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Family
Nothing gave Seamus greater joy than being with his beloved Kathleen. He loved his job at the cemetery and tried to serve each and every family with kindness and respect, even and especially those who were somehow difficult. He loved nothing better than to walk the hills above Port Costa with Kathleen and every now and then to take the ferry into San Francisco. He never tired of window shopping or visiting Fleishacker Zoo or Steinheart Aquarium. Every time he looked at the birds or the fish he thought back to the excitement he felt coming up the coast of California on the Baltic. It was at those times that he thought about his friends from Room 104 and wondered how they were doing. He regretted that he was never able to tell Michael Moriarity about now knowing the name of the girl that he had married...Kathleen O'Shaunessey, now Kathleen Gilchrist!
For her part, Kathleen spent as much time as needed on her studies. She still wanted to be a teacher and when she had finally completed the necessary course work at Holy Names College, she was given a job at Port Costa School. For a year after being hired at the school as Seamus would head over to Benicia, she would walk up the street to Port Costa School where she had charge of the younger students. Mrs. Gilchrist was widely regarded as a good teacher, especially in arithmetic. With all sorts of games she was able to help her students know their multiplication tables and do adding and subtracting without using their fingers to count.
One morning, however, when she woke up, she told Seamus that she felt very sick. She didn't know what was wrong. She didn't think she had eaten anything bad and she always got enough rest. Seamus suggested that maybe he'd better take her to a doctor in Martinez. Since there was still enough time before school began, she sat at the table in her robe and had a cup of coffee. Seamus went off to Benicia and by Eight-thirty she felt well enough to go to school. The next morning, however, she again felt sick and this time Seamus insisted on taking her that day into Martinez to see a doctor. After asking the ferry captain to get a message to Father Murphy that he had to take Kathleen to the doctor, he bundled Kathleen up in blankets and took her off to Martinez along the Snake Road. After sitting alone in the doctor's outer office for almost an hour, Seamus was called into the examination room.
Kathleen had a faint smile on her face as the doctor broke into a big smile.
"Mr. Gilchrist, your wife is going to be fine and you are going to be a father."
With wonderment on his face Seamus looked at Kathleen and then at the doctor.
"Yes, you are going to be a father. I've already told your wife what she has to do and I am sure everything is going to be fine. You take good care of her, do you hear, and if you have any questions, you can always see me. Congratulations both of you!"
This news that Kathleen was going to have a baby thrilled Seamus. As they were heading home, Kathleen told him everything that the doctor had told her. Their lives would change forever once the child was born. As they headed along the Snake Road, Kathleen asked if they could continue on into Crockett so that she could tell her family the good news.
"And why not? Maybe while there I will write my family a letter and tell them the good news."
Kathleen's parents were, naturally, thrilled with the news of Kathleen's pregnancy. While her mother took Kathleen into the back room for a talk about "female things," Seamus sat at the kitchen table and wrote to his family in Ireland:
Dear Ma and everyone!
This is Seamus writing to you again from America. Today I am in Crockett with Kathleen's family. We have some good news to tell you. Ma, you are going to be a grandmother. We are both very happy and hope that you are too. The baby will be born next April or at least that is what the doctor says. I want a boy and she wants a girl, but we don't really care. Any baby is a blessing from God and we will take good care of it. My work at the cemetery is going good and the plants are all growing nicely. None of the Fathers have died recently, but three nuns were buried there last month. How are you all doing at home? Is everyone ok? How is Da's grave? Please go there sometime after Mass and say hello for me. Please tell my friends that I still have their rock in my house. I had to repair the roof on the house because a branch of a tree fell on it last month and some of the wood was broken. I was glad that I watched Da and how he fixed things. Please do not forget me and say a prayer for me. I pray for you all of the time.
Your 'merican brother,
Seamus
When Kathleen and her mother had finished their "female" talk, Seamus again bundled her up and they returned to Port Costa. As they passed the school, Kathleen saw the principal out in the yard and called her over and told her the good news. Mrs. Preston seemed to be as happy as her own mother and told her that she could continue teaching as long as she could. And so she did. Almost until the day little Conor was born Kathleen kept teaching. Her students asked many questions and sometimes she had to keep calling them back to their school work. For several years Kathleen did not teach. Just a year after Conor was born Kathleen was again pregnant, this time with twins. Mary and Bridget were only eighteen months old when Margarite was born. For each birth, Seamus would always write home and tell his mother, now officially Granny Gilchrist (a name she hated since she said it made her sound so very old), about the new arrival. He tried to tell them something about what was going on in their home, but one thing that he never talked about were the burials of children that he had witnessed.
He remembered the first baby that he had buried. The child had died at birth, before the priest had been able to get to the hospital and baptize. The young mother and father were not sure what to do, but when they talked with the priest later, they were happy that their child could be buried at Saint Dominic's. While they were waiting for the priest to arrived from the Church, Seamus spoke with them as they stood in Holy Angels Dormitory at the tiny hole in the ground that was the baby's grave.
