We met on and off over the years.
At that time in my life, my work was just words . No matter who said they liked it .
When Julia asked if she could take my work home . I was pleased . Nothing more .
She took the time to post it back to me with advice on where to send it to .
Coming from her, it was like warm gravy on a plate . Still I did nothing . But the last line of her letter stayed with me, it was: ‘ You must do something with Patsy. ‘
Fine words, I thought . All I could see was kind words from a kind person.
So Patsy lay at home doing nothing, because I did nothing.
We sort of met some months later across another crowded room. Neither knowing the other would be there .
So many heads . So many people. But she waved over to me . I thought at first she was waving to someone else . She kept waving only now she made sure I could see her . Then a clearing in the crowd and we both waved and laughed . Never got to speak . We didn’t know we would never see each other again.
That smile, that wave was all the push I needed .
I went home and put Patsy into an A 4 , and put him on a Plane to Dublin where he was born.
He is still delighting the readers of Ireland’s Eye.
The wave is gone
But I will remember you
long, long .