Ellen #TWO

Pacing back and forth while Barney ate his supper, Ellen noticed the straw and mud leaving a scuffed trail behind her. Surely there is a better life than this one room cottage. Courage Ellen! Now is your time! Just make it sound like his idea and you might have a chance.

Turning a weary face towards her husband, Ellen drew breath, “Barney McCusker I understand your frustration, but getting riled up about what we can’t change won’t help us and waking the children won’t help either.”

Barney reluctantly put down the bowl realising that it had been empty for sometime. He knew his wife. This would turn into a tiring discussion; one he didn't want to have. It would acknowledge his failure.

Ellen saw the exhaustion clearly marked on her husband’s face in the ragged lines and the dark circles under his eyes. She guessed he was probably still hungry. Claiming her usual spot on his lap, in the hope it would comfort him, she held his cold hands in her own.

“We need to find some other way of surviving, some other way of living. There must be a better life for us somewhere. But we can’t discuss it at this time of night, when you have been in the fields since dawn this morning. Why don’t you go into the village tomorrow to see if there is any work, this week.”

“Sorry my acushla, I didn’t mean to upset you. Yes tonight is not the time to be thinking of it. I am bone tired and in need of my bed. Coming?”

“ I will join you shortly, as soon as I tend the fire and finish cleaning up.”

Rising wearily from the comfort of his lap, she placed a kiss on his cheek, before clearing the table in the hope the noise would hide the fact her rumbling tummy proclaimed she had not eaten any supper in favour of feeding the children.

As she made her way to the door to put the slops bucket out, she noticed the one potato left in her basket.

Grand, one potato! So with the leftover oatmeal from this morning I should be able to set a meal on the table in the morning, she thought grimly, I hope we can dig some more up and that this one is indeed not the last one to be found.

Ellen continued tidying up, putting peat on the fire as she made for her bed and snoring husband. Lying down quietly so as not to wake Barney her thoughts turned to the conversation just finished.

She drifted into sleep with a prayer on her lips. Please God, lead his steps to the bulletin on the noticeboard in the town square tomorrow.