on his lap. He says,This is a sad little fella, and makes funny faces and
silly sounds. Malachy and I laugh but Eugene only reaches up to touch
the blackness of Pa Keatings skin, and then when Pa pretends to bite his
little hand, Eugene laughs and everyone in the room laughs. Malachy
goes to Eugene and tries to make him laugh even more but Eugene
turns away and hides his face in Pa Keatings shirt.
I think he likes me, says Pa, and thats when Aunt Aggie puts down
her teacup and starts to bawl,Waah, waah, waah, big teardrops tumbling
down her fat red face.
Aw, Jesus, says Grandma, there she is again.Whats up with you this
time?
And Aunt Aggie blubbers,To see Pa there with a child on his lap an
me with no hope of having my own.
Grandma barks at her, Stop talkin like that in front of the children.
Have you no shame? When God is good and ready Hell send you your
family.
Aunt Aggie sobs, Angela with five born an one just gone an her
so useless she couldnt scrub a floor an me with none an I can scrub
an clean with the best and make any class of a stew or a fry.
Pa Keating laughs, I think Ill keep this little fella.
Malachy runs to him. No, no, no.Thats my brother, thats Eugene.
And I say, No, no, no, thats our brother.
Aunt Aggie pats the tears on her cheeks. She says, I dont want
nothing of Angelas. I dont want nothing thats half Limerick and half
North of Ireland, so I dont, so ye can take him home. Ill have me own
someday if I have to do a hundred novenas to the Virgin Mary and her
mother, St.Ann, or if I have to crawl from here to Lourdes on me two
bended knees.
Grandma says, Thats enough. Ye have had yeer porridge and tis
time to go home and see if yeer father and mother are back from the
hospital.
She puts on her shawl and goes to pick up Eugene but he clutches
so hard at Pa Keatings shirt she has to pull him away though he keeps
looking back at Pa till were out the door.
We followed Grandma back to our room. She put Eugene in the bed
and gave him a drink of water. She told him to be a good boy and go
73