Part 25 Moving On
Connor was a year older than me and came from a fairly successful family from Dublin, he had spent his school years in an exclusive boarding school just outside Limerick. The boarding school prep had left its mark as you would struggle to find a better turned out guy. On finishing his schooling Connor had enrolled in a business law degree in the university of Limerick where it was expected he would join the family firm when finished.
Unfortunately for Connor he had no real interest in doing this as he had a deep burning desire to join the Gardai.
So while he was going through university he joined the volunteer Garda reserve who were members of the public that gave up their spare time to assist the Gardai not so much into crime fighting but more in the social aspects of the job.This is where I came in as he had never really come into contact with people like me and he was genuinely intrigued into how our lives worked. At first I was highly suspicious and I used to hide when I would see his car coming, my attempts to coerce him into using my services also failed but through his persistence I soon found he was just a nice but completely naive guy.
Connor became over the next months a bit of a guardian angel while I worked as he regularly parked up near where I walked which gave me somewhere to go at times when I was cold and wet, he used to watch the cars that picked me up and kept a list of the licence plates, which I had him promised not to do anything with. The other attraction I had for him is that he used to allow me get high in his car which meant I could get a hit in before I went home to the vultures waiting there.
As i got to know him better though I started to spend more and more time in the car with him and this progressed to us going for coffee or a bite to eat together, I enjoyed spending time with him as he was the perfect gent and I loved conversing with another intelligent human being even if it was only for short periods.
The downside of spending more time with Connor was that there was less time spent time spent working the street which brought me into conflict with Mike and occasionally Johnny at home as I was bringing less money back with me and was often coming back high myself, this predictably led to v******e as Mikey would accuse me of holding out on him.
Looking back now I find it hard to believe I allowed him to beat me but I suppose I was genuinely terrified that I would end up living on the streets especially as all my attempts to make contact with my family had been Ignored. Connor for his part was all for getting his buddies in the Gardai involved but I warned him that I wouldn't speak to him again if he did.
This tragic phase of my life started to unravel one winters night when after three nights of persistent heavy rain I was forced to go out on to the streets as I was rattling very badly and was now getting desperate, after two hours of getting a soaking I still had not even had as much as a sniff of a punter when Connor appeared in his car and told me to get in, at first he chided me for being out but stopped when he saw the mess I was in. I begged him for help and so I guess reluctantly he drove me to my dealer were he took 50 euros out and gave it to me. Within a couple of minutes I was back in the car gearing up and had my first hit outside the dealers house which wasn't the most sensible thing to do. Back in town I had another go and at this point I passed out. I awoke the following morning alone in what turned out to be Connors bed, when I wandered I met Connor who explained he couldn't get me to properly wake up the previous night so he didn't know what else to do with me. I appreciated this but I was now panicking as to what would happen when I went home. Connor again sadly pressed 100 euros into my hand and told me he would drop me home. I promised to pay him back but he shook his head and told me that was not necessary but that we had to stop seeing each other.
When I arrived home that day I was met by an irate Mike, my concocted story about only being able to find an overnight punter did not wash as he had already spoken to the dealers who had confirmed I had been there with a cop and had complained about me using in front of the house, so despite handing over the 100 euros I had been given I still took a bad beating that day.
As a result of the black eyes I missed a couple of days on the street before I was forced to go back but this time I had Mikey with me to keep a watch over me. I didn't expect it but Connor showed up in his car and so I had to pretend he was a potential punter whilst warning him that he had to go. I could see the sadness and concern in his eyes as he looked at the injuries, despite my best efforts to conceal them, I was sporting and before he left he asked me to find a way to get in touch.
The opportunity for this presented itself a couple of weeks later. I had had a busy week and made some good money and although Mikey was on hand to take that from me I had been skimming a fiver here and a fiver there off it so I had built up a bit of a slush fund. On the night in question I knew Mikey was going off to watch a football match so I knew that I would have a few hours unguarded so I had made contact via text with Connor and asked if it was ok to come over to his which I had got a yes as a reply. The plan looked to be coming together nicely as before I headed off to Connor's I had got two punters in quick succession so added to the money in my slush fund I knew that Mikey wouldn't suspect a thing.
I had a nice couple of hours chatting with Connor but I was saddened to hear that his time in Limerick was nearly up and as he only had his final year project to finish off he was going to do this back in Dublin where his parents had bought him an apartment. As i left I wished him well as I genuinely did not think I would see him again.
After leaving I went back to the street but nothing much was happening and there was no sign of Mike so I headed off home, now this is where my plan fell apart as I had not taken into account that the match was over after 30 minutes which it apparently was, Mike had waited for me for an hour or so and worked out I was up to something. He was also waiting for me as I came through the front door where I was greeted by a fist straight into my face, dazed by this I did something I had never done before, I fought back. I have no real recollection how long the fight lasted but it was prelonged and violent. It went on for so long that the neighbours called the police and by the time the Gardai arrived the house had been completely trashed and the two of us were in need of hospital treatment, him more than me as I had stabbed him a couple of times and he had bad slash wounds on his arms. I for my part had a broken a couple of ribs and had a perforated ear drum and was black and blue all over.
Mike was demanding I be charged with attempted murder but backed off when the cops presented him with the pictures of my face and the strangulation marks on my neck and told him he was lucky it was not he who was being charged.
Connor was a regular visitor to my bedside while I was in hospital and when I was being discharged a week later he asked what my plans were? I shrugged my shoulders as I had no real idea other than to head home and throw myself at the mercy of my parents. When he insisted I come back to Dublin with him, at first I said no but we wouldn't take no for an answer, so after a quick visit to the house (mike was still in hospital) to pick up my things and to go through each room and relive that evenings carnage, we left for Dublin together.
