Page 123 of The Missing Sister
‘All boys are eejits,’ sighed Nora.
‘All girls are eejits,’ John shot back.
‘Can we see Mammy?’ Merry asked.
‘Not for now, Merry. The midwife’s seeing to her. The birth took a lot out of her,’ Daddy replied.
‘She will be all right, though, won’t she?’ Merry asked, reading the concern on her father’s face.
‘Sure, the midwife says she’ll be fine, and we’re not to worry.’
But Merry did, even when Mrs Moran eventually came down with the new baby wrapped up in a sheet. They all peered down at him.
‘He’s tiny!’
‘His eyes aren’t open!’
‘He looks like Daddy!’
‘Now then, would Daddy like to hold his new son?’ asked Mrs Moran. John O’Reilly held out his arms and she put the baby into them.
‘Would you like a cup of tea, Mrs Moran?’ Ellen, the eldest girl and therefore in charge of all things domestic if Mammy wasn’t here, asked the woman politely.
‘No thanks, my love, I’ve another lady in labour in Clogagh, who I must go to check on. Now then, why don’t you walk outside with me, girls?’
As Ellen showed Mrs Moran to the door, Nora, Katie and Merry followed behind.
‘Your mammy lost a lot of blood whilst birthing the babe, but thanks be to God, it’s stopped for now,’ said Mrs Moran in a low voice. ‘You’ll be needing to check on her regularly to make sure it doesn’t start again, and she must have complete bedrest until she’s stronger.’
Ellen nodded and as Mrs Moran waved goodbye, Merry tugged on Ellen’s skirt. ‘Where does she want us to check?’ Merry asked her.
‘In between her legs, of course!’ said Ellen impatiently. ‘You’re not to be worrying, any of you, I’ll be doing all that. Mammy has to rest for the next few days, so Nora, Katie and you will be doing more chores, understand? As well as looking after Bill and the chickens, you’ll be doing breakfasts and making broth from chicken bones for Mammy, to help her get stronger, because I won’t be having time for any of that.’
‘But it’s school today and I don’t know how to make broth,’ Merry whispered.
‘Then you’ll just have to stay home and learn, won’t you, girl?’ Ellen said before she turned away to go inside and head back upstairs to Mammy. ‘Oh, and one of you has to go up to the priest’s house to tell Father O’Brien Mammy won’t be in to clean today.’
Father O’Brien was just about to leave for Mass when he heard a tapping on the front door. He opened it and saw Katie O’Reilly, a diminutive version of her mother Maggie, standing there panting, and dripping wet from the rain.
‘Hello, Father O’Brien, I’ve a message for you. Our new brother was born in the night and Mammy is very tired from the birth and she has to stay in bed to rest and she can’t come up today to clean your house and we’re not to go to school so we can help and Nora’s feeding the chickens but Merry doesn’t know how to make broth and Daddy wanted to know when you could church Mammy and baptise the babe and—’
‘Slow down, Katie,’ James said, putting a gentle hand on Katie’s shoulder, ‘and draw breath. You look soaked to the skin. Come in for a bit and warm yourself by my fire.’
‘Oh Father, I should be getting back to help my sisters.’
‘I’m sure five minutes won’t harm.’
James gave her a slight push and propelled her through the door to his study, where Ambrose was sitting reading theCork Examiner.
‘This is my friend Ambrose Lister. Ambrose, this is Katie, Maggie O’Reilly’s daughter. Now then, Katie, take off your boots and we’ll put them by the fire to dry out a little. You sit down there.’ James pointed to the chair opposite Ambrose, who was staring at the tiny girl with the flame-red curls.
‘So, your mammy has had her new babe?’ said James.
‘Yes, and he’s going to be called Patrick.’
‘A fine name that is too. And you say Merry doesn’t know how to make broth?’
‘No, Father. Ellen told her to make it, but Ellen’s been too busy taking care of Mammy to help her, and all we know is it’s got chicken bones in it, and that Mammy should have it to make her strong again, but...’
