The Loney Part 30

'Well, perhaps the groundsman hasn't got round to it yet,' said Mummer.

'I'm not sure there is a groundsman anymore,' said Mr Belderboss.

'There must be,' said Mummer. 'They wouldn't just let the place go to seed.'

'But if there's no money, Esther,' said Mrs Belderboss.

'Of course there's money,' said Mummer. 'There's always money. Someone's always got money.'

'I don't think it's anything to do with money,' said Farther. 'It's just that no one comes to places like this anymore.'

'What about Lourdes?' said Mummer.

'That's different,' said Farther. 'And anyway, it's like Disneyland nowadays.'

'Well G.o.d is still here,' said Mummer. 'Despite what it looks like.'

'Yes,' said Mrs Belderboss. 'Of course He is.'

We walked a little further through a tight kissing gate and then the path was flanked on either side by a tall hedge, as though we were in a maze. The hedge had gone wild and in places had almost met in the middle of the path so that we had to squeeze past the brambles and thorns in single file.

A hundred yards further on, the path ended. Mummer stopped and pulled away some of the branches and leaves to get at the handle of a small iron gate.

'Here we are,' she said, and opened it inwards with one, two, three hard pushes, tearing aside more of the foliage that clung to the railings.

Everyone stopped talking and went through the tangle of rhododendrons until we came to a set of stone steps, damp and black with moss, which led down to where the spring itself bubbled to the surface and could be accessed by opening a small trapdoor in the ground.

Father Bernard helped the ladies down first and they negotiated the narrow, greasy slabs slowly and carefully. When they were safely at the bottom, Father Bernard went back up the steps to help Mr Belderboss. Everyone seemed to hold their breath when he was in the precarious moment between Father Bernard's hands letting go of him at the top and Mummer's hands reaching to him from the bottom.

'You go first, Hanny,' I said, when it was our turn.

He stared down into the shrine and turned to look at me.

'It's alright,' I said. 'Go on.'

Everyone was watching, waiting. He shook his head.

'There's nothing to worry about,' I said. 'I'll come with you.'

I held Hanny's hand and step by step he went down and joined everyone else huddled in the damp.

'I can't believe what's happened here,' said Mrs Belderboss, looking around. 'I'm so sorry for you, Esther.'

'It's alright,' said Mummer.

'The well was always so beautifully dressed,' Mrs Belderboss explained to Father Bernard, who had taken his gold-coloured stole from his bag and was looping it around his neck. 'So many flowers and candles.'

Now, it was an oubliette; cramped and dank and filled with permanent shadow by the yew trees twisting above us. Where the large stones that formed the sheer walls jutted out, there were stumps of wax, which no one could get to light, and so David was designated to hold up a match so that everyone could see the wooden board nailed to the wall on which a scene had been painted of Saint Anne shimmering in white and hovering above the startled peasant children that had first witnessed her apparition three centuries earlier.

Father Bernard knelt down and opened the little trapdoor that was inches thick and braced with iron straps. Everyone gathered round. The holy water trickled past, black and silky looking with a smell of autumn deadfall and eggs.

I could feel Hanny crushing my hand.

'It's alright,' I said. 'Don't be scared.'

Miss Bunce went first as she was closest to Father Bernard. She took off her coat and handed it to David to hold. Accepting Father Bernard's hand, she knelt down in front of him and bent her head forward. Father Bernard placed his hand gently on her crown, said a quiet prayer, and then reached down into the hole with the chalice to let it fill with water. He brought it up spattering onto the stone and handed it to Miss Bunce. She closed her eyes and drank from the cup and was replaced by David, and then the rest of us one by one.

When it came to Mummer's turn she remained standing. Father Bernard looked at her and then dipped the chalice into the water and stood up to face her.

'Drink this water, the healing balm of Christ,' he said, giving her the invitation he had given to everyone.

'Amen,' said Mummer and sipped until the chalice was empty.

There was only Hanny left. Farther lit the candle Mr and Mrs Belderboss had given him and Mummer took off his coat, so that she could rearrange the collar of his new shirt. Smiling at her son, she tidied his hair and with a kiss on his forehead, she turned him to face Father Bernard.

'He's ready now, Father.'

Father Bernard held out his hand.

'Andrew,' he said, over the sound of the water. 'Come and kneel down here by me.'

Hanny stood clutching his candle.

'Andrew?' Father Bernard said again. And this time Mummer nudged Hanny and pointed to where he should go. Hanny looked at me and I nodded.

Father Bernard held Hanny's hand as he went cow-heavy to his knees.

'Alright Andrew,' he said, pressing lightly on the back of Hanny's head to make him bow down. 'Don't be afraid now. G.o.d is with you.'

He kept one hand on Hanny's head and held out the other for the mug Mummer had brought. The one with the London bus on the side. He dipped the cup into the well and brought it out.

'Now, Andrew,' he said, allowing Hanny to lift his head. 'Would you drink this for me?'

Hanny looked at him. I could see his eyes widening. He turned round to find me, but Mummer snapped at him. 'Andrew. Remember what I said.'

