to me if Im killing myself catching consumption from her mouth Im
riding to heaven Im falling off a cliff and if this is a sin I dont give a
fiddlers fart.
We take our ease on the sofa a while till she says, Dont you have
more telegrams to deliver? and when we sit up she gives a little cry, Oh,
Im bleeding.
Whats up with you?
I think its because its the first time.
I tell her, Wait a minute. I bring the bottle from the kitchen and
splash the iodine on her injury. She leaps from the sofa, dances around
the parlor like a wild one and runs into the kitchen to douse herself
with water.After she dries herself she says, Lord, youre very innocent.
Youre not supposed to be pouring iodine on girls like that.
I thought you were cut.
For weeks after that I deliver the telegram. Sometimes we have the
excitement on the sofa but there are other days she has the cough and
you can see the weakness on her. She never tells me she has the weak-
ness. She never tells me she has the consumption.The boys at the post
office say I must have been having a great time with the shilling tip and
Theresa Carmody. I never tell them I stopped taking the shilling tip. I
never tell them about the green sofa and the excitement. I never tell
them of the pain that comes when she opens the door and I can see the
weakness on her and all I want to do then is make tea for her and sit
with my arms around her on the green sofa.
One Saturday Im told to deliver the telegram to Theresas mother
at her job in Woolworths. I try to be casual. Mrs. Carmody, I always
deliver the telegram to your, I think your daughter,Theresa?
Yes, shes in the hospital.
Is she in the sanatorium?
I said shes in the hospital.
Shes like everyone else in Limerick, ashamed of the TB, and she
doesnt give me a shilling or any kind of tip. I cycle out to the sanato-
rium to see Theresa.They say you have to be a relation and you have to
be adult. I tell them Im her cousin and Ill be fifteen in August.They
tell me go away. I cycle to the Franciscan church to pray for Theresa.
St. Francis, would you please talk to God.Tell Him it wasnt Theresas
fault. I could have refused that telegram Saturday after Saturday.Tell God
Theresa was not responsible for the excitement on the sofa because
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