Nights Out With Mammy

Nights Out With Mammy

By Paul McCann

As a boy scout , we were always doing different activities One of those was an unexpected , unrehearsed , play of the nativity that we were asked to do by our scout master for all the parents who had gathered at St Mary’s hall on North Queen street in Belfast . As I walked with my scout troop from St John Bosch’s boxing club to the hall our scout master , threw us garments saying ,

“You’re Mary “ to me as I grabbed what he had thrown .

“You’ re Joseph “ to Tom Liddy ,”

“ You‘re a shepherd” and so on to all the lads in our group ..

None of us had any idea of what he was talking about until we got to the hall . We were doing an impromptu performance of the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem . The audience were packed in on seats in front of a stage . I spoke to Mammy before we had to do the performance  and mentioned I was going to be playing the role of the virgin Mary and she looked at me like I wasn’t wise .

We went in the back door and Mr Cushenan our scout master told us , just go out there and do your best . He threw me a small baby doll . Then I walked out with Joseph carrying the baby doll , blinded by a spotlight I couldn’t see two for in front of me .but I knew there was a huge crowd with Mammy out there somewhere .

Mammy told me later , that when I had walked out on the stage with Joseph , wearing shrouds over us , the woman beside mammy said

“ Oh my God look at her . Doesn’t she look beautiful “

Mammy replied ,

“Yes , he’s my son “ and they both had a good laugh .

Then another night when I was singing in the Ulster Hall with our school choir Mammy was there in the audience .

She was presented with a beautiful cake for our efforts in the Northern Ireland school competition and to see the look on her face you’d tho k we won the Eurovision song contest .

After we left Belfast to start a new life in Australia I was always encouraged by mammy with the wee songs I was writing . Her favourite was A Half A Cup Of Tea .

She always would ask me to play it for her .

I saw the Dubliners were coming to Sydney Town hall so I took Mammy out to see them for her birthday .

I drove the car to the railway station near to where we lived and then we took a train in to the site . When we arrived there , no one was at the door to check our tickets so we just walked on inside . It was a lovely old gothic style building and in the concert hall there were rows of these fold up chairs for us all to sit on . Mammy and I had a great night and the music was as Irish as you’d ever want to hear . We bought some food and enjoyed the night  At the end of the concert the audience all stood up and began to clap their hands and cheer.

Then Mammy and I made our way ti Town Hall station back home to where my car was parked .We caught the very last train out of Sydney and it was pitch back when arrived . The streets lights were out and the rain was lashing down out of the sky . Mammy and I run back to where I had parked the Van but all that was there was an empty space . Someone had stolen my car and so Mammy and I walked home in the pouring rain soaked through to the skin by the time we got home.

Nights out with Mammy were always memorable in one way or another . I loved being in her company .

The End

Paul McCann