I dont know, son.
Ahead of us women in shawls and small children are picking up coal
along the road.
There, Dad, theres coal.
Och, no, son.We wont pick coal off the road.Were not beggars.
He tells Mam the coal yards are closed and well have to drink milk
and eat bread tonight, but when I tell her about the women on the road
she passes Eugene to him.
If youre too grand to pick coal off the road Ill put on my coat and
go down the Dock Road.
She gets a bag and takes Malachy and me with her. Beyond the
Dock Road there is something wide and dark with lights glinting in it.
Mam says thats the River Shannon.She says thats what she missed most
of all in America, the River Shannon.The Hudson was lovely but the
Shannon sings.I cant hear the song but my mother does and that makes
her happy. The other women are gone from the Dock Road and we
search for the bits of coal that drop from lorries. Mam tells us gather
anything that burns, coal, wood, cardboard, paper. She says, There are
them that burn the horse droppings but were not gone that low yet.
When her bag is nearly full she says, Now we have to find an onion for
Oliver. Malachy says hell find one but she tells him, No, you dont find
onions on the road, you get them in shops.
The minute he sees a shop he cries out,Theres a shop, and runs in.
Oonyen, he says. Oonyen for Oliver.
Mam runs into the shop and tells the women behind the counter,
Im sorry.The woman says,Lord,hes a dote.Is he an American or what?
Mam says he is. The woman smiles and shows two teeth, one on
each side of her upper gum.A dote, she says, and look at them gorgeous
goldy curls.And what is it he wants now? A sweet?
Ah, no, says Mam.An onion.
The woman laughs, An onion? I never heard a child wanting an
onion before. Is that what they like in America?
Mam says, I just mentioned I wanted to get an onion for my other
child thats sick. Boil the onion in milk, you know.
True for you, missus.You cant beat the onion boiled in milk. And
look,little boy,heres a sweet for yourself and one for the other little boy,
the brother, I suppose.
Mam says, Ah, sure, you shouldnt. Say thank you, boys.
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