Chapter Two
'The Breakup of Beth's Family'
Beth Williams had been born the oldest of three sisters in the county of Galway, where she lived for the first ten years of her life. When Beth had been ten years old and her sisters Molly eight and Bridey seven, a grave tragedy occurred in the family. It was during Christmas Eve in the year of 1952 and as was customary in Galway at the time, many mothers-to-be seemed to prefer the option of having a home delivery as opposed to having the infant born in a hospital ward.
As the oldest child of three girls born to her parents, Beth had always been taught to look out for her two younger sisters both at play or in the home. Her father said that it would more important than ever now to look out for her younger sisters, especially as Beth's mother was expecting another child to be born within the next twenty four hours.
As the oldest child of three girls born to her parents, Beth had always been taught to look out for her two younger sisters both at play or in the home. Her father said that it would more important than ever now to look out for her younger sisters, especially as Beth's mother was expecting another child to be born within the next twenty four hours.
Indeed, Beth had always felt blessed in both the timing and nature of her birth. You see Beth had been born on December 25th, 1942 and though there had been many times as a child when she felt cheated for having her birthday and Christmas presents combined, she never forgot the words of her beloved Dada when at the age of five years after seeing her disappointed as she opened her single-wrapped present from under the Christmas tree, he took her to one side and gently counselled her.
"Now listen carefully, Beth," her father said as he gently embraced her and gave her the benefit of his wisdom. "Look up towards the sky and tell me what you see there," he asked.
The young Beth looked up at the sky and after a few moments replied, "Clouds Dada. I see clouds; that's all I see."
"Never think that all you see is all that is there to be seen, my child," her father replied, "For there is more in the heavens and upon the earth than you or I are ever capable of seeing. Up there, behind that cloud.... the biggest cloud you can see is the Christmas Star. It is your star, Beth. It is the star of your birth and the reason for your existence. You were lucky to be born on the same day of the year as the baby Jesus. Wherever life takes you, Beth, or however important you ever become, never fail to look for your Christmas Star on Christmas Eve and the morn of your birth, for where your star is, you will also find your fate."
Beth never forgot her beloved Dada's words and as she awaited Christmas Day 1952 and the day of her tenth birthday, her father and mother seemed to be over the moon with the fact that their new addition to the family would also be born on Christmas Day.
Taking Beth in his arms, he said to her, "Soon you shall become the luckiest of all children Beth, when your mother gives birth to another child who is to be born on Christmas Day; a little baby sister or brother who will share your birthday for evermore. How blessed as a family we are my dear. Today is a day not to be forgotten in the lives of the Williams' family."
"Now listen carefully, Beth," her father said as he gently embraced her and gave her the benefit of his wisdom. "Look up towards the sky and tell me what you see there," he asked.
The young Beth looked up at the sky and after a few moments replied, "Clouds Dada. I see clouds; that's all I see."
"Never think that all you see is all that is there to be seen, my child," her father replied, "For there is more in the heavens and upon the earth than you or I are ever capable of seeing. Up there, behind that cloud.... the biggest cloud you can see is the Christmas Star. It is your star, Beth. It is the star of your birth and the reason for your existence. You were lucky to be born on the same day of the year as the baby Jesus. Wherever life takes you, Beth, or however important you ever become, never fail to look for your Christmas Star on Christmas Eve and the morn of your birth, for where your star is, you will also find your fate."
Beth never forgot her beloved Dada's words and as she awaited Christmas Day 1952 and the day of her tenth birthday, her father and mother seemed to be over the moon with the fact that their new addition to the family would also be born on Christmas Day.
Taking Beth in his arms, he said to her, "Soon you shall become the luckiest of all children Beth, when your mother gives birth to another child who is to be born on Christmas Day; a little baby sister or brother who will share your birthday for evermore. How blessed as a family we are my dear. Today is a day not to be forgotten in the lives of the Williams' family."
Beth never forgot these words her father spoke to her on the eve of her tenth birthday though she was guilty of laying them to one side as she advanced in her years of adulthood.
Around the hour of 11.58pm on December 24th, 1952, her mother's pregnancy and home birth experienced unforseen complications and resulted in the double death of Beth's mother and new-born infant fifteen minutes later.
Around the hour of 11.58pm on December 24th, 1952, her mother's pregnancy and home birth experienced unforseen complications and resulted in the double death of Beth's mother and new-born infant fifteen minutes later.
After the child was delivered, although close to dying, Beth's mother asked for the dead child to be placed across her breasts. Within minutes of holding her son for the first and only time, she died. It was Christmas Day, 1952.
