Hard of Hearing Bill Flynn

Hard of Hearing Bill Flynn

I went to a party one weekend afternoon at my sister Kathleen’s apartment somewhere around Moshula Parkway in the Bronx. Ellen and Kathleen were just babies at the time and I brought along a friend of mine who I was working with at Lincoln Hall, Ron Logan. Lincoln Hall was a reform school run by the Christian Brothers where my brother Pat and I both worked and where Jack Flynn also had spent a summer or two. Ron was a football big charming Irish guy whose mother lived on the Concourse and he fit into the family gathering with much ease. Ron had recently returned from a trip to Ireland and was talking to my mother. Of course Ron had no clue as to how hard of hearing Bridie Flynn was. “Mrs. Flynn, I never knew how many relatives I had in Ireland until we went to visit the Roaches.”  To which he received the partially indignant response “Roaches? There aren’t any roaches in Ireland.” A pregnant pause ensued and the room broke out into laughter. Mom was great. She laughed at herself as hard as the rest of us did and I told the story on her for years. Bridie Flynn was a very good sport.