The Pure Delight Learn English through story level 2
on the west coast of ireland there are
wild lonely places
where few visitors come
a boy
on his yearly visit to his grandmother
tells a tale of the simple life
when a travelling salesman from a far
away land
finds a kindness he did not expect
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on the first day of every new year
i made the 45 mile journey by train
post van and foot
across county donegal to my
grandmother’s house
it sat at the top of a cliff above the
wild and stormy atlantic
at the very end of a village called
molok duff
this yearly visit
lasting from january until the end of
march
was made mostly for granny’s benefit
during these months grandfather went
across the water to scotland
to earn enough money to keep them going
for the rest of the year
but it suited me very well too
i missed school for three months
i got away from strict parents and
annoying brothers and sisters
and in granny’s house
everything i did was right
the house consisted of one room
in which granny and grandfather lived
and slept
it was a large room lit by a small
window and a door which could be left
open for most of the day
because it faced east and the winds
usually blew from the west
there were three chairs
a table
a bed in the corner
and an open fire
over which stretched a long shelf
all the interesting things in the house
were on this shelf
a shining silver clock
two vases
a coloured photograph of a racehorse
two life-like wooden dogs
and three seashells sitting on match
boxes covered with red paper
every year i went to grannies these
pieces were handed down to me one by one
to be inspected
and my pleasure in them made them even
more precious to granny
she herself was a small round woman who
must once have been very pretty
she always wore black
a black turning grey with so much
washing
but above the neck she was a surprise of
strong color
white hair see blue eyes and a quick
fresh face browned by the sun
when something delighted her she had a
habit of shaking her head rapidly from
side to side like a child
and although she was over 60 then
she behaved like a woman half her age
she used to challenge me to race her to
the garden wall
or dare me to go beyond her along the
rocks into the sea
even on the best day in summer
molok duff is a lonely depressing place
the land is rocky and bare
and granny’s house was three miles from
the nearest road
it was a strange place for a home
but grandfather was a hard silent man
who had married granny when she was a
girl of 17 with a baby daughter later to
become my mother
but no husband
he probably felt he had shown enough
kindness by offering to marry her and
the least she could do was accept the
conditions of his offer
or perhaps he was jealous of her
prettiness and sense of fun
and thought that the wide ocean behind
her and three miles of bare land in
front of her would discourage any search
for
adventure whatever his reasons
he had cut her off so completely from
the world
that at the time of her death
soon after my 13th birthday
the longest journey she had ever made
was to the town of strabon 52 miles away
she and i
had wonderful times together
we laughed with one another and at one
another
we used to sit up talking until near
midnight
and then instead of going to bed
perhaps suddenly decide to eat fish
fried and butter
or the eggs that were supposed to be our
breakfast the next day
or we would sit round the fire and i
would read stories to her from my school
reading book
she could neither read nor write
she used to listen eagerly to these not
missing a word
making me repeat anything she did not
understand
after reading she often used to re-tell
the story to me
just to see did i understand right
and then suddenly she would lose
interest in the world outside moloch
duff and jump to her feet saying cry son
we nearly forgot
if we run to the lower rocks we’ll see
the fishing boats from norway going past
hurry sun hurry they’re a grand sight on
a fine night hurry
she had no toys or games for me to play
with
but she had plenty of ideas for making
my stay with her more interesting
we often got up before sunrise to see
wild birds flying north through the icy
air high above the ocean
or we sat for hours on the flat rocks
below our house watching the big fish
attacking smaller ones in the shallow
water
or we went down to the rock pools and
caught fish with our bare hands
i know now that these were all simply
granny’s ways of entertaining me
but i am also certain that she enjoyed
them every bit as much as i did
sometimes
we used to watch a great passenger ship
sail past
its lights shining like stars
granny would fill the ship with people
for me
the man hunts someone tall
and the ladies in rich silks down to
their toes
and all of them laughing and dancing and
drinking wine and singing
chris on there a happy old crowd
there was a february storm blowing in
from the sea the evening the pacman
fought his way uphill to our door
i watched him through the kitchen window
a tiny shape in the distance which grew
to a man
and then a man with a case as big as
himself
when he was a stone’s throw from the
door
i saw that he was colored
in those days pac-man were quite common
in country areas
they went from house to house with their
cases of clothes and bed sheets and
cheap jewelry
