- The next day The Abbot isn't feeling too hot after all the drinking he did the night before and asks Frank to make him breakfast.
- Surprisingly, Aunt Aggie takes Frank shopping for new clothes and even buys him tea and a bun. Frank has to look away because he's so touched he's crying.
- At work, the telegram ladies, Mrs. O'Connell and Miss Barry, make fun of Frank's new clothes and tell him to sit down and wait until they have a delivery for him.
- Frank's first delivery takes him to Mrs. Clohessy where he learns that Paddy, Mr. Clohessy, and even Question Quigley are working in England and making money. She tips Frank and tells him to take care of himself and Angela.
- On Friday, Frank gets paid. He takes Michael to the cinema and buys him fish and chips.
- Frank saves the leftover money for his trip to America.
- Even though Mrs. O'Connell and Miss Barry tell Frank that he's not allowed to help people when he's out delivering telegrams, he helps anyway.
- Michael spends so much time with Frank at The Abbot's that one day Angela comes looking for him. She asks Frank about the job and starts coming over more and more until she finally moves in. Eventually Malachy Jr. gets tired of the army and comes back.
- The McCourts are finally back together again.
- One day, Frank gets a telegram for the Carmodys.
- According to the telegram boys the Carmodys tip well, plus their daughter Theresa has the consumption, which means she's "mad for love and romance and everything" (15.103).
- Life is short, seize the day, etc.
- On the way to the Carmody house, Frank falls off his bike. Theresa invites him in and nurses his wounds. Since Frank's wet, Theresa tells him to take off his clothes and hangs them by the fire.
- We can see where this is going.
- When Theresa walks back in she takes Frank to a couch and they have sex, Frank's first time.
- Frank keeps delivering the telegrams and seeing Theresa until one day her mother answers the door and tells Frank that Theresa's in the hospital.
- The next week Theresa's dead.
- Frank watches Theresa's funeral from afar and worries that he sent Theresa to hell because they had sex.
- He says that the pain caused by Theresa's death is the strongest pain he's ever felt and he never wants to feel that way again.