Malachy  says,  Sam,  Sam,  Oy.  Everyone  laughs  again  but  I  don’t because  I  can’t  remember  what  comes  after  Sam.  Freddie  mumbles through his cake, Samson, and Mrs. Leibowitz tells him, Don’t talk wiz you mouse full, and I laugh because she’s grown-up and she says mouse instead of mouth. Malachy laughs because I laugh and the Leibowitzes look at each other and smile. Freddie says, Not Samson. My favorite story  is  David  and  the  giant, Goliath. David  killed  him  dead  with  a slingshot, a stone in his head. His brains was on the ground. Were on the ground, says Mr. Leibowitz. Yes, Papa. Papa.That’s what Freddie calls his father and Dad is what I call my father. My mother’s whisper wakes me.What’s up with the child? It’s still early and there isn’t much morning in the room but you can see Dad over by  the window with Margaret in his arms. He’s rocking her and sigh- ing, Och. Mam says, Is she, is she sick? Och, she’s very quiet and she’s a wee bit cold. My mother is out of the bed, taking the child. Go for the doctor. Go for God’s sake, and my father is pulling on his trousers over his shirt, no jacket, shoes, no socks on this bitter day. We wait in the room, the twins asleep at the bottom of the bed, Malachy stirring beside me.Frankie,I want a drink of water.Mam rocks in her bed with the baby in her arms. Oh, Margaret, Margaret, my own little love. Open your lovely blue eyes, my little leanv. I fill a cup of water for Malachy and me and my mother wails,Water for you and your brother. Oh, indeed,Water, is it? And nothing for your sister.Your poor little sister. Did you ask if she had a mouth in her head? Did you ask if she’d like a drop of water? Oh, no. Go on and drink your water, you and your brother, as if nothing happened. A regular day for the two of you, isn’t it? And the twins sleeping away as if they didn’t have a care and their poor little sister sick here in my arms. Sick in my arms. Oh, sweet Jesus in heaven. Why is she talking like this? She’s not talking like my mother today. I want my father.Where is my father? I get back into bed and start to cry.Malachy says,Why you cry? Why you cry? till Mam is at me again.Your sister is sick in my arms and you’re 35