Across the Divide

by Brian Gallagher

  ‘No,’ answered Liam. ‘My mistake last time was travelling in the passenger carriage. This time I’ll sneak into a goods wagon in Mullingar.’

  ‘How do you know there’ll be a goods wagon attached?’

  ‘There was the last time, so there’ll probably be again.’

  ‘OK, I won’t say anything to Molly.’

  ‘Thanks, Nora.’

  ‘And I’ll do the same. Then we can save my fare as well.’

  Liam immediately shook his head. ‘No.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘It’s enough that you came all the way down here,’ he said. ‘I don’t want you getting into any more trouble.’

  ‘I won’t if we’re not caught,’ answered Nora. ‘And you’re not planning on getting caught, are you?’

  ‘No. But still.’

  ‘But still, what?’

  ‘If you pay your fare and take half the food, we could be sure of at least that much getting to Dublin,’ explained Liam.

  ‘And if I travel with you we could get all the food to Dublin and add my fare to what Molly gave. You said yourself that every penny counts.’

  Nora could tell that Liam saw the logic of this, but he still hesitated.

  ‘I can’t be taking more money off you,’ he said.

  ‘For goodness sake, Liam! We’re friends, we’re in this together. Call it a loan, the same as the money from Molly.’

  Nora could see that Liam’s resistance was weakening and she decided to go for broke. ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘I’m not asking if I can hide in the goods carriage. I’m telling you that I’m doing it.’

  Liam looked at her a moment and she thought that she had gone too far. Instead he suddenly grinned.

  ‘You’re mad,’ he said, ‘but you’re sound as a pound!’

  That had been a couple of hours ago and since then Molly had served a hearty breakfast of porridge, boiled eggs and brown bread, having first gone to a neighbouring farm to discuss transport to Mullingar. She had been gone for half an hour, then had returned, smiling. The improved weather would make travel easier, and a neighbouring farmer, Joe Pat Foley, would take Liam and Nora to town in his cart.

  Molly had then parcelled the foodstuffs, consisting of flour, oatmeal, butter, home-made bread, sugar and cuts of bacon and mutton. She had also carefully wrapped about twenty eggs in cardboard, then divided the heavy load between Nora’s sports bag and a battered case that she had given to Liam.

  Now the entire group stood in the slush-covered farmyard, their breath rising in clouds in the wintry air. Joe Pat Foley, a kindly-looking man with bushy red whiskers, loaded the luggage into his cart, between whose shafts stood a sturdy grey mare. Liam’s cousins had come out to see them off, their initial shyness of yesterday gone as they excitedly said their goodbyes to Liam and Nora.

  Molly herself then stepped forward, tears in her eyes even as she smiled and hugged Liam.

  ‘Tell your ma I’m praying for her, Liam. And I said a novena that they’d let Billy out soon. Tell her that, she knows I have a great leg of Saint Francis!’

  ‘I will,’ answered Liam. ‘And thanks for everything, you were brilliant.’

  ‘Will you go along outta that,’ answered Molly, then she turned to Nora. ‘Come here, love, and give me a hug,’ she said.

  Nora hugged her, struck by the thought that her mother would be slow to hug someone she had known for less than twenty-four hours. The thought of home made her briefly anxious about what lay ahead, but Nora determinedly put her worries from her mind. She smiled at Molly when they finished hugging and extended her hand as she had been taught. ‘Thank you so much for all your hospitality, Mrs Halligan,’ she said.

  ‘You’re more than welcome, love,’ replied Molly, then she turned to Liam and made a gesture of appreciation towards Nora. ‘Beautiful manners.’

  ‘Whenever you’re ready!’ cried Joe Pat, climbing up into the driver’s seat of the cart.

  There was a final flurry of goodbyes, and Nora and Liam climbed aboard.

  ‘Yup,’ cried Joe Pat, cracking his whip, then the grey moved off and they rattled across the farmyard.

