The Legends (21 page)

Brian looked perfectly miserable, “What am I going to do without her Mrs. O’Neill?”

She replied, “I know it will be hard for a long, long time because Molly meant so much to you. I remember when my husband Brendan died, years and years ago even before you were born. I remember how much I missed him and I certainly didn’t know what I was going to do without him. When I really thought about it I decided that even though he was no longer alive on this earth, his spirit was still alive and that someday, I would see him again. And that is what kept me going when I was so very sad. I think that is what you should think about. Molly is no longer on this earth, but her spirit will always be with you.”

“And how is that?” Brian asked quietly.

Margaret smiled putting her arm around Brian’s slumping shoulders, “As long as you remember Molly, her spirit will be alive. Think about all those times you ran through the fields, or played hurling together, or explored the woods, or when she met you at school and came here for her treat. All those wonderful times that you shared, those things in your mind mean that her spirit is still alive.”

Brian eyes brightened a bit, “I remember the shock that Mrs. McNellis got my first day at school when Molly jumped up and ran to me as I left school. She said she thought she would have a heart attack and everyone laughed.”

“You see,” Margaret said, “that is what I mean. Molly does not want you to be sad so her spirit is reminding you of all the happy things that the two of you did together. And you know, as long as you think about those times, she will be with you.”

“She was a great dog, wasn’t she?” Brian said with the beginnings of a smile.

“The best dog ever,” Margaret replied hugging the young boy. “You know what I think. I think that we should have a party celebrating what a great dog she was. You invite Katie and Libby and some of the other children who knew Molly from school and we will have a party right here with balloons and cake and Molly will be here in spirit because we will all tell our favorite Molly stories. How does that sound?”

Brian smiled, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes, “I think Molly would like that.”

Margaret and Brian spent a long time talking about all the things that Molly meant to them until Margaret looking at her watch and announced, “Where has the time gone. We must get over to the ceremony.”

With that she pulled on her knitted sweater and the two, hand in hand, headed off to the O’Sullivan’ house. When they arrived Brian opened the door for Margaret and they walked through the living room into the kitchen. Evelyn gave her son a big hug, relieved that the tears vanished, at least for the time.

Margaret, Brian and Evelyn walked out into the backyard where Cathal and Inspector Paddy Rice were standing reverently next to a large box that held Molly’s body. Her head rested on a small pillow and she was wrapped in her favorite blanket. A very large hole had been dug in the lawn and the box rested at its edge with ropes passing under the box.

On seeing his pet, Brian began to sob, as Evelyn and Mrs. O’Neill held his hands.

His own eyes tearing over at the sight of his son, Cathal began, “I think it is up to me to say a few words about this wonderful dog since I brought her home to Mother so many years ago. From the days when I was a young boy like Brian, I enjoyed the company of a number of dogs—big dogs, little dogs and all sorts of dogs in between. I can honestly say that I never met a dog that was smarter than Molly. When she came into our house, she made herself right at home. Of course she did eat a couple of chairs while she was teething, but after that she never caused us the slightest bit of trouble. In fact, I am quite sure she knew exactly what we were saying and there was nothing she loved more than taking long walks in the fields, chasing birds and butterflies but always running back the minute we called. And then, when Brian came along, she took over minding him… really mother and I were hardly necessary as long as Molly was around. Molly was a very important member of this family and she will be sadly missed by all of us.”

After a few moments to consider what Cathal said, Paddy began directing his comments to Brian, “I couldn’t agree more with what your father said about this wonderful dog. You may not know this Brian, but when you were only an infant, Molly helped me solve a very strange case indeed. We all know Molly had a very big nose – the rest of her wasn’t so small either – but in this case, I gave her a bit of material and asked her to sniff around and find out where it came from. Molly looked up at me and I think she even nodded her head, but anyway she took a good sniff and went all over checking out the possibilities, like any good police officer, and then she went right to the source so I had my answer. I also know that as long as Molly was minding this home, I knew that everyone here, including my favorite sister and, of course, my favorite nephew were safe and sound. I know I will miss Molly because she always welcomed me and I am sure that, right now she is still looking after this house and everyone in it.”

Evelyn then put her arm around her son and said, “You know, Brian that I never thought that your father and I would be lucky enough to have a wonderful boy so we ended up with a wonderful dog instead. But then, a miracle happened and you came along but the amazing thing was that just like we fell in love with you, so did Molly. I know that Molly always had a place in her heart for your father and me, but I have never seen a dog that loved a boy more than Molly loved you. I know that when you were at school, Molly would look at the clock just waiting for the minute she could run off and bring you home. And you know how much she loved to run in the fields with you and chase your ball and play all the games the two of you invented. You know, I think the thing Molly wanted most of all was that you would be happy and she would do anything to make you happy.”

“I think that even though she is gone, she would still want you to be happy. I know it is hard for you to be happy now that Molly is gone, but you will always have all your memories of this wonderful dog and whenever you feel sad, you should think about all the funny things she did and in that way she will still make you feel happy. I know we will all miss Molly, and no one will miss her more than you, but I think it is wonderful that she lived with us for all these years and made us so happy and that is what I want to remember.”

When Evelyn finished, Margaret put her arm around Brian and said, “Everyone has said such wonderful things about Molly that it is hard for me to know what else to say. You know Brian that Molly used to visit me before you came along and I always knew that she was a kind and gentle dog, full of fun and happiness and very smart. But somehow, when you came along she changed – oh she was still kind and gentle, full of fun and happiness and very smart but now she had a best friend to share her life with. You may not remember, but when you were a tiny infant she used to put her nose next to you and you would reach out and pat her and I could see the way she looked at you, with love and devotion and loyalty. There is nothing more wonderful than the love a boy and a dog share and you were as important to her as she was to you.”

