. . .
The horse clop-clopped through the streets of Limerick. Malachy said,
Are we going to see Oliver? and Dad said, No, Oliver is in heaven and
dont ask me what heaven is because I dont know.
Mam said, Heaven is a place where Oliver and Eugene and Mar-
garet are happy and warm and well see them there some day.
Malachy said,The horse did his doodoo on the street and there was
a smell, and Mam and Dad had to smile.
At the graveyard the driver climbs down and opens the door of the car-
riage. Gimme that coffin, he says, an Ill carry it up to the grave. He
yanks at the coffin and stumbles.Mam says,Youre not carrying my child
in the condition youre in. She turns to Dad.You carry him, she says.
Do what you like,says the driver.Do what you bloody well like,and
he climbs up to his seat.
Its getting dark now and the coffin seems whiter than ever in Dads
arms. Mam takes our hands and we follow Dad through the graves.The
jackdaws are quiet in the trees because their day is nearly over and they
have to rest so that they can get up early in the morning and feed their
babies.
Two men with shovels are waiting by a small open grave. One man
says,Ye are very late. Good thing this is a small job or wed be gone. He
climbs into the grave. Hand it to me, he says, and Dad hands him the
coffin.
The man sprinkles some straw and grass on the coffin and as he
climbs out the other man shovels in the earth. Mam lets out a long cry,
Oh, Jesus, Jesus, and a jackdaw croaks in a tree. I wish I had a rock to hit
that jackdaw. When the men finish shoveling in the earth they wipe
their foreheads and wait. One says,Ah, well, now, theres usually a little
something for the thirst thats in it.
Dad says, Oh, yes, yes, and gives them money. They say, Sorry for
your troubles, and they leave.
We make our way back to the carriage at the graveyard gate but the
carriage is gone. Dad looks around in the darkness and comes back
shaking his head. Mam says, That driver is nothing but a dirty old
drunkard, God forgive me.
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