I talk to St. Francis and tell him about Margaret, Oliver, Eugene, my
father singing Roddy McCorley and bringing home no money, my
father sending no money from England, Theresa and the green sofa,
my terrible sins on Carrigogunnell, why couldnt they hang Hermann
Goering for what he did to the little children with shoes scattered
around concentration camps, the Christian Brother who closed the
door in my face, the time they wouldnt let me be an altar boy, my small
brother Michael walking up the lane with the broken shoe clacking, my
bad eyes that Im ashamed of, the Jesuit brother who closed the door in
my face, the tears in Mams eyes when I slapped her.
Father Gregory says, Would you like to sit and be silent, perhaps
pray a few minutes?
His brown robe is rough against my cheek and theres a smell of
soap. He looks at St. Francis and the tabernacle and nods and I suppose
hes talking to God.Then he tells me kneel, gives me absolution, tells
me say three Hail Marys, three Our Fathers, three Glory Bes. He tells
me God forgives me and I must forgive myself, that God loves me and
I must love myself for only when you love God in yourself can you love
all Gods creatures.
But I want to know about Theresa Carmody in hell, Father.
No, my child. She is surely in heaven. She suffered like the martyrs
in olden times and God knows thats penance enough.You can be sure
the sisters in the hospital didnt let her die without a priest.
Are you sure, Father?
I am, my child.
He blesses me again, asks me to pray for him, and Im happy trot-
ting through the rainy streets of Limerick knowing Theresa is in heaven
with the cough gone.
Monday morning and its dawn in the railway station. Newspapers and
magazines are piled in bundles along the platform wall. Mr. McCaffrey
is there with another boy,Willie Harold, cutting the twine on the bun-
dles, counting, entering the count in a ledger. English newspapers and
The Irish Times have to be delivered early, magazines later in the morn-
ing. We count out the papers and label them for delivery to shops
around the city.
Mr. McCaffrey drives the van and stays at the wheel while Willie and
I run into shops with bundles and take orders for the next day,add or drop
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