Chapter Fourteen
'Beth's Future in Portlaw'
Beth buried Daavid in the grounds of 'St. Patrick's Church' in Portlaw and at the time of buying the burial plot, she also reserved herself a place above him when her time came. She felt it undignified to wear the shade of blond while dressed in black and therefore died her hair back to its natural colour of black.
Daavid had brought renewed vigour back into Beth's life and though he was now dead, she felt his spirit with her wherever she went. In the brief time they had known each other, he had enabled her to be the mother she had never been and for that she was eternally grateful to him.
For a number of months after Daavid's funeral, although Beth became a good member of the community once more and joined in their activities, she always felt to have some part of her missing. She tried to keep herself looking good to start with, but very soon started to get depressed again. She realised that without the daily presence of Daavid in her life, life was not as rewarding.
Daavid had brought renewed vigour back into Beth's life and though he was now dead, she felt his spirit with her wherever she went. In the brief time they had known each other, he had enabled her to be the mother she had never been and for that she was eternally grateful to him.
For a number of months after Daavid's funeral, although Beth became a good member of the community once more and joined in their activities, she always felt to have some part of her missing. She tried to keep herself looking good to start with, but very soon started to get depressed again. She realised that without the daily presence of Daavid in her life, life was not as rewarding.
By the May of 2003, Beth returned to being a hospital visitor to the cancer patients once more, but soon discovered that this wasn't the same either. For a start, all of the young cancer patients had parents or family of their own to maintain contact with and simply walking through the same ward that she had walked so many times to see Daavid now saddened her immensely. Besides, Daavid had been a one off and their circumctances had fated them to meet.
Unable to carry on with her hospital visiting, Beth then threw herself into joining as many community and church groups as she could, but even this attempt to busy her life could not achieve its prime purpose. Whatever she did, however much Beth filled her days with things to do she could not disguise the deep chasm of pain inside that never left her morning, noon and night. She knew it to be a hole that would never be filled again; an emotional void that no experience could ever bridge.
Beth was grieving deeply for the loss of Daavid and though she had buried him in the ground, there was simply no way she was able to bury the hurt that his absence had left in her life!
Unable to carry on with her hospital visiting, Beth then threw herself into joining as many community and church groups as she could, but even this attempt to busy her life could not achieve its prime purpose. Whatever she did, however much Beth filled her days with things to do she could not disguise the deep chasm of pain inside that never left her morning, noon and night. She knew it to be a hole that would never be filled again; an emotional void that no experience could ever bridge.
Beth was grieving deeply for the loss of Daavid and though she had buried him in the ground, there was simply no way she was able to bury the hurt that his absence had left in her life!
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Spring turned to summer and summer to autumn and as the months of 2003 progressed, Beth found herself drained of all hope for the future. As Daavid's birthday approached on November 10th, she felt as empty and as sad as she'd ever felt. It was as though every bad and sad thing which she'd ever experienced had returned to revisit her and haunt her memories. She looked around her house for something belonging to Daavid to clutch for comfort, but saw nothing.
Then Beth looked towards the cabinet and saw the bottle of whiskey he had bought her on her birthday. For over fifteen years now she had not allowed so much as a sip of alcohol to pass her lips. She opened the cabinet and grabbing the bottle of Highland Malt, held it tight and as she openly wept she opened the bottle and started to pour its contents down her throat.
The whiskey disappeared so quickly, it was as though she had no gullet and was making up for the thirst, which she had left unquenched for fifteen years. Over the following month in the run up to Christmas 2003, most of Beth's time was spent propping up some public house bar in either Waterford or Carrick-on-Suir and within a short space of six weeks she was a complete physical and emotional wreck and firmly back in the grip of alcoholic addiction.
Then Beth looked towards the cabinet and saw the bottle of whiskey he had bought her on her birthday. For over fifteen years now she had not allowed so much as a sip of alcohol to pass her lips. She opened the cabinet and grabbing the bottle of Highland Malt, held it tight and as she openly wept she opened the bottle and started to pour its contents down her throat.
The whiskey disappeared so quickly, it was as though she had no gullet and was making up for the thirst, which she had left unquenched for fifteen years. Over the following month in the run up to Christmas 2003, most of Beth's time was spent propping up some public house bar in either Waterford or Carrick-on-Suir and within a short space of six weeks she was a complete physical and emotional wreck and firmly back in the grip of alcoholic addiction.
Beth had stopped washing herself or even bothering to change her clothes and undergarments and as for feeding herself, the only solids that she ate these days was the occasional slice of toast. In fact, had she tried to eat anything else, her stomach wouldn't have been able to keep it down.
As the bulk of Portlaw went to Midnight Mass upon the stroke of twelve that night of December 24th, Beth and her dog Shamus was walking in the opposite direction. They had set off across the field six hours earlier towards the direction of Curraghmore. On Christmas morning, the poacher Paddy Grogan who was doing a bit of fishing in the river in Curroughmore grounds, saw a body floating in the river face down and a dog on the river bank opposite.
As the bulk of Portlaw went to Midnight Mass upon the stroke of twelve that night of December 24th, Beth and her dog Shamus was walking in the opposite direction. They had set off across the field six hours earlier towards the direction of Curraghmore. On Christmas morning, the poacher Paddy Grogan who was doing a bit of fishing in the river in Curroughmore grounds, saw a body floating in the river face down and a dog on the river bank opposite.
