kitchen floors, what are tables and chairs for? He tells Mam that
Frankie is not right in the head and Mam says well all catch our death
from the damp of the floor.We sit on the floor and sing and Mam and
The Abbot sit on chairs. She sings Are You Lonesome Tonight? and
the Abbot sings The Road to Rasheen and we still dont know what
his song is about. We sit on the floor and tell stories about things
that happened, things that never happened and things that will happen
when we all go to America.
There are slow days at the post office and we sit on the bench and talk.
We can talk but we are not to laugh.Miss Barry says we should be grate-
ful were getting paid to sit there, bunch of idlers and streetboys that we
are,and that there is to be no laughing.Getting paid for sitting and chat-
ting is no laughing matter and the first titter out of any of us and out
we go till we come to our senses and if the tittering continues well be
reported to the proper authorities.
The boys talk about her under their breath.Toby Mackey says,What
that oul bitch needs is a good rub o the relic, a good rub o the brush.
Her mother was a streetwalking flaghopper and her father escaped from
a lunatic asylum with bunions on his balls and warts on his wank.
There is laughing along the bench and Miss Barry calls to us, I
warned ye against the laughing.Mackey,what is it youre prattling about
over there?
I said wed all be better off out in the fresh air on this fine day deliv-
ering telegrams, Miss Barry.
Im sure you did,Mackey.Your mouth is a lavatory.Did you hear me?
I did, Miss Barry.
You have been heard on the stairs, Mackey.
Yes, Miss Barry.
Shut up, Mackey.
I will, Miss Barry.
Not another word, Mackey.
No, Miss Barry.
I said shut up, Mackey.
All right, Miss Barry.
Thats the end of it, Mackey. Dont try me.
I wont, Miss Barry.
Mother o God give me patience.
320