this world and died in the middle of the night, alone, Mrs. Leibowitz,
all alone in that pram.
Mrs. Leibowitz holds my mother in her arms. Shush, now, shush.
Babies go like that. It happens, missus. God takes them.
In the pram, Mrs. Leibowitz. Near my bed. I could have picked her
up and she didnt have to die, did she? God doesnt want little babies.
What is God going to do with little babies?
I dont know, missus. I dont know from God. Have soup. Good
soup. Make you strong.You boys. Get bowls. I give you soup.
Whats bowls, Mrs. Leibowitz?
Oh, Frankie.You dont know bowl? For the soup, darlink.You don
have a bowl? So get cups for the soup. I mix pea soup and lentil soup.
No ham. Irish like the ham. No ham, Frankie. Drink, missus. Drink you
soup.
She spoons the soup into my mothers mouth, wipes the dribble
from her chin. Malachy and I sit on the floor drinking from mugs.We
spoon the soup into the twins mouths. It is lovely and hot and tasty.
My mother never makes soup like this and I wonder if theres any
chance Mrs. Leibowitz could ever be my mother. Freddie could be me
and have my mother and my father,too,and he could have Malachy and
the twins for brothers. He cant have Margaret anymore because shes
like the dog in the street that was taken away. I dont know why she was
taken away. My mother said she died in her pram and that must be like
getting hit by a car because they take you away.
I wish little Margaret could be here for the soup. I could give it to
her with a spoon the way Mrs. Leibowitz is giving it to my mother and
shed gurgle and laugh the way she did with Dad. She wouldnt cry any-
more and my mother wouldnt be in the bed day and night and Dad
would be telling me Cuchulain stories and I wouldnt want Mrs. Lei-
bowitz to be my mother anymore. Mrs. Leibowitz is nice but Id rather
have my father telling me Cuchulain stories and Margaret chirping and
Mam laughing when Dad dances with two left feet.
Minnie MacAdorey comes in to help. Mother o God, Mrs. Leibowitz,
these twins smell to the high heavens.
I dont know about Mother o God, Minnie, but these twins need a
wash.They need clean diapers. Frankie, where are the clean diapers?
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