long as hes in there with the pint. Im about to give the money to the
woman in the shop when my hand is slapped down and theres Aunt
Aggie, raging. Is this what you do, she says, on the day of your brothers
funeral? Gorgin yourself on sweets.And wheres that father of yours?
Hes, hes, in the pub.
Of course hes in the pub.You out here stuffin yourself with sweets
and him in there gettin himself into a staggerin condition the day your
poor little brother goes to the graveyard. She tells the shop woman, Just
like his father, the same odd manner, the same oul northern jaw.
She tells me get into that pub and tell my father to stop the drink-
ing and get the coffin and the carriage. She will not set foot inside the
pub for the drink is the curse of this poor godforsaken country.
Dad is sitting at the back of the pub with a man who has a dirty face
and hair growing out of his nose.Theyre not talking but staring straight
ahead and their black pints are resting on a small white coffin on the
seat between them. I know thats Eugenes coffin because Oliver had
one like it and I want to cry when I see the black pints on top of it. Im
sorry now I ever ate that toffee and I wish I could take it out of my
stomach and give it back to the woman in the shop because its not right
to be eating toffee when Eugene is dead in the bed and Im frightened
by the two black pints on his white coffin.The man with Dad is saying,
No, mister, you cant leave a childs coffin in a carriage no more. I did
that once, went in for a pint and they robbed that little coffin out of the
bloody carriage.Can you credit that? It was empty,thank God,but there
you are. Desperate times we live in, desperate.The man with Dad lifts
his pint and takes a long swallow and when he puts his glass down
theres a hollow sound in the coffin. Dad nods at me.Well be going in
a minute, son, but when he goes to put his glass on the coffin after the
long swallow I push it away.
Thats Eugenes coffin. Ill tell Mam you put your glass on Eugenes
coffin.
Now, son. Now, son.
Dad, thats Eugenes coffin.
The other man says,Will we have another pint, mister?
Dad says to me,Wait outside another few minutes, Francis.
No.
Dont be a bad boy.
No.
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