.    .    . A few days later when we’re settled into the room Dad is shaking me out of my dreams. Up, Francis, up. Put on your clothes and run over for your aunt Aggie.Your mother needs her. Hurry. Mam is moaning in the bed, her face pure white. Dad has Malachy and the twins out of the bed and sitting on the floor by the dead fire. I run across the street and knock on Aunt Aggie’s door till Uncle Pat Keating comes coughing and grumbling,What’s up? What’s up? My mother is moaning in the bed. I think she’s sick. Now Aunt Aggie comes grumbling. Ye are nothing but trouble since ye came from America. Leave him alone,Aggie, he’s only a child that’s doing what he’s told. She tells Uncle Pa go back to bed, that he has to go to work in the morning not like some from the North that she won’t mention. He says, No, no, I’m coming.There’s something wrong with Angela. Dad tells me sit over there with my brothers. I don’t know what’s up with Mam because everyone is whispering and I can barely hear Aunt Aggie telling Uncle Pa the child is lost run for the ambulance and Uncle Pa is out the door, Aunt Aggie telling Mam you can say what you like about Limerick but the ambulance is fast. She doesn’t talk to my father, never looks at him. Malachy says, Dad, is Mammy sick? Och, she’ll be all right, son. She has to see the doctor. I wonder what child is lost because we’re all here, one two three four of us, not a lost child anywhere and why can’t they tell me what’s wrong with my mother. Uncle Pa comes back and the ambulance is right behind him.A man comes in with a stretcher and after they carry Mam away there are blood spots on the floor by the bed. Malachy bit his tongue and there was blood and the dog on the street had blood and he died. I want to ask Dad to tell me if Mam will be gone forever like my sister Margaret but he’s going with Mam and there’s no use asking Aunt Aggie anything for fear she’d bite your head off. She wipes away the blood spots and tells us get back into bed and stay there till Dad comes home. It’s the middle of the night and the four of us are warm in the bed and we fall asleep till Dad comes home and tells us Mam is nice and comfortable in the hospital and she’ll be home in no time. 62