Bright Bewildering Green by John Hughes

Author:John Hughes [John Hughes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781843513452
Publisher: The Lilliput Press
Published: 2012-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Uncle Joe Hughes’s return visits to Armagh set others on the road to Coventry in search of a better life.

‘Sure a man can earn a fortune over there, William,’ he promised. ‘They’re looking for good strong men, not afraid to work. ‘I’m in a factory myself but if you want to go on the buildings you can earn a suitcase full of money.’

Certainly he seemed affluent and happy with five-pound notes in every pocket.

‘Get out of here and come back with me, sure you’re killing yourselves,’ he advised. ‘Look at your father, only forty-eight. I wanted him to come with me.’

‘Well, I dunno. The oul fella stuck it so I’ll do the same,’ said William, and sang, ‘If you ever go across the sea to Ireland, Sure if only at the closing of the day’.

A few months later George Goodfellow took the boat, followed shortly by his brother Fran. Mrs Goodfellow missed George for his quiet unassuming nature and ability to keep the younger children in check. I missed Fran for his humour and mimicry. A prankster and keen gambler, he often played pitch-and-toss with William in the yard until dusk.

My brothers showed no concern when Gougho lamented, ‘I’m going, lads. This is for mugs. I can earn twelve pounds a week in Coventry and that’s for only fifty hours. Three pounds to your Uncle Joe and I’ve still got almost a tenner left in my arse pocket. Now you can’t blame me, William, can you?’

‘Not at all, but you’ll be back, Gougho, that’s if you go at all.’

‘I’m going and I won’t be back. By Jaysus, you can be sure of that.’

William thought that Gougho was only romancing, but three weeks later he shook our hands.

‘I’ll come and see you lads when I visit home,’ he promised and was gone.

Molly had left home after marrying Seymour Shields at Glassdrummond Church. William was happy for her to marry the courteous and successful young farmer. Violet had left school and worked at Parkes, the high-class grocers in Markethill. Closing-time was eight o’clock but after tidying the shop it was nine before she finished and rushed home to meet Billy Beggs. After a dab of rouge on her cheeks and a comb through her hair, she would hand over the two shillings she gave me for cleaning her high-heeled shoes and they would head off to the dance. Billy, her only boyfriend, looked like the handsome young men depicted in her romance magazines, and from the time they met they stayed together.

The Hunters’ farm being two miles away meant Aunt Ruth’s visits were infrequent, leaving us to get on with our lives. Possessed of endless energy she easily coped with her farm chores and family duties; nearby Mount Norris village felt her presence too as she organized functions, badgering residents into attendance. Violet and I were always pleased to be invited but local folk were less keen.

‘What do you mean, you’re too busy and can’t make it,’ she said one day. ‘Surely to Christ you’ll come.

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