October 9, 1985
October 9, 1985 was like most days in Dingle, gray, with a
light mist, enough where you would need a dry napkin handy to wipe the
moistness .
The lady of the B&B called up for breakfast,
The girl came down, she sat in the room alone looking out
near the window which led to the street.
You could hear the seagulls, but couldn't see the shore. For two days she was in Dingle, where many of
the Irish speak, Irish and not English .Most of the people who passed her were
silent in addition , they were older than her.
She sat and thought about the new friends she made a few
days ago in Cork. Particularly Des.
She met them the Friday before . She was out that evening with a man she met
the night before . Both were listening to music at the Metropole, They agreed
to meet the next day. He was a medical
student from Wexford visiting Cork City for a few days. So that Friday they met in a pub off Oliver
Plunkett street. Jimmy was his name, he
bought two pints, had a sip, then excused himself to the men’s room. 20 minutes passed and she had almost finished
her Carling. Another 10 minutes and no
Jimmy. She had finished her beer , said, "Ok what the fuck is this guy ?" She
left his beer alone at the table, where she walked over to the men’s room, waited, then asked a
man if he could check if anyone else was there.
The man came out and said it was just him. She felt a cool breeze and realized that she was standing next to a back door. Did Jimmy leave out the back door ? She waited a minute, took a walk around the
pub, she then decided to leave. Fuck Jimmy ! ,and she took off.
She popped into a phone booth to call her mom. When she
heard her Mom’s voice she started to cry.
“ Ohh Mom, I want to come home, Im not having a good time and Im all
alone .” I think Im going to leave Cork
and go west, to Dingle. “ Ill call you
in few days Mom” She walked up St.
Patricks Street towards MacCurtin street.
Thinking of getting out of Cork, men were horrible everywhere, the jerks
back home, the man who unsuccessfully tried to rape her in his London after hours
and now Jimmy who stood her up after ½ Carling.
Walking up the road, the heavens opened and the rain poured down.
Looking for refuge she found an awning at the Old Bridge Pub on St. Patricks
Street.
She decided to walk upstairs to the main floor to dry off
and wait for the rain to calm down.
When she got upstairs it was full of people her age , and then saw a familiar face , no not Jimmy
but a video jukebox. She got a beer from the bar and headed over
to her familiar friend.
She loaded up her hand with coins and decided to make some
picks. She kept trying to drop coins in but they did not seem to work, , “Damm
why don’t these coins work ? “
He was sitting down at a table with a girl he had been
shagging, and two mates from the army and few others. He saw her when she walked in. She was different, and the fact she was
alone, most likely not from town. He
thought “ he could get a leg over “ and followed her moves with his eyes to the
jukebox. He looked around at the table,
thought it was time for some new fun.
“You need some help there” he said.
“I don’t think I have the right coins, I think their
English. “ she said. “ Ohh yes they are
English and your American”, they both laughed, as she gave up, “yeah I am”.
“Fuck the coins”, he said, “come sit with us”.
He pushed a space between his seat and the girl ( who did
not seem so happy about that ) His name
was Des, he was very cocky- very confident , he seemed to have control of his table, and was very proud of the American
find he brought back from the bar. He
had a smile that could lift your feet off the ground and you follow him
anywhere. His eye tooth was slightly
raised, kind of like a dimple in your mouth ,he was a good looking guy, he
wasn't dressed like a Mod or a Punk, but he had some style for the day, but his
charm outweighed all his factors. In the
end he saved her from the rain and being alone.
She was thankful for the company and no longer needed the video jukebox.
The evening was coming to an end and Des asked if he could walked
her back to her room. As they walked across St. Patrick’s bridge, Des began to show off. He began to sing loud, he made sure the whole
city could hear him . This guy had more
songs in him than a record store. What’s
your favorite song he asked? “I melt
with you “, she said. He knew the song, he
stopped right there on the bridge, grabbed her hand and began dancing and
singing “moving forward using all my breath, making love to you was second best
“ Second best ! that’s not the words- Teasing her and making
her laugh.-- “Im just taking the piss
out of ya , Des said.
He was funny and more importantly HE thought he was
funny.
They stopped at a take away , he impressed her by treating
her with chips, they sat on the curb, eating, he leaned over to give her a
kiss. It was on the cheek , it made her smile and tingle inside. They got up and continued on to her rooming
house. She decided to say goodnight at the door and not bring him in for hot
missionary Irish sex. She learned her
lesson, from Jimmy the night before.
This one is not going to get a piece of me. It seems all these Irish men were very
friendly, the gift of gab, and looks that could melt your insides with just a
look or a grin. Especially this one, Des
-
She said to Des, “You
seem to know everyone” , and then his response was “ Yes I do, I am the
mayor of Cork City.,,, hey have you been to ring the bells of Shandon?” “No ,
she said, “I did not even know
what it is”.
“So fine, its settled I will take you tomorrow”
“Im sorry I am leaving tomorrow, I cant go”, she said.
“Listen to me now—You cannot leave Cork City without a tour from the mayor himself
Desmond Murphy .
