me.There are crowds of noisy men and stale smells that remind me of
Dad when he comes home with the smell of the whiskey on him.
The man behind the bar says,Yeah,sonny,whaddya want? Youre not
supposeta be in here, yknow.
Im looking for my father. Is my father here?
Naw, sonny, howd I know dat? Whos your fawdah?
His name is Malachy and he sings Kevin Barry.
Malarkey?
No, Malachy.
Malachy? And he sings Kevin Barry?
He calls out to the men in the bar,Youse guys, youse know guy
Malachy what sings Kevin Barry?
Men shake their heads.One says he knew a guy Michael sang Kevin
Barry but he died of the drink which he had because of his war
wounds.
The barman says, Jeez, Pete, I didnt ax ya to tell me history o da
woild, did I? Naw, kid.We dont let people sing in here. Causes trouble.
Specially the Irish. Let em sing, next the fists are flying. Besides, I never
hoid a name like dat Malachy. Naw, kid, no Malachy here.
The man called Pete holds his glass toward me. Here, kid, have a sip,
but the barman says,Whaddya doin,Pete? Tryina get the kid drunk? Do
that again, Pete, an Ill come out an break yass.
Mam tries all the bars around the station before she gives up. She
leans against a wall and cries. Jesus, we still have to walk all the way to
Classon Avenue and I have four starving children. She sends me back
into the bar where Pete offered me the sip to see if the barman would
fill the twins bottles with water and maybe a little sugar in each.The
men in the bar think its very funny that the barman should be filling
baby bottles but hes big and he tells them shut their lip. He tells me
babies should be drinking milk not water and when I tell him Mam
doesnt have the money he empties the baby bottles and fills them with
milk. He says, Tell ya mom they need that for the teeth an bones.Ya
drink water an sugar an all ya get is rickets.Tell ya Mom.
Mam is happy with the milk. She says she knows all about teeth and
bones and rickets but beggars cant be choosers.
When we reach Classon Avenue she goes straight to the Italian gro-
cery shop. She tells the man her husband is late tonight, that hes prob-
ably working overtime,and would it be at all possible to get a few things
and shell be sure to see him tomorrow?
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