Cabra History.Com

One day a few years back I was sitting in the parlour of our old house on Killala Road having a chat with the Ma’. We were just sitting there watching the world go by and of course I was yapping away like there was no tomorrow. Across the road there was a neighbour with her coat and scarf on standing on a kitchen chair cleaning her front windows. Another neighbour was out with her sweeping brush giving the roadway outside her house a good seen to.

Then out of the blue I asked the Ma’ something about Doris Day. Well she looked at me and said ‘You should have asked your father about her, he knew all about her’. Then there was this strange silent pause. I held my breath for as long as I could. Then she came back with ‘That was his secret love you know’. Suddenly I’m thrown into this strange loop of words that don’t make sense. ‘His what Ma’…’ I looked at my mother with a puzzled face because I wasn’t sure I’d heard what I did. ‘Your Da’ was mad about Doris Day. He knew all her songs and seen all her films. I may as well not have been there you know’. Then I remembered back to a time when the Da’ was always singing ‘Secret Love’ while he was shaving in the toilet. upstairs. So that’s what that was all about, my Da’ was in love with Doris Day. Now says I to the Ma’…‘And did Doris Day know me Da’ was in love with her’. Well the next thing is the Ma’ cracked up laughing. And there was I not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Then the Ma’ looked at me and said ‘Imagine your Da’ chose me over Doris Day’. Weren’t they gas people all the same the things they got up to…