Well, I spoke to my granddaughter about you and she insisted on ringing the paper and getting an address for you. Of course, they wouldn’t give me your address so I had to write to them and they have promised me they will pass the letter onto you. So help me God I’ll cause some trouble for them if they don’t. So, I hope this reaches you Maggie because it would mean so much to me to see you again. There is so much to tell you, so much I want to hear.
I wondered if we might be able to meet for lunch sometime?
I have enclosed my telephone number and address and would dearly love to hear from you.
With all my fondest wishes.
Peggy Kelly (Madden)
The two ladies had met on a sunny June afternoon. Grace had insisted that she drive Maggie. Maggie had insisted that they have tea and cake at The Blossom Tree Café and Peggy had insisted that they wear gloves and hats. There were many tears and much laughter as they recounted times past and shared intimate details of their lives. Nobody could have possibly known what terror these two dignified, gentle ladies had experienced on that April night in 1912, but they knew and they held each other’s hands and looked into each other’s faded, watery eyes as they nodded silently at the memories they shared and the bond which would always exist between them, whatever amount of time or distance lay between them.
*
‘Well Maggie, it’s time,’ Grace announced as she embraced the old lady on the front porch of her small home. ‘I’m all packed and Mom’s already ripping the old wallpaper off my bedroom wall! I’m finally leaving.’
Maggie held her for a little longer than she usually did. ‘And about time too young lady – you’ve a lot of life to catch up on. You take good care of yourself and show those newspaper folks what you’re made of.’
She pressed a small, oval photo frame into Grace’s hands then.
‘What’s this?’ Grace turned the frame over and saw a faded black and white photo of a handsome young man, who looked a lot like Jimmy.
‘That’s your great-grandfather dear. That’s Séamus just after he arrived in America. Handsome devil wasn’t he. He always took very good care of me you know.’ Grace took a moment to study the image, unable to find any words. ‘And you make sure that young man of yours takes very good care of you,’ Maggie added, smiling at Jimmy who was standing behind Grace on the steps.
‘Oh you needn’t worry about that Maggie. I’ll be taking very good care of Grace. I let her get away from me once, I’m not gonna make that mistake again in a hurry.’
‘I’ll write you and call as often as I can,’ Grace promised as she gave Maggie a final, tearful embrace. ‘And thank you Maggie – for everything.’
The old woman understood and kissed her gently on the cheek. ‘Go,’ she said. ‘Go - and be happy.’
*
She stood for a while on the doorstep after they’d gone, enjoying the warm, autumn sun on her face. As she watched the leaves swoop and swirl down to the ground, she felt a sudden urge to do something she hadn’t done for years. Walking carefully down the few steps, she stood patiently under the big birch tree which stood at the bottom of her garden, waiting, waiting for a leaf to fall. ‘If you catch one you can make a wish,’ she remembered Séamus telling her as they’d kicked through the piles of leaves the fall after they were married. ‘But you have to be quick.’ She’d never managed to catch one and he’d laughed at her leaping and jumping around and chasing them down the street as the wind blew them just out of her reach.
She stood now, watching, waiting and very gently, one solitary, brilliantly golden leaf fluttered softly down and fell into her hand effortlessly. She smiled, closed her eyes and made a wish.