It was Beth. She'd been in the water ten hours and was as dead as a door post. It could never be determined whether her death had been accidental or otherwise as being in a drunken stupor precluded any certainty in either direction as to the matter of her intent. What was commonly believed however, was the likelihood that since the death of Daavid she had gradually found life more unbearable.
The villagers of Portlaw buried Beth above the plot of Daavid and drank to her health in the 'Cornmill' that night. None had ever known of her battle with booze over many years before she had first set foot in Portlaw and none who lived in Portlaw ever would, though a few of the more seasoned drinkers of the village guessed.
The villagers of Portlaw buried Beth above the plot of Daavid and drank to her health in the 'Cornmill' that night. None had ever known of her battle with booze over many years before she had first set foot in Portlaw and none who lived in Portlaw ever would, though a few of the more seasoned drinkers of the village guessed.
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After Beth's funeral, which her friend Megan from Salford attended, Megan was asked in a will that Beth had prepared a number of years earlier to sell her house and to do with the monies she got for it, whatever she wished.
Over the coming year, Megan first re-initiated contact with Beth's daughter Clare and told her of the death of her blood mother Beth and also of the monies amounting to over £55,000 that her mother would have liked her to have. Clare responded by letter in which she said, "I never knew my..... Beth and the woman who reared me is the only mum I ever need to know. I don't want her money. If she couldn't give me her love, then why would I take her money. Love can't be bought! Do with it as you will, but I don't want any part of it!"
While Megan had never seen a likeness of Clare, had she done so, she would have seen the image of her dearly departed friend Beth in her younger years. Clare had also grown into a beautiful woman for her years.
Over the coming year, Megan first re-initiated contact with Beth's daughter Clare and told her of the death of her blood mother Beth and also of the monies amounting to over £55,000 that her mother would have liked her to have. Clare responded by letter in which she said, "I never knew my..... Beth and the woman who reared me is the only mum I ever need to know. I don't want her money. If she couldn't give me her love, then why would I take her money. Love can't be bought! Do with it as you will, but I don't want any part of it!"
While Megan had never seen a likeness of Clare, had she done so, she would have seen the image of her dearly departed friend Beth in her younger years. Clare had also grown into a beautiful woman for her years.
Over the following year, Megan did her utmost through charitable and adoption agencies in the whole of Ireland to try to trace Beth's younger sisters Molly and Bridey. After six months of diligent searching, Megan discovered that both sisters were eventually adopted and Molly eventually immigrated to Australia where her younger sister Bridey was to re-establish contact with her in later years when she was twenty six years old. Both sisters now lived in Australia with families of their own. They kept in regular contact.
Molly, who was now married and with a grown up family and grandchildren out in Perth, had tried for years to trace her two sisters and had always held out the dream of them one day being reunited. After her younger sister Bridey had contacted her, being single and without commitments, Bridey was persuaded to immigrate to Australia in her mid twenties. For almost two years she lived close by to her sister and family before she started courting a soldier and eventually moved to Melbourne where they set up home and had three children.
Megan arranged for both of Beth's sisters to share Beth's estate and as part of the arrangement, a holiday visit to Portlaw was arranged by both sisters, partners, children and grandchildren to place flowers upon Beth's grave and her adopted son Daavid. Megan also met up with Beth's relatives when they came to Portlaw and she filled them in with as much of Beth's life and existence since she left her foster homes in Ireland.
"Do you know, Megan," Molly said as they stood around the graveside in Portlaw, "Never once was there one night when I went to sleep without saying a prayer for Beth and Bridey and wondering where they were...... and never once did Christmas Day ever pass by without the family singing happy birthday to her from across the sea. I will never have a Christmas without thanking Jesus for giving me and Bridey a big sister like Beth to watch over us."
Molly, who was now married and with a grown up family and grandchildren out in Perth, had tried for years to trace her two sisters and had always held out the dream of them one day being reunited. After her younger sister Bridey had contacted her, being single and without commitments, Bridey was persuaded to immigrate to Australia in her mid twenties. For almost two years she lived close by to her sister and family before she started courting a soldier and eventually moved to Melbourne where they set up home and had three children.
Megan arranged for both of Beth's sisters to share Beth's estate and as part of the arrangement, a holiday visit to Portlaw was arranged by both sisters, partners, children and grandchildren to place flowers upon Beth's grave and her adopted son Daavid. Megan also met up with Beth's relatives when they came to Portlaw and she filled them in with as much of Beth's life and existence since she left her foster homes in Ireland.
"Do you know, Megan," Molly said as they stood around the graveside in Portlaw, "Never once was there one night when I went to sleep without saying a prayer for Beth and Bridey and wondering where they were...... and never once did Christmas Day ever pass by without the family singing happy birthday to her from across the sea. I will never have a Christmas without thanking Jesus for giving me and Bridey a big sister like Beth to watch over us."
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Over the years ahead, the people of Portlaw noticed a strange thing. Every Christmas Eve after Beth's death as they attended Midnight Mass in 'St. Patrick's Church', a bright star shone down over the church and its grounds and it came to rest on the grave of Beth Malone and Daavid. RIP.
The End.
Text Copyright William Forde: March 21st, 2015.
Text Copyright William Forde: March 21st, 2015.
