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.At Central Station Joe pushed through the crowds on the concourse to the exit.He had planned to take a tram to Martin Place in the heart of the city, where the head office of the bank was, but as he was early he decided to walk.It was a bright spring morning and the leaves of the plane trees in the park were just coming into bud, but the rest of the area near the station was shabby and run-down.Joe became quite distressed by what he saw.The effects of the Depression were far more obvious in this part of the city than they were in Whitby Point.Men, down at heel, with drawn, worried faces, stood in groups, some sharing a cigarette.Some looked as though they might be farm people hoping to find work in the city.Joe thought about the city people who had turned up in Whitby Point, also looking for jobs.But there was no work anywhere.Not surprising, he thought, when the unemployment rate was twenty-five per cent.Desperate-looking women clutching children asked for money to buy food.As he walked on, Joe saw a long queue and realised that there must be a soup kitchen nearby.He knew how well-off he must look and his heart twisted in sympathy for the people in the queue.It was not so long ago that he had been poor.But despite the poverty on his island, his family had always had something to eat, even if it was just weeds and nettles collected from the hillside and made into a broth.Joe trudged on, his head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone.He passed a partially demolished building, which he could see was being used as a shelter by those with nowhere else to go.He turned to cross the street and from the corner of his eye he saw the figure of a woman hurrying down the road.Head down, she was hunched into her coat, which had definitely seen better days.A knitted beret was squashed onto her hair.She looked like many of the other people he had seen at this end of town, but something about her caused Joe to give her a second glance.He caught his breath, stopped, then spun around and began to run after her.He knew who she was.No one else had a head of red curls like that.He could barely manage to get out the name that was burned into his heart.‘Bridie?’She jerked as if slapped, threw a swift glance over her shoulder and quickly hurried on.In two strides he was beside her, spinning her around to face him.‘Bridie, it’s me, Joe, Giuseppe.Is it really you?’‘Giuseppe, is that you? You look very well.’ There was little warmth in Bridie’s voice.She spoke as though he was no more than an acquaintance.Well, thought Joe, maybe after all this time, that is all I am.‘Bridie, let me buy you a cup of tea,’ he said.‘I want to talk to you, find out what you’ve been doing.’ As he took her arm, he could feel her thinness through the worn fabric of her coat.He knew that things were not good for Bridie.She pulled her arm away.‘I’m sorry but I can’t spare the time.’‘Bridie, a cup of tea for old times’ sake, surely, and you can tell me all about yourself.’Suddenly Bridie’s eyes filled with tears.‘Oh, Giuseppe, you were always so kind to me, but I think by the look of you that we have travelled very different paths.You look so, well, prosperous.’‘I’ve been very lucky, but perhaps you have not.’Suddenly Bridie looked at Joe in defiance.‘I haven’t, and you can’t possibly understand, so I think that it’s best if we forget this meeting.’Joe stared at her.‘Forget you? I have never forgotten you for one day since you walked away from me, and I will not let you disappear again.You must tell me what has happened to you.Besides, aren’t you interested in what I’ve been doing?’ he added, hoping that Bridie’s curiosity would get the better of her.‘That would be unkind of me, wouldn’t it?’ she said with a faint smile.They found a small tea shop and Joe ordered a pot of tea for two, even though he didn’t usually drink tea, as well as a plate of scones, which he didn’t eat, but thought Bridie would enjoy.They were served quickly and as Bridie began to pour the tea, Joe asked, ‘So, you married Ronan?’With a shudder, Bridie broke down completely and sobbed.Joe handed her his handkerchief and Bridie wiped her eyes.‘Have something to eat,’ Joe suggested.‘And when you can, tell me what happened.’Bridie sniffed and took a bite of scone.‘These are delicious.I hadn’t realised how hungry I was.Yes, I married him.He was a good man, but not a very strong one.He tried lots of jobs, but they never seemed to last.When we had our son Patrick, Ronan tried even harder, but the work was always too hard, too physical [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]