A cloak of sadness and sheer despair descended upon the household that was simply too heavy a burden to bear. In one corner of the front parlour the lights on the Christmas tree shone brightly as the angel at the spire waved a wand of Christmas cheer, while at the other side of the room in a bed, which had been temporarily set up there to give birth to the new family member, both mother and child lay prostrate in a pool of blood as Beth's father wept profusely over their corpses. Beth could do nought, but to comfort her two youngest sisters as they cried non-stop along with their father. It was supposed to be the advent to the happiest of all days that year; the most joyful of imaginable occasions and what had started in pleasurable anticipation and annual hope at the start of Christmas Eve, now presented itself to Beth's eyes in a vision of sheer obscenity.
A cloak of sadness and sheer despair descended upon the household that was simply too heavy a burden to bear. In one corner of the front parlour the lights on the Christmas tree shone brightly as the angel at the spire waved a wand of Christmas cheer, while at the other side of the room in a bed, which had been temporarily set up there to give birth to the new family member, both mother and child lay prostrate in a pool of blood as Beth's father wept profusely over their corpses. Beth could do nought, but to comfort her two youngest sisters as they cried non-stop along with their father. It was supposed to be the advent to the happiest of all days that year; the most joyful of imaginable occasions and what had started in pleasurable anticipation and annual hope at the start of Christmas Eve, now presented itself to Beth's eyes in a vision of sheer obscenity.
For the remainder of that day and into the next, Beth's father grievously mourned the loss of his beloved wife and son. Indeed he was so overcome with grief that Beth had to place her tears on hold and comfort her two tearful sisters. That Christmas Day and birthday was the very worst day of her life, the unhappiest one she'd ever spent or would spend.
Her father's grief was so much that he appeared to become deranged. The doctor was so concerned for him that he was immediately sectioned into the wing of a local psychiatric hospital for his own safety.
Naturally, with no adult available to supervise their welfare, Beth and her two younger sisters were admitted into a Children's Home under the provision of an emergency Care Order that needed to be temporarily applied for. For the following week or so, Beth kicked up a fuss and insisted that the three of them be dormed in the same room. She indicated to the social worker that as the eldest child, she had been charged by both parents to look after the youngest two when neither parent were there to do so. This was a responsibility that all the eldest children born to Irish families with more than three offspring are expected to do.
When the day came for her mother and baby brother to be buried, the three girls only found out after the event had taken place. An executive decision had been made by the Social Services Department that all three children were too young to attend their mother and baby brother's funeral and burial and that it would prove too upsetting for them. Before his burial, the dead child had been named David. Naturally Beth was upset by not having been told and expressed her anger to the social worker in no uncertain terms at the very first opportunity.
Her father's grief was so much that he appeared to become deranged. The doctor was so concerned for him that he was immediately sectioned into the wing of a local psychiatric hospital for his own safety.
Naturally, with no adult available to supervise their welfare, Beth and her two younger sisters were admitted into a Children's Home under the provision of an emergency Care Order that needed to be temporarily applied for. For the following week or so, Beth kicked up a fuss and insisted that the three of them be dormed in the same room. She indicated to the social worker that as the eldest child, she had been charged by both parents to look after the youngest two when neither parent were there to do so. This was a responsibility that all the eldest children born to Irish families with more than three offspring are expected to do.
When the day came for her mother and baby brother to be buried, the three girls only found out after the event had taken place. An executive decision had been made by the Social Services Department that all three children were too young to attend their mother and baby brother's funeral and burial and that it would prove too upsetting for them. Before his burial, the dead child had been named David. Naturally Beth was upset by not having been told and expressed her anger to the social worker in no uncertain terms at the very first opportunity.
Beth never knew until two days after her mother's and brother's burial that they'd had a triple bereavement. Four days after being sectioned into the psychiatric hospital, Beth's beloved Dada had bunched three sheets together and whilst his mind was unbalanced, he'd hanged himself from the beam in his roof. At the time of his tragic death, his wife and child had still not been buried so an executive decision was taken by the Social Service's Department not to inform Beth and her younger sisters until after their mother's and baby brother's burial.
Beth took her father's death badly; and following on from the deaths of her mother and baby brother, she experienced an accumulative loss that emotionally rocked her to her very being and threatened to drive her crazy. Had she not felt primarily responsible for her two younger sisters she would have gone off the rails and broken every stick of furniture in the Children's Home that she could lay her hands on.
