Angela's Ashes Chapter 16 Summary

  • The next telegram that Frank has to deliver is a "sympathy telegram" to a Mr. Harrington whose wife just died. He's British.
  • When Frank arrives with the telegram Mr. Harrington invites him in and offers him a sherry. After a couple of glasses of sherry, Mr. Harrington runs out of liquor and tells Frank to wait for him while he goes out and buys some more.
  • Frank's really drunk and by the time that Mr. Harrington gets back, Frank is baptizing Mrs. Harrington with his sherry.
  • Mr. Harrington offers Frank more sherry and some ham sandwiches but before Frank can have another drink he throws up out the window on to Mrs. Harrington's rosebush. Mr. Harrington gets really upset and Frank has to climb out of the rosebush and run to his bike.
  • Mr. Harrington complains about Frank to Mrs. O'Connell and she fires him as soon as he walks back through the door.
  • It's only after the parish priest tells the post office to take Frank back that they agree.
  • Frank has a guilty conscience and is unable to go to confession. He's still thinking about Theresa, and all the times he masturbated.
  • Things start looking up for Frank when the next telegram customer, Mrs. Brigid Finucane, asks Frank if he'll write collection letters to customers of hers who haven't paid.
  • Weeks go by and Frank's brilliant letters are bringing Mrs. Finucane lots of money.
  • On Fridays Mrs. Finucane asks Frank to buy her sherry and when she drinks herself to sleep he steals the money that falls from her purse.
  • Even though he feels bad about stealing her money, he knows there's no other way for him to save enough money to go to America.
  • Back at the post office, the telegram boys are gearing up for the postal exam. If they pass, they get to work full time at the post office.
  • Frank delivers a telegram to South's pub and runs into his Uncle Pa who tells him that he's better off not taking the exam and should keep on saving for his trip to America.
  • On the day of the exam, Frank, instead of taking the test, applies for a new job distributing newspapers at Easons. He gets the job.
  • His new boss, Mr. McCaffrey, tells him to be at the railway station Monday morning at 6:30 a.m.
  • Mrs. O'Connell and Miss Barry have nothing but nasty things to say to Frank on his last day of work but Frank doesn't care because he's just happy to start a new chapter in his life.