To Be Read with a Brogue

Mary had a call today from Valjean's "Irish boyfriend" (pictured). She offers his words as a gift to all of us:


It was a gift to have known her.

I’ve rung everybody she met here, or gone and talked to them. People can’t believe it. She made so many friends here. She would go into people’s houses and talk to them – one man said, she made you so comfortable, talking to her. Young people, old people, children, it didn’t matter, she just was so natural, she would come into your house and sit down and talk to you.

She loved to have fun. Sometimes it amazed me, how she kept up the pace -- she would just keep going, eating, visiting people – only once or twice did she go back to the guest house for a bit of a rest.

She said she would come back for my 95th birthday. I said Valjean, that’s a long way off. I said, Valjean, if I were sick, I wouldn’t want you to see me like that. And she looked in my eyes and said, John, if I were sick I wouldn’t want you to see me either. Little did I imagine that Valjean would be in heaven before me.

We said goodbye, I said no tears now, just hugs and kisses. She said she would come back this year, I know you were coming too. You were a good friend to her, you and your mum, she loved you. She made so many friends – and that family in Africa too, the little girl, Valjean… We’re all praying for her – not that she needs the prayers, she’s in heaven sure, someone like her.

I had to call because, if you’ve been given a gift, you have to say thank you. And she was a gift.