Unfortunately for Connor he had no real interest in doing this as he had a deep burning desire to join the Gardai.
So while he was going through university he joined the volunteer Garda reserve who were members of the public that gave up their spare time to assist the Gardai not so much into crime fighting but more in the social aspects of the job.This is where I came in as he had never really come into contact with people like me and he was genuinely intrigued into how our lives worked. At first I was highly suspicious and I used to hide when I would see his car coming, my attempts to coerce him into using my services also failed but through his persistence I soon found he was just a nice but completely naive guy.
Connor became over the next months a bit of a guardian angel while I worked as he regularly parked up near where I walked which gave me somewhere to go at times when I was cold and wet, he used to watch the cars that picked me up and kept a list of the licence plates, which I had him promised not to do anything with. The other attraction I had for him is that he used to allow me get high in his car which meant I could get a hit in before I went home to the vultures waiting there.
As i got to know him better though I started to spend more and more time in the car with him and this progressed to us going for coffee or a bite to eat together, I enjoyed spending time with him as he was the perfect gent and I loved conversing with another intelligent human being even if it was only for short periods.
The downside of spending more time with Connor was that there was less time spent time spent working the street which brought me into conflict with Mike and occasionally Johnny at home as I was bringing less money back with me and was often coming back high myself, this predictably led to v******e as Mikey would accuse me of holding out on him.
Looking back now I find it hard to believe I allowed him to beat me but I suppose I was genuinely terrified that I would end up living on the streets especially as all my attempts to make contact with my family had been Ignored. Connor for his part was all for getting his buddies in the Gardai involved but I warned him that I wouldn't speak to him again if he did.
This tragic phase of my life started to unravel one winters night when after three nights of persistent heavy rain I was forced to go out on to the streets as I was rattling very badly and was now getting desperate, after two hours of getting a soaking I still had not even had as much as a sniff of a punter when Connor appeared in his car and told me to get in, at first he chided me for being out but stopped when he saw the mess I was in. I begged him for help and so I guess reluctantly he drove me to my dealer were he took 50 euros out and gave it to me. Within a couple of minutes I was back in the car gearing up and had my first hit outside the dealers house which wasn't the most sensible thing to do. Back in town I had another go and at this point I passed out. I awoke the following morning alone in what turned out to be Connors bed, when I wandered I met Connor who explained he couldn't get me to properly wake up the previous night so he didn't know what else to do with me. I appreciated this but I was now panicking as to what would happen when I went home. Connor again sadly pressed 100 euros into my hand and told me he would drop me home. I promised to pay him back but he shook his head and told me that was not necessary but that we had to stop seeing each other.
When I arrived home that day I was met by an irate Mike, my concocted story about only being able to find an overnight punter did not wash as he had already spoken to the dealers who had confirmed I had been there with a cop and had complained about me using in front of the house, so despite handing over the 100 euros I had been given I still took a bad beating that day.
As a result of the black eyes I missed a couple of days on the street before I was forced to go back but this time I had Mikey with me to keep a watch over me. I didn't expect it but Connor showed up in his car and so I had to pretend he was a potential punter whilst warning him that he had to go. I could see the sadness and concern in his eyes as he looked at the injuries, despite my best efforts to conceal them, I was sporting and before he left he asked me to find a way to get in touch.
The opportunity for this presented itself a couple of weeks later. I had had a busy week and made some good money and although Mikey was on hand to take that from me I had been skimming a fiver here and a fiver there off it so I had built up a bit of a slush fund. On the night in question I knew Mikey was going off to watch a football match so I knew that I would have a few hours unguarded so I had made contact via text with Connor and asked if it was ok to come over to his which I had got a yes as a reply. The plan looked to be coming together nicely as before I headed off to Connor's I had got two punters in quick succession so added to the money in my slush fund I knew that Mikey wouldn't suspect a thing.
I had a nice couple of hours chatting with Connor but I was saddened to hear that his time in Limerick was nearly up and as he only had his final year project to finish off he was going to do this back in Dublin where his parents had bought him an apartment. As i left I wished him well as I genuinely did not think I would see him again.
After leaving I went back to the street but nothing much was happening and there was no sign of Mike so I headed off home, now this is where my plan fell apart as I had not taken into account that the match was over after 30 minutes which it apparently was, Mike had waited for me for an hour or so and worked out I was up to something. He was also waiting for me as I came through the front door where I was greeted by a fist straight into my face, dazed by this I did something I had never done before, I fought back. I have no real recollection how long the fight lasted but it was prelonged and violent. It went on for so long that the neighbours called the police and by the time the Gardai arrived the house had been completely trashed and the two of us were in need of hospital treatment, him more than me as I had stabbed him a couple of times and he had bad slash wounds on his arms. I for my part had a broken a couple of ribs and had a perforated ear drum and was black and blue all over.
Mike was demanding I be charged with attempted murder but backed off when the cops presented him with the pictures of my face and the strangulation marks on my neck and told him he was lucky it was not he who was being charged.
Connor was a regular visitor to my bedside while I was in hospital and when I was being discharged a week later he asked what my plans were? I shrugged my shoulders as I had no real idea other than to head home and throw myself at the mercy of my parents. When he insisted I come back to Dublin with him, at first I said no but we wouldn't take no for an answer, so after a quick visit to the house (mike was still in hospital) to pick up my things and to go through each room and relive that evenings carnage, we left for Dublin together.
8 years ago
