read his favorite book, John Mitchels Jail Journal, which is all about a
great Irish rebel the English condemned to exile in Van Diemens land
in Australia.The English tell John Mitchel hes free to come and go as
he pleases all over Van Diemens land if he gives his word of honor as a
gentleman he wont try to escape. He gives his word till a ship comes to
help him escape and he goes to the office of the English magistrate and
says, Im escaping, jumps on his horse and winds up in New York. Dad
says he doesnt mind if I read silly English books by P. G.Wodehouse as
long as I dont forget the men who did their bit and gave their lives for
Ireland.
I cant stay at home forever and Mam takes me back to Leamys
School in November. The new headmaster, Mr. OHalloran, says hes
sorry, Ive missed over two months of school and I have to be put back
in fifth class. Mam says surely Im ready for sixth class.After all, she says,
hes missed only a few weeks. Mr. OHalloran says hes sorry, take the
boy next door to Mr. ODea.
We walk along the hallway and I tell Mam I dont want to be in fifth
class. Malachy is in that class and I dont want to be in a class with my
brother who is a year younger. I made my Confirmation last year. He
didnt. Im older. Im not bigger anymore because of the typhoid but
Im older.
Mam says, It wont kill you.
She doesnt care and Im put into that class with Malachy and I
know all his friends are there sneering at me because I was put back.
Mr. ODea makes me sit in the front and tells me get that sour look off
my puss or Ill feel the end of his ash plant.
Then a miracle happens and its all because of St. Francis of Assisi,
my favorite saint,and Our Lord Himself.I find a penny in the street that
first day back at school and I want to run to Kathleen OConnells for
a big square of Cleeves toffee but I cant run because my legs are still
weak from the typhoid and sometimes I have to hold on to a wall. Im
desperate for the Cleevestoffee but Im also desperate to get out of fifth
class.
I know I have to go to the statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Hes the
only one who will listen but hes at the other end of Limerick and it
takes me an hour to walk there, sitting on steps, holding on to walls. Its
a penny to light a candle and I wonder if I should just light the candle
and keep the penny. No, St. Francis would know. He loves the bird in
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