tend were in a tent, Robin Hood and his Merry Men.We hunt fleas
and squash them between our thumbnails.
Then theres a babys cry and Malachy says,Dad,did Mam get a new
baby?
Och, aye, son.
Im 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
doesnt understand because hes only eight going on nine and Ill be ten
next month.
Mam is in the bed with the new baby. He has a big fat face and hes
red all over.Theres a woman in the kitchen in a nurses uniform and we
know shes 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 dont lay a finger.
Dont lay a finger.Thats the way nurses talk.
We sit at the table with our tea and bread looking at our new
brother but he wont 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 doesnt 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, theres 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, youd have half o Limerick running to your
door.
Bridey says if she had a son which please God she will some day
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