Kathleen: The Celtic Knot

Curtains

Angela and Nell are on the very first bench at the front of the Father Mathew Hall. People have strewn coats and scarves and bags all along the bench, keeping places for people. Kathleen waves at them and sends Lily, Madge, and Patsy up to join them. Kathleen is sorry that Mam won’t be there, but Polly promised to do her best to come. She had important business to see to first, but she’d try to make it. Kathleen can’t imagine anything more important than the feis, but grown-ups like Polly obviously had other priorities.

Mrs. Maguire is resplendent in gold and black, and on her shoulder is a huge Tara brooch, like the ones she made for her dancers. Her hair isn’t combed off her face as usual, and is instead worn in a loose ribbon, piled up with magnificent curls and wisps. She looks a bit like Queen Maeve, or maybe Queen Maeve’s mother, as Brigid whispers to Kathleen.

However, Mrs. Maguire is having conniptions behind the stage. One or two of the older girls had “the audacity” to put color on their faces to darken their cheeks and lips. Mrs. Maguire threatens to send them home and never let them darken her door again. They might as well have burned the Irish flag or joined the British Legion, as far as Mrs. Maguire is concerned. Kathleen is glad she hadn’t let Polly talk her into wearing that lipstick of hers.

The girls with short hair have parted it neatly and put green ribbons in it. Kathleen’s hair is done in ringlets, after a night of torture with her scalp all stretched and sore. But now the ringlets are cascading down her shoulders.

Tess O’Hara appears with Annie. They were allowed to enter the last moment mainly because Mrs. Maguire didn’t want their mothers making a fuss. Tess is wearing a gorgeous, soft, sky blue wool costume with a matching brat and a pretty little tam-o’-shanter perched on her head. She has her sister Betty with her, wearing the same outfit. So that’s what happened to Kathleen’s lovely blue material. The O’Hara’s had nabbed it and made up matching outfits for the girls. There’s no doubt it’s a lovely color, but now Kathleen can see that it isn’t right for Irish dancing costumes. Green is much better.

Tess takes one look at Kathleen and says to her friends that she can’t believe Kathleen Murphy’s costume is made from a pair of curtains. Tess does a little twirl as she shows off her soft blue dress. Kathleen just continues on brushing her hair. She swings her head forward to hide her face and says nothing. Kathleen had learned long ago that the silent treatment is the best way to deal with Tess.

Kathleen is very nervous about the competition. With Mam being so sick and all the fuss about the costume, she’d missed the last couple of dancing lessons before the feis, and she hadn’t danced at home for ages. The more Kathleen tries to run through the steps in her head, the more terrified she becomes.

When Kathleen’s name is called, Kathleen feels a rush of fear and her stomach sinks to the floor. Mrs. Maguire hisses and pokes Kathleen in the back. Kathleen stumbles out onto the stage, her legs suddenly feeling as if they’re made of putty. And there is still no sign of Polly. Polly is going to miss Kathleen’s dance, if she can manage to move her feet.

Kathleen closes her eyes and whispers, “Saint Bernadette, don’t let me down.” And then she opens her eyes and looks down at the crowd. It’s a big, moving, babbling blur. Maybe Polly is out there somewhere, but Kathleen is glad she can’t see her.

Kathleen puts her weight on her left foot and stands with her right foot poised. As soon as she hears the squeezebox leading into her tune, everything that happened over the past few weeks flies out of her head. The split second the bar note sounds, Kathleen leaps into action. She dances her heart out. She kicks and soars and prances and whirls and steps and twirls and springs and flies, tripping, skipping, skimming, and sailing all over the stage. She is completely oblivious to the audience, the hall, even the adjudicator. She is filled with the joy of the dance and doesn’t give a rattling toss about Tess O’Hara and her sky blue frock and her snooty ways.

When the music stops, of course Kathleen does, too. And suddenly, she is worn out. A terrific noise suddenly starts up out of nowhere. Kathleen thinks maybe the roof is coming down or a thunderstorm has started up. Then, she realizes that the noise is applause. A thundering clapping and stamping of feet and rocking of chairs. It is all for Kathleen and her dance. Kathleen does a little curtsy and then flits lightly off stage. As she leaves, she can hear people saying that she’s a champion.

Mrs. Maguire comes up to Kathleen when she gets off the stage and shakes her hand. Mrs. Maguire says she did very well. Kathleen is her star pupil, and she’s proud to be her teacher. Kathleen smiles at Mrs. Maguire. She’s not used to having her hand shaken, and certainly isn’t used to people being proud to be her teacher. When Mrs. Maguire moves away, Kathleen spots Polly, hanging back. Kathleen waves and Polly comes running forward and scoops Kathleen into a tight hug. Polly says she only got to see the end of it, but Kathleen was brilliant.

Polly and Kathleen find two chairs near the back. They still have to sit through the other competitors in Kathleen’s group. Some of them are good, but Polly keeps whispering they’re not as good as Kathleen Murphy. When all the dancers are finished, there’s a long delay while the adjudicator scratches her head and writes things down. and at last, she stands up on stage and starts a big long speech about standards and the importance of Irish dancing to the soul of the nation.

But at last, the adjudicator starts to announce the medalists, beginning with third place. Brigid Mullane. Kathleen claps like mad. She’s delighted for Brigid. Brigid isn’t her favorite person, but she likes her well enough. If she wasn’t in Tess’ gang, she and Brigid might even be friends. Then comes another girl Kathleen doesn’t know from Mrs. Brady’s dancing school.

As the adjudicator comes close to announcing the winner of the first place medal, Kathleen stops and whispers to herself that she says she doesn’t expect to win, and she’s just glad enough to have gotten through it. But even if she does win, she can’t promise to be a nun because she doesn’t think she would make a good nun. And then suddenly, Kathleen’s name fills the hall. Kathleen has won the first place medal!

The hall erupts. Polly pinches Kathleen’s elbow in excitement and screeches that she did it. Kathleen stands up and makes her way through the cheering crowd to the front. She gives Nell and Angela and her sisters a big grin as she passes them. When Kathleen stands next to the adjudicator, she whispers in her ear that the public wants to hear from her. Kathleen isn’t prepared for this. What’s she going to say?

Kathleen stumbles to make her voice loud enough to be heard, but when she finally does, she says that there’s a rumor going around that her costume was made of a pair of curtains. A ripple of laughter goes through the room. But Kathleen isn’t embarrassed. Instead Kathleen says that the rumor is true. There’s more laughter and a few whistles. Kathleen ends by thanking Polly and her Mam.

Polly follows Kathleen out. Polly says it’s goodbye to any dignity for the Murphy family now. They’ll all go down in history as the people who dress their children in household drapery. Kathleen says that she doesn’t feel mixed up or sad about it. Tess O’Hara thinks she can have one over on Kathleen by passing remarks about her and her family. But if Kathleen just says, “That’s right. My dress is made out of a pair of curtains,” then it takes the harm out of it.

Chuckling, Polly says Kathleen is absolutely right. And now it’s time to go home because Polly has a cake waiting at the house. Kathleen asks if it’s a cake from Jacob’s. Everyone knows that Jacob’s makes the best cakes in Dublin. But they’re very dear, so people only have them on special occasions. Polly says that Kathleen will have to wait and see.