Because Seamus wanted to keep good records, he asked the mother what the child's name was.
"Oh, he doesn't have a name. He just died at birth so we never had time to name him."
Seamus could not understand this.
"But your child is a precious little gift of God and he has to have a name. He never lived outside of you, but God took him home and now he has to have a name. I think that before the priest gets here you should give him a name. I'll go get the bucket of dirt for the burial and while I am gone you can choose a name."
With that Seamus went to get some dirt. As he was walking towards the office, he looked back at the couple who seemed to be in some kind of intense discussion. When he returned to Holy Angels, the father of the baby said,
"His name is Robert Eric. Robert is my father's name and Eric is her father's name. So he'll be Robert Eric Gladstone. Is that ok, do you think?"
Seamus smiled and said,
"Robert Eric Gladstone will look much better on the grave marker than Baby Boy Gladstone. Yes, Robert Eric is perfect."
Another time a young couple that Seamus had seen several times at Saint Dominic's had a baby that also died shortly after birth. This time, however, the baby lived long enough to be baptized. Seamus recalled that the priest had told him that when they brought the baby out of the surgery after an emergency C Section, the nurses were all crying so much that when he asked if the child was a boy or a girl all they could do was to cry. Finally, he had to look "down there" and baptized the child David Patrick.
Because little David Patrick had been baptized a Mass of the Angels was said for him before his father Glenn carried him up the street to the cemetery. As Seamus watched the sad procession make its way forward he saw several people try to help Glenn carry the tiny coffin, but he brushed all of them off. When they arrived at the cemetery gate, Seamus led them over to Holy Angels Dormitory where the short burial rite was prayed. At the end of the rite, Glenn asked if he could please speak to the people.
"Ah, Folks, I want to thank you for coming and being there for Sue and me. This is the worst nightmare anyone can imagine, but you being there has meant everything to us. I want to thank those who tried to help me bring David Patrick here to be buried. But you know, Sue carried David for nine months and I never was able to hold him, so I had to carry his little coffin here from the Church. I want to thank you again for coming and I hope you will all come over to our house and have something to eat. We live just down on Elm Street, across from the school.
As Glenn was leaving, he turned back and came to Seamus,
"Mr. Gilchrist, Sue and I would be honored if you too would come over and have something to eat with us. We appreciate your digging David's grave yourself and not having someone else do it."
Seamus thanked him for the invitation, but said that he would have to check his schedule.
"Of course, but please just know that you are welcome to our home."
Seamus was not sure if he really wanted to go to Glenn and Sue's home. He was thinking of his children over in Port Costa and wondering how he would feel if something happened to them. He wondered if it would be hard for him to make conversation in such a circumstance. However, it seemed important to Glenn that he come so he locked the office and head to Elm Street.
Seamus found Glenn and Sue's home without trouble and was welcomed with open arms. Glenn hugged him and thanked him for all that he had done. Seamus really didn't think that he had done that much so he didn't know what to say. Sue came over and reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
"You've been so kind. It was terrible to have to pick the grave for David, but you made it as sweet as it could be. But, you've come here to eat. Would you like some coffee or juice?"
Seamus took a cup of coffee, though he would have preferred some good Irish tea. But, he thought, coffee is what Americans drink so I guess that is what I have to drink!
After finishing a sandwich, Sue took her son Kenny from his crib and set him on the floor. Naturally, Kenny didn't have any idea what was going on, but he was loving the attention he received as he smiled and cooed at everyone. Finally he crawled over to the coffee table (There's that coffee again, thought Seamus!) and lifted himself up. His father, with great pride, said,
"Good boy! Now come over to daddy!"
Kenny looked over at his father and turned his little body around and first let go of his right hand and then his left. Trying to steady himself, he waddled over to his father before falling on his fat, padded bottom.
"Honey," Glenn cried out! "Come here! Kenny just walked all by himself! He took his first steps today!"
Sue scooped up Kenny and kissed him over and over again while Seamus thought, What a precious memory. They buried their son and their other son took his first steps today. What an incredible thing!
The Erwin family came to mind as Seamus was leaving Glenn and Sues house. Bob was a lawyer in town and Monica took care of their young family. One day, however, Seamus learned that they had two other children. Robert had died almost seventeen years ago and was buried in Seattle. Cecil had died fifteen years ago and was buried in the City Cemetery in Benicia. Seamus had met Bob when Saint Dominic's Cemetery was first being developed. Bob made sure that all of the legal steps were followed to ensure the legality of the new cemetery. Several years after Saint Dominic's was opened to the people of the parish, Bob came by to see how it all looked. He was particularly pleased with the landscaping on Holy Angels Dormitory. As he looked at the beautifully designed area for children, Bob told Seamus about Robert and Cecil and how he felt bad that he was never able to visit Robert's grave and how Cecil was buried "in the other cemetery."
"Bob, if you want, we can always exhume the two babies and bury them together in one grave. It's not a lot of trouble, if you would like to do that."
