A Pocket Full of Shells Read Online Free PDF

late summer there were wild berries to collect and in the autumn, mushrooms. If they came across a puffball, there was great excitement, it was as good as a piece of meat and made a tasty meal.
         It was on one of these walks in October, while carrying her baby and a sack of mushrooms, that Mary heard her friend Brigid call out in distress, some distance behind her. Annie had stayed close to the young, heavily pregnant woman, as both of them were tired and kept the same pace. When Mary reached them, Brigid was lying on a bed of leaves while the older woman examined her swollen belly. Annie held her arms out to take Mary’s baby.
         “Quickly now, give me Catherine and go fetch Michael. He will have to carry Brigid, it will take her too long to walk back and I think she is very far on in her labour.”
         Mary knew it would take twenty minutes at least for her to reach the village. She prayed that the baby wouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to be born, remembering how quickly she had given birth to Catherine seven months before.
         The men were mending their nets in preparation for an evening’s fishing. Michael knew by the way Mary ran towards them that something was very wrong. He went to meet her as she slumped to the ground, trying to catch her breath.
         “It’s Brigid....the baby....coming,” she gasped. 
    James shouted back to one of the young boys helping with the nets to run and tell Kitty Carroll.
         “Bring her to Michael’s house so she can get things ready,” he said.
         “Come on, Mary, show us where she is,” said James, lifting his wife up and helping her along.
         “Annie is with her, and Catherine too,” replied Mary. “We were gathering mushrooms. It came on all of a sudden.”
         Michael raced ahead of his friends and soon heard Brigid’s cries coming from deep in the woods. He knelt beside her and Annie told him to wait until the pain had eased before lifting his wife. 
    The older woman looked from Mary to Brigid and shook her head slowly.
    “I don’t know why your babies are in such a rush to get into this world, if they knew the state of it they would stay put.” 
    It was a long contraction and as soon as Annie felt the muscle soften on Brigid’s abdomen she instructed Michael to lift her up.
    They made their way through the trees, the men taking turns in carrying the young woman, not stopping, even when she cried out with each band of pain that tightened around her belly.
         Kitty Carroll had the water boiling and clean cloths ready by the time Michael carried Brigid into their home. The men were swept back out through the door to wait, while the women bustled around preparing for the new arrival. Each cry of pain that his wife let out drew Michael to the door.  James had to stop his friend from going in several times. Just after a loud scream, the cry of a baby was heard and wild horses could not have dragged the young man back. Michael burst in through the doorway and sat at Brigid’s side, kissing her brow and telling her how brave she was. Annie was cleaning the baby and swaddling it in a blanket.
         She handed the newborn infant to Michael saying, “Look at the head of black hair on him. There’s no mistaking whose son he is.”
    The young father beamed. “A boy, Brigid, well done. We should call him Francis, after your father. Your mother will like that. We can call the next one after mine.” 
    The baby started to wriggle and squirm and Michael handed him to Brigid.
         “I think he wants a feed, love,” he said.
    Annie grabbed Michael by the arm and pulled him up, dragging him towards the door.
         “Your poor wife has been through enough without you planning on the next child already. Off you go to Paddy Mac’s and wet the baby’s head. This isn’t the time to have a man about, under our feet. Away with you now.”
    “It will be a cup of tea we’ll be getting at Paddy