A Cold Heaven
by
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Kate
opened the cellar door, put on the light and walked down the rickety steps to
the dirt basement. In a dark corner, the
old asbestos furnace banged and popped as it churned heat in its fiery belly. The coal bin was almost empty. Kate reached for the shovel and with the help
of an old rag, opened the hot iron handled door and threw in some coal. The glowing embers devoured the coal in a
burst of flames; hungry tongues of fire licked at the rim of the furnace door.
Kate
had just returned to the kitchen when she heard hurried footsteps on the back
porch, “Oh, thank God, you’re here, “Ma’s starving.”
Tim
Donovan brushed past Kate and tracked snow across the linoleum floor. Without
removing his wet overcoat, the tall, slim man disappeared upstairs.
Kate
put the steaming casserole on the table and surrounded it with a bowl of mashed
potatoes and green peas. She cut
generous slices of homemade bread and stacked them on a plate. As she took butter and chilli
sauce from the icebox, she heard a firecracker explode, followed by a dull thud
on the ceiling above.
“Tim
. . .Tim,” called Kate, “what happened?”
She
walked to the bottom of the stairs, “Tim, are you all right?
When
there was no reply, Kate put the chilli sauce and
butter on the sink and ran upstairs.
The
wind circled the house with a low moan.
In the dark hall, a bedroom door slammed in response to a sudden
draft. Kate’s heart leaped; she took a
quick breath and placed her hand on her breast.
Ahead, a small lamp on the night table lit up the quiet bedroom. Kate tiptoed in the room and looked around.
A
hissing radiator on the other side of the room drew her attention; she walked
over to turn down the steam. Suddenly,
Kate stopped and uttered a small anguished cry.
Tim lay sprawled face down on the floor, a dark liquid oozing from his
right temple; a gun within reach. Kate
sank to her knees and buried her head against his silent chest.
Outside,
in the frosty night a chorus of carolers sang, “We wish you a Merry Christmas.”
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About the Book
In
the depressed mining town of
With
the depression crippling the country, the parish priest comes to her
assistance. When hard times persist,
Kate gives up her only son, Danny, to a boy’s orphanage in
In
World War II, Kate moves to
A
Cold Heaven offers a rich background
of Irish culture, wakes, weddings and the entire “goings on” that makes the
family the center of the universe. The
wisdom dispensed around the kitchen table over a “cuppa”
tea, puts life’s problems in its proper perspective.
A
Cold Heaven is a story of survival;
a journey into the Irish psyche, their unique ability to see humor in the most
heart-breaking situations and the fierce pride that brings dignity to their
downtrodden lives.
About the Author
The first essential part of being an author is knowledge of the English language. It is through this medium that the words will come to express the depths of human feelings. The development of a good story requires creativity and the manipulation of words to convey heartfelt emotions, innermost thoughts and the stark realities of life. Intelligence plays an important part in the credentials of a writer.
An author should have a curiosity about the “whys” of human nature, the inner reflection of a questioning mind and the pursuit to follow through the thought process. Insightfu1ness is another valuable asset.
In a crowded room or standing in the checkout line at Wal-Mart, become an eavesdropper. Listen to what people are saying.
It is important for a person who is thinking about a writing career to decide, besides the above qualifications, if they have the ability and patience to withstand the isolation and long hours of a dedicated writer.