A Son of Aran (5 page)

‘What's this all about?' he asked, bewildered at the suddenness of her announcement. For long he had maintained that the Long Walk was an unsafe place for Eileen but, until this moment, Saureen saw no reason to move from there.

‘Why the sudden change of heart?' he asked. ‘And to where are we moving?'

‘The house in Sickeen is vacant,' she answered, ‘I went up there today to check that everything is in order. We'll go after dark so that nobody will know. We are in danger here; we can't stay another night. I'll tell you all about it later. Get a hand-cart—all that we need to take is packed and ready.'

On one hand Peadar was glad to know that at last they were to leave the Long Walk. He searched his mind for a reason as he borrowed a barrow from the factory yard where he worked. Nobody would miss it; he would leave it back early in the morning. Pulling the door shut, they left at midnight, Peadar carrying a sleepy Eileen on his shoulder, while Saureen trundled the barrow. Sickeen was silent as a grave. Early-rising residents had already retired for the night.

Eileen continued school in the Claddagh close to Peadar's place of work. On their way there every morning she told him about her teacher, and named some pals whose acquaintance she had made, ‘Brídeen Cloherty, Sorcha Beatty, Noreen O'Conneela.'

‘Salt of the earth,' Peadar said, ‘their parents are decent Claddagh folk. They mightn't have a lot of money but they are people you could depend on in a crisis, fishermen mostly, who have boats tied up in the basin, and trawl nets in the bay out as far as Aran when there is a run of mackerel or herring.'

‘I'd love to go fishing some time, Daddy. Will you take me out with you when I am bigger?'

‘Of course I will, love; boats are second nature to me.'

‘I'd love if I could be a fisher girl instead of having to go to school. When will we go to live in Aran, Daddy?'

‘Soon, if I get my way. But you know your mother is not fond of Aran—she doesn't like the idea of having to live there.'

With Eileen at school, Saureen was free to resume work at Rhona's for a few hours every day. By arrangement she chose to serve in the early part of the day or late in the evening depending on when the café was busiest. She renewed acquaintance with clients who patronised the restaurant—boat crews, dockers, and travellers who regularly used the ferry. Some nights she 7didn't come home, saying it wasn't worth while as she had to be there for work early next morning. Peadar looked after Eileen on those occasions and helped her with her homework. He wondered what Saureen did during the midday period—she didn't seem to spend very much time at home in Sickeen. He knew she retained possession of the house in Long Walk; maybe she spent time there on her role of noting the activities of vessels in the bay although, since the outbreak of war, the number of foreign ships calling at Galway had diminished considerably! One day he was called to Eileen's school when she didn't feel well and had to be taken home. He didn't want to absent himself from work for a whole afternoon to look after her—he decided instead to look for Saureen at Long Walk. Lifting the latch quietly he entered the hallway and was surprised to hear voices coming from the inner room. A man spoke in an authoritative tone: ‘No, my dear, I can't let this go on any longer; we must come to an arrangement. My next turn in port is likely to be the last for some time. I want you both to come away with me. The girl is at a stage to learn a new language. I will arrange a tutor for her in Spain, while you get to know my house servants and take over the running of the estate. You will like it there, the weather is warm, and flowers in bloom are something out of this world. Soon I will give up seafaring and settle down to domestic life. For too long my house has been empty. I want to raise children and bring some life into it.'

‘But what about Eileen?' the woman answered. ‘She and Peadar are inseparable; she won't want to be part of this. And what of Peadar? I can' t just walk away from him like that. He stood by me through thick and thin. I feel sure he has suspected me all along, but he didn't cheat on me. He has such plans for our life together; I can't hurt him like this; I can't break up our marriage.'

‘My good woman, you have no choice. You should have thought about those things before events took this turn. Eileen is our daughter, we both know that. I have first claim on her. I insist that you do as I say. The Sansander is due in port again in three weeks. I want you to be ready to leave with me as soon as the cargo is discharged. You will need some cash to prepare for the voyage. Here, take this bag—it contains five hundred pounds. A similar amount in Spanish currency will await you when we reach our destination.'