'G.o.d wants to heal you, Andrew,' Mrs Belderboss said.

'Go on, son,' said Farther. 'It won't hurt.'

Hanny shook his head.

'Just a sip now, Andrew. That's all,' Father Bernard tried to put the mug into Hanny's free hand, but Hanny panicked and knocked it away and the mug smashed against the stone wall.

He got up, threw the candle aside, and made for the steps. Miss Bunce squawked. David tried to stop him, but Hanny easily pushed him aside, and sent him sprawling onto the mossy floor.

Before I could go after him myself, Mummer was up the steps and I felt Father Bernard's hand on my arm.

'Let her fetch him,' he said.

I could hear Mummer shouting at Hanny. She hadn't run after him. She didn't need to.

Farther and Miss Bunce helped David to his feet. His trousers were coated in filth and his lip was cut and bleeding where he had fallen against the wall. Miss Bunce felt around inside the pockets of her cagoule and brought out a tissue and dabbed at his mouth. I could see her face reddening and she was about to say something when Mummer appeared at the top of the steps gripping Hanny's elbow.

'He's going to try again,' Mummer said.

'I don't know if now's the best time, Mrs Smith,' said Father Bernard. 'We're all a bit upset. Perhaps I should bring Andrew on his own tomorrow.'

Mummer smiled thinly. 'No, we can't do that, Father. We're going home tomorrow.'

'Right enough,' said Father Bernard. 'But I can drive Andrew here before we go. I'm sure no one will mind me slipping away for a wee while.'

The others shook their heads.

'I don't mind,' said Mrs Belderboss.

'It might be better to bring the lad tomorrow,' Mr Belderboss said. 'Without everyone watching.'

'We're here now,' said Mummer, aware that Miss Bunce was glaring at her. 'We've made a special effort to come and I'd like Andrew to take the water.'

Farther put his hand on Mummer's back.

'Come on, Esther,' he said. 'Don't upset yourself.'

'I'm not upset.'

'Look,' said Father Bernard. 'Why don't we go back to the house? It looks like it's going to rain any minute.'

'No,' said Mummer. 'I'm sorry, Father, but he is to take the water and that's that. He is not going to spoil the day.'

'Ah, come on, Mrs Smith, he's hardly doing that now is he?'

'Isn't he?'

'It's not his fault.'

'Why? Because he's too stupid to know what he's doing?'

'I never said that.'

'Not in so many words.'

'Mrs Smith ...'

She grabbed Hanny and took him over to the well, fending off Father Bernard's appeas.e.m.e.nts with a wave of her hand. She upturned a jam jar of dead daffodils and knelt down and filled it from the well. The water spun with sediment and grime.

'Open your mouth,' Mummer said sharply. 'Look at me.'

Hanny looked at up her and started to cry.

'Stop it,' said Mummer. 'What's the matter with you? Don't you want to get better?'

Hanny turned to get away again, but Mummer held his arm and looked over to Father Bernard.

'Well, help me,' she said, but he looked away.

'Careful Esther,' said Mrs Belderboss. 'You're hurting him.'

Mummer tightened her grip and then more so again, as though she was bringing a wayward dog to heel. Slowly, Hanny opened his mouth.

'Wider,' said Mummer, pinching his cheeks in so that his jaw opened.

'Esther, stop it,' said Mr Belderboss.

'Please, Esther,' Mrs Belderboss cried and then turned away, her eyes full of tears.

'Oh, for G.o.d's sake, just drink it,' said Mummer.

Hanny closed his eyes and screwed up his face the way he did when he had to take Milk of Magnesia. Mummer carefully poured the water in, as though she was measuring it. Hanny coughed and choked and then spat the water into her eyes.

Mummer blinked and stretched her face, but said nothing. Instead, she screwed the lid on the half full jar of water and put it in her pocket. Father Bernard was leading everyone quietly out of the shrine. I took Hanny by the hand and followed them. Only Farther stayed behind, staring at his wife.

Chapter Twenty-three.

Despite Father Bernard's best efforts to persuade them to stay, Miss Bunce and David packed their things and he drove them to the station in Lancaster to catch the sleeper train.

A heavy despondency filled Moorings to the brim and when I couldn't stand it any longer I went to bed, leaving Mummer and Farther and Mr and Mrs Belderboss to talk glumly in the sitting room.

Hanny was fast asleep, exhausted by what had happened at the shrine. I watched him for a while but must have dropped off quickly myself.

I had been asleep for about an hour when I heard someone coming into the room. It was Mummer. She was carrying a steaming cup on a tray. She looked at me and made a motion with her hand that I should lie back down.

'What are you doing?' I said.

'Giving Andrew a cup of tea.'

'He's asleep.'

Mummer shushed me and went and sat on the edge of Hanny's bed. She watched him sleeping for a minute and then took out the jam jar of water. She tipped some of it into the tea and set the cup on the bedside table. The rest of the water she trickled into her hand and, using her finger, traced a cross very gently on Hanny's forehead.

He stirred a little and half woke. Mummer hushed him. Hanny settled again and went completely still, his consciousness sliding back down into the drains of sleep.