tend we’re in a tent, Robin Hood and his Merry Men.We hunt fleas and squash them between our thumbnails. Then there’s a baby’s cry and Malachy says,Dad,did Mam get a new baby? Och, aye, son. I’m older so I tell Malachy the bed is in the kitchen so that the angel can  fly  down  and  leave  the  baby  on  the  seventh  step  but  Malachy doesn’t understand because he’s only eight going on nine and I’ll be ten next month. Mam is in the bed with the new baby. He has a big fat face and he’s red all over.There’s a woman in the kitchen in a nurse’s uniform and we know she’s there to wash new babies who are always dirty from the long journey with the angel.We want to tickle the baby but she says, No, no, ye can look at him but don’t lay a finger. Don’t lay a finger.That’s the way nurses talk. We  sit  at  the  table  with  our  tea  and  bread  looking  at  our  new brother but he won’t even open his eyes to look back at us so we go out and play. In a few days Mam is out of the bed holding the baby on her lap by the fire. His eyes are open and when we tickle him he makes a gurgling sound, his belly shakes and that makes us laugh. Dad tickles him and sings a Scottish song, Oh, oh, stop your ticklin’, Jock, Stop your ticklin’, Jock. Stop your ticklin’, Ickle ickle icklin Stop your ticklin’,  Jock. Dad has a job so Bridey Hannon is able to visit Mam and the baby any time she likes and for once Mam doesn’t tell us go out and play so  they can talk about secret things.They sit by the fire smoking and talking  about  names. Mam  says  she  likes  the  names  Kevin  and  Sean but  Bridey says, Ah, no, there’s too many of them in Limerick. Jesus, Angela,  if  you  stuck  your  head  out  the  door  and  called,  Kevin  or Sean, come in for your tea, you’d have half o’ Limerick running to your door. Bridey says if she had a son which please God she will some day 180