“ok fine, I will meet
you for a tour”, rolling her eyes and smiling.
“Great- said Des, I will meet you on St. Patricks bridge at
noon tomorrow”
Is that one crosses the river Lee”
“Yes”
"Good Night then, lovely girl, I look forward to
tomorrow, more importantly you will have the greatest day,"
“ why is that" she asked
“ you will be with me that’s why” as he raised his eyebrows up and down smiling.
With that, Des placed his hands on her face and gently
gave her a kiss on her lips.
The kiss was short, a soft slow peck, just enough to be
something more, but short enough to be
polite.
And then Des was off.
Mystified - “ He
didn’t try to come in“ Should I stay one
more day ? I did come to Europe to meet
my Knight in shining armour .she thought
.
She went into her room ,and dressed for bed.
Lying down , she could see the moon from her window, it lit
the room so brightly , it kept her awake, but her mind was still buzzing from
the day.
She was confused , but the moon seemed to be inviting, and
soon it became soothing, she eventually would fall asleep with the taste of Des
on her lips and the possibilities of what would happen tomorrow in her
dreams.
The morning came and she woke and packed her bags. She had spent two days in Cork City and now
it was time to move on to another town.
Where would she go next, she wanted to visit the west coast, everyone at
home said to visit Dingle. She went
downstairs to the owner of the B &B,, this morning the matron was pleasant,
unlike the other days, cold , suspicious. “ Good morning dear- would you be
staying another day, the room is available if you decide”.
She brought her bags back up to her room. After all the woman was so nice today, that
must be a sign that today was a good day to stay in Cork City. She looked at the clock it was almost
noon. Take the room for one more day,
and catch a bus on Monday to Dingle. She was still skeptical if this guy Des
would turn up.
She walked down MacCurtain street then past St.Patrick’s
Quay and towards the Bridge. As she got
closer, she moved into a doorway, and
snuck her head out to look and see if Des was there.
At the middle of the bridge there he stood. For the first time he looked nervous, no
cocky smile, he paced a little then leaned over the bridge and looked at the
water. He stood there and patted down
his brown “ mop top hair. His black
baseball jacket grey jumper and shoes with a pair of jeans and a beige
scarf. Des lit a cigarette to kill some
time while he waited.
She walked up behind him as he faced the bridge. “ hi there”
she said, and Des turned around and looked her up and down and smiled , “well
hello, are you ready for the best tour of your life.” And very quietly and unsure if it would be ,
‘sure” said sure.
They talked and talked and talked, he pointed out
everything. He was so proud of his city
and knew everything about it. She did
not hear a word he was saying, all she did was smile and nod her head. She found herself beginning to really like
this guy. Des stopped and put his hand
around her waist and told her to look up.
She felt a tingling comfort as she grooved into his back and placed her
head in his neck and looked up. Up the
small street of crowed row houses, at the end of the street was a tower. This was Shandon Church. Shandon reminded her of Big Ben, oblong with
a point at the top . There were 5 tiers
. The first which started from the street
to almost ¾ up was the largest part of the tower. At the top of this tier was a clock, and had
one on each side. Then there were 4 more
tiers, much smaller each with vented windows and a ledges.
They entered the church tower and began to walk the
stairs. Like climbing the Statue of
Liberty, the stairs grew more narrow and obscure the father you went up.
The first tier was where the ropes were to play the
bells. They pulled the heavy ropes, and
the bells rang out . There was a songbook, but she had a camera, and Des needed
to have many pictures of himself taken.
He sat on the window sill , lit a cigarette , smiled and said cheese . “ Come on lets to go up” Des took her hand and proceeded to the top
tier, which had a balcony. She walked out and could see all of Cork City. They shot more pictures , but the top tier
was windy and cold. Des put his scarf around
her neck and rubbed his hands on her shoulders to get warm.
That is the barracks where I work he proudly pointed
out. And over there is the Old Bridge
where we met last night. “She asked can you take a picture of me ?
Des took a pic with her disc camera, then he said, “ Throw
the scarf out, if it comes back then your heart will never leave Ireland” She took the scarf from her neck and threw
it out off the balcony. Des took a pic
and just then the wind gust and the scarf came back to them. “Well its settled then your heart stays here “
He took her hand and pulled her in and kissed her hand then
her lips. Lets go get a drink. So down
the tower they climbed, they stopped and had someone take a picture of them
inside the church by the alter. “ Our
first official wedding photo” Des
laughed. Even so, she was leaving
tomorrow , enjoy the romance now. The
two met Des’s mate Phil from the Barracks and his new girl Claire. That night they went back to the Old Bridge,
laughed, drank and watched Tears for Fears videos . She had to catch a early bus , so Des walked
her to her place and said he would collect her in the morning to take her to
the bus.
Buzzed with happiness and beer and a wonderful day, she fell
fast asleep, and that evening the moon watched over her, like a protective mom,
warming her face and keeping her in a glow.
