Carrig Of Dromara Read online

  We are about four miles from the nearest shopping centre, but they left us so much food we didn’t have to buy any for several weeks. We have Carrig’s name down for the local playschool, and he will be going with his mother on Tuesdays and Fridays, as soon as there is a vacancy. There are a few hundred of them, and there is quite a bit of work to do. Mrs Russel will be glad to have Annie in charge of them, especially when she goes into hospital to have her baby.

  Well, Mum, I think I’ve told you everything for now. I’ll leave a space for Annie at the bottom and she can write a word or two also.

  Lots of love for now,

  Peter.

  Hello, Mary [Annie added]. We’ve all settled in now and are loving the beautiful weather. Carrig is now walking and running about all over the place. We are well fenced in, so no harm can come to him.

  The family are lovely and their son plays with Carrig sometimes. He is a bit older, of course, but they seem to get on well. We are going away for a wee run at the weekend as Peter is off from seven o’clock on Friday until Monday morning.

  Food is so reasonable and we will be starting to save soon. I hope you are looking after yourself, and please tell Martha we send our love and miss you both. I promise we will keep up the letter writing and next time we will have photographs as well, so you can see for yourself what the place looks like.

  Love to all,

  Annie xx.

  It was ten o’clock next morning when Annie called them in.

  “Everything ready!” she shouted.

  They all bundled into the car, excited to be having a day to themselves. Carrig sat upright in his little seat, complete with safety straps and a tray on which Annie had placed orange segments and rusks for the little fellow to chew on while Mum and Dad had a good chat as they drove towards the coast.

  “Shall we pull in here somewhere?” Peter asked as they came close to the beach.

  “Yes, this is perfect.”

  Peter spread the tartan rug on a sandy spot where Carrig could play with his bucket and spade.

  “It’s so nice not having to do the chickens today,” Annie said.

  They enjoyed their lunch near New Brighton, and then later went for a long walk along the beach.

  “I think Elenor Russel is a troubled woman.”

  “Oh, in what way? I suppose it’s His Lordship again, stirring up trouble.”

  “I think there is more to it than that.” Annie pulled her sun hat down to shelter from the strong sun. “I really believe her life has not been easy up to this point.”

  “I can imagine Dennis is not an easy man to live with.”

  Peter shovelled sand into Carrig’s bucket and turned it upside down to make a sandcastle.

  “Oh, look at that! Daddy has made you a castle.”

  The child’s face lit up with delight. They lay back on the sand for a while and rested. The wee man was happy to go on filling his bucket with sand.

  It was getting on, and so they decided to have a look at the shops. Saturday shopping in New Brighton had become very popular in the last while, so why not give it a try? They picked up a small gift for Elenor’s baby, and something for Andrew as well. It is always good when a new baby is brought home from the hospital to have a present for any other siblings – a tip given by an old midwife in Ireland many years before.

  Two large ice-cream cones, and a small one for the wee man, and they would be on their way home again. Peter parked the car above the beach while they enjoyed their ice creams and watched the seagulls swirling above them. The sky darkened over and it seemed a good time to move on.

  Mary’s letters kept on coming, and sometimes Martha would add a wee bit at the bottom. All the news was good and it seemed that Martha had met another lovely man at the Saturday dance in Roshane.

  His name is Alex, and he came in to dinner last week [wrote Mary]. I was also invited, and the boys loved playing games with him. It seems that they have taken to him straight away. Apparently he is quite well off, and it looks like Martha has landed on her feet. Nobody deserves it more.

  We see John and Agnes occasionally, but they’re so busy with the milking and growing their own vegetables. They visit Michael about once a fortnight, and Martha does all the cleaning and baking for them. They are so grateful to have Martha, especially now there is a baby on the way. Everyone seems to be well and happy here.

  I see Dr Martin on the odd day when he calls in. He is looking so well – I think it’s all the walking he does and getting out and about as much as he does.

  Young Samuel and Ross are growing so fast – taller than me now. Samuel is working at Carnmore and loves it there, just along the road, and of course he knows all the nooks and crannies from working there when it was Dromara.

  Martha is so good to me and takes me to town once a week for the groceries and whatever else I need. It is wonderful having her so near to me. I do hope this new man in her life will be the right one for her. It looks like he is quite keen to work things for her.

  The weather has been a bit changeable lately, and Martha bought me a new electric blanket the other week. It’s lovely getting into a warm bed each night – I go to sleep straight away.

  I loved the photographs of you all – especially lovely to see wee Carrig. How he’s grown! He must have nearly all his teeth now. Thank you for all your letters – keep them coming. I get so excited when another one comes in. I have to go down to Martha’s and let her read them too. She relays all your news to John and Agnes, and their interest is amazing. I will have to start knitting again, but I’m not so fast on the needles as I used to be.

  “After four years you’d think Dennis would have a bit more respect than to go on calling me Paddy.”

  “He’s not still doin’ that!”

  Annie was concerned that Peter would explode and let him have a bit of his Irish temper, but Peter let it go again.

