BoBo quickened her pace. She believed those people had deliberately snubbed her. Right now, she was in two minds about confronting them. As she reached the gate, they were just beginning to stroll up the avenue, their backs to her.
Mary Boyle turned and, on seeing BoBo standing at the gate, she again turned her head away without greeting.
“They’re some crowd to ignore a neighbour out walking along the road,” BoBo thought, her volatile temper rising. “Where the hell do they think they get their airs and graces from? Bastards, the both of them. How dare that one turn her head away? Who does she think she is? I’m every bit as good and better, if it comes to that than the both of them put together.”
Her attention was taken up by the slightly built stranger walking along side them. “Or than you either, Hopalong Cassidy.” And she laughed scornfully.
Then, she got vexed again. Saliva began to dribble from her mouth as she muttered, “I’ll take youse down a peg or two in the not too distant future. I’ve a plan. It’s forming in me mind. It’s nearly complete. And be the time I’m finished with youse, yez’ll not be so high and mighty.”
In her anger, she was walking slowly but with determined steps into the entrance of the avenue and, with each step, she was making a conscious wish of evil intent towards Mary and Donal, as she argued away to herself, her voice rising heard only by herself.
“You weren’t so high and mighty last night, Donal Moran, the night of the big wind and you out in your big car blind drunk, not knowing where you were going to or coming from.
“You were that drunk you drove up on a ditch and didn’t know how to drive it. You didn’t know I got into the car beside you, you were that drunk. I put that big hand of yours up between me two legs and all you could do was pull it away and groan and try to give me a slap in the gob. I gave you a right good belt across the face and I put your hand back again between me legs and you so drunk you didn’t know what was happening. Bet you don’t know that, you and your airs and graces.
“And you thought to push me out of the car; but I tripped around to your side, whipping me knickers off as I went and leapt in on top of ye and got me legs around ye and I started to jiggy jig on you. Just like when we used with some o’ them auld fellahs in the Mental when they’d be snug in the bed and the nurses wouldn’t be looking, and bedad, sometimes when they would be looking, get me legs around them and jiggy jig on them.
“That’s what I was doing to you, Donal Moran, for all your grand ways, and it was only minutes after I’d had it hard. That’s the breed of a woman that’s in me. You were fighting me but I was fighting you twice as hard and bobbing up and down. You weren’t able to push me off, with me back to the steering wheel and I jammed agin you. I was ready to jiggy jig with you there and then, only that car come and I made off up the road. You’ll not get off so lightly next time.”
She was now standing just inside of the gate with the speech pouring out aloud in a wild uncouth torrent of words.
“That’s all you meant to me. Just an auld drunken fool with me legs wrapped around your hands and knees and makin’ me way up towards yer face and head. You were no more to me than an auld patient in the Mental. I had me legs around ye, and ye weren’t fit to get me off.”
She remained just inside the gate for a moment longer swinging her arms about her wildly and making little darting steps this way and that whilst spitting out the words with vitriolic hatred. The saliva had turned to froth at the corners of her mouth. Then a thought occurred to her.
Donal Moran might shortly be driving out from the Boyles and along the road on his own. Which way would he be going? Back towards his own house, she reckoned. His posh manor house! She determined now to wait up the road for him, present herself as he approached in his car.
She had only gone a few steps when she heard the car swinging down the avenue and turning in her direction. She stepped off the grassy, ill-kept path so she was well out on the narrow road facing him, her hand raised half in salutation but more in expectation of his recognising her and stopping in response to her unconcealed gestures and gesticulations.
The car slowed down momentarily as it neared her and then to her chagrin picked up speed again, narrowly missing her outstretched arm. She ran a few steps after the rapidly disappearing car, shaking her fists and screaming foul-mouthed profanities after him.
“Oh, you look frightened now, do you? I’ll give you reason to be. You don’t want to be seen with the likes o me, do you? You’ll befriend that hoity-toity Mrs Boyle. She’ll tell you not to have anys things to do with me. Bet you can’t even remember last night …”