BooksBarbecue
Back Goodnight Lady
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Praise
  4. Dedication
  5. BOOK ONE
  6. Prologue 1989
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. BOOK TWO - 1925
  17. Chapter Ten - 1925
  18. Chapter Eleven
  19. Chapter Twelve
  20. Chapter Thirteen
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-one
  29. Chapter Twenty-two
  30. Chapter Twenty-three
  31. Chapter Twenty-four
  32. Chapter Twenty-five
  33. Chapter Twenty-six
  34. Chapter Twenty-seven
  35. Chapter Twenty-eight
  36. Chapter Twenty-nine
  37. Chapter Thirty
  38. Chapter Thirty-one
  39. Chapter Thirty-two
  40. BOOK THREE - 1947
  41. Chapter Thirty-three
  42. Chapter Thirty-four
  43. Chapter Thirty-five
  44. Chapter Thirty-six
  45. Chapter Thirty-seven
  46. Chapter Thirty-eight
  47. Chapter Thirty-nine
  48. Chapter Forty
  49. BOOK FOUR - 1968
  50. Chapter Forty-one - 1968
  51. Chapter Forty-two
  52. Chapter Forty-three
  53. Chapter Forty-four
  54. Chapter Forty-five
  55. Chapter Forty-six
  56. Chapter Forty-seven
  57. Chapter Forty-eight
  58. Chapter Forty-nine
  59. Chapter Fifty - 1970
  60. EPILOGUE

The face closed again and the old woman became lost in another world. A world that spanned many years and that seemed more real to her with every passing day.

Chapter One

Chapter One

Molly Cavanagh shivered underneath the sacking. It was so very cold. She could feel the earthy dampness beneath the mattress with every movement of her aching back. She shifted position slightly and looked at the children huddled around the dying fire. The eldest, Eileen, turned to face her mother and lifted her eyebrows questioningly. Molly shook her head; the child was a long way from coming. Time enough to get Mrs Briggs when it was well on.

‘Can I get you a drink, Ma?’

Molly held out a dirty hand to Eileen and she came to her mother’s side.

‘Go down to Donnelly’s and get some coal. There’s a few pennies in me skirt pocket.’

The girl turned from her and Molly grabbed at her hand. ‘And keep your eye on that Brendan Donnelly. Make sure he weighs it properly, last time it was all slack.’

As she spoke her breath gleamed like white mist in the dimness.

‘I will, Ma.’ Eileen picked up a shawl and, pocketing the pennies, she left the basement room. The four other little girls watched her go. Kerry, the youngest, got up from her place by the fender and slipped under the covers with her ma.

Molly closed her eyes. When that Paddy got in today she’d cut the legs from under him. It was always the same when he was working: full of good intentions until payday. ‘We’ll pay a bit off the back of the rent. We’ll have a grand dinner of pie and peas and taties. We’ll maybe even send the little ones to school.’ Then when the first week’s wages came it was straight down The Bull for a jar of Watney’s, without a thought for her or his children.

Her mind was jolted back to the present by Briony, her second eldest daughter. Never a child to keep her temper long, the crack as she slapped her younger sister Bernadette across the legs broke the silence of the room.

‘Ma! Ma! She gave me a dig! Did you see that, Ma? Did you see that?’

Kerry sat up in the bed with excitement. ‘Will you be slapping the face off of Briony, Ma? I saw the crack she gave our Bernie ...’

‘Will you all be quiet! And Bernadette, stop that howling and jigging about before I give you all a crack.’

Something in their mother’s voice communicated itself to the children who all became quiet at once.