because she was so weak from having the four boys she didnt have the
energy to be going to the church for the baptism and its a heart scald
to think Margaret might be in Limbo forever with no hope of her ever
seeing the rest of us whether were in heaven, hell, or Purgatory itself.
Mr. Quinlivan brings her his chair. Ah, now, missus. Ah, now. Sit
down, will you. Ah, now.
The other men look at the table, the ceiling.The man in the mid-
dle says hes giving Mam a docket to get a weeks groceries at McGraths
shop on Parnell Street.There will be tea, sugar, flour, milk, butter and a
separate docket for a bag of coal from Suttons coal yard on the Dock
Road.
The third man says,Of course you wont be getting this every week,
missus.We will be visiting your house to see if theres a real need.We
have to do that, missus, so we can review your claim.
Mam wipes her face on the back of her sleeve and takes the docket.
She tells the men, God bless you for your kindness.They nod and look
at the table, the ceiling, the walls and tell her send in the next woman.
The women outside tell Mam,When you go to McGraths, keep an
eye on the oul bitch for shell cheat you on the weight. Shell put stuff
on a paper on the scale with the paper hanging down on her side
behind the counter where she thinks you cant see it. Shell pull on that
paper so that youre lucky if you get half of what youre supposed to get.
And she has pictures of the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
all over the shop, and shes forever on her knees abroad in St. Josephs
chapel clackin her rosary beads an breathing like a virgin martyr, the
oul bitch.
Nora says, Ill go with you, missus. Im on to the same Mrs.
McGrath and Ill know if shes cheating you.
She leads the way to the shop in Parnell Street.The woman behind
the counter is pleasant to Mam in her American coat till Mam shows
the St.Vincent de Paul docket. The woman says, I dont know what
youre doing here at this hour of the day. I never serve the charity cases
before six in the evening. But this is your first time and Ill make an
exception.
She says to Nora, Do you have a docket, too?
No. Im a friend helping this poor family with their first docket
from the St.Vincent de Paul.
The woman lays a sheet of newspaper on the scale and pours on
66