  Nora waved farewell until all of Liam’s relations were out of sight, then she settled back in the cart as they started the long and unpredictable journey home.

  Liam walked with the confident air of someone going about his lawful business as he made his way back towards Nora’s hiding place. Joe Pat had dropped them off in Mullingar, and the return journey through a beautiful, snow-covered and sunlit landscape had been in strong contrast to the foggy and confusing route that Liam had travelled only yesterday.

  They had thanked Joe Pat, then made their way to the canal bank and found a thickly wooded area nearby, where Nora had hidden from view with the food while Liam did a reconnaissance at the train station.

  Being a Sunday morning, Mullingar was busy, and despite the cold weather lots of people were attending church services. Liam felt that it was important not to draw attention by skulking around or looking suspicious, which was why he strode along now with the air of a boy with a definite purpose. He reached the wooded area and cut in through the snow-laden trees to reach a small clearing where Nora was sitting on his upturned case. She rose and looked at him enquiringly.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘Good news. There are plenty of people out and about – though we’ll still need to be very careful in the station.’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘And there’s a train leaving for Dublin in half an hour, with two goods carriages.’

  ‘Brilliant,’ said Nora.

  ‘Yeah. They’re packing them with parcels right now. If we time it properly, we should be able to slip on board when they have the parcels stowed, but before the train pulls out.’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘There’s one other thing though, Nora, and it’s important.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘When it comes to getting on, I go first. If I’m caught, you walk away. Pretend you don’t know me, OK?’

  Liam could see that Nora was hesitant, and he looked at her appealingly. ‘Please. There’s no point in you getting into trouble as well.’

  ‘I know, but–’

  ‘No buts, Nora, I really mean it. If you’re not caught you can still buy a ticket, get to Dublin and deliver the food to my ma.’

  Liam could see that Nora recognised the sense of this, and he didn’t need to emphasise how important it was to get at least some of the food to his mother.

  ‘Promise me that’s what you’ll do if I’m caught,’ he said.

  Nora looked him in the eye, then nodded slowly. ‘You have my word.’

  ‘Thanks, Nora. So, are you ready to try it?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘OK. Let’s go.’

  Chapter 23

  This was the moment of maximum danger. Nora was hiding with Liam behind a stack of cardboard boxes in one of the two guard’s vans used for transporting light goods, and if they were discovered now it would be obvious they were stowaways.

  The approach to the station had been nerve-racking, but Nora had followed Liam’s advice and had strolled along as though she was just another passenger. The sports bag packed with food was heavy, but Nora had disguised the fact by concentrating on carrying it as though it was just a normal weight.

  They hadn’t entered the station through the main passenger hall, instead turning in through the marshalling yards, ready if anyone challenged them to offer the excuse that they weren’t locals and had taken a wrong turn. But no one had come near them and, with most of the station activity taking place at the platform towards the front of the train, they had managed to climb quickly into one of the open guard’s vans at the rear.

  Liam’s reconnaissance had paid off – the parcels were already loaded on board – and Nora reckoned that the train must be almost due to leave now. She found herself becoming more anxious. Supposing someone did an inspection to make sure all the boxes were sufficiently secure? Or su
ppose one of the railway men chose to travel back to Dublin in the guard’s van? Her thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a wheezing sound at the entrance to the carriage. Nora held her breath as she heard a man climbing on board. She strained her ears for any clue to what was going on, then her heart began pounding on hearing the wheezing getting louder as the man headed her way.

  Liam urgently signalled to Nora not to make a sound. The laboured breathing drew closer, and both of them stood stock still. The man must be only two or three feet away now, moving slowly. Liam bit his lip nervously, praying that the stranger would stop before discovering their hiding place. Just when he seemed to be almost upon them, the man grunted, then there was a thud and Liam realised that he had lowered whatever he had been carrying to the floor of the carriage.