When she woke the next day, she dressed , packed and brought
her bags downstairs. She was surprised to see Des waiting in the lobby. “ Come on you need to move on” They walked to the bus station and he carried
her bag” Geez what is in here another
body.
She handed him some money and he went to the window for a
ticket.
“The bus will be here in about ¼ past, so we have about 10
minutes. They sat on a bench near the
terminal .”Thank you for a lovely day, I’m sorry I cant stay longer, but I booked my place
already in Dingle so I need to get going”
Go on till be fine , Des said. “
Can I write or call you ?’ she asked . Des said, “ Here is my address, I don't
have a phone , but you can ring Phil and get in touch with me at his flat.”
The bus arrived and they both walked over, Des said, “you
sure you cant stay for one more day, maybe just for a shag, ?” He laughed , but you could see the sadness in
the back of his eyes and a crack in his voice.”
She was special, he did not know why, he thought maybe simply because
she was an American” Not many of those
who pass through this way.
“Enjoy Dingle’ If you get lonely, you know where Ill be .
Hey tomorrow come back its my birthday “, She smiled said, “ Maybe I
will “ you never know.
She took a seat by the window and waved. He smiled, but soothed his nerves by lighting
a cigarette .
The station was still dark, the morning light had really
arrived, plus the clouds put a hold on the morning rays. As the bus was leaving the rain started to
fall and she saw Des run inside for cover, soon she could no longer see him.
She sat back , glared out the window, wondering why was she
leaving now . She heard his voice in her
head, it soothed her and soon she was fast asleep . A few hours later, and she
woke to a frightening sight. The bus was
entering Dingle and going through Connors Pass. A road that gave roller
coasters a ride for their money. And
high up with the clouds, all she could see was the plunge far below. As scary as it was, it was absolutely
breathtaking. The rail was made of slate
rocks, and the clouds met her eyelevel, they were that high up, but when at the
next turn, they began to head down the mountain, and if the bus wanted to tip
right, well the fall was deadly. After
about 20 minutes , she just prayed for the next stop. 10 minutes later she had her wish. She arrived in Dingle , and got off the bus
and it continued on. She walked into a
pub, to ask for directions. She was glad
her B&B was a short walk down the road.
She stopped for some dinner, then continued on. Dingle was a sea town, quiet with loud
seagulls, everyone spoke more Irish than
English. She put her bags down and took
a walk along the beach . She spent the
day by herself, no one to talk to, it was lonely, plus it was cold. Back up at the B &B the owner made her a
hot water bottle. “ What would I need
this for ?” “ Its for your bed, to keep
it warm” “ No heat ?” she asked, the owner replied “ ohh my dear,
soon, we will have heat, just waiting for the fire to warm the house. “ She sat up
in bed that night huddled around the hot water bottle. The rain beating on the window. Why am I here ? She looked in her pocket and found the number
of Des’s friend Phil. She got dressed
and went down the street to the booth.
Calling Phil, he answers. She
says, “ I want to come back, can you keep it a secret, but not sure where I
will stay”. Phil said he girlfriend Claire can put her up for a few days.
She continues , “I want to surprise Des for his birthday its
tomorrow. Can you arrange him to go to
the Old Bridge” . Phil said” Des will be at his sister’s engagement party. They will all be at Turners Cross after 9”
she said, “ Ok Im going to get the bus in the am and Ill be back in Cork at
4. Can Claire meet me at the bus station?
“
She wondered if this was crazy, going back to Cork, she was
already there, she barely knew these people ? But two days walking alone, there
was something comforting about Cork City, there was something about Des, he was
there when she needed a hero .He came back to the bridge, he didnt push more
than she was ready for, unlike any guy, he was a great dance partner and my god
he was soo good looking. Could he actually be a good one ? .
The next day, the bus could not come any quicker. The ride started and then ended finally in
Cork. She arrived at 4 and Claire was
waiting at the station. “Can we stop at
a bakery ? “ she asked . Claire took her
to a shop in the English Market. She
picked out a Strawberry Shortcake and bought a box of candles. They went back to Claire’s flat to get ready
for the night.
She put on her favorite blue jumper and white shirt she
bought from Benetton in London.
Arriving at Turners Cross, Claire went inside to get Phil ,
Claire walked inside and saw Des, his brother and two other friends, Sean and
Colin were siting around a table with plenty of pints.
Claire came back out and said all is good. The candles were lit and she took the cake
and carried the cake into the pub. Her
heart was racing, would she be making a scene, will it spoil his sister’s
party, would he not want to see her again, was this a mistake, but there is no
turning back , Des notices the candles and then saw her face .
“Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you,, Des’s
friends began to join in, then the
family and the party looked over and started to sing.
Des feeling embarrassed and quiet surprised, had his hand on
his chin smiling looking at his cake, then looked up and smiled at the cake
deliver.
"Surprise !!, Happy birthday , I hope you don't mind I crashed
your party". She smiled to him
Well you did bring the cake ! He joked. Des blew out his candles.
He grabbed her hand, pulled her to his face. He kissed her ,
and said "Im glad you came back".
“Happy birthday”, she replied “I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.”
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