13. Lovely To See You Again
As Assumpta approached the nurses station for the floor she heard her name called.
"Assumpta? Assumpta Fitzgerald? Is that you?"
She turned to face the young doctor, about her age who was conferring with the formidable Sister Chlotilde. Uncertainty slowly yielded to recognition, and she ventured a tentative "Owen? Owen Kelleher?"
"The same. It's been a few years, but it's still me. What brings you here?"
"Friend of mine. Peter Clifford. He was admitted a few days ago, rescued at sea when the ship he was on sank."
"Oh yes, narrow scrape there. He's a priest, English too. That's unlike you. We're a long way from Ballykissangel, both in time and distance. How do you know him?" The tone was friendly, but she couldn't help but detect a note of cynicism and slight disapproval in his voice.
Assumpta was a little uncomfortable, but answered with only the slightest hesitation. "Erm, he was curate at Saint Joe's for a few years. I'm trying not to hold that against him. Priest or not, he's still a good man, and a good friend."
"Hmm. One of Father Mac's boys." That remark prompted a snort from Asumpta. "Well, time changes us all. Is there anything I can help you with?" This time he took a little more conciliatory a tone.
"Maybe. I have a big favour to ask. The boat that rescued Peter is sailing for America tomorrow from Baltimore. The men who rescued him would like to see him, and Peter would like to see them before they sail. Getting the seven of them here might be difficult and time may be short, but would it be at all possible for Peter to be allowed out for a few hours tomorrow?"
"I would say 'No', but old Doctor Foley is a bit of a softie, and retiring soon. You would have to ask him. Hey, I just thought of something, do you still live in BallyK? Well, Doc's brother is the Garda Superintendent in Cilldargin. Maybe that angle would help."
"Worth a try, I guess. Yes, I still live there, I'm running my parent's old pub."
"No fooling. Small world, eh? Is Niamh Quigley still around?"
"Oh yeah, she married Ambrose Egan about three/four years ago. They have one son, Kieran. Ambrose is the local Gard."
"Good Lord. That has to make life 'interesting'. Please remember me to her, and Ambrose too, for that matter, next you see either of them. Getting back to your request, I would ask Doctor Foley when he gets in in the morning. It can't hurt to ask, what's the worst that could happen? He could just say No."
"Ok, I'll try it. Thanks. So, you're a doctor now. That is a bit of a surprise too. We all were different then."
A nurse walked up to the desk, politely interrupted, saying the doctor was needed elsewhere in the ward. This brought the conversation to a quick end and Assumpta returned to Peter's room. She couldn't help noticing the way Owen Kelleher, Doctor Kelleher treated her just a bit differently when he associated her with a priest, even if he was a friend. She also remembered her own hesitancy over discussing their friendship. Good grief, she thought. If it is this is uncomfortable with someone I hardly know, what is going to be like with those who knew both of us better. This might not be as easy as first thought. She pushed her concerns aside as she entered the room.
"We might just be in with a chance. The doctor on duty right now is an old friend (for want of a better term)" she added parenthetically, "from home. He used to be mad about Niamh. Anyway, he said we need to talk to Doctor Foley, who just so happens to be brother of Ambrose's boss. He did say that it wasn't likely, but why not try."
Early the next morning Assumpta called the Baltimore harbourmaster. He told her that the Northern Light was still there, but planning on sailing on the first of the ebb tide that evening, which would be about 6pm. She asked if he could relay a message to them asking to call her in fifteen minutes at this number. A quarter of an hour later she was talking with Captain Bunker, expressing her hopes that she might be able to bring Peter to see them that afternoon. He said that sounded great, and that getting the whole crew ashore this close to sailing time for even a few hours would be very inconvenient. He was sorry that he would otherwise have to renege on his promise, as the owner was insisting on his sailing as soon as possible. The boat was required in New England for an important and lucrative charter in one month's time.
"Can't ask for any more than that." Assumpta conceded.
