Audrey O’Neill, is Ed’s best friend and love interest in ‘The Messenger’. She is a few months older than Ed, making her just over 19 years old. Ed describes Audrey as having ‘yellow hair, wiry legs, the most beautiful crooked smile in the world, lovely hips.’ (pg.16). She has three or four sun spots on her face and she’s gracious (in Ed’s point of view). She works as a taxi driver for the company, ‘VACANT TAXIS’, which is the same company as Ed. It was Audrey’s idea for Ed to become a cab driver.
Like her friends, Marv, Richie and Ed, she is a fan of cards and joins them when they play. Whenever they play, they play a game called ‘Annoyance’, and Audrey will always sit opposite Ed. When it is her turn to host their poker games, they play on her balcony.
In the past, Audrey had a tough childhood, she had one of those beat-the-crap-out-of-each-other situations with her family, which is the reason that she refuses to ever love anybody. She has had many boyfriends, of which, Ed has been very jealous of. Her most recent boyfriend, Simon, had confronted Ed once, and asked if he loved her, to which he had admitted that he did, but had asked Simon if Audrey loved him, which he knew that she wouldn’t.
Audrey lives alone, so whenever she is feeling down or depressed, she goes to Ed’s shack where they drink cheap beer or wine and watch movies. She likes to drink coffee, so if Ed ever offers, she won’t deny, and the Doorman most definitely loves her. Her favourite movie to watch is ‘Cool Hand Luke’, which ironically, is Ed’s favourite as well. So when Ed needs help to assist one of the people on the cards he receives, she cancels her date with her boyfriend just to help him. Together, Ed and Audrey go to a cinema and they watch their favourite movie together.
A lot of Audrey’s characteristics revolve around Ed. She’s a good listener, and concerned about people’s wellbeing. So when Ed had gotten himself beaten up by Rose brothers, Audrey had cried at Ed’s pain. She’s logical, she thinks about what she is really being asked. Many times Ed had asked her is she the person sending all the cards, in some twisted way to make him a better person, but each time she would deny him, and ponder questions like, ‘who knows you real well, Ed?’. After Ed would get all worked up and emotional at the thought of his best friend doing something like this to him, she would calm him down, and she seems to be the only one who can do that.
Audrey will never do something she doesn’t want to do. Her friends know this, her boyfriends know this. She likes to sing to herself, but at Father O’Reilly’s church, Audrey and Ed sing ‘Eight Days a Week’ by The Beatles together.
Audrey hates football, but even though she hates it, each year she continues to watch the ‘Annual Sledge Game’ and support her friends. Whenever Ed needs help or support, he will go to her house and she will do what she can to assist him. Audrey is the real reason that Ed had the courage to start visiting the houses.
Ed has been in love with Audrey for many years, and she knows this, even before he admits it to her. But Ed can tell that even though Audrey spends a lot of time with her boyfriend and they have a lot of sex, she doesn’t love Simon. Towards the end of the story, Ed knows that Audrey loves him but won’t admit it.
At the end of the story, Audrey asks Ed if she can stay at his place, which of course Ed happily obliges, but she finalises her answer saying she wants to stay for good, finally admitting that she does love Ed and wants to be with him.
Like her friends, Marv, Richie and Ed, she is a fan of cards and joins them when they play. Whenever they play, they play a game called ‘Annoyance’, and Audrey will always sit opposite Ed. When it is her turn to host their poker games, they play on her balcony.
In the past, Audrey had a tough childhood, she had one of those beat-the-crap-out-of-each-other situations with her family, which is the reason that she refuses to ever love anybody. She has had many boyfriends, of which, Ed has been very jealous of. Her most recent boyfriend, Simon, had confronted Ed once, and asked if he loved her, to which he had admitted that he did, but had asked Simon if Audrey loved him, which he knew that she wouldn’t.
Audrey lives alone, so whenever she is feeling down or depressed, she goes to Ed’s shack where they drink cheap beer or wine and watch movies. She likes to drink coffee, so if Ed ever offers, she won’t deny, and the Doorman most definitely loves her. Her favourite movie to watch is ‘Cool Hand Luke’, which ironically, is Ed’s favourite as well. So when Ed needs help to assist one of the people on the cards he receives, she cancels her date with her boyfriend just to help him. Together, Ed and Audrey go to a cinema and they watch their favourite movie together.
A lot of Audrey’s characteristics revolve around Ed. She’s a good listener, and concerned about people’s wellbeing. So when Ed had gotten himself beaten up by Rose brothers, Audrey had cried at Ed’s pain. She’s logical, she thinks about what she is really being asked. Many times Ed had asked her is she the person sending all the cards, in some twisted way to make him a better person, but each time she would deny him, and ponder questions like, ‘who knows you real well, Ed?’. After Ed would get all worked up and emotional at the thought of his best friend doing something like this to him, she would calm him down, and she seems to be the only one who can do that.
Audrey will never do something she doesn’t want to do. Her friends know this, her boyfriends know this. She likes to sing to herself, but at Father O’Reilly’s church, Audrey and Ed sing ‘Eight Days a Week’ by The Beatles together.
Audrey hates football, but even though she hates it, each year she continues to watch the ‘Annual Sledge Game’ and support her friends. Whenever Ed needs help or support, he will go to her house and she will do what she can to assist him. Audrey is the real reason that Ed had the courage to start visiting the houses.
Ed has been in love with Audrey for many years, and she knows this, even before he admits it to her. But Ed can tell that even though Audrey spends a lot of time with her boyfriend and they have a lot of sex, she doesn’t love Simon. Towards the end of the story, Ed knows that Audrey loves him but won’t admit it.
At the end of the story, Audrey asks Ed if she can stay at his place, which of course Ed happily obliges, but she finalises her answer saying she wants to stay for good, finally admitting that she does love Ed and wants to be with him.