and if a customer had no money to buy
the pack men were usually willing to
take food instead
they had a name for being dishonest
the sight of this pacman put the fear of
god into me
because mother had taught us to keep
away from all pac-men
and i had never seen a colored man
before in my life
i led granny to the window and hid
behind her
will he attack us
i whispered fearfully
christ and if he does will attack him
back she said bravely and threw open the
door
come in man she shouted into the storm
come in and rest because only a fool
like yourself could have made the climb
up here today
he entered the kitchen backwards
dragging his huge case after him
he dropped into a chair near the door
gasping for breath too exhausted to
speak
i took a step closer to examine him
he was a young man no more than 20 with
a smooth brown skin
his head was wrapped in a snow white
turban
his shoulders were narrow
and his feet as small as my younger
sisters
then i saw his hands
they were fine and delicate
and on the third finger of his left hand
was a gold ring
it was made to look like a snake
holding a deep red stone between its
mouth and its tail
as i watched the stone seemed to change
color
now it was purple
now rose pink
now black
now blood red
now blue
i was still staring at its magic
when the pacman slid to his knees on the
floor
and began saying in a low tuneless voice
i sell beautiful things good lady
everything for your home
what is it you buy
silks sheets beautiful pictures for your
walls beautiful dresses for the lady
what is it you buy
as he spoke he opened his case and
removed all that it contained
painting the floor with yellows and
greens and whites and blues
it seemed to me he owned all the riches
of the world
you buy good lady what is it you buy
he spoke without interest
without enthusiasm
too exhausted to care
his eyes never left the ground
and his hands spread the splashes of
color around him until he was an island
in a lake of brightness
for a moment
granny said nothing
there was so much to look at and it was
all so colorful that she felt quite
confused
at the same time she was trying
desperately to catch what he was saying
and his accent was difficult for her
when at last words came to her
they broke from her in a sort of cry
oh christ
sweet christ look at them
look at them oh god how fine they are
then rapidly to me
what is he saying son what
tell me what it is he’s saying
then to the pacman
ah christ mister
they’re grand things mister grand
she knelt down on the floor beside him
and gently stroked the surfaces of the
clothes
she was silent in amazement and her
mouth opened
only her eyes showed her delight
try them on good lady try what i have to
sell
she turned to me to check that she had
heard correctly
but on the things you like
i said go on
she looked at the pacman
searching his face to see if he was
serious
afraid that he was not
i have no money mr pacman no money
the pacman seemed not to hear
he went on rearranging his colors and
did not look up
only routine kept him going
try them on they are beautiful all
she hesitated over the limitless choice
go on i said impatiently hurry up
everything for the good lady under home
said the pacman tiredly to the floor try
what i have to sell
she made a sudden movement
picking up a red dress and holding it to
her chest
she looked down at it
looked to see what we thought of it and
smoothed it out against her while her
other hand pushed her hair back from her
face
then she was absolutely still
waiting for our opinion
beautiful
murmured the pacman automatically
beautiful i said anxious to have
everything tried on and finished with
beautiful
echoed granny
softly
slowly
the word seemed new and strange to her
then suddenly she was on her feet
dancing wildly around the kitchen christ
she screamed yet make me as much of a
fool as you two are
look at me see me in a palace can you
then she went crazy
she threw the dress on the floor and
tried on one thing after another a green
hat
and then white gloves and then a blue
jacket all the time singing or dancing
or waving her arms all the time shaking
her head delighted ashamed drunk with
pleasure
but soon she grew tired
and threw herself exhausted on the bed
now mister you can take all the damn
things away she said breathlessly
because i have no money to buy anathem
again the pacman did not hear her
but said tiredly
this you like good lady
he opened a tiny box and inside lay six
little silver spoons
the box do you good lady for half price
shut
your
mouth
she cried with sudden bitterness sitting
up on the bed
be quiet pacman
we are poor people here
we have nothing
the pacman’s head bent lower to the
ground
and he started to gather his things
ready to go out into the darkness
at once she was sorry for her bad temper
she jumped off the bed and began
building up the fire
you’ll eat with us pac-man you’ll be
hungry
and we can offer you
she paused and turned to me cry son will
cook the goose that was to be sunday’s
dinner that’s what we’ll do
she turned to the pac-man
can your stomach hold a good big meal
pac-man
anything good lady anything
a good big me little bee then on sunday
be damned
she took out knives and forks from a
drawer
tell me pacman what do they call you
what
sing he said
what
sing he repeated
grace but that’s a strange name
sang
sing
she said feeling the sound on her tongue