He then explained to Bob the steps that had to be taken, finally urging him to contact Higgin's that very day to get the process underway. Bob must have immediately went to Higgin's to arrange to have Robert exhumed from Calvary Cemetery in Seattle and Cecil from the Benicia City Cemetery. Two weeks later a package arrived at Saint Dominic's from Seattle. Enclosed within Seamus found a small white coffin and the grave marker from Robert's grave. With Robert in his care, he contacted Sam Owens, the superintendent at the City Cemetery to arrange for the exhumation of Cecil.
When he had both little coffins he called Bob and told him that he was ready to bury them in the new grave, at Bob and Monica's earliest convenience.
"Seamus, it's been many, many years, but it's like it all happened yesterday. I can't come and neither can Monica. However, will you be there and pray for them and for us. Father Olson said that he would come and read the official prayers."
"Bob, I'd be honored to represent you and Monica"
Leaving Bob's office he went over to Saint Dominic's where Father Olson told me that he could come up the following Monday at Two O'Clock and bury the Erwin babies.
When Monday rolled around Seamus made sure everything was ready, just as if the entire family were going to be present. He even brought some flowers from his home garden to decorate the grave. Just before Father Olson come to the cemetery, Bob's eldest son Andrew showed up.
"Andrew, shouldn't you be in school?"
"Mr. Gilchrist, I understand why my Mom and Dad can't be here, but I have to be here. These are my brothers. It's the least I can do for them. They deserve it"
When Father Olson arrived a moment later, Seamus went in and brought out the two small coffin. He had cleaned off the one from the City Cemetery so that it did not look too bad. Kneeling on the ground, he reverently placed coffins in the grave and Father Olson began his prayers. Andrew stood to the side, quietly watching and listening. When Father Olson finished, Seamus started to take the shovel and fill int he grave. In a moment in inspiration, he handed the shovel to Andrew and told him to bury his brothers. Seamus could have helped, but he knew that this was important to Andrew, to be able to take care of his brothers where his parents, even after all these years, were not able to take care of them.
When Andrew was finished, he handed the shovel back to Seamus with a hurried "Thank you!" and headed out the gate.
Father Olson was amazed and simply said to Seamus,
"That was a brilliant idea you have today!"
Seamus just smiled and put the shovel away and made sure that everything was in order before lockng the office and heading to Bob's Office on First Street. Once there, Bob ushered him in without delay, even though there were clients waiting to see him.
"What can I do for you, Seamus?"
"Bob you need to know what just happened. We just buried your little sons and ...
"Yes, I know that today was the day."
"Yes, well, Andrew skipped school and came to the burial. He told me that he knew and understood why you and Monica couldn't come, but he had to come and take care of his older brothers. That was his duty."
Bob's eyes started to well up as Seamus continued,
"And then, he took the shovel from me and filled in the grave himself. Bob, I thought you needed to know this and what kind of son you have. He's a good boy, there is no doubt about that. He is a very good boy."
By now Bob was crying at this news. When he was finally able to say something, he could barely speak,
"Seamus, thank you for telling me this!"
With that Seamus left Bob's office and returned to the cemetery.
If Robert and Cecil had their younger brother to take care of them, there was another little baby that Seamus helped bury that literally had nobody to take care of him. One day Mr. Rushworth from Higgin's came to the cemetery and said,
"Seamus, I've got a sad one in my back room. There was a little baby going on the train from San Francisco to Seattle where a family had adopted her. Just as they were leaving Martinez, the nurse traveling with the baby noticed that it wasn't breathing and so the stopped the train here and took the baby off. The nurse brought her over to Doc Campbell's office, but it was all over. The kid died. The nurse called the family in Seattle to see what they wanted to do about the baby and they told her to just bury her here. They'll pay the bill, but they said to just bury her where she was. I can't believe it! They want to bury her and forget about her as if she never existed. This makes me so angry. They're almost tossing her out like and old, broken doll. I could get her a grave over in the City Cemetery, but I would rather see her here where maybe once in awhile someone will go by her grave with a kind thought."
Throw her out, will they? No, We'll take good care of her. Do you know if she was baptized?"
"No, I mean, I don't know. Does this make a difference?"
"No, it makes no difference. We're going to take care of the precious baby. I'll get Father Olson up here tomorrow. Can you bring her over at three?"
"I'll be here."
The next afternoon Seamus was dressed in his best clothes when the hearse from Higgin's pulled into the cemetery. Mr. Rushworth had first stopped at Saint Dominic's and picked up Father Olson. Together they reverently carried the little coffin to Holy Angels Dormitory and Father Olson said the prayers. Seamus placed the flowers from his home on the grave, made the Sign of the Cross, and then brought Father Olson and Mr. Rushworth into the office for a cup of tea and some cookies that Kathleen had baked the night before. Seamus told them that if her "adoptive parents" weren't going to properly mourn her, they were and so this was to be her wake!