Bras D'Or

Dennis Jessome
The Boy From Bras D'Or

Down At Patty O'Toole's

Well it was a cool and dirty night just before Christmas, as we were heading for Patty O'Toole's.

He lived down the Mill Creek Road just ahead of old Joe (Fitz) Marsh's place. He had a drive way with just two big ruts going all the way up to his house. It was a big old farm house back off the road.

Emerson Jessome had a fifty one Chevy, an old grey one and she was dragging all the way up the driveway but we made er.

There was some snow in the field so we hadda stay with in the tracks. We got to Patty's door and knocked but no answer so we went around to the window and pounded hard.

"Who's there?" Patty said.

"It's me, Emmy and Dennis Jessome and a couple of the boys. We got a case of beer and thought we'd have a few drinks with ya.

"That you Emmy? Ok Boy. Be right there. Gotta throw some clothes on.

We waited for a few minutes but we knew he always slept with his clothes on. Too cold in there. He came to the back door with a big coat on, his cap and his rubber boots and said:
_"C'mon in boys and how are ya's doing this evening?
"Ah, not too bad Patty. Yerself?"
"Good.

There was Emerson Jessome, Dominique Boudreau, Lawrence O'Toole, John Young, Joe Howley, Art Boutilier, Eddy Boutilier and Myself.

Geeses but it was cold in his house. He went over to the stove and was rubbing his hands together over the covers on the kitchen stove. There wasn't a spark in er. The stove was cold.

We had a few beers and Patty had a couple to warm him up. He was a pretty good fiddle player in his day and hadda have a couple to get him wound up.

Well the party began. Patty was playing the fiddle and me and Lawrence were trying to out do who was the best step dancer.

Lawrence was driving er and walking back and tripped over the coal bucket, arse first. Well you talk about laugh. He got right back up and never missed a step. Was he ever light on his feet. (That's what he thought), the pictures were shaking on the wall but we put the nickname on him as Feather-Foot O'Toole because we said:
"Gee Lawrence were ya ever light on yer feet". He had a grin on his face from ear to ear.

The nick name stuck with him for a while till we told him one day he couldn't dance worth the geeses. He was like a bull in a china shop when he danced.

Actually he got the nickname when he was step dancing in the Lake Boys Concert (The Sons of the Sailors) in Bras d'Or Hall. That's another story).

Boy was he ever mad at us but made us laugh more at him.

Back to the party, the beer was getting low and Emmy said he had a pint of rum in the car.

"G'wan out and get it. It's under the front seat.

Out I go and brings er in. Patty's eyes lighted up like a kerosene oil lamp. We didn't have anything for a chaser.

"Ya got any water Patty?

"Ya boy, the pump is froze so there's some out in the porch in the wash tub.

Art goes out and there's about three inches of ice on top of the water. He tried hitting it with his fist, through no avail, so he put his foot through it and finally got er. In he comes, with the sauce pan full of water with some ice on top.

Eddy said: "Here brother, give me some of that water."
Art said: "Do ya want a little ice in your drink too?"
We all laughed.

We all got settled with the chasers and asked Patty if he could play, The Crack in the Old Kitchen Floor"

"No, says Patty, but I can give ya The Dirt in the Crack of the Old Kitchen Floor.

We laughed at Patty but he was driving er on the fiddle and everyone in the kitchen was enjoying themselves.

It was a good era at that time where ya could go and wake a fella outta bed and have a good time any hour of the night. They didn't mind because it was togetherness with friends and it didn't take much to get a party going.

We musta been at Patty's for a few hours and it was getting late. I went outside for a leak and there was a lot of snow came down we didn't notice.

Well we said our good nights and thanked Patty for the good time. One thing if ya didn't have anywhere to go ya could always go down to Patty O'Toole's and have a good night with Patty on the fiddle.

When we got to the car it was buried in a half a foot of snow. Emmy goes in to drive, a couple of us stood on the back bumper for weight and the rest of them had to push the car all the way to the road. Luckily the plough just went by or we woulda have to stay at Patty's for the night.

We was half froze ta death and said:
"Let's go up to Bernie Cantwell's and get warm.

We got to Bernie's Canteen and after we had something to eat and a few dances we were ok.

So we hung out for a bit and Bernie was closing so we all went our separate ways and went home. But that nite down at Patty O'Toole's will be in my memory bank forever.

Thanks Joe, John, Eddy, Art, Lawrence, Emerson, Dominique and Patty for the wonderful memories.

Live life to the fullest

Space donated by the C.B.G.H.A.
http://www.cbgha.org