  “I was down at the pub one night a couple of weeks ago, and they all know him well there. One big man called Fergie was saying he’s always like that and he said he wondered why Dennis’s wife had put up with his shenanigans for years. But you mark my words – one of these days she’ll take off wi’ the wee ones and ye’ll no see her for dust. Fergie was sure of what he said.”

  “Well, for now we can’t really complain too much.” Annie finished folding the washing and began to lay the table for dinner. “The one I feel sorry for is Elenor. I know she’s had to put up with a lot of bad behaviour from him, and it has been going on for a long time.”

  “Maybe it’s time we started to look out for a place of our own.”

  Annie’s face lit up with excitement. “I’ve been thinking the same thing, but I wanted you to be the one to bring it up.”

  “Well, what d’ye think, girl? What about it?”

  “Well, it can’t do any harm to look. Anyway, it could take a while to find the right place – these things don’t just happen overnight, you know.”

  Annie served up dinner, and all three of them settled down. She was so happy about all the good things that had fallen into their laps since coming to New Zealand. Sometimes she felt that her heart would burst with happiness, but if only she could find a way of helping Elenor Russel!

  “Have you brushed your teeth, young man?” Annie asked as she helped Carrig on with his pyjamas.

  “Yes, Mam” the sleepy reply came.

  It was only minutes until the child was sound asleep. Annie joined Peter on the sofa.

  “There must be something I can do – if only I knew what is bothering her.”

  “Maybe you should just ask her straight out.”

  “She might be angry and tell me to mind my own business.”

  That was a chance she would have to take.

  The next day dawned bright as usual. Peter had already gone over to the yard
, and the usual sounds of cattlemen and dogs in the distance could be heard all around. Annie saw Carrig out through the gate.

  “No stopping, now! Keep on to school.”

  Annie kissed him tenderly on the cheek and stood for a while until Freddie came along and took him by the hand. Freddie had been at school a term longer than Carrig, and knew all the ropes.

  “Hello.” A little voice from behind startled Annie as she turned in at the gate.

  “Oh, hello, Louise. You’re up and about early.”

  “I’m going to school next year with Carrig and Freddie.”

  “Yes, I know. Won’t that be great! You can all go together.”

  “Is Mummy in the house?”

  “Yes.”

  Annie took Louise by the hand and made towards the back door.

  “Come on in, Annie.” Elenor seemed glad of the company. “I’m just having a cup of tea, Annie. Would you like one?”

  “Yes, please – I never say no to a cuppa.”

  The women sat at the kitchen table. After a pause Elenor began to wipe tears from her eyes. The child sat in her play corner and played with her dolls as Annie rose to her feet and gave Elenor a hug.

  “I’m so sorry, Annie – I don’t want to involve you in our affairs. I’m sure you have enough to deal with without getting involved in our lives.”

  “Oh no, don’t ever think that, Elenor.” Annie used the woman’s first name. In all the time she had known her she had never before used her first name, but now seemed the time to drop such formalities. “I’m sure”, Annie continued, “we have known each other long enough now to speak of the things which are bothering us.”

  “Oh, Annie, you don’t know the half of it,” Elenor replied, reaching for the teapot to fill the cups up again. “He comes in sometimes like a lion with a sore head, and everybody has to be quiet. It’s unbearable. He seems to settle after eating something, but once Andrew spoke back to him in my defence and he threw him across the room in a rage. He goes to all these farmers’ meetings – well, I think they are farmers’ meetings – and comes in smelling of whisky at all hours. Then he throws himself on the bed, cursing and swearing. Thank God the young ones are usually asleep when he comes home.”

  Annie sat quietly listening. Nothing she heard came as a surprise – really, it all tied in with what she had heard already: shouting from the house late in the evenings, car doors banging, someone driving off in a great flurry of stones, leaving a trail of dust behind . . .

  “If there’s anything we can do, please just ask. Come over anytime, night or day – we don’t lock the door. Come on in. There’s the spare room at the front – the bed is always made up. Just sleep there whenever you like and we’ll talk in the morning. I’d better get on with my job. I’ll take Louise with me if you like?”

  “Thanks, Annie, so much. You’re right.”

  Annie made towards the feed house to pick up the buckets for filling the feeding troughs. She really enjoyed her job with the fowl, and having little Louise with her for company. She was such a beautiful child with a loving nature. Annie wondered how she could be so different from her elder brother, Andrew. She also got on really well with Carrig and Freddie.

  Peter came in hungry for lunch at eleven thirty, and they had a good long chat about their plans to move or not.

  “It might be better if we sit tight for now. What do you think?”

  “I’m so glad to hear you say that.” Annie spoke with a relieved look on her face. “I’ve had a long chat with Elenor, and she is a troubled woman at the moment. That man is not easy to live with – she has not all her sorrows to seek! It would feel like we were leaving a sinking ship if we left now.”

  “Right, then, that’s that – for now anyway. I have the weekend off, so how d’ye fancy a wee trip to Hanmer Springs? I know you’ll love it there – just what the doctor ordered!”

  “Will we leave on Friday night rather than wait till Saturday morning?”

  “Why not? That will give us two nights in Hanmer.”

