drift off till the Angelus booms out of the Redemptorist church and we
know were in trouble with Aunt Aggie for being late.
We dont care. She can yell at us all she wants but we had a grand
time out the country with the cows and the sheep and then the lovely
fire above in Italy.
You can tell she never has grand times like that. Electric light and a
lavatory but no grand times.
Grandma comes for her on Thursdays and Sundays and they take the
bus to the hospital to see Mam. We cant go because children are not
allowed and if we say, Hows Mam? they look cranky and tell us shes all
right, shell live.Wed like to know when shes getting out of hospital so
that we can all go back home but were afraid to open our mouths.
Malachy tells Aunt Aggie one day hes hungry and could he have a
piece of bread.She hits him with a rolled-up Little Messenger of the Sacred
Heart and there are tears on his eyelashes. He doesnt come home from
school the next day and hes still gone at bedtime.Aunt Aggie says,Well,
I suppose he ran away. Good riddance. If he was hungry hed be here.
Let him find comfort in a ditch.
Next day Michael runs in from the street, Dads here, Dads here,
and runs back out and theres Dad sitting on the hall floor hugging
Michael, crying, Your poor mother, your poor mother, and theres a
smell of drink on him.Aunt Aggie is smiling, Oh, youre here, and she
makes tea and eggs and sausages. She sends me out for a bottle of stout
for Dad and I wonder why shes so pleasant and generous all of a sud-
den. Michael says, Are we going to our own house, Dad?
We are, son.
Alphie is back in the pram with the three old coats and coal and
wood for the fire. Aunt Aggie stands at her door and tells us be good
boys, come back for tea anytime, and theres a bad word for her in my
head, Oul bitch. Its in my head and I cant help it and Ill have to tell
the priest in confession.
Malachy isnt in a ditch, hes there in our own house eating fish and
chips a drunken soldier dropped at the gate of the Sarsfield Barracks.
Mam comes home in two days. Shes weak and white and walks
slowly. She says,The doctor told me keep warm, have plenty of rest and
nourishing food, meat and eggs three times a week. God help us, those
poor doctors dont have a notion of not having.Dad makes tea and toasts
bread for her on the fire. He fries bread for the rest of us and we have a
lovely night up in Italy where its warm. He says he cant stay forever, he
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