kinky hair, big eyes, huge red lips and an open mouth. She tells me put
the sixpence in the mouth and take my hand out before the black boy
bites me.All the boys and girls watch and they have little smiles. I drop
in the sixpence and pull my hand back before the mouth snaps shut.
Everyone laughs and I know they wanted to see my hand caught in the
mouth. Mrs. OConnor gasps and laughs and says to my mother, Isnt
that a howl, now? Mam says its a howl. She tells me behave myself and
come home dancing.
I dont want to stay in this place where Mrs. OConnor cant take
the sixpence herself instead of letting me nearly lose my hand in the
black boys mouth. I dont want to stay in this place where you have to
stand in line with boys and girls, straighten your back, hands by your
sides, look ahead, dont look down, move your feet, move your feet,
look at Cyril, look at Cyril, and there goes Cyril, all dressed up in his
saffron kilt and the medals jingling, medals for this and medals for that
and the girls love Cyril and Mrs. OConnor loves Cyril for didnt he
bring her fame and didnt she teach him every step he knows, oh,
dance, Cyril, dance, oh, Jesus, he floats around the room, hes an angel
out of heaven and stop the frowning, Frankie McCourt, or youll have
a puss on you like a pound of tripe, dance, Frankie, dance, pick up your
feet for the love o Jesus, onetwothreefourfivesixseven onetwothree and
a onetwothree, Maura, will you help that Frankie McCourt before he
ties his two feet around his poll entirely, help him, Maura.
Maura is a big girl about ten. She dances up to me with her white
teeth and her dancers dress with all the gold and yellow and green fig-
ures that are supposed to come from olden times and she says, Give me
your hand, little boy, and she wheels me around the room till Im dizzy
and making a pure eejit of myself and blushing and foolish till I want to
cry but Im saved when the record stops and the gramophone goes
hoosh hoosh.
Mrs. OConnor says, Oh, thank you, Maura, and next week, Cyril,
you can show Frankie a few of the steps that made you famous.Next week,
boys and girls, and dont forget the sixpence for the little black boy.
Boys and girls leave together. I make my own way down the stairs
and out the door hoping my pals wont see me with boys who wear kilts
and girls with white teeth and fancy dresses from olden times.
Mam is having tea with Bridey Hannon, her friend from next door.
Mam says, What did you learn? and makes me dance around the
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