Tales of Tuckamore --Day 20

Day 20~Dear Diary --:
On Tuesday, June 6th. I went home with Anthony Sherlock but everyone calls him, Anto. We walked home and I was looking out of my box as usual, at all the goings on here in Tramore. Outside the school, there were people going this way and that. When he got home Anto got washed and dressed and brought me downaround. This is where the amusements are here in Tramore. First we went in and played some of the slot machines and video games. It was great fun. He then brought me on the boating lake. We got a free ride on the boats because Anto works for the man during the summer.

First I sat down and watched Anto as he rowed. He was very good at rowing. It was lovely to sit back and feel the sunshine on my face. Next, we swapped and I got a turn at rowing. Anto sat at the other end of the boat. I tried to lift the big heavy oars. It was my first time in a rowing boat. Next thing I knew was I slipped on a wet plank and headed head first over the side and landed in the water. I began to splash. I called for help, as I am not a very good swimmer. Anto thought I was messing and just started laughing at me. I started to panic. When Anto realised I was not messing so he pulled me out of the lake. I was drowned wet. I said I wanted to go home, as I was now cold and wet. I started to shiver. So Anto rowed to the landing spot and we went home. When we got home and he put me at the fire and dried me up. It was lovely to be beside a lovely warm fire. When I was dry Anto brought me out again. I did not’t want to go but he made me.

We went up Robert’s house to play hurling in the GAA. Some of the men up in the GAA were playing Gaelic football on the goals. Behind the goal other men were training with their hurleys. Robert and Anto played hurling with some of the men. I got my hurley and had a little game, as well. Then Robert took shots on Anto. Anto is good on goal. Then we went for something to eat. We had a lovely dinner. We went up to “An Chistin" which is a restaurant in Tramore, for soup and sandwiches. The soup was gorgeous. We were full after that. Anto treated me. I said thanks. We then went home again. We all sat down for our dinner. We were not very hungry as we had soup and sandwiches earlier, but we couldn’t tell Rose that. After dinner the cats were playing with me and bit my hands and legs. They chased me round the house. I was scared that they would really hurt me. I ran into a bedroom and I hid under the bed. One of the cats came in after me but I ran out the other side and slammed the door behind me. The cats were now locked in the bedroom. You could hear then scratching the door to get out. Anto told them to be nice to me. We then went to bed. I was tired after my day with Anto. Anto kept talking but I fell asleep very fast as I was knackered. I had a good night’s sleep for a change.

Anto’s Mum called us the next morning for school. In the morning we had Cornflakes and milk for breakfast. Boy were they nice, beautiful boy. We washed ourselves and off to school we went. We didn’t have schoolwork, as it was a school sports day. You can read about the Sports day in the News Section of this site. We had a brilliant day. We had a three-legged race, a sack race, a spud and spoon race and a sprint. I was in the pocket of Anto’s t-shirt for the spud and spoon. We started well but then he dropped the spud and we finished fifth. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I helped Anto’s mother Rose with the dishes. First she washed them and then I dried them. I wasn’t very careful because four plates fell out of my hand, sorry my paw and smashed on the floor. They broke into millions of pieces. Rose was raging, she was. She gave out to me. I started to cry. I said I was sorry but my paws weren’t made to be holding dishes. She said she would finish doing the drying and thanks very much for offering to help but no thanks, she would do the drying the next time I came, if there was going to be a next time.
This is the last day of my diary in Third Class.

I hope you enjoyed reading about all my adventures in Ireland. I certainly enjoyed coming here and meeting all these wonderful boys and their families. I enjoyed writing my adventures into my diary. School finishes next week for the summer holidays so I will go home with Mr. O’Neachtain for the summer. I wonder will I call to Ashley’s dad about that job, as I will need money in Tramore for the summer to buy ice creams and coke. Don’t forget to read my sports day in the News section and I will have one more adventure next week when I go with the class for their school tour, now that should be fun. See you.

Anto Sherlock

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