Karloff is saying, and when Malachy talks back to them and tells them
hes only helping his blind brother they call the man in charge, Frank
Goggin,and he says if he hears another word out of Malachy hell throw
the two of us out.
I dont mind. I have a way of squeezing the stuff out of one eye and
clearing it so that I can see the screen while the other eye fills up and I
go back and forth, squeeze, look, squeeze, look, and everything I see is
yellow.
Monday morning Mrs. Hannon is knocking on our door again. She
asks Mam if Frank would ever go down to the coal yard and tell the
man in the office that Mr. Hannon cant come in today, that he has to
see a doctor about his legs, that hell surely be in tomorrow and what
he cant deliver today he will tomorrow. Mrs. Hannon always calls
me Frank now. Anyone that delivers hundredweights of coal is not a
Frankie.
The man in the office says, Humph. I think were very tolerant with
Hannon.You, whats your name?
McCourt, sir.
Tell Hannon well need a note from the doctor. Do you understand
that?
I do, sir.
The doctor tells Mr. Hannon he has to go to the hospital or its a
case of gangrene hell have and the doctor wont be responsible. The
ambulance takes Mr. Hannon away and my big job is gone. Now Ill be
white like everyone else in Leamys, no float, no horse, no shillings to
bring home to my mother.
In a few days Bridey Hannon comes to our door. She says her
mother would like me to come and see her, have a cup of tea with her.
Mrs.Hannon is sitting by the fire with her hand on the seat of Mr.Han-
nons chair. Sit down, Frank, she says, and when I go to sit on one of the
ordinary kitchen chairs she says, No, sit here. Sit here on the chair of
himself. Do you know how old he is, Frank?
Oh, he must be very old, Mrs. Hannon. He must be thirty-five.
She smiles. She has lovely teeth. Hes forty-nine, Frank, and a man
that age shouldnt have legs like that.
He shouldnt, Mrs. Hannon.
Did you know you were a joy to him going around on that float?
I didnt, Mrs. Hannon.
You were.We had two daughters, Bridey that you know, and Kath-
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