Getting Out Of The Gunfire

Getting Out Of The Gunfire

 A short story by Paul McCann

It was a warm summer evening in 1969 . Belfast was burning . A blanket of thick black smoke covered the sky . On the fringe areas people were told to leave or they too would be burnt out . It was madness . Hundreds of those who left their homes torched them so nobody would take up residence . Many others had not the time to gather up their possessions . Their homes where petrol bombed as they slept . A stones throw from Smithfield Markets was a spare ground where city shoppers once parked their cars . Now the car park was a pick up place for those families who needed emergency transport . 

Walking up the footpath at Peters Hill was a large family with all their earthly possessions in tow . A young lad of about 15 years pushed a wheel barrow was the TV set that was wrapped in sheets and blankets . Behind him was the father pushing a large cart with a bed and wardrobe . The mother and older girls had a suitcase in each hand . They walked along towards the car park , 

where a man waited in a truck . As he saw them coming he jumped out of the truck and ran to help them . As he did he was being shot at by a sniper . 

The bullets missed him but he was wondering when the next volley of shots would come . 



Completely ignorant of the danger the family ran to greet the truck driver . 

The Father stopped pushing his cart and reached out his hand . 

“Hello there . we are the McGuigans from East Belfast “ 



“Hello I’m Bo-Bo “ said the truck driver to Mr McGuigan . 

“Lets get all this stuff on the truck “ 

Bo-Bo stood on the back off the truck as the McGuigans threw up all the items hastily they were tied down and Bo-Bo ignoring the danger of the sniper on a rooftop told everyone to get into the truck . 

As Bo-Bo opened up the door a single shot ripped through the front cabin of the truck . Another and another shot was fired as Bo-Bo started up the truck. 

As Bo-Bo tore off down North Queen Street he shouted, 

“For God sake some say a prayer.” 

Bo-Bo turned the truck to avoid a large crowd who were running towards the truck with petrol bombs in their hands . He threw the truck around Carylse Circus as a gunfight erupted on both sides of the Crumlin Road . 

The small truck ran the gauntlet without so much as a scratch . 

Bo-Bo was in such a state of shock he forgot where he was going . 

He just kept driving at full speed until it was quiet and darkness had fallen . 

The truck sat on the side of the road with all the household goods now getting soaked in the rain . 



“Where are we Bo-Bo?” said Mr McGuigan . 



“God only knows but we’re alive . Lets all get some sleep and see hoe it looks in the morning :” Said Bo-Bo  





Bo-Bo got up early and shook the McGuigans . The sound of cows and crows shattered the silence and Bo-Bo pointed to a distant farmhouse . 

“I’m going to get directions over there . Stay here . I’ll be back soon “ 

The McGuigans all looked at each other . 

Bo-Bo ran off towards the farmhouse . 

It seemed like hours passed when all of a sudden the rain stopped and as Mrs McGuigan got out to change the babies nappy they were suddenly surrounded by six or seven cars and trucks . 

Men jumped out from the trucks holding bundles of clothes . 

Bo-Bo jumped out and smiled at all the McGuigans 

Then some women got out and opened the boot of the cars and produced warm scones and flasks of tea . There was milk for the babies and an envelope was handed over to Mr McGuigan . 



The man who handed over the envelope had hands as big as shovels . His arms were as thick as a tree trunk and his shoulders were as wide as doorway. On his face he wore the kindest smile as he softly spoke to the all McGuigans, who stood there in stunned and in shock . 



“ Bo-Bo was telling us about your trouble and all of us local farmers bunched in what we could afford , and we would like you to have this . Its not much but it will get you all on your feet and in a new home “. 

He pointed to a field and said . 

“Bo-Bo told us he was a builder and he has a lot of helpers who will come here to build you a home . So its all been settled . You will stay with us until your new home is built .” 

There were tears of joy and laughter . There was such happiness there in that presence it could not be put into words . 

When everyone had eaten and changed into some new clean clothes ,

All the country folk get into their cars and trucks . 

“Follow us .“ They said . 

“I’ll follow you then” Said Bo-Bo . 

The small truck loaded with some household items slowly made its way down the road with Bo-Bo and all the McGuigans . 

“Prayers were being rattled off at great speed ”. 

It was about seven years later on that the new housing estate was finished . 

Three hundred houses were built all around the field promised to the McGuigan family .The estate accommodated thousands of people who were burn out of their family homes and at no cost to them they were able to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and make a new start . 



Sometimes things have to go wrong before they can ever go right again . 

The End .

The End