Doctor Foley was not surprised by Assumpta's request. Doctor Kelleher had spoken with him when he came on duty, explained the situation, and had even volunteered to accompany Assumpta and the brothers Clifford. Doctor Foley, in return, examined Peter thoroughly, admonished him to take the utmost care, and threatened to set Sister Chlotilde on him if he so much a tried to anything "ambitious." There was to be no ladder climbing, no swinging in the rigging, no yo ho ho-ing, and absolutely no shivering of timbers. Peter felt comfortable with these restrictions, and so at a little after noon, wearing a brand new set of clothes James had bought for him, he was gingerly wheeled out to Jame's hired car, which was roomier than Assumpta's Renault, and they all headed off for Baltimore.
The sun shone down from a cerulean blue sky lightly spotted with small cumulus clouds. It was warm, and a gentle breeze blew out of the South turning Baltimore harbour into a field of glittering diamonds. A beautiful spring day.
As they pulled up to the jetty where Northern Light was docked, Peter was plainly getting quite emotional. The first and last time he had been here he was more dead than alive. In fact, as far as most of his world was concerned he was dead. It was hard to believe it was only a few days ago. Overriding all was that the seven men climbing up off the deck of the yacht had somehow managed to not only see his body atop a palette in a field of debris, but manoeuver this vessel close enough to where his body was drifting to permit one man to jump into a seething cauldron of spume to get a hold of him. That they were able to pull not only him, but his rescuer as well through the intervening fifty feet of flotsam and water, and somehow get them back aboard, all the while dealing with extraordinary weather conditions under sail alone, well, it just beggared belief, and Peter knew that if he lived a hundred years more he could never repay them. He was humbled to just be in their presence. He was at the point of tears and completely choked up when he met James White and Paul Richards. Without the efforts of these two men, even the near superhuman bit of seamanship pulled off by Lynam Bunker would have been wasted.
The crew of the yacht, however, treated him like royalty. They were an easy going group who gave the impression that no greater joy or privilege could be afforded them than attending to Peter. They plied him with gingerbread and coffee as he sat in his wheelchair on the jetty. His name was ceremoniously entered into the ship's log, and photo's were taken, an occasion he stood up for. The entire crew and Peter stood with their back to the harbour, the schooner in the background while James, and others on the jetty clicked away with a camera.
"Assumpta, come here. You should be in this too." Peter called.
"No, you enjoy the moment yourself," she called back.
"No, come on. I want you here with me. Please?" James, who had been standing close to Assumpta, flexed his shoulder nudging her towards Peter. As she moved forward to take her place next to Peter, he handed his cane to James White and put his arm around Assumpta's waist, murmuring 'keep me steady, please. I'm feeling a bit weak." As the last pictures of the group were being taken, Peter's hand slid from her waist and interlaced his fingers with Assumpta's.
As the impromptu party began to break up on the jetty, James White pulled Peter aside and remarked, "you're lucky to have a friend like Assumpta. Are you really a priest?"
"That's what they tell me." A pause, and then a little forlornly, "Yes. I am." This was neither the time nor the place to discuss such matters.
In a wistful tone he replied, "It's just that…." he stopped himself before he embarrassed himself and Peter. "Pity. She's beautiful. She'd make a great wife. Some guy will be very fortunate to end up with her."
Peter turned to look at White. "I'm rather hoping that is the case." With that, he shook White's hand with both of his. "Safe journey. I can not thank you enough for my life. I have a second chance at it now, it is an extraordinary gift. Thank you." And then to the crew at large he called "Please, please let us know by letter, fax, email, or smoke signal, you can even as you Americans say 'call collect' that you've safely arrived home in America. Wherever I am on this planet, you will have a place to stay. I am greatly in your debt, and that no matter how long I live, I can never repay you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am honoured to have met you. May God bless you on your voyage both across the ocean and through life."
With that Peter had to sit down in his wheelchair, the fresh air, sunshine, and excitement had exhausted him. As they drove back to Bantry, Peter was asleep before they even left Baltimore.
That he woke up screaming just on the other side of Skibbereen, almost causing James to crash into a stone wall, came as a great shock and terrified everyone in the car.