  You’ve done what you came for, Liam thought, now turn around and go away. Instead the wheezing continued, and Liam caught sight of Nora making a grimace. He looked questioningly at her and saw that she was about to sneeze. She had sneezed several times on the journey back through the wintry countryside, but another one now would be disastrous. Liam urgently mimicked pinching her nose to hold in the sneeze, and Nora quickly did as Liam had indicated, making only a small involuntary sound as the sneeze shook her.

  Despite the cold, Liam could feel a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he waited to see if the wheezing man had heard. He listened for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a second or two, and then he heard the man move away, followed by a low groan suggesting that he had lowered himself from the carriage down to the platform.

  Liam looked at Nora, and she breathed out and smiled in nervous relief. He smiled in return, but neither of them spoke. Suddenly there was a sound of squeaky rollers rumbling and the carriage began to darken as the door of the carriage was pulled across. Liam listened intently, knowing that the next few seconds were critically important. If the door was simply closed, then he could slide it open when the train reached Dublin. If it was locked from the outside they would be trapped inside until the lever was released.

  The door slammed shut and Liam strained anxiously, hoping not to hear the fall of the lock. He stood there, his jaws gripped tight with tension, then he slowly breathed out, realising that the lever hadn’t been applied. He turned to Nora and gave her a thumbs-up sign, and she smiled broadly and raised her thumb in return.

  The air was pierced by a loud whistle, and a couple of seconds later the carriage jolted and began to move slowly forward. Liam mopped his forehead and leaned back against the boxes behind him, hugely relieved that they were finally leaving Mullingar. They weren’t safe yet, far from it. But they were on a train heading for Broadstone, and they had the precious food supplies. There would be more challenges to come, he had no doubt, but meanwhile they could relax for a little while before deciding their tactics for when the train arrived in Dublin.

  Nora got up nervously from her makeshift seat of cardboard boxes as the train pulled into the terminus at Broadstone. The interior of the guard’s van was gloomy with the door closed, but she could still see the tension on Liam’s face. He rose too as the train slowed down and, with no hint of his usual mischievous expression, he held out his hand.

  ‘Thanks for everything, Nora,’ he said, ‘you’ve been … you’ve just been the best.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.’

  ‘You’re sure you want to go ahead with your plan?’

  ‘Certain,’ answered Nora.

  They had spent half of the journey from Mullingar to Dublin discussing the best approach to getting out of Broadstone station undetected. With Liam about to be weighed down by food, they had agreed that it would be too risky for him to try to exit through the busy marshalling yards, but right now Nora didn’t want to think any more about her own plan in case she lost her nerve.

  ‘OK,’ said Liam, ‘let’s be ready to get off once it stops.’

  They both moved the bags of food to the door, then stood at the ready. Nora could hear the groaning sound of brakes being applied and steam released, then the train finally came to a halt.

  Liam grasped the door handle at once and heaved. Nothing happened, and Nora felt a flutter of panic. Liam hauled again, and this time the door slowly moved a couple of feet, rumbling sideways and allowing light and smoky station air into the carriage.

  As agreed, Nora took a quick look out, then jumped down first onto the platform. All along the platform train doors were being opened and passengers were alighting, but Nora’s concern was for station staff. So far it seemed as though she hadn’t been noticed

  She called back to Liam. ‘All clear!’

  Liam swung the sports bag full of supplies out the door and Nora swiftly took it, followed by Liam’s battered suitcase. Liam followed instantly, jumping down onto the platform and immediately taking up the case.

  Nora hoisted the sports bag and began walking towards the front of the train and the ticket barrier. Trying to be casual, she glanced about her as she walked. She half expected a hand on her shoulder or a cry from some railway official, but with throngs of people getting off the train and moving towards the exit no one appeared to have spotted their descent from the goods wagon.

  One problem solved, thought Nora, but the tricky part was still to come. They shuffled forward with all the other travellers to the gate where a portly official was collecting the tickets of the arriving passengers. The queue was moving briskly and when they were several places from the front Nora tapped Liam’s leg. He reached out his free hand and surreptitiously gripped the straps of her sports bag, taking it from her. They had made sure not to chat or in any way acknowledge each other, and Nora moved one space ahead of Liam as though travelling alone.

