Paddy Byrne, (not his real name), served with the pioneer corps during the last war. He then returned to civilian life and obtained a job at the local docks as a stevedore. He was a nice, amicable man, who liked his pint and attended 11 o'clock mass every Sunday. He lived with his widowed sister Hetty and her sister in law Bridie in a working class area where I had once lived myself.
Fate determined that the even tenor of Paddy's life was to change dramatically when he was involved in an accident at work, resulting in him being confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life. His employer would only admit part liability for the accident, so Paddy was the receipt of a small sum only. He bore his burden with stoicism and retained his good nature.
In the summer, he would sit outside the terraced house and exchange pleasantries with numerous acquaintances and banter with the kids. In the winter he would gaze through the window at the passing scene. Passers by who knew him would occasionally wave depending on the vagaries of the weather.
It so happened the Paddy's demise occurred when he was watching television and Hetty and Bridie had gone to Bingo. They arrived home at ten o'clock find poor Paddy slumped in his chair, with his head on his chest. Despite all attempts to revive him, it eventually dawned on them that Paddy had departed this life forever. After the Hail Mary's had been said and a succession of prayers for the good of his soul realisation struck them.
'He was such a wonderful man and a loving brother Bridie.'
'You are so right Hetty, those lawyers with all their blarney treated him shamefully and twisted the truth, who hurt him the most? I am thinking the law is not for the likes of us. Oh!'
She held her hand in her mouth as a sudden thought occurred to her, then resumed her conversation.
'Do you realise his pension is due tomorrow Bridie?'
There was a period of silence before Bridie spoke.
'I didn't realise, we are going to miss it',
'We don't have to miss it tomorrow'. Hetty replied.
Hetty was always as sharp as a needle, although she was only a cleaner in the local hospital.
'We sit Paddy in the window, until we draw his pension, before we call the doctor'
'You are mad' said Bridie.

Hetty was already pushing Paddy to the window, where she adjusted his posture before rigor Mortis set in. Her natural curiosity whilst she had been working at the hospital had been the means of providing her with the knowledge that rigor Mortis was not totally achieved until 12 hours, and the condition was not completely dispersed until after 24 hours.
So it was that, that people bade their farewells to Paddy unknowingly the following day. A facsimile of his signature made its acquaintance with his pension book and the doctor duly signed the death certificate with cardiac failure as the cause of death. A fair diagnosis under the circumstances as the doctor knew as a result of medical records Paddy's medical records relating to Paddy's accident and knew his heart was suspect.

Paddy would be pleased to know his pension money enabled Hetty and Bridie to win a large sum on national Bingo. Some of the money was donated to both church and hospital: As Father McGuire might have said, 'God Sometimes works in mysterious ways'
Perhaps sometimes with a little help from us.