I tracked down one piece I was looking for...the bit where Brendan has just seen Eamonn off to be part of the People's March from Belfast to Derry. He sees Joanna in front of a pricey department store, with some friends. It's between Christmas and New Year's in 1968.
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We headed up Shipquay...and I saw Joanna, again, standing in front of Austin’s. She was with friends, all dressed in mini-skirts, fur-trimmed coats and boots, chattering with each other about something in the store’s windows. Again, her golden silk flowed down her back, this time in a pony-tail from under a knit cap, and her cheeks were as rosy as freshly-picked apples. Her stockings were black and complimented both her outfit and her form. I thought I was seeing an angel and wished only to gaze upon her.
So I stopped still. She and her friends kept chattering as they headed down Shipquay to Castle, oblivious to one and all about them. Oblivious to my heart no longer beating or my breath no longer part of me or my mind capable of anything but the thought of how glorious it was to see her, once more.
My mates had gone a number of yards before they noticed.
“Oi, Bren, what’s this?” Colm yelled at me, breaking my spell -- until she turned at the sound of his voice and saw me and seemed to recognize me and offered me the tiniest of smiles and I near died from the joy of it.
She’d smiled at me.
She’d smiled at me.
I gave her a wave and a nod. She turned back to her friends and they continued on. I backed up the street to join me mates.
Colm looked at me with a wariness while Paidrig lit up a fag and offered me a pull on it. Both tried to act like men, but something about them struck me as foolish and childlike. Danny just smiled to himself, something he’d do far too much, still. I handed the fag off to Colm and as he smoked I said, “I’ll join you later, lads. I’ve errands to run for me Ma.”
“That’s never kept you from Wee Johnny’s before,” said Colm, his breath smoking as he spoke.
“I’m the man of the family with Eamonn at University. I’ve responsibilities. I’ll be down with you later.”
Then I headed down Butcher towards home before they could say another word. Only I turned right on Magazine and rushed down in time to see Joanna and her mates heading cross through the gate to Waterloo. I followed them all the way to Wellworth’s, careful not to get too close or be too obvious. Their voices were musical in their happiness, and their attitudes spoke of pleasures too simple for me to ever understand. Just a group of girls out for some fun on the wrong side of the river.
In Wellies, they went straight to the records section and flipped through the rows they had. Idle and chatting about nothing and everything, until Joanna pulled out a 45 with a squeal.
“They have it!” she cried, and her friends gathered around. They rushed over to a clerk and had him play the song -- I Never Will Marry -- then laughed as they sang:
I acted like I was interested in some albums not far away, watching them from the side of me eye. Then Joanna caught me looking, once, and smiled to herself. She knew what I was doing.
A friend purchased the record, then she and the girls left.
I jumped over to where she’d been looking, found another copy of the record, grabbed it up and paid for it, intending to give it to her when I caught up to her, outside...but they were gone, like ghosts. I searched Waterloo Place and a couple of side streets, but found nothing. I guess I’d scared them off with my clumsiness. So I went home.
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We headed up Shipquay...and I saw Joanna, again, standing in front of Austin’s. She was with friends, all dressed in mini-skirts, fur-trimmed coats and boots, chattering with each other about something in the store’s windows. Again, her golden silk flowed down her back, this time in a pony-tail from under a knit cap, and her cheeks were as rosy as freshly-picked apples. Her stockings were black and complimented both her outfit and her form. I thought I was seeing an angel and wished only to gaze upon her.
So I stopped still. She and her friends kept chattering as they headed down Shipquay to Castle, oblivious to one and all about them. Oblivious to my heart no longer beating or my breath no longer part of me or my mind capable of anything but the thought of how glorious it was to see her, once more.
My mates had gone a number of yards before they noticed.
“Oi, Bren, what’s this?” Colm yelled at me, breaking my spell -- until she turned at the sound of his voice and saw me and seemed to recognize me and offered me the tiniest of smiles and I near died from the joy of it.
She’d smiled at me.
She’d smiled at me.
I gave her a wave and a nod. She turned back to her friends and they continued on. I backed up the street to join me mates.
Colm looked at me with a wariness while Paidrig lit up a fag and offered me a pull on it. Both tried to act like men, but something about them struck me as foolish and childlike. Danny just smiled to himself, something he’d do far too much, still. I handed the fag off to Colm and as he smoked I said, “I’ll join you later, lads. I’ve errands to run for me Ma.”
“That’s never kept you from Wee Johnny’s before,” said Colm, his breath smoking as he spoke.
“I’m the man of the family with Eamonn at University. I’ve responsibilities. I’ll be down with you later.”
Then I headed down Butcher towards home before they could say another word. Only I turned right on Magazine and rushed down in time to see Joanna and her mates heading cross through the gate to Waterloo. I followed them all the way to Wellworth’s, careful not to get too close or be too obvious. Their voices were musical in their happiness, and their attitudes spoke of pleasures too simple for me to ever understand. Just a group of girls out for some fun on the wrong side of the river.
In Wellies, they went straight to the records section and flipped through the rows they had. Idle and chatting about nothing and everything, until Joanna pulled out a 45 with a squeal.
“They have it!” she cried, and her friends gathered around. They rushed over to a clerk and had him play the song -- I Never Will Marry -- then laughed as they sang:
I never will marry, I'll be no man's wife.
I intend to stay single all the days of my life...
When the song began in earnest, they danced a sort of jig mixed with the Twist, giggling along with the words.
I acted like I was interested in some albums not far away, watching them from the side of me eye. Then Joanna caught me looking, once, and smiled to herself. She knew what I was doing.
A friend purchased the record, then she and the girls left.
I jumped over to where she’d been looking, found another copy of the record, grabbed it up and paid for it, intending to give it to her when I caught up to her, outside...but they were gone, like ghosts. I searched Waterloo Place and a couple of side streets, but found nothing. I guess I’d scared them off with my clumsiness. So I went home.
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