Chapter 6 : On The Road
Patrick walked on the muddy track for three miles until he reached the main road that led to Cork. The road to the port of Cork was full of tired and hungry people. Patrick found himself walking next to Peter O'Connor who was carrying a sleeping child on his back. He was lso dreaming of starting a new life in America.
Peter had money paid by the landlord for leaving the land. He had enough money to buy tickets for himself and the child. Peter found the child three days ago in a farmhouse. All the people in the house were dead with fat rats crawling around them. Peter could not leave the little girl all alone by herself. H took her with him and called her Mary, his wife's name.
Peter's family was dead. Mary was a comfort to him but a child never said a word or uttered a sound. Patrick found this very strange. Peter smiled and said that he had seen many people like this in his travels. They had all seen 'terrible, unspeakable things and some of them had lost the power and will to speak'. The experience had been too traumatic.
Beggars lined up the streets to beg for money in the towns and village they passed through. Finally, they reached a 'rich looking town' called Killkaddy. It was a market day. The stalls were selling clothes, boots, shoes and books but no potatoes..
There was a large building filled with sacks of wheat. It was guarded by two armed of soldiers from the outside. A large wagon, pulled by four horses and filled with sacks of wheat was moving slowly away from the building. Two soldiers were sitting on the wagon. They were looking nervously at the hungry people on the street.
No comments:
Post a Comment