Beth took her father's death badly; and following on from the deaths of her mother and baby brother, she experienced an accumulative loss that emotionally rocked her to her very being and threatened to drive her crazy. Had she not felt primarily responsible for her two younger sisters she would have gone off the rails and broken every stick of furniture in the Children's Home that she could lay her hands on.
She held back her anger and only unleashed it on the social worker after they tried to prevent her attending her father's funeral service and burial also. Eventually, the social worker decided to cut her losses and agreed that Beth could attend her father's burial service only, but not her two younger sisters. Recognising that this was the most she was going to get out of them, Beth agreed and attended on behalf of herself and sisters.
Two weeks after the death of her father, his body was released for burial and Beth attended the ceremony in the company of a Senior Social Worker. It was a cold January morning and as her beloved Dada's coffin was lowered into the ground, Beth was sadden by the fact that as a person who had committed suicide, her father had been denied the full Roman Catholic burial rites by the priest performing the graveside ceremony. This final act by the Catholic Church incensed young Beth and seemed to be nothing short of betrayal against a man whose every action in life, with the possible exception of his last, was as Christian a deed as could be imagined. Beth felt it was as though after having lived a life of goodness in the spirit of tolerance and open generosity towards all, in his final moments on this side of the green sod, the Catholic Church had demoted her beloved Dada to one of those lesser mortals who was lucky to have been buried in any part of church grounds.
When Beth returned to the Children's Home following her father's burial, she was met by her sister Molly who was crying loudly and uncontrollably. Thinking it was their father's funeral which had produced the tears, Beth cuddled Molly and softly said, "I said a prayer for the three of us over his graveside, Molly. Don't cry love. He would have understood that they wouldn't let you come. Dada would have understood!"
Amidst her tears Molly blurted out, "It's.............it's Bridey. They've taken her away from here when you weren't here to stop them. They've taken her away from here!"
"Taken her!" Beth cried out. "Who's taken her? Where?" she asked as she grabbed one of the Social Worker's arms and demanded an explanation.
"She's gone to the home of some nice foster parents in County Tipperary," the Social Worker replied to Beth's enquiries, adding, "She's been taken in by a God fearing family from Tipperary where she will be well looked after!"
"When they took her, she cried louder than I ever heard her cry, Beth. I couldn't stop them taking her," Molly added.
"When can we see her again?" Beth asked."When will be able to next see Bridey?"
"I'm not sure that will be possible in the immediate or foreseeable future until.... until your youngest sister has had the fullest opportunity of settling in the home of her new foster parents," the Social Worker replied.
"Taken her!" Beth cried out. "Who's taken her? Where?" she asked as she grabbed one of the Social Worker's arms and demanded an explanation.
"She's gone to the home of some nice foster parents in County Tipperary," the Social Worker replied to Beth's enquiries, adding, "She's been taken in by a God fearing family from Tipperary where she will be well looked after!"
"When they took her, she cried louder than I ever heard her cry, Beth. I couldn't stop them taking her," Molly added.
"When can we see her again?" Beth asked."When will be able to next see Bridey?"
"I'm not sure that will be possible in the immediate or foreseeable future until.... until your youngest sister has had the fullest opportunity of settling in the home of her new foster parents," the Social Worker replied.
Beth thumped the air in anger and had her sister Molly not been present by her side, it might have been the Social Worker who got the fist of her fury. The Social Worker had tricked her and had allowed her to attend her father's funeral service just to get her out of the way. They wanted her nowhere near the Children's Home when the Tipperary couple came to collect young Bridey. As long as she lived, Beth swore there and then that never again would she trust the word of any Social Worker or government official under any set of circumstances.
One month later it was to be Molly's turn to be fostered out. On this occasion it was to be to a couple in the town of Wicklow. The day that Molly also left the Children's Home, Beth felt as lonely as she'd ever felt in her life. Molly cried bitterly as she cuddled and said goodbye to Beth, wholly unsure if they'd ever see each other again.
Beth felt utterly deprived of every vestige of family she had ever known and loved and in some strange way she felt responsible in the absence of her dear father and mother that she'd been unable to keep the remaining family together as one unit. She genuinely believed that it had been her prime responsibility to look after her two younger sisters in the absence of her parents. She felt that she should have kept all three of them together and that it had been her responsibility; hers alone and nobody else's, and she'd failed!
Beth felt utterly deprived of every vestige of family she had ever known and loved and in some strange way she felt responsible in the absence of her dear father and mother that she'd been unable to keep the remaining family together as one unit. She genuinely believed that it had been her prime responsibility to look after her two younger sisters in the absence of her parents. She felt that she should have kept all three of them together and that it had been her responsibility; hers alone and nobody else's, and she'd failed!