Peadar couldn't believe what he was hearing. Reeling from shock, he thought to himself, ‘they are planning to take Eileen away! I'll see to it that they don't get away with that.' He slipped quietly out the door and went to collect Eileen from school.

‘I'll take her home and look after her myself until she gets better. I'll hold on to her even if I have to spill blood in doing so.' He said nothing to Saureen. The following week he went to Aran where he spoke with Máirtín.

‘I need the hooker for a while,' he told him. ‘I'd like to have it beside me in Galway. I'm dying to go to sea again before I lose touch; maybe I'll do a bit of fishing with the Claddagh men in my spare time. In the meantime you can take the cattle and whatever crops are ready and count them as your own. If I don't come back you can have the cottage too and all that goes with it.'

Máirtín wondered what was going on but he refrained from asking. On a calm sea Peadar sailed the boat back to Galway and berthed it in the Claddagh basin. He went back to work as if nothing untoward was intended.

The Sansander arrived in port on schedule. Peadar was there once again with his workmates to help with unloading. He kept an eye on the comings and goings of the captain whose frequent trips uptown continued; these appeared to occur regularly each afternoon. During the intervening weeks, Peadar had secretly prepared the hooker for sailing and had stowed supplies to last a few days in case circumstances demanded. Having discharged its cargo of fertilisers, the ship was scheduled to depart the same night on the late tide. Crew members, duly notified, spent their last hours on shore socialising with their acquaintances and lady friends, which resulted in some late arrivals on board. The captain rounded on them, proclaiming angrily that their next shore leave would be curtailed by way of compensation.

‘I never saw him so irate,' the mate remarked, ‘something is irking him. I'll bet things haven't gone right for him this turn.'

He had been meeting with Saureen that afternoon to finalise their arrangements.

‘I want you and the girl to come on board at six o'clock, immediately before the gang plank is raised. We will depart right away. I don't want any complications.'

Saureen did not dissent.

‘Eileen, how would you like to come with me to Aran ?' asked Peadar. ‘I am leaving this afternoon on the hooker. Your mother is taken up with other business and cannot come with us.'

‘Oh, Daddy, I'd love that,' she answered, ‘but what about school—won't we need to tell the teacher that I am going to be absent.'

‘Don't worry about the teacher. Bring your school bag and books. We'll get in a bit of reading while we are away. I want you to take all your warmest clothes—the sea gets cold at night. Don't forget to wear the knitted woollen cap that covers your ears. I can't have you getting cold.'

‘Daddy, this is great. I always wanted to go to Aran with you—just the two of us. I'll set the fire in the cottage and do the cooking while you catch fish. And I'll come with you on the boat when you go after the herrings.'

‘Right then, that's settled. Don't say a word to anybody; put your things into this bag and we'll go down to the boat. I'll buy some food on the way.'

As evening closed in, the hooker edged slowly out of the Claddagh basin and headed for the open sea.

Promptly at six, Saureen walked up the gangway and went straight to the captain's cabin. He greeted her lovingly, throwing his arms around her neck, and smothering her with kisses.

‘Good work,' he exclaimed, ‘now we can be together without interruption. Two days from now we'll arrive at my villa near Salamanca where I'll show you the apple groves and the olives. A little cognac to celebrate!' Emptying his glass in one gulp he asked,

‘The girl—did you put her in her cabin?'

‘Carlos dear, I have something to tell you,' Saureen answered. ‘When I went to collect her at our home in Sickeen, she wasn't there. I can't for the life of me know where she has gone. It's most unlike her not to be at home at this time of the evening. Her books are not there either, which leads me to think she may not have returned from school. I'll go back again and see if I can find her. Can you delay the ship's departure for an hour while I go and search.'

‘All right,' he said, ‘one hour, but remember not a minute longer.

' The captain informed the crew of a delay in departure. Saureen disembarked. At the end of an hour she returned.

‘I didn't find her,' she announced, ‘but I found this note on the table.'

