was if you would have a word with your Danny about this?”
“And what can Danny do?”
“Well, if Danny was to remember him in his prayers, then the bit of good that Anthony did wouldn’t be forgotten.”
Jacinta almost laughed but controlled herself.
“You can rest assured, Mrs. Flanagan; he gets down on his knees every night and thanks God for sending Anthony to save him that night. He was just telling me that he wants to send flowers for the grave only he’s not sure how to
Jerry nodded as he absorbed it all. “But come here to me. Where are you going to find the money to be fixing houses? Gina says you can’t even change the jack’s-roll.”
“That’s where you come in. I got the houses and you got the men and the material.”
*
*
*
After that, Jacinta was back to her usual self and tried to convince him that she had just gotten mixed up.
“I was just having a few drinks and I forgot if I had taken my pills. I must have taken them before because as soon as I took some more I didn’t remember anything. I’m so sorry for scaring you all like that but there’s nothing for anybody to be getting worried about.”
Jerry was more than happy to accept her explanation; he had too many other things to be thinking about.
And Jacinta never had to mention that Deirdre had come by to see her, too, to ask why Danny wanted nothing more to do with her. Jacinta had lied to her but Deirdre’s tears were like acid and burned all the way into her soul.
4
1980
“Are you well, Mrs. Boyle?”
“Fair to middling, Mrs. Flanagan, but I suppose I shouldn’t complain.”
The two of them stood on the steps of the church as the winds swirled plastic bags up into the trees. They had seen each other often but they hadn’t really had a chat since that day in the priest’s house. Jacinta was ready to leave but Mrs. Flanagan had something to say. She just didn’t seem to know how to begin.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Jacinta asked nervously.
“I would like to have a little chat, if you can spare the time.”
“Of course, but not here in the wind. Let’s go over the road and have a cup of tea,” Jacinta offered and nodded toward the Yellow House, “or something stronger if you prefer,” she added as the two women linked arms and forced their way through passing cars.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said about my Anthony,” Mrs. Flanagan finally announced after she had sipped her sherry and placed it carefully on the paper doily.
It took Jacinta a moment to remember what she had said. “Sure of course you would. You’d think on nothing else.”
“Well,” Mrs. Flanagan paused like she was measuring what she was about to say. “It’s no secret that my Anthony was no saint, but he wasn’t the worst of them either.”
“Not a bit of it,” Jacinta lied and wondered where Mrs. Flanagan was taking her.
“I know he got mixed up in things that would have been better left alone, but he wasn’t the only one.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“Well, I have been praying to God because I know he hasn’t got to heaven.”
“Sure how can you be sure? Maybe he said a good act of contrition before . . .”
“Ah now that’s very nice of you to say, Mrs. Boyle, but I think he’ll be a while yet before he gets there.”
“You don’t think that he’s in Hell?” Jacinta asked as earnestly as she could. If there was any justice, and if God paid any attention to all the neighbor’s curses, Anto would have a front seat close to the fire.
“No. I have a feeling that he is going to have to stay in purgatory for a while.”
“Lord save us,” Jacinta answered because she could think of nothing else to say.
She didn’t believe in any of that anymore. All the grey days in the hospital had chased all that nonsense from her mind but she knew better than to say that aloud.
“What I was wondering,” Mrs. Flanagan said as she finally got to the heart of the matter, “was if you would have a word with your Danny about this?”
“And what can Danny do?”
“Well, if Danny was to remember him in his prayers, then the bit of good that Anthony did wouldn’t be forgotten.”
Jacinta almost laughed but controlled herself.
“You can rest assured, Mrs. Flanagan; he gets down on his knees every night and thanks God for sending Anthony to save him that night. He was just telling me that he wants to send flowers for the grave only he’s not sure how to
Similar Books
