I finish, flush and go outside. She takes my hand and leads me into
a bedroom, puts down her glass, locks the door, pushes me down on the
bed. Shes fumbling at my fly. Damn buttons. Dont you have zippers in
Ireland? She pulls out my excitement climbs up on me slides up and
down up and down Jesus Im in heaven and theres a knock on the door
the priest Frank are you in there Frieda putting her finger to her lips
and her eyes rolling to heaven Frank are you in there Father would you
ever take a good running jump for yourself and oh God oh Theresa do
you see whats happening to me at long last I dont give a fiddlers fart
if the Pope himself knocked on this door and the College of Cardinals
gathered gawking at the windows oh God the whole inside of me is
gone into her and she collapses on me and tells me Im wonderful and
would I ever consider settling in Poughkeepsie.
Frieda tells the priest I had a bit of a dizziness after going to the
bathroom, thats what happens when you travel and youre drinking a
strange beer like Rheingold, which she believes they dont have in Ire-
land. I can see the priest doesnt believe her and I cant stop the way the
heat is coming and going in my face. He already wrote down my
mothers name and address and now Im afraid hell write and say your
fine son spent his first night in America in a bedroom in Poughkeepsie
romping with a woman whose husband was away shooting deer for a
bit of relaxation after doing his bit for America in the war and isnt this
a fine way to treat the men who fought for their country.
The First Officer and the Wireless Officer return from their tours
of the house and the garden and they dont look at the priest. The
women tell us we must be starving and they go into the kitchen.We sit
in the living room saying nothing to each other and listening to the
women whispering and laughing in the kitchen.The priest whispers to
me again, Bad women, bad women, occasion of sin, and I dont know
what to say to him.
The bad women bring out sandwiches and pour more beer and
when we finish eating they put on Frank Sinatra records and ask if any-
one would like to dance. No one says yes because youd never get up
and dance with bad women in the presence of a priest, so the women
dance with each other and laugh as if they all had little secrets. Tim
Boyle drinks whiskey and falls asleep in a corner till Frieda wakes him
and tells him take us back to the ship.When were leaving Frieda leans
toward me as if she might kiss my cheek but the priest says good night
in a very sharp way and no one shakes hands. As we walk down the
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