Saureen, deceitful woman, unfaithful wife,

I never thought I'd be writing these words. At last I have proof of your infidelity. I know of your plans to leave me and to take Eileen with you. By the time you read this note, she and I will be far away. Don't try to find us. I never want to see you again. Your seducer can have you but he cannot have Eileen—I will see to that. If you had been honest with me at the time of Eileen's birth, I would have forgiven you for being pregnant before we married. I loved you enough to accept your predicament, and I would have married you just the same. You deceived me then, you lied to me repeatedly ever since, and now you have plotted to deceive me once again. That I cannot forgive.

Peadar

On hearing the outcome the captain flew into a vile rage. Crew members jumped to their tasks as his screaming was heard all over the ship. People on the dockside stood still to listen: ‘Stop, stop, I have heard enough. I see now how you and your husband have conspired to trick me. It is not you I want but our daughter. If I need a concubine I can find a dozen of your type in any port of call. I want my natural offspring who will bear children of my family line and make me a proud grandfather in my old age. Get off this ship. Go back to your brothel and find another sucker to bleed.'

‘Please, Carlos, take me with you.' Saureen pleaded. ‘I haven't tried to deceive you. I have no husband now. I love you and you have told me that you love me too. I will make up to you for your loss. I will give you other children. I can have no life in this town after what we have done, please don't leave me behind.'

‘Put this woman ashore and take the ship out of harbour,' the captain shouted angrily to the mate.

Crying bitterly, with all eyes centred on her, Saureen disembarked. The gangplank was raised, the Sansander pulled away from the wharf. Weeping uncontrollably, she watched the ship as it headed for the open sea. There was no last minute gesture from the bridge where Carlos stood defiantly erect and stone-faced. In a mixture of shock and deep despair she turned to the nearest tavern to get a stiff drink and collect her thoughts.

‘What am I going to do now that my life has been torn asunder on all fronts? News of being deserted by both my husband and my lover has already spread like wild fire. I can no longer face those who previously hosted me. I will be an outcast in my native town. Where is Peadar now? Has he left Galway? If so, where can he and Eileen have gone?'

She had many questions but no answers. Knowing Peadar's affection for Aran, she reckoned he might go there. But had he not said in his note to her that he didn't want to see her ever again? He would sense that she might seek him there. She decided to ask around and find out if anybody knew of his movements over the previous twenty-four hours. At the factory, his fellow workers told her that Peadar had not turned up for work that day. Some fishermen in the Claddagh said he had a hooker berthed in the basin in past weeks. It was there yesterday but today it was gone.

‘A clue,' she thought, ‘Peadar has departed by sea! But how can he sail a hooker alone allowing for the handicap of a young girl who demands his attention? Perhaps he has an accomplice—Máirtín, or some of his fishermen friends? There is only one way to find out. I must go to Aran by the first available transport.'

The Dun Aengus ferry was due to depart next morning from Galway but that was the longer route. She could take the shorter journey from Rosaveel on a boat that left in the evening. She would travel by road to Rosaveel and go from there. Having consumed several rounds of vodka she went back to Sickeen to sleep it off. Despite her intoxication, she was awakened in the middle of the night by a howling wind that rattled the windows and put buckets and barrels flying all around outside.

‘A storm at sea! What if Peadar and Eileen are out there, buffeted by wind and waves? What chance would a hooker have in this weather? I must get to the island as speedily as possible and be there to lend a helping hand if they are in trouble. Peadar didn't really mean it when he said he never wanted to see me again. I'll get him to forgive me.'

She threw some clothes into a bag and hastened down town in time to catch the afternoon bus to Rosaveel.

She took up residence in Peadar's cottage and lay in his bed. Tormented by guilt and sorrow for her own plight, she couldn't sleep. Listening to the sound of waves breaking on the rocky shore, she imagined the worst.

‘Have Peadar and Eileen made land on one of the islands? Has the hooker gone down in the storm? Have they been washed into some of the sea caves around the coast?' Nothing was to be gained from lying in bed—she must go out and search for them.'