The trusses and timber work in the Church roof were magnificent ,complex and mind numbing.They were primed,painted and varnished by hand every five years and generally treated with the respect they fully deserved.It took a number of skilled craftsmen a month from start to finish to complete the work,nestled as they were on high and perched on top of the objects of their lavish attention.
They worked all day long from dawn to dusk carrying up with them enough food and equipment to last the day.Once up they stayed up and Masses and all the other ceremonies continued apace as they worked.The Parishioners forgot them after a while and continued about their Church business as though they didn't exist.
Including the Budda Stephens the most devout attendee at the Church and so nicknamed because of his obvious devotion.
The painters watched down on all from on high and the Budda was in the habit of doing the Stations of the Cross after every ceremony he attended ,which was each day in effect.His last act was to light a dozen candles and pray fervently on his knees.But the Budda never put any mulla in the candle cash box.Ever.
The boys copped this and told their boss ,himself a genuine devout man.
The next morning he hid above in the trusses out of sight entirely.
Things progressed as per normal and the Budda pulled his normal stunt of lighting the candles and getting up to leave sans payment,whereupon the foreman intoned in his best and deepest voice"Pay for the candles Budda "to which the reply issued as the Budda bowed without breaking pace "In the morning LORD".
In Dunderry the craic never ends.
No comments:
Post a Comment