***************************** PART 2 OF? *****************************
The next morning dawned, and Assumpta awoke slowly from a deep, dream – filled sleep more rested than she'd felt in ages. The room felt exceptionally dark to her, but she attributed that to sleep still clouding her eyes. That is until she realized just what had roused her in the first place. There was a dreadful pounding on the door below. She stumbled to the window, looked down, and to her surprise there was a crowd of people milling about outside the door including Brendan, Siobhan, Padraig, and others. Liam was the one doing the pounding. As the situation set in more firmly she also grasped the fact that the darkness in the room was not due to sleep, or to an early hour. There was no power in the pub! As a result, her alarm had failed to sound and with the drapes pulled together soundly; the daylight had been abated almost entirely. She scrambled across the room to her bureau, found her watch, and let out a yelp.
"Oh my God! 11:10 AM. Well, this is your reward for staying out on the mountain half the night with Peter", she chided herself.
As she dressed she rang a very groggy Peter and demanded that he come and help her sort out the mess downstairs. She'd been to over the moon to deal with it last night, and help empty the now useless icebox, and to try and get some power back on.
After disconnecting she rushed down the stairs, and out the front door closing it behind her before any of the mob could see inside.
"Ah your Ladyship!" said Brendan sarcastically. "
"Should we be ringing you first if it's elevenses we're after now?"
"No Brendan. If you'll cast your mind back a few hours, you'll remember that the fuse box in there has been dodgy for a while now. Did you never think that I mightn't have power here? Did it occur to any of you that my attempts to put the bloody thing to rights might have caused me some injury?"
"Ah come on Assumpta," Siobhan started, but like everyone else she was silenced when Padraig spoke up.
"No Siobhan, our one here is right. I went down there yesterday. That antiquity is as likely to short out and hurt someone, as Brendan is to order a glass of stout with his dinner", he finished.
"Thank you Padraig. Now if you'll excuse me ladies and gentlemen. I have quite a lot of work to do in there, clearing out the icebox, and trying to get the fuses in order", she stated. When she got no response, she continued.
"So as much as it pains me to do so, I'm afraid I'll have to remain closed until further notice."
Assumpta watched as the little group shuffled off in pursuit of their lunches, and began to get upset that none of them had offered to stay and help her.
After all the years I've spent serving, and cleaning up after that lot, and now when I could do with a bit of help they walk off as if there's nothing matters but there stomachs, she thought stormily. All her ire melted away when as she turned to go in a familiar voice asked, "Can I give you a hand with any of that?"
"Well you ought to since this is all your fault", she was smiling though her back was to Peter and he could not see it.
"What? I, you can't think it's my fault you haven't any power?"
"Whoa Peter, slow down. If I can't have a bit of fun with you, I may have to rethink our arrangement", she said mischievously.
Realizing he'd been had, Peter spun her around and held her in front of him firmly, with her arms at her sides. "Oh really?"
"Yes really", she said with a wicked smile.
"I might have a little something to say about that", he answered looking down over her shoulder at her, smiling back. Suddenly her nearness became too much for him, and he let go quickly leaving her to look at him wondering.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just thought we'd better get at this lot while there's still some daylight", he looked at his shoes.
"OK. Well why don't you start in here, while I go down and try and get us some light, eh?"
"No!" Peter yelled louder than he'd intended, but as he stood at the back of the crowd earlier, he'd taken Padraig's words to heart and the thought of that fuse box frightened him. If anything were to happen to Assumpta, he didn't know if he'd survive it.
"I'm sorry I shouted; it's just that the fuses are dangerous and if you were to be hurt, or… I don't know what I'd do", he looked sheepish again, and Assumpta smiled.
"Peter I have been sorting that thing out for years and nothing's happened. Nothing is going to now either, don't worry, OK?"
Peter was unconvinced, and decided on compromise. "OK here's what I think, we should start up here cleaning
this lot up with what light we've got, and then deal with the icebox, then if there's enough light, and we have enough energy, we can tackle the fuses. Regardless of when we get to them, though we do it together. Agreed?"
Sensing that this was not an argument she could win Assumpta looked at Peter, at the genuine concern in his eyes, the trace of fear, and simply said; "Agreed".
