Three Dots on the Ceiling

Three Dots on the Ceiling

Mrs H lived across the road from us. Her name was Philomena, after the saint. My oldest sister liked her name so much; she chose it as her confirmation name. My mother said she suffered from religious mania ….when you are only five that sounded like a terrible disease!
She had a sister Kathleen who had never married and was getting on a bit. Kathleen always “did her hair” It looked ghastly every time... one of those tight, curly old woman perms ...you know the kind. Kathleen didn’t see” why anyone in their right mind should pay all that money to “her on the top road “when all you had to do was buy a Toni or a Twink and set it on the curlers all in the comfort of your own home, and sure wouldn’t you be saving a heap of money into the bargain”? Kathleen managed to make her sister look ten years older...effortlessly
Mrs H wore the same sets of clothes. On Sundays she wore tweed suits and pearl stud ear rings. For half past nine Mass she wore a black coat and red hat with a big jewelled hatpin skewered through it.The hat stayed put all day
Through the week, she wore different coloured paisley pinnies. Around her neck, an array of medals ,honouring The Sacred Heart , Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Anthony ( in case you lost something ) Saint Jude ( impossible cases ) and the Miraculous medal which was self-explanatory .
At six o clock each evening (Angelus Time), Mrs H would gather all of us that were playing nearby into her house. We used to think of it as a bit of a lark. This night in particular she showed us a picture of Saint Therése of the little flower. We had to stare at the three dots on the nose of the saint for about two minutes, and then look at the ceiling. All of us were in awe except my brother’s friend John McGhee who wasn’t a catholic. He started giggling and was shown the door. My sisters were convinced they were saints when they looked up and saw the image of saint Thérese on the living room ceiling.
Mam was waiting for us when we came out and seemed cross and not at all thrilled with our news. Later that night we were told that Mrs H was going away to Ireland for a rest with Kathleen. John Mc Ghee told everyone we had seen ghosts and him and my brother had a fight. I never saw the picture on the ceiling like my sisters did but I remember always wishing that I had