The Ballyfermot Blogger

I must recount my real life story of how I got home some 5 hours after I’d left work today, Monday 2nd Feburuary, at 5 o’clock. Me and the Missus travel to Clondalkin just off the Nangor Road to pick up our wee lad from his Aunt and Uncle as per usual a distance of no more than 3 miles.

Turning right to queue for Park West 20 minutes, moved 50 metres, u-turn back and go up past Tommys to drive past Days Hotel, within 10 minutes turning left now and we can see the Hotel. One Hour passes the blizard swirls and we can still see the Hotel, 30 more minutes pass and we finally hit the roundabout before Jackie Skellys, a man parks his jeep in futility on the path on the roundabout and walks to Jackies.

Fifteen minutes later up the hill and down the Nangor road turn left we finally arrive to pick up our little boy at 7.15pm

We leave after a quick bathroom break and drive torward th M50 slip road up the hill, all clear, then we travel down the slip, the traffic is backed up past the slip at a stand still, maybe Ten fourty foot trucks in our lane blocking our entry.

We gain entry, our little Boy falls asleep at 7.30pm, we crawl forward but only sometimes, It snows. Bolts binding the rails momentarily catch my eye as imaginary icicles and fade back to cold bolted steel. The wipers grind and swipe, the back of the car is cramped and my little boy protests in his sleep at his awkward sleeping position, I hold his hand, it is now 9.15pm and we are on the M50 bridge.

A motorist fall asleep at the wheel to our right, but unmoving. Cars facing the traffic are left abandoned on our left. We try to stay focused, where are we,  something beeps, we’re through the tolls, its 9.30pm. We queue for our slip exit 7 to Navan / Cavan, It approaches slowly we are in  the right lane.

We drive carefully up the slip road, but traffic stops us again, we start our accent, the wheels get caught in a groove, the engine revs and the anti skid technology kicks in making the car shudder, we don’t move. Second time, must not panic now, control that heartbeat, baby stirs as if detecting our worry, the car fishtails into the centre of the traffic pivoting on the front wheel drive, it wags back and forth stuck, traffic passes us on the right lane we came from, uncaring.

Third time, no luck, fourth time the car is willed forward as if shot from our beating hearts, jumping to a halt at the top of the slip, it is now 9.45pm

We heads home, no drive through the Town Centre to avoid the next slip road, good idea.

We get home at 10pm, we will not go to work tomorrow.

It snows some more, the babe finally sleeps after a story and his songs, it is 10.45pm, we feel closer now