They worked together in near total silence for the next hour and a half. Finally, when the work upstairs was nearly finished, Peter broke the comfortable quiet.
"I'll get the last of it out of here," he spoke of the sack of rubbish he was holding. "Will you have lunch with me in a bit?"
"Sure as long as you don't expect me to find it here", she answered.
"No I mean can I take you out to lunch?"
"I thought you had to be a priest `to the end'?"
"I don't intend to wear the collar, Assumpta. Besides, it's only lunch. Fr. Mac and Kathleen go to lunch together all the time in Cildargin", he explained.
"OK so. We'll go out then. Could you give me a minute to clean up a bit?"
"I was going to ask the same of you so, of course. I don't know when I'll have to vacate the priest's house, but for now I guess I can still shower there. Say half an hour?"
"Yeah, sounds great", Assumpta said thinking that Peter looked about twelve again, nervous, and excited. She silently hoped her own nerves were better hidden.
In his mind Peter Clifford was evolving a plan. Assumpta had made everyone feel fairly guilty earlier, and he felt that if he could just talk to Niamh, he might be able to get something done about those fuses, while he and Assumpta were out.
As he reached the Garda Station, he'd begun to feel confident that his plan would work. It was just past one pm, and with a good foot under them the lads and the others could have the place in top shape by late evening. All he had to do now was to convince Niamh to work on her dad, for the job.
"Yes Father, um Peter, that still does feel a bit odd you know, calling you Peter", Niamh said embarrassed.
"I know it feels odd to hear you saying it. Now will you get Brian to do it, and Brendan, Siobhan, Padraig, yourself, will you help?"
"Sure you know we'll all be glad to help Peter, but where the money going to come from, I know my dad, and he'll be wanting to know that straight", she said.
"I know, just tell him it's all set. I've got a small sum from me mum, and that should cover the parts, equipment, and labour needed. The only thing is it has to be done today. I can't very well talk Assumpta into staying over someplace, she'll be suspicious", Peter was sure they could get it done if they were quick.
"Oh and Niamh, I know you'll keep an eye on the work, make sure it's done properly, yeah?"
"Of course. You'd best get going, and clean up. Your half-hour is almost up", Niamh smiled broadly as she began dialing her dad, then Liam, Donal, Padraig, and the rest telling them to get to the Garda Station post haste.
In a matter of an hour, the work had begun to refurbish Fitzgerald's electrical system, and Brian Quigley was grilling his daughter about the difficulties of the project.
"Ah you don't know what you're asking Niamh. There's no way even with all of us that this thing can be put to rights this soon, and for Peter's price. The electrician crew alone will need a full day's work out of it, and if the carpenters can get the walls restored by tomorrow you're talking a miracle. That still leaves the painting, and clean up work to be finished by the rest of them. Do you not remember how long it took to do over Kathleen's place?"
"So you can't get it done, is that it dad? Peter's wasting his money then is he?"
"That's another matter, that is. Peter isn't here for my estimates, what we're looking at is at least three days work for the crews, and there's only budgeted enough for one. I can't pay them without Peter, or whoever's paying for this to pay me first. They're like to walk off the job without some cash", Brian was concerned not so much for the crew's share of course, but as foreman he had a cut due as well and if there was only enough to pay the crews and suppliers, he'd be left out in the cold.
"Dad, do I look stupid? You're only after your share of the money to be had here, and we both know it. Don't forget there are six people in there volunteering their time, and energies to this, nothing comes out of the budget for them, now does it. You're after paying four electricians, and three carpenters. The money Peter left should more than cover it, and if there's any cost left for materials that can be your contribution, after all you drink in here too", Niamh stopped, and Brian realized he was hopelessly out ranked in this thing, so he left her, and recovered his dignity giving orders inside.
Peter smiled to himself, as he drove the two of them out of town toward their lunch `date'. He smiled as he thought of Assumpta's face when she saw all the work that everyone had done for her. Smiled when he pictured her reaction to the caring village of people who'd worked so hard to keep her safe from harm, and make her life a bit easier. He drove on smiling, and Assumpta watched him.
