Well, thats better than ten. Ill be fourteen in September. Do you
want to know why Im in the Fever Hospital?
I do.
I have diphtheria and something else.
Whats something else?
They dont know. They think I have a disease from foreign parts
because my father used to be in Africa. I nearly died.Are you going to
tell me what you look like?
I have black hair.
You and millions.
I have brown eyes with bits of green thats called hazel.
You and thousands.
I have stitches on the back of my right hand and my two feet where
they put in the soldiers blood.
Oh, God, did they?
They did.
You wont be able to stop marching and saluting.
Theres a swish of habit and click of beads and then Sister Ritas
voice. Now, now, whats this? Theres to be no talking between two
rooms especially when its a boy and a girl. Do you hear me, Patricia?
I do, Sister.
Do you hear me, Francis?
I do, Sister.
You could be giving thanks for your two remarkable recoveries.You
could be saying the rosary.You could be reading The Little Messenger of
the Sacred Heart thats beside your beds.Dont let me come back and find
you talking.
She comes into my room and wags her finger at me. Especially you,
Francis, after thousands of boys prayed for you at the Confraternity.
Give thanks, Francis, give thanks.
She leaves and theres silence for awhile. Then Patricia whispers,
Give thanks, Francis, give thanks, and say your rosary, Francis, and I
laugh so hard a nurse runs in to see if Im all right. Shes a very stern
nurse from the County Kerry and she frightens me.Whats this, Fran-
cis? Laughing? What is there to laugh about? Are you and that Madigan
girl talking? Ill report you to Sister Rita.Theres to be no laughing for
you could be doing serious damage to your internal apparatus.
She plods out and Patricia whispers again in a heavy Kerry accent,
No laughing, Francis, you could be doin serious damage to your inter-
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