cozy and your father can tell you a story about how Cuchulain became
a Catholic and you fall asleep and dream about the pig standing in the
crib at the Redemptorist church crying because he and the Baby Jesus
and Cuchulain all have to grow up and die.
The angel that brought Margaret and the twins comes again and brings
us another brother, Michael. Dad says he found Michael on the seventh
step of the stairs to Italy. He says thats what you have to watch for when
you ask for a new baby, the Angel on the Seventh Step.
Malachy wants to know how you can get a new brother from the
Angel on the Seventh Step if you dont have any stairs in your house
and Dad tells him that asking too many questions is an affliction.
Malachy wants to know what an affliction is.
Affliction. Id like to know what that word means. Affliction, but
Dad says, Och, child, the world is an affliction and everything in it, puts
on his cap and goes to the Bedford Row Hospital to see Mam and
Michael. Shes in the hospital with the pain in her back and she has the
baby with her to make sure he was healthy when he was left on the sev-
enth step. I dont understand this because Im sure angels would never
leave a sick baby on the seventh step.Theres no use asking Dad or Mam
about this. They say,Youre getting as bad as your brother for asking
questions. Go play.
I know that big people dont like questions from children.They can
ask all the questions they like, Hows school? Are you a good boy? Did
you say your prayers? but if you ask them did they say their prayers you
might be hit on the head.
Dad brings Mam home with the new baby and she has to stay in
bed for a few days with the pain in her back. She says this baby is the
spitting image of our sister who died,with his wavy black hair,his lovely
blue eyes, and the gorgeous eyebrows.Thats what Mam says.
I want to know if the baby will be spitting. I also want to know
which is the seventh step because there are nine steps on the stairs and
Id like to know if you count from the bottom or the top. Dad doesnt
mind answering this question.Angels come down from above, he says,
and not up from kitchens like ours which are lakes from October till April.
So I find the seventh step by counting from the top.
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