Tom Murphy Chapter 7

It was many and many a year ago,
In a Kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee.

Gustav was reading out aloud to me from a poetry book. We were lying side by side at the shore of the water reservoir. A frigid wind was blowing out of a black cloud. It chilled and sprayed our skins from the choppy lake water. July had settled its gloom all around us. Even the Mayor now coughed, spluttered, and complained bitterly at the smallest distractions.

Gustav and Maria had been frighteningly ill. Mrs Rosenblum, with a different panacea each time, had rushed to and fro flinging her arms about with a gabble of languages. Maria still lay in her bed and pleaded with Mummy to leave her alone. Gustav's chest still racked him and his face had a sickly pallor. His eyes stared and glittered even more eerily out of their sockets.

Annabel Lee is Vicky, pronounced Gustav.

I had hoped his illness had made him forget his forlorn love. This unexpected reminder irritated me.

You still haven't spoken to her, I remonstrated with feeble conviction.

This is her, said Gustav.

He showed me a picture in the book of a girl in a large bonnet. She was holding up a long flowing spread out skirt. Faces with bulging cheeks blew down upon her from a black cloud. Her dreamy, snowy-white face did bear a resemblance to Vicky. Annabel Lee seemed almost to be dead or in a cataleptic condition.

I saw her last night, said Gustav.

I was surprised. I thought Gustav had been tucked away still ill in bed.

Where did you see her? I asked.

I saw her at her home, replied Gustav. When Mummy and Maria were asleep, I put my clothes on and went to her house. I could see her through her window.

I was startled. What Gustav had done struck me as not entirely well behaved. But Gustav was a lot more intelligent and mature than I was. It was not for me to cast doubt upon his behaviour.

I am going again tonight, said Gustav. You can come with me.

I felt a bit scared at the idea. But not to follow Gustav now meant only a grey friendless world. Soon we had arranged we would meet at eleven o'clock tonight outside the big house.

When I went home that evening, I felt uneasy. I tried to put aside the thought of what would happen if I was caught spying through the wall crack into my sisters' bedroom. I knew in my heart they would set upon me with their fists, nails and feet to an inch of my life. Gustav's love towards Vicky I knew was entirely pure, but how could we explain that? I concluded I would rely on Gustav to know.

As the night wore on, I became worried about Dad. Responsibility for Dad had fallen entirely upon my own shoulders. My brother Pat was too busy learning about God at the seminary. My other siblings were too fussed about everything else except God and Dad. In the sitting room, Dad and his mates were drowning themselves in the home-brew. They were always the same mates. There was Tar Billy from the river steamers, Maori Jack from the River Pa, and Woolly Jack, the shepherd from the hills.

As the home-brew flowed, their words sort of clogged together until I could not distinguish one man from the other. They always became wonderfully happy and laughed uproariously, but the meaning of their flung-about words made no sense to me.

Dad was snorting about his day's work.
I spent three hours working for King George under a Railway Hotel bed with Constable Donovan. Ha Ha. When the bally thieves had snuggled in for the night, we bolted up and sent the bed and the rascals to Kingdom come. I got one, the other got out the window – the Constable grabbed his ‘john thomas’ but had to let go or ruin him for life. I should warn the public to look out for a rascal tripping over it.

The others were nearly off their feet with their laughter. But I could always see – even though they laughed at Dad's stammering words and touched him familiarly on his shoulder – they were all secretly afraid of him. Dad's mates could be nearly on the floor, yet never would they breathe a word about any ill doings. I privately had no doubts Dad's mates were in the thick of whatever was going on around them.

To my great relief, this was only a warm up. Dad's mates left early. Now I had to put Dad to bed. I took his arm and steered him away. Dad as usual let loose a string of foul words at my presumptuousness, then promptly meekly followed his arm to his bed. Dad as usual fell all over his bed, and I got down, untied, and took off his policeman's boots.

It was now past eleven. I shot out the door and ran to the big house. Gustav was impatiently waiting for me .I quickly explained I had to put a family member to bed.

No time for excuses! We must run or she will have turned the light off! shouted Gustav.

He shot away and I ran after him.

We ran through the empty streets, out of the city and up Nobs Hill. The Mayor's family lived there. Dad had many times assured me the houses on Nobs Hill belonged to the first settlers to arrive and buy their land with muskets and grog. I did not know where the McLeans lived.

Gustav stopped at a house. It was in darkness except for one shining light in an upstairs room. We slipped through the gate. I now saw in the moonlight the house's roof and walls were rusty-red with age. A creeping giant shrub with shiny starry leaves had crept over the walls and roof like an old lover. With growing anxiety I followed Gustav to the shining light side of the house.

Gustav suddenly gripped my arm and we ducked behind a bush. Through its spiky bulbous thorns we looked up into the light. Through a white curtain a ghost of a lithe figure was darting up down to and fro. I suddenly became depressed. I glanced at Gustav. He was breathing deeply and his eyes were moist.

At one point he whispered to me: She is brushing her hair.

Suddenly the light vanished and everything was plunged into darkness. My blood chilled when Gustav shattered the silence with these exclaimed words.

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling – my darling – my life and my bride!

I grabbed Gustav and whispered frantically: Let's get out of here.

We fled. As we ran down Nobs Hill, a car drove up behind us. Gustav jumped into the ditch. The car drove on. I followed Gustav and flung my arms around his shoulders. He was shaking and his teeth were chattering. It was I now who felt calm.

We will walk now, I said.

As we returned, Gustav calmed. I could see he was ashamed of his moment of panic. He now assured me their marriage plans were soon. However he would need my help to bring them to fruition. Vicky's parents would want her to marry a conceited blockhead Englishman with a lot of money.

To hell with money and blockheads! stormed Gustav.

At the next Saturday night at the skating rink, he would at last reveal his marriage plans to Vicky. When the McLeans left the rink, I would distract the mother and brother with polite conversation.

You could talk about the weather, shrugged Gustav when I asked how.

At an opportune moment, Gustav would put his pocket knife to Vicky's neck and lead her away out of the town to the lake.

That's kidnapping, I remonstrated.

For her own good she won't at first be consulted, said Gustav.

At the lake, Gustav would reveal his plans to his darling.

Once she knows my sincerity, she will agree to marry me, said Gustav confidently.

At once they would return to the McLean house, and announce their immediate marriage engagement to her startled family. After that, he, Gustav would have to plan for a career before he could marry her.

What if after all that she refuses to be engaged, I said fretfully.

I will jump from the pump house into the lake and she will have to come with me, said Gustav quietly.

I was anxious for my friend's welfare as we laid the plans for the fateful Saturday night. When I got home, the first thing I noticed was Dad's sergeant's jacket hanging up behind the kitchen door. I knew at once I could not go on with the plan. Even genius was no excuse for harming someone.

That Saturday night, before we entered the rink, I told Gustav. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say:

What would you expect?