  “Right, then, I’d better get baking, I suppose.”

  In the following two days everything was sorted out. While they were away Elenor would manage the fowl by herself, and help with the milking.

  “Don’t worry, Annie,” she said. “Go and enjoy your well-earned rest. Just come back for Monday morning again.”

  “Oh, I’ll be back – of that you can be sure.”

  Annie had Carrig by the hand as they walked slowly towards the primary-school gates. Carrig was so excited at the prospect of meeting lots of other small people like himself.

  A teacher walked across the playground, and spoke to Annie: “You’re Mrs Anderson. I spoke to you on the telephone a few days ago.” He held his hand out in greeting.

  “Yes,” Annie said, “that’s right.”

  “And this must be young Carrig Anderson. Well, welcome to the school, Carrig. I hope you enjoy your time with us.”

  “Oh, he can’t wait to meet the others.”

  “Follow me.”

  The tall blond-haired man led them across to a classroom, where a teacher took over, and before Annie could say goodbye to Carrig, he was disappearing into the classroom. The man said he would ring Annie to let her know when to pick Carrig up again. She quickly glanced through the large window and saw Carrig was surrounded by several other children, and he was enjoying himself already. Annie made a speedy retreat towards the road and on home.

  The morning passed, and still there was no phone call. Peter and she were having a cup of tea in the early afternoon when at last the phone rang.

  “Well, Carrig will be with us for a little longer, but he will be ready to be picked up at two o’clock.”

  On the way home Annie could see that Carrig was tired. As soon as they got home he needed a warm drink and then fell fast asleep on the sofa. She covered him with a rug. When Peter came in for tea, Annie put her finger to her mouth.

  “He’s so tired, poor little mite. He couldn’t stay awake long enough to tell me how he got on at the school. He was so grumpy.”

  “That’s how it is, first day at school. There’s so much to take in and so much to see. They just flake out at the end of the day. He’ll soon adjust to the change – you’ll see. Give him a week and he’ll be jumping around like a bee, and wanting to play with the others.”

  Annie was delighted to receive a long letter from Martha.

  Everything is well at present, and John McNeill and Agnes are very happy and looking forward to the birth of their baby. The new renovations to their home make life so much easier – for Agnes especially. John has made a new driveway, and what a difference it makes, with the large modern windows at the front all newly painted! It looks a treat.

  Mary walks over occasionally to see them. Michael is home again for a month, to see how he goes without the bottle. He’s working away on the farm, and loving it. All of them send their love and good wishes. They couldn’t believe it when I told them young Carrig had started school.

  Mary and I go in to Edenderry once a week. She has her hair set and we go to the market and finish up in the Café Royal for tea. Mary has started painting again and still keeps up with her sketching as well. I’m so happy to see her looking so well. She’s never lonely – always somebody calling in for a chat, including the old doctor himself, still quick on his feet.

  When we go down into Roshane we go to the library and get our supply of reading for the month. Mary told me she mentioned in her last letter that I had met someone. Well, we are getting on well together. His name is Alex. He’s a bit older than me, but I don’t mind that at all. In a strange sort of way he reminds me of John – the way he does things – and he’s full of fun, just like John was. The boys have really taken to him, and they enjoy football and cricket together. He has a new car and drives the boys to
football matches when he can. I have never been so happy as I am right now – I have to pinch myself to remind me that it’s not a dream. He loves your mother and includes her in all we do. Of course sometimes Mary doesn’t feel like going for long runs here and there, and she’ll say, “No, you young ones run along – I’ll be just fine.” Alex arranged for her to have a new telephone put in her cottage, and it sits right beside her chair and there’s another one beside her bed, so she’s well covered.

  “Why are you so black all over?” Carrig spoke to the blacksmith.

  “Well, it’s like this, ye see: when ye work all day with iron and the like ye just get black, and there’s no point in washin’ yer hands every five minutes. Ye’d just be as bad again in no time. So, as I say, there’s no point. It’s better to wait and go home and have a nice bath.”

  “Does your bath have a black ring around it? Mum says when I have a bath the black ring is from all the dirt from me playing in puddles and stuff.”

  “I suppose that would be right, Carrig.” The big man smothered a laugh.

  They could hear the others calling from a distance: “Come on, Carrig, we’ll be in trouble if we’re late.”

  “I’d better hurry on now or I’ll be kept in after school.”

  “Run on now, there’s a good lad. I’ll see you on the way home.”

  Old Wally had taken an interest in the young lad because of the interest he showed in the smithy.

  “What’s that for? What does that do? Why do you put them rods in the fire to make them hiss?” On and on, the questions never stopped.

  “Ye’ll know more than me if this keeps on, Carrig,” he said to him one day. “Tell yer father to bring me that gate as soon as he can, and I’ll see what I can do with it.”

  Peter and Carrig drove down the following day to the smithy, with the gate to be repaired. Old Wally had gone out for the day, so they left it behind the workshop.

  It was 12 February and Louise Russel had been given a party for her fourth birthday. Some of the little ones were already there when Annie and Carrig went into the house.