What Dreams are Made of

By Edna McCabe

Part 13 - Tragedy Strikes Again

Our children were all doing well and Martin and I were happy with the two boys at home. Life was following a steady pattern. Martin's scout troop of was now flourishing and young boys who were once scouts were becoming scout leaders. They were all our fiends and as one former scout, Noel Brett, remarked they were part of our extended family.

I remember names like Jack Keanehan, Sean Hoare, Brendan Greham, Padraig Shine, Tommie O'Neill and Brendan Connolly. There were many others but Noel Brett stood out in my mind. It was remarkable to see such a bond of trust and friendship developing between an older man and a young scout leader. Noel later met a young cub leader, Geraldine Cullen, and he married her. Their family in turn also became part of our extended family. I thought our happy life would indeed go on like this forever, and that any sadness or trouble was now behind us.

Isn't it strange, when everything appears to be going well, how trouble strikes? The Easter Monday, that was to change our lives, was a lovely sunny day. Mary and Frank had just gone back to Cloughjordan after spending Easter with us and Martin remarked how happy they were. Suddenly there was a knock at the door and a Garda told us that Denis had fallen off his boat and was missing. Valerie, Denis, and Dominic and two friends had gone off on the Easter-weekend Boat Rally. Karen, their daughter, was with a friend. I cannot describe our shock. I was hysterical. Martin, who was usually quite good in such situations, was at a loss for words. We clung to each other for support. I kept thinking of Valerie and the children

We had to get word to all the family. Mary and Frank had just arrived in Cloughjordan and they immediately turned around and came back to Athlone. They and the rest of the family were heartbroken. Valerie and the children arrived here to our house, number 47. Everything after that is a blur.

I must say Valerie and Denis had wonderful friends as they all come to lend their support. Hundreds turned out for the funeral, especially all their friends who had been on boat rallies with them. It would have been wonderful if it hadn't been so sad. It was such a travesty that the Shannon took Denis; he who so loved the river and who was so particular about boating rules and regulations.

When the funeral was over and Valerie and the children came home to us. We assumed that they continued to live with us, but we didn't take Valerie's strength and independence in to count. One day, out of the blue, Valerie said, "Mum I'm going back to my own home the three of us will get on with our own lives together." That was it. After only a short time the three of them were gone. I was upset, but Martin pointed out how spoilt the children would become if they lived with us. He knew that Valerie needed to rebuild her life. In any event we knew we could see them every day, and we did

Life went on very slowly after that; I think the whole family had matured in a strange way. However, nothing had prepared us for the shock of seeing one of our daughters becoming a widowed with two children at such a young age.

I remembered my vision when I was so ill many years ago. God said to me "There's a reason why you must stay." I remembered God's words and I felt it was up to me to help Valerie in whatever way I could.

Valerie is the bravest and most independent person I know. The example she showed by getting on with her life helped me when I had to face my own unhappiness. After the tragedy she got down to the business of selling their shop and their boat. It took almost a year, perhaps longer. She also disposed of their van. The fact of not having transport didn't bother her as she lived beside the school, church and shops.

So now she found herself with a house in the middle of town and the two young children to bring up. She walked everywhere smiling and holding her head high. She never asked anyone for anything. Her sisters were concerned about her; but of course they had their own families to worry about.

We wondered if Valerie would continue to cope on her own. We visited her regularly and, as Martin said, it was like visiting three children. They used to come for Sunday dinner until one day Dominic asked his mum why they didn't have Sunday dinner in their own house. This was a simple question to which Valerie had the answer. The next Sunday they dined in their own house and called to us in the afternoon. This was another step in Valerie's coming to terms with her new situation. I think her ability to face up to life's difficulties came from her dad. It certainly didn't come from me as I had been cared for and sheltered all my life, both by my family and then by Martin.

As Valerie started to get on with her life we had to face yet another sorrow. It was Grace and Larry this time. Grace was expecting another baby when she was rushed off in the ambulance to Mullingar Hospital. It was like history repeating itself. Her little boy was born dead. We were all so sad for Grace and Larry but thanked God that Grace was well. For the first time, I asked God "Why? Why had another angel had gone to heaven?"

In the meantime the two boys were growing up. They had a lovely childhood with their dad. They played together in the garden and amused themselves with the aviary, the pond, the rabbits and the pet mice. In the house there was a hamster, a canary, a budgie and a fish tank. Life went on. I don't think the boys missed out on anything. Apart from activities around the house they had boating and fishing and, of course, the scouts. Martin was proud of them when, in the same year, Martin junior was elected Scout of the Year and Declan became Cub of the Year. Those years flew by.

One day Valerie had a visitor. That's when Geoff Foy came into her life. He had been away at college and he had spent some time abroad after that. He was an old friend of Denis' and he now called to see Valerie. Their friendship was a further step forward for Valerie and, as Martin said, it was the best thing that ever happened to her after her tragedy. At the time she was at a very low point in her life and he was a great support to her. He encouraged her in everything she wanted to do.

Valerie hadn't gone out to work when the children were small. Now she was taking about opening her own shop. Geoff was behind her all the way. We worried, Geoff didn't. He had confidence in her ability. She had always been clever at sewing and had a good business sense, so very soon we saw her new shop "A Stitch In Time". She was doing alterations. After 12 months it was a complete success.

Geoff had his own house and he was a lecturer in the local Institute of Technology. He was able to see Valerie quite often. Life was good for Valerie and the children. I often wonder if children have short memories and if they remember all the good things that happened to them. I know how Geoff remembered the children's birthdays and how he consulted Valerie as to what to buy them.. He took a great interest in Karen she got into reading. He used to walk to Easons with her to select books by well-known children's authors. He knew how Denis loved reading.

He took Dominic on a trip to Germany and Karen to the Aran Islands. At Christmas there was always a present under the tree. On one occasion he paid for Karen's braces for her teeth. He got the money back on his Income Tax, but to his credit, he was the only one who offered to do it. I'm sure there are lots of other things I don't know about. All the family agreed whether like him (which we did) or not, he was there for Valerie.

And so life continued. Grace went on to have four more girls, Barbara, Brenda, Ailish and Noelle. Mary had two boys, Trevor and Garry and a daughter Jemma. And Tina had her four children, Lynn, Karl, Tracy and Kate.

The two boys were growing fast and Martin was in his first real job. During the summer he had been doing summer work in a local factory when he was called for a job as a telephonist in Dundalk. We missed him when he moved away but he came and went at weekends but I was always sad to see him going off on Monday mornings. It was great news when he told us he had received a transfer to Athlone. In due course he was transferred to Mullingar. When in Mullingar he shared a house with some young men and it was there that he met Teresa. We knew, when he brought her home to meet us, that she was the one for him. They were so suited to each other. After a beautiful wedding they went on to live in Sligo and now they have three children, Michelle, Ciara and Kealan.

Ever romantic, I was thrilled that Martin like his dad before him, met his future wife in Mullingar. That had to be good. Later the two of them (Martin and Teresa) went on to become Gardaí. We went to Templemore to see Martin passing out. We were so proud. He looked splendid in his blue uniform. It was a great occasion for us, and to have two Gardaí in the family was a bonus. Later they went on to build their own house outside Sligo, "Shanowel", named from the river Shannon in Athlone and Lough Owel in Mullingar. Both towns had wonderful memories for the two Martins.