she’ll call him Ronald because she’s mad about Ronald Colman that you see in the Coliseum Cinema. Or Errol, now that’s another lovely name, Errol Flynn. Mam says,Will you go way outa that, Bridey. I’d never be able to stick my head out the door and say, Errol, Errol, come in for your tea. Sure the poor child would be a laughingstock. Ronald, says Bridey, Ronald. He’s gorgeous. No, says Mam, it has to be Irish. Isn’t that what we fought for all these years? What’s the use of fighting the English for centuries if we’re going to call our children Ronald? Jesus, Angela, you’re starting to talk like himself with his Irish this and his English that. Still an’ all, Bridey, he’s right. Suddenly Bridey is gasping, Jesus,Angela, there’s something wrong with that child. Mam is out of the chair, hugging the child, moaning. Oh, Jesus, Bridey, he’s choking. Bridey says, I’ll run for my mother, and she’s back in a minute with Mrs. Hannon. Castor oil, says Mrs. Hannon. Do you have it? Any oil. Cod liver oil? That’ll do. She pours the oil into the baby’s mouth, turns him over, presses on his  back,  turns  him  back  over,  sticks  a  spoon  down  his  throat  and brings  up a white ball.That’s it now, she says.The milk. It collects and gets hard in their little throats so you have to ease it with any class of an oil. Mam is crying, Jesus, I nearly lost him. Oh, I’d die so I would. She’s  clutching  the  baby  and  crying  and  trying  to  thank  Mrs. Hannon. Yerra, don’t mention it, missus.Take the child and get back into that bed for the two o’ ye had a great shock. While  Bridey  and  Mrs.  Hannon  are  helping  Mam  to  the  bed  I notice spots of blood on her chair. Is my mother bleeding to death? Is it all right to say, Look, there’s blood on Mam’s chair? No, you can’t say anything because they always have secrets. I know if you say anything the grown-up people will tell you, Never mind, you’re always gawking, none of your business, go out and play. I have to keep it inside or I can talk to the angel. Mrs. Hannon and Bridey leave and I sit on the seventh step. I try to tell the angel Mam is 181