  Now that the moment for action was drawing close she felt her mouth becoming dry, and she swallowed hard. Timing was going to be everything here, and she waited until she was two places away from the ticket collector, then she felt her coat pockets frantically and cried out, ‘My money! My money’s been stolen!’

  Nora could see the ticket collector and lots of the passengers looking at her, and she decided that a little more hysteria was in order. ‘All my money! Someone took my purse with all my money!’ she cried, her voice quivering with apparent upset.

  ‘You poor thing. Do you live near here?’ said a motherly-looking woman who was directly ahead of her in the queue.

  ‘No! What am I going to do?’ cried Nora, looking at the ticket collector.

  He raised his hand soothingly.

  ‘It’ll be all right, don’t get yourself upset. Are you meeting your parents?’ he asked.

  ‘I was … I was supposed to get a cab with the money, but now it’s all gone,’ she sobbed.

  There were murmurings of sympathy around her, and the ticket collector tried to console Nora. She began to sob even more, and from the corner of her eye she glimpsed Liam slipping past the distracted ticket collector. Laden down by the combined weight of the sports bag and suitcase he couldn’t move quickly, but that was OK, Nora thought, he would draw less attention while moving at a moderate speed.

  ‘How am I going to get home?’ wailed Nora, anxious to give Liam as much time as possible to make his way through the station.

  ‘We’ll get the police, they’ll take you home,’ said the ticket collector.

  ‘Or maybe … maybe we could ring my parents?’ suggested Nora a little more calmly, now that she realised that Liam was no longer anywhere to be seen. We’ve done it, she thought triumphantly, we’ve done it!

  ‘Tell you what,’ said the ticket man. ‘Let me finish collecting the tickets and then we’ll take you to the station master’s office. You can ring your parents from there. All right?’

  ‘Yes, all right,’ answered Nora. ‘And thank you so much.’

  Liam trudged along Western Way, the weight of the sports bag and suitcase making his arms and shoulders ache. The snow on the footpaths here was dirtier and slushier than it had been in Westmeath, and Liam
moved carefully, watching out for icy patches. He turned left into the warren of streets that led to his home, his mind racing. Nora’s plan had worked to perfection, although he still wasn’t entirely happy about leaving her behind while he escaped. But Nora had insisted that it would be a disaster if, after all their efforts to get the food to Dublin, they were both caught at the last moment and quite possibly taken away and arrested. She had pointed out that she was already in trouble with her parents, and it would hardly be any worse if they came to Broadstone to collect her when she pretended that her purse was stolen.

  It was hard to argue with her logic – and Liam knew how determined she could be – so eventually he had agreed to her plan. He hoped now that she wouldn’t get in too much trouble when her parents heard of all that she had done. He hoped also that his own mother wouldn’t be too angry with him for going to Ballinacargy. He had a trump card in the vital bags of food, however, and he was counting on her relief at their delivery to make her overlook everything else. He would also need her to write a note to Brother Kiernan, excusing Liam’s absence from school last Friday, and he would have to slip back to the marshalling yards at Broadstone to retrieve his hidden schoolbag.

  Wrapped up in his thoughts, Liam had been walking slowly, his head down as he tried to keep the two heavy bags balanced. Now he became aware of a figure in front of him. Liam looked up to see Martin Connolly, the toughest boy in his class and the one who had called him a sissy for singing ‘Ave Maria’ in the feis.

  ‘Liam,’ said Connolly, eyeing the bags curiously.

  ‘Martin,’ acknowledged Liam.

  The other boy was standing directly in his path, and Liam hesitated, weighing up his options. He didn’t want trouble with Connolly, especially not now when he was so close to bringing the food safely home. Liam’s arms were already aching, so he opted to put the bags down and try to distract the other boy.

  ‘I couldn’t get to school on Friday,’ he said. ‘Was Killer gunning for me?’