out of Kathleen, Malachy can. Mam says he has the charm, and she tells
me,Theres no use sending you with your long puss and your fathers
odd manner.
When the bleeding stops and Mams gums heal she goes to the
clinic for her false teeth. She says shell give up the smoking when her
new teeth are in but she never does.The new teeth rub on her gums
and make them sore and the smoke of the Woodbines eases them.
She and Dad sit by the fire when we have one and smoke their ciga-
rettes and when they talk their teeth clack.They try to stop the clack-
ing by moving their jaws back and forth but that only makes it worse
and they curse the dentists and the people above in Dublin who made
the teeth and while they curse they clack. Dad claims these teeth were
made for rich people in Dublin and didnt fit so they were passed on to
the poor of Limerick who dont care because you dont have much to
chew when youre poor anyway and youre grateful you have any class
of a tooth in your head. If they talk too long their gums get sore and the
teeth have to come out.Then they sit talking by the fire with their faces
collapsed. Every night they leave the teeth in the kitchen in jam jars
filled with water. Malachy wants to know why and Dad tells him it
cleans them. Mam says, No, you cant have teeth in your head while
youre sleeping for theyll slip and choke you to death entirely.
The teeth are the cause of Malachy going to Barringtons Hospital
and me having an operation. Malachy whispers to me in the middle of
the night, Do you want to go downstairs and see if we can wear the
teeth?
The teeth are so big we have trouble getting them into our mouths
but Malachy wont give up. He forces Dads upper teeth into his mouth
and cant get them out again.His lips are drawn back and the teeth make
a big grin. He looks like a monster in a film and it makes me laugh but
he pulls at them and grunts, Uck, uck, and tears come to his eyes.The
more he goes Uck, uck, the harder I laugh till Dad calls from upstairs,
What are you boys doing? Malachy runs from me,up the stairs,and now
I hear Dad and Mam laughing till they see he can choke on the teeth.
They both stick their fingers in to pull out the teeth but Malachy gets
frightened and makes desperate uck uck sounds. Mam says,Well have
to take him to the hospital, and Dad says hell take him. He makes me
go in case the doctor has questions because Im older than Malachy and
that means I must have started all the trouble. Dad rushes through the
streets with Malachy in his arms and I try to keep up. I feel sorry for
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