The Mystery at Sag Bridge

Chapter 21

When we left the church, one of the men who raised his hand for the meeting tipped his hat to me and motioned to Packey to step aside to chat. They didn't talk long, but Packey looked surprised at what the man said, and then he frowned, waved his hand at the man like he wanted him to go away, and strode to catch up with me, and he was wearing his angry face.

"Who is that man, an' what did he want with you?" I asked, taking Packey's arm and watching his face.

"Just a man I know from town," he answered. He seemed distracted, but the red color in his face was fading, and he gave me a great smile. I wasn't fooled, as I sensed he was trying to throw me off.

"It seems he made you angry," I observed.

"Oh, no, 'tis just a matter we'll talk about tonight, as we don't see eye to eye. 'Tis not important-don't worry your wee head," he assured me. He reached his arm around and gave me a hug. I was getting hard to reach around.

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Everyone was quiet on the ride home after Mass. Mick and Packey both stared at the road, each considering his own thoughts, I s'pose. To make things worse, Sally said she wasn't feeling well. So I couldn't have any conversation at all, with no one willing to talk.

When we got to the farm, Sally went right to her room. I heard her throwing up in the chamber pot, and I went to her door to ask if she wanted help. She begged me not to come in; in case she started a fever she didn't want me or the babe to catch sick. There is always fear of the cholera, the typhoid, the small pox, or the influenza, and so it was best to be cautious.

So once again it was left to me to make the supper, although I wanted nothing more than to lay down on the porch swing in the shade, as I was mighty wore out these hot days and found the easiest tasks tiring.

Packey washed up the supper things, which was unusual, and I wondered if he felt guilty about leaving me to go to the church this evening.

Before I set down, I lumbered upstairs to Sally's door and called to her through it. She said she felt feverish now, and she was coughing and her bowels were loose. The rest of us weren't sick, so perhaps it was something bad she ate, but I feared something worse. I thought it wouldn't be the typhoid though, which starts slow, not sudden. Sally wanted to sleep, so I went downstairs.

I went out on the porch, where it was cooler. Mick was in the barn checking on the cow, which was ready to drop her calf. Seems I wasn't the only one about to give birth on this farm. Packey sat with me and sipped a cool glass of water. A breeze started and the sun moved down the sky. It was lovely on the porch.

Packey held my hand, and it felt good, it did, us sitting there alone together, but something was bothering me. I picked this time to talk to Packey about it.

"Packey, 'tis grand that you won the prizefight at the picnic, but will you still be fightin' after the babe is born?" I asked, gazing off down our lane instead of at Packey.

I sensed that he turned to me, but still I did not look at him, worried what I would see.