Miss Julia almost always wore high collared capes and coats to protect her neck. When she left her little cottage at the foot of the Dysart Hills to do business she felt exposed if she hadn’t her neck covered. She believed people out there looked for any weakness she might display and would go for the jugular if they could find a chink in her armour. “Let’s not make it easy for the bitches“ was her motto. I wondered what made her so distrustful and what might help her see things in a more optimistic light, and what was that book she was reading? tbc
i caught up with Miss Julia in our local cafe, where she sat near the window sipping her flat white and reading that book. My curiosity got the better of me so I carefully carried my own coffee over to her table and asked if I could join her. With a wave of her hand she invited me to sit on the chair opposite. She closed her book with a snap and I could see what she was reading. It was a well worn edition of my own old favourite:
“What can I do for you ?” she asked. “Actually I was hoping you would clear up the mystery of the high double collared coats you wore,” I answered “ but I see you are reading my favourite book, has it anything to do with the transfer of the N.M.H. to Elm park, by any chance?”
She threw back her head and laughed. “I’m just sending my old copy of the book to Michael, just a gentle reminder that just as “getting Brexit done” didn’t work out so well for his old friend Boris, “getting the N.M.H. transfer done” mightn’t work out so well for him either.” ”What do you mean?” “Well if a convent of nuns are difficult to deal with, how does he think a country full of women who believe they have been betrayed will react. No amount of mansplaining to Mary Lou will fix it.” And with that she put the book in an envelope and addressed it to Michael at Leinster House and got up to leave. As Miss Julia walked away I noticed the characteristic waddling gait of someone who had a symphysiotomy performed on them. Legacy of the National Maternity Hospital. I didn’t know Miss Julia had any children, but that’s a different story.