The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll

Author:Brendan O'Carroll [O'Carroll, Brendan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Humour, Historical, Contemporary
ISBN: 9780452281035
Google: VqU5HA3h3SIC
Amazon: 0452281032
Goodreads: 984859
Publisher: Plume
Published: 1994-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

AS IT HAPPENED, CATHY’S CONFIRMATION DAY was a great success. By the time the hairdresser was finished with her, Cathy was more than pleased with the outcome. On the day she wore a pink two-piece suit decorated with tiny flowers around the edge of the lapel, a white high-collared blouse and white shoes. Archbishop McQuaid gave her the Sacrament of Confirmation, and to her relief Cathy was not even asked a question. The one-and-a-half hour ceremony was followed by lunch in Bewley’s Café which, as always, was sumptuous. Then began the obligatory visiting of friends and relations. Transport for the day was provided by Ned Brady, a local baker. Ned had an Austin Cambridge and supplied the car, himself as driver and the petrol for five pounds. By the end of the day Cathy had visited twelve aunts and uncles, seven of her mother’s friends, including Marion and Tommo, and finally Foley’s pub. Agnes and Cathy arrived home at nine o‘clock, exhausted. No sooner were they in the door than Cathy began emptying her pockets and handbag of half-crowns, ten-shilling notes, and the odd pound note. Agnes went to her bedroom and took off her ’good’ dress and with a huge sigh of relief peeled off the roll-on that had seemed to be shrinking as the day wore on. When she returned to the kitchen Cathy was sitting at the table with her Confirmation money all sorted.

‘Well, how’d you do?’ Agnes asked her.

‘Sixteen pounds and twelve shillings,’ Cathy answered with awe in her voice.

‘My God, you lucky thing! When I made my Confirmation I got all of eight shillings, and I was delighted.’ The battle-cry of all parents.

Cathy just sat and surveyed her money. All this money, more than she had ever seen. Agnes sat down at the table opposite her.

‘So, have you decided what you’re going to do with it all, love?’

‘Yeh,’ Cathy answered, pleased with herself.

‘So what’s it to be?’

‘Well, I thought, two shillings each for Dermo, Rory, Simon and Frankie. Half-a-crown for Marko. That’s ... eh ... ten-and-six right? Then one-and-six to buy Trevor a ball. That leaves sixteen pounds, and I’m keeping a pound for meself!’ The child was glowing with the chance of being Santa Claus.

‘That still leaves you fifteen pounds, love. Do you want me to save it for you?’ Agnes asked.

‘No, Mammy - that’s for you!’

‘For me?’ Agnes was taken aback. Fifteen pounds was three weeks’ profit from the stall.

‘Yeh! for you, Ma! To buy anything you want.’

‘Oh you’re very good, love, but I couldn’t!‘

‘Mammy, please take it. I want you to have it. Buy some Cliff Richard records with it!’

Agnes laughed. ‘With that kinda money I could buy all his records. No, I’ll tell you what I’ll do with it - I’ll put a carpet on the floor! A nice bit of exminister, none of that tintain stuff, real exminister with underfelt and all. Wouldn’t that be nice?’

‘Lovely, Mammy. Can I go with you when you’re buying it?’

‘Not only can yeh come, you can pick it!’

Cathy was ecstatic.

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