to sleep for his little brother, Oliver, would be home soon and theyd be
playing again there on the floor.
But he kept looking out the window.
She told Malachy and me we could sit on the floor and play but to
be quiet because she was going to say her prayers. Malachy went to the
bed and sat by Eugene and I sat on a chair at the table making out words
on the newspaper that was our tablecloth. All you could hear in the
room was Malachy whispering to make Eugene happy and Grandma
mumbling to the click of her rosary beads. It was so quiet I put my head
on the table and fell asleep.
Dad is touching my shoulder. Come on, Francis, you have to take care
of your little brothers.
Mam is slumped on the edge of the bed, making small crying
sounds like a bird. Grandma is pulling on her shawl. She says, Ill go
down to Thompson the undertaker about the coffin and the carriage.
The St.Vincent de Paul Society will surely pay for that, God knows.
She goes out the door.Dad stands facing the wall over the fire,beat-
ing on his thighs with his fists, sighing, Och, och, och.
Dad frightens me with his och, och, och, and Mam frightens me
with her small bird sounds and I dont know what to do though I won-
der if anyone will light the fire in the grate so that we can have tea and
bread because its a long time since we had the porridge. If Dad would
move away from the fireplace I could light the fire myself.All you need
is paper, a few bits of coal or turf, and a match. He wont move so I try
to go around his legs while hes beating on his thighs but he notices me
and wants to know why Im trying to light the fire. I tell him were all
hungry and he lets out a crazy laugh. Hungry? he says. Och, Francis,
your wee brother Oliver is dead.Your wee sister is dead and your wee
brother is dead.
He picks me up and hugs me so hard I cry out.Then Malachy cries,
my mother cries,Dad cries,I cry,but Eugene stays quiet.Then Dad snif-
fles,Well have a feast. Come on, Francis.
He tells my mother well be back in awhile but she has Malachy and
Eugene on her lap in the bed and she doesnt look up. He carries me
through the streets of Limerick and we go from shop to shop with him
asking for food or anything they can give to a family that has two chil-
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