Forgive me, Father
for I have sinned
by
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The tinkling sound of the bell over the door announced customers. Uncle Alphonse turned from the ice chest he was cleaning to see Uncle Charlie walking in with the girls, white dust in his hair from some job he was doing down at the alley property.
“ Bonjour, mon fil, Bienvenu, mes enfants. Comment ca va?”
“ Comme ci, comme ca. Et tu?.” Uncle Charlie answered.
“Bien, bien, merci.”
“ I need to talk to you,” Uncle Charlie was talking in a whispery voice. “You know what Tillie told Clara about me? She said Maman wouldn’t be willing the alley property to me because I’m not married. Now is that fair? After all I’ve done to keep that property from falling down. I can’t believe it! Merde, what has Oscar ever done there except complain about the fights those tenants have?”
“ Charlie, you don’t know for sure what she’s going to do. She’s old and most of the time she don’t know what’s going on around her. She talks to Oscar because he talks to her. You know he goes over there nearly every day after work, before he goes home. He brings her a flower or a piece of candy and she thinks that’s wonderful. I bet half the time she don’t know who he is or care neither.”
“That’s it, that’s it. The cochon is just sucking up to her. An’ he’s probably whispering in her ear what to put in her will.”
“Well, you could sit down and visit with her and bring her flowers and candy, too, if it’s all that important to you. You could go whisper in her ear. All of us could do it and what would that do anyway? I ain’t no lawyer, but there’s prob’ly easy ways to contest any will she makes.”
“ Cripes, Alfonse, you know I’m no good at sucking up. Besides I’m always too busy with the work on the alley property and all. And it makes me sick to see her like that, hunched over and humming to herself, like nobody is there. Even when she’s not doing that humming thing, her eyes are all dull and watery and she don’t seem like Maman at all.”
“Me, too. That’s why we only go by on Sunday after church. I don’t see how Tillie stands it.”
“Tillie is a saint, dealing with Maman and with everybody else too. You know she’ll get the big house and all the furniture and that’s OK with me. She deserves it after all she’s done for Maman.”
Uncle Alfonse opened his mouth to answer just as the door opened and Big Jim Flanagan came into the store.
“Welcome, welcome and what can I do for you today, Mr. Flanagan? I’ll talk to you later, Charlie.”
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About the Book
This is a story about four generations of French-Canadians living in
The tale is enriched by details of French-Canadian culture, Catholic Church rituals and the atmosphere of the period just before World War II. Although many people struggled to find jobs during that period, the majority carried on, adjusted their living accommodations, shared their resources and lived their lives in the same way people before them met adversity. They endured.
These are complex characters, full of contradiction, passionate in their commitments, poignant in their grief. Readers will recognize them in their own families and remember Charlie, Oscar, Tillie and Clara long after they turn the last page.
About the Author
Louise Appell was born and raised in