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"Nuair Bás ar Glaoim"

Níl alt sin siamsa gur tá mé ag plé anseo ach bhí sé ag foilsaithe ar an mír sin na nuachtan. Léigh mé agallamh ar An Glór Éireannach an seachtaine seo caite (16ú-22ú Aibreán; féic suas an lasc ann). Bhí sé ro-bhrónach ann. Dúirt Marion ní Fhionnucain leis Nuala Ó Faoláin; is í scríobhneoir coitianta.

D'inis Nuala araon ar RTÉ comhrá níos marbhánta. Cad a tharla aice? Bheith sí ag fáil dí ailse is uafasach. Insíonn sí faoi an scéal is dona. Tá sí go uaigneach. Níl sí ábalta a codladh, mar sin d'éirigh sí go leor ar an mean-oiche. Dhúisigh sísean go minic. Thug Nuala purgóid a chaitheamh. Tá goirtaíonn aice agus goillean uirthi.

Níl creideamh im i nDia aice. Ní faigheann sí sólás leis focal suaiseach. Ní bhfaighidh Nuala faoi shuaimhneas. Tá suaiteacht go mór aicesan féin. Chaill sí a spíoroid. Níl sí lán d'aigne níos mó.

Tá sé go fusa a scríobh faoi an saol seo go hiontach nuair go bhfuil sámhnas agat. Tá sé deacair a samhlaigh duit féin é go mbeadh agatsan féin air nó agamsa féin air gan rabhradh. Cuirim dóchas amháin go mbeadh laethanta deireantach a imeacht níos mín. Faigheann mé ar mo foclóir: "nár lige Dia go bhfaighe sí bás." Ar mbeadh beannacht nó malairt aice? Nílim ag rá rudaí eile amháin.

"When Death Calls"

That article is not entertainment which I discuss here although it was published in that section of the newspaper. I read an interview in The Irish Voice last weekend (16-22 April; look below for the link). It was very sad. Marion Finucane spoke with Nuala O'Faolain; she's a popular writer.

Nuala told Marion on behalf of RTÉ a very morbid conversation. What had happened? She's dying of the most terrible cancer. She speaks about the worst story. She's lonely. She's unable to sleep, because she gets up a lot in the middle of the night. She herself wakes up often. Nuala took strong medicine. She has physical pain and mental anguish.

She has no belief in God. She finds no comfort in a soothing word. She will not get inner peace. She is greatly agitated herself. She lost her spirit. She is not full of life any more.

It's easy to write about this wonderful life when you have it easygoing. It's difficult to imagine for yourself that Nuala's fate may be yours or mine without warning. I send her only my hope that her last days go more smoothly. I see in my dictionary under "send": "God send that [she] may not die." Would that be a blessing or a curse for her? I cannot say anything more.

When Death Calls: interview
Iómhá / Image: Death, the Messenger G. F. Watts, 1884-5. Tate Gallery.