“Because of this, it is very sad that dogs live for such a short time compared to people, but that is the way God made things. He sent us Molly for a short time and she brought us great happiness when we really needed happiness. And then he took her back leaving us with so many happy memories that she will live in all of us for as long as we are alive. So I want to remember Molly for being a wonderful and loyal friend to all of us and I want to thank God in a special way for sending her to us.”

As each of those present spoke their piece, Brian stood silently sobbing as he stared at his beloved friend hoping that somehow it was all a bad dream and that Molly would open her eyes, jump up and come trotting over to him. Deep down, however, he knew that Molly was gone because he knew that the words spoken by his parents, uncle and oldest friend were true. The group was quiet for a moment and then Margaret gently asked, “Do you want to say something, Brian?”

In response, the young boy broke away from his mother and ran into the house. The four adults looked as each other with very real concern as if to ask, “What do we do now?”

As quickly as he had disappeared, however, Brian returned with a hurling ball that had not only seen its share of strikes but also had spent a fair amount of time between the big dog’s teeth. Approaching the dog’s casket, Brian reached in and placed the ball under Molly’s chin before he stroked the dog’s head and snout for the last time.

Between the sobs, Brian said, “This is for you Molly, so that you will have something to play with and something to remember me by. I know you would want me to be happy and I will try my best but now I am very sad because I miss you so much. You were the best dog in the entire world and you were my best friend. I will never forget you.”

Evelyn and Margaret moved forward together putting their arm over Brian’s shoulders as he sobbed his final farewell. Cathal then put a second blanket over the dog and closed the box for the last time. The two men carefully lowered the box into the hole and began to slowly cover it over with dirt. Brian stood silently until the job was finished. Paddy Rice finally broke the silence when he announced, “All right now Brian, you and I have a job to do. We must make a proper marker for Molly’s grave then you must plant some flowers on it so it will always be a happy place where you can remember the wonderful times you had. Is that alright?”

As he wiped his eyes in his sleeves, Brian replied in a very quiet voice, “Yes.”

Brian Boru O’Sullivan was neatly dressed in his new school uniform, grey pants, light grey jumper, white shirt and forest green tie, as he stood on the front steps of his home while his proud mother snapped away with her camera. Brian tried to be patient, but he had never been one to remain in one place longer than was absolutely necessary. His mother, it seemed to Brian, would not be happy until the photograph she took included just the right light, background and, of course, his perfect expression, whatever that might be. He knew that was her way, very precise in everything she did, which probably explained why so many people valued her intricately crafted silver jewelry. This posing, however, was getting a little old and Brian was relieved when she finally finished…but then she noticed that his shirt tail had made its way out of his trousers so she insisted on just a few more.

“Ma,” he moaned, “you don’t want me to be late for my first day do you?”

Evelyn replied, “This will only take another few seconds and the school is only down the road. If you give me a big smile that will be it.”

Brian shook his head in frustration but after several more shots, somehow managed a smile that satisfied his mother.

The young man captured on film that day was not particularly tall but he stretched a few inches during the summer and was probably experiencing a growth spurt. Whatever about his height, Brian was solidly built. His chest was that bit broader and his legs that bit bigger than the other boys his age and all traces of baby fat had long since vanished. Apart from his piercing blue eyes and dimpled cheeks, there was little about the boy that appeared out of the ordinary. He was a typical thirteen year old, seemingly in constant motion, whose shirt tails escaped the minute after he kissed his mother goodbye, and whose red-blonde hair, so neatly groomed for the photograph, reverted to form sticking out every which way when he ran down the road.

Brian decided that he was looking forward to attending this new school because, he concluded, this was a new adventure and novelty appealed to him. At least that was the story he was telling himself to overcome the fear and uncertainty that every young boy encounters on his first day at secondary school.

Brian knew that there would be many other students who were smarter than he was just as there were in the grade school where he spent the last six years. His friend Katie O’Donnell with her dark brown hair and greenish-blue eyes who seemed to know everything, not just the things that were in the school books, was the first person that came to his mind. Brian knew that he would have to work hard at his studies but then with his mother and father scrutinizing his lessons in gruesome detail every night he wouldn’t have much choice. His parents did not always agree on everything, but to his occasional regret, something they did agree upon was their role in educating their son. For some reason, which was lost on Brian, they thought they were just as important as the teachers so school didn’t really end until they had their say. As a result, although he might not have been a top student his parents made sure that he would always be above average.

One argument that he was glad his mother won found him attending St. Killians, the County Louth operated junior-senior high school. Brian’s parents had plenty of money so they could afford to send him to any of the private schools where more wealthy people sent their children in the hopes of improving their education. His father attended one of these schools, as well as Trinity College, and was now a professor at University College Dublin so he knew all the right people as far as education was concerned.

What Dr. O’Sullivan really wanted was for his son to attend the same private boy’s school in Dublin that he attended when he was in secondary school. Brian’s dad took him to the school one time when they had taken the train into the city to see a hurling match at Croke Park. The school building had seemed big and dark and there was hardly a blade of green grass in sight. As if that had not put Brian off, the idea of getting up at the crack of dawn every morning, sitting on a train for probably hours, and then walking miles on city streets to go to a school where he would have nothing in common with most of the other kids did not appeal to him at all. His dad, however, told him all about the interesting people he would meet, people who would be important friends for the rest of his life. He also told Brian about the great sports programs at the school and that he could be part of a championship tradition in rugby. Now that did appeal to Brian because some of his favorite rugby players on Ireland’s team graduated from the school. But then he asked his father about the hurling as well. His father explained that he could always continue to play with the local club but that this school concentrated on rugby.