who had always looked out for him before and said, ‘Promise?’ He didn’t know if he believed in the power of a promise any more. Hadn’t his granddad promised? But it was all he had.
Molly said without any hesitation at all, ‘I promise, Kevin. I swear it on the Bible.’
‘Ah, Molly,’ Kevin said, and he leaned towards her with a sigh and she put her arms around him. As Stan’s arms encircled both children he felt a sharp pain in his chest. So, he thought, this is what it feels like when a person’s heart is broken in two.
After the funeral was over, Biddy made her way to the presbytery and Father Monahon who had been expecting her. He listened to her proposals to take the children to Ireland and fully approved. In fact, he couldn’t see any viable alternative. In his opinion the sooner the children were removed from the clutches of their grandfather the better. Their immortal souls were at stake.
‘I’m gratified that you feel the same as I do,’ Biddy said. ‘At my time of life it is not easy to tie myself down with the worry and burden of raising children again, but I know where my duty lies. I must say, I was surprised that your curate didn’t share your view on this matter,’ she went on as Father Clayton entered the room.
Father Monahon’s cold eyes slid over to the younger priest as he asked testily, ‘Is this true?’
‘In a way,’ Father Clayton admitted. ‘Mrs Sullivan has just said she would find it difficult raising the children. Added to that, they seem so happy with Stan. They have both just lost their parents and are naturally distraught over it. I thought perhaps taking them away from everything that was familiar …’
‘You thought,’ Father Monahon mimicked mockingly. ‘That’s your trouble, you think too much. As a priest, you don’t have to think, but you do have to obey the teachings of the Church. It might be good for the children to get away from memories and get some healthy living and country air into their lungs, but that is neither here nor there. If they are upset, that is the very time when they would need the comfort and support of the one true church and a loving grandmother to bring them up correctly.’
Father Clayton knew there wasn’t a loving bone in Biddy Sullivan’s body and he knew too that wouldn’t matter a jot as far as Father Monahon was concerned. If she lashed the children mercilessly, verbally, physically or both, she would still be considered a fine woman in his superior’s book, if she saw to it that they attended Mass and the sacraments.
Father Monahon shook hands with Biddy and said, ‘I would suggest that you see the authorities as quickly as possible and set all this in motion. Rest assured, you will have my full support.’
Father Clayton said not a word. There was nothing left to say.
That night, Kevin had a horrific nightmare. As he was sharing his granddad’s bed so that a room could be given up to Biddy, Stan was quick to comfort and reassure, but long after his granddad had fallen asleep again, Kevin had lain wide-eyed, for though he ached with tiredness and his eyes smarted from lack of sleep, he was afraid of closing them.
Next morning, Kevin was listless his face was as white as a sheet, his eyes were red-rimmed. But Biddy didn’t believe in children having a lie-in. There was no time to lay about on a farm and the sooner they got to grips with that the better. Biddy had a host of jobs she wanted Molly to do and she listed these at the breakfast table. As well as the shopping and cooking, Biddy wanted her to tackle the family wash and then clean the house from top to bottom.
Molly said nothing, though she looked across the table to her grandfather and saw him purse his lips. He hated the thought of his granddaughter working so hard all day. The child was no slouch anyway and had been tremendous with her mother so ill in hospital, taking on a lot of the housework and cooking. Both he and his son had given the child a hand. And then, of course, there was always Hilda, who had showed what a true friend she was.
Biddy, however, had taken an instant dislike to Hilda and told her firmly that her help was no longer required, not that she intended to fill this gap herself. She did nothing but carp and complain and find fault with everything and everybody. Often Stan found it hard to believe that this objectionable woman was the mother of the lovely Nuala.
So though he wanted to complain about this, he knew his authority, as far as the children were concerned, was of no account, and so he said nothing. He had an appointment with the landlord that morning to tell the man of his changed circumstances. As soon as the children left with Biddy he would be returning to his own little house.
Stan was in the bedroom getting ready when Kevin sidled in. ‘Can I come with you, Granddad?’ he asked. ‘I’ll be good. I’ll wait in the corridor for you. Please don’t leave me behind.’
Stan looked at the child’s white and frightened face and wished he could take him, but he knew for his own sake he had to get used to Biddy and so he said, ‘No, it’s better if you stop here. I’ll likely not be long.’
‘Please, Granddad?’
The expression on Kevin’s face tore at Stan’s heart, but he knew he wouldn’t be part of the child’s world for much longer and so he bent to his level and said, ‘Kevin, you know what I explained to you the day of the funeral? Maybe you should try to get to know Biddy. I know the woman is not easy, but it would likely help you if you could get along together.’
‘I don’t like her, Granddad and I’m scared of her too.’
‘I know that, Kevin,’ Stan said sadly. ‘All I’m saying is perhaps you need to try a little harder and maybe she will be better if I am not around.’
Stan didn’t believe that for a minute and neither did Kevin, but there was no help for it. Once his grandfather had left, Kevin wanted to hide away in the bedroom, but Biddy found him there, hauled him out and set him to cleaning the family’s shoes.
For some time the only sound in the house was Biddy’s nagging voice. Kevin envied Molly escaping it when she went out with a list to do the shopping.
Molly was finding the day long and arduous, and not the work alone, but coping with all the complaints, however hard she tried.
By the time she carried the shopping back she was feeling weary, for she had already stripped the sheets off the beds, remade them and left the soiled linen in the boiler while she washed, rinsed, mangled and hung out the rest of the washing. Then she was sent out to do the shopping and knew after that she would have to tackle all the sheets and clean the house, for Biddy did nothing.
Biddy noticed how jaded Molly looked as she hauled the heavy bags into the house and was pleased. She would soon show the child who was the boss in this house.
‘This is a rest cure compared with what you will be doing when I get you to my place,’ Biddy told her. ‘There, as well as housework, you will be expected to help on the farm. Your mother was never expected to do any of this and look where that got me. The Devil makes work for idle hands, people say, so you will not be allowed to be idle at any time, let me tell you. I have learned the error of my ways and you will not go the way of your mother.’
Molly was incensed by the disparaging way that Biddy spoke of the mother she had loved with a passion. She faced her grandmother and said, ‘I would be pleased and proud to be like my mother. Don’t you dare say bad things about her! She was a lovely person and much nicer and kinder than you.’
The slap across Molly’s cheek was so hefty she was nearly lifted from her feet. She made no sound, though her hand flew to her cheek