i’ll tell you what i’ll call you pac-man
i’ll call you mr sing my heart’s delight
a good big mouthful mr sing my heart’s
delight yes
he said quietly accepting her name for
him
now mr sing my heart’s delight go to
sleep for an hour and when i call you
there’ll be a good meal before your eyes
close your eyes and sleep you pure
exhausted mania
he closed his eyes obediently and in
five minutes his head had fallen on his
chest
we yet by the light of an oil lamp
it must have been a month since the
pacman had last eaten
because he had fast like a wild animal
and did not lift his eyes until his
plate was cleared
then he sat back in his seat and smiled
at us for the first time
thank you good lady he said
a beautiful meal
you’re welcome she said
where do you come from mr sing my
heart’s delight
the punjab
he said
and where might that be
india good lady
india she repeated
tell me is india a hot country is it
very warm very warm and very poor
very poor
she said quietly
adding the detail to the picture she was
making in her mind
and oranges and bananas grow there on
trees
and the fruit and flowers have all the
colors of the rainbow in them
yes
he said simply
remembering his own picture
it is very beautiful good lady
very beautiful
and the women granny went on
do they wear long silk dresses to the
ground
and the men
are the men dressed in purple trousers
and black shoes with silver buckles
he spread his hands in front of him and
smiled
and the women walk under the orange
trees
with the sunlight in their hair
and the men raise their hats to them as
they pass
in the sun
in the punjab
in the garden of eden
she was away from us as she spoke
leaving us in the bare kitchen
listening to the wind beating on the
roof and the ocean crashing below us
the packman’s eyes were closed
the garden of eden
said granny again
where the land isn’t bare and so rocky
that nothing will grow in it
and you have god’s son
in that punjab place
and there is singing
and the plane of music
and the children
yes the children
the first drops of rain came down the
chimney and made the fire spit
christ she said jump into her feet up
you get you feels you and let me wash
the dishes
the pacman woke with a start and bent to
pick up his case
on where are you going
she shouted to him
christ man a wild animal wouldn’t be out
in a night like this
you’ll sleep here tonight
bear
in front of the fire
like a cat she added with a shout of
laughter
the pacman laughed too
by the time we had washed the dishes
it was bedtime
granny and i undressed quickly in the
shadowy end of the room and jumped into
the big bed which we always shared
blow out the lamp mr sing my heart’s
delight said granny
and then place yourself on the floor
there
you’ll find a bit of carpet near the
door if you want to lie on that
good night good lady he said
very good lady good night mr singh my
heart’s delight she replied
he put the old piece of carpet in front
of the fire and stretched himself out in
it
outside the rain beat against the roof
and inside the three of us were
comfortable and warm
it was a fine morning the next day
the pacman looked young and bright
and his case seemed lighter too
he stood outside the door
smiling happily as granny directed him
towards the villages where he would have
the best chance of selling his things
then she wished him goodbye in the old
irish way
godspeed she said
and may the road rise with you
to pay you i have no money good lady he
said and my worthless things i would not
offer you because
go man go there’ll be rain before dinner
time
the pacman still hesitated
he kept smiling like a shy girl
christ mister sing my heart’s delight
if you don’t go soon you’ll be here for
dinner and you’re at it last night
he put his case on the ground
and looked at his left hand
then
taken off the ring with his long
delicate fingers
he held it out to her
for you
he said very politely please accept from
me
i am grateful
even as it lay on his hand the stone
changed color several times
it had been so long since granny had
been offered a present
that she did not know how to accept it
she bent her head and whispered no
no no
but please good lady please
the pacman insisted
from a punjab gentleman to a donegal
lady
a present
please
when she did not come forward to accept
it
he moved towards her and took her left
hand in his
he chose her third finger and put the
ring on it
thank you good lady
he said
then he lifted his case
and turned towards the main road
the wind was behind him and carried him
quickly away
neither of us moved until we could no
longer see him
i turned to go round to the side of the
house it was time to feed the chickens
and milk the cow
but granny did not move
she stood looking towards the road with
her arm and hand still held as the
pacman had left them
come on granny
i said crossley the cow will think we’re
dead.
she looked strangely at me
and then away from me
and across the road
and up towards the mountains in the
distance
come on granny
i said again
pulling at her dress
as she let me lead her away
i heard her saying to herself
i’m thinking the rain will get him this
side of crawley bridge
and then as purple trousers and silver
buckled shoes will be destroyed
please god it will be a fine day
please god it will
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uh
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you