few weeks the old priest hears my confession and mumbles that I should pray for him. Sometimes he falls asleep and I don’t have the heart to wake him up so I go to Communion the next day without penance or absolution. It’s not my fault if priests fall asleep on me and surely I’m in a state of grace just for going to confession.Then one day the little panel in the confession box slides back and it’s not my man at all, it’s a young priest with a big ear like a seashell. He’ll surely hear everything. Bless me, Father, for I have sinned, it’s a fortnight since my last confession. And what have you done since then, my child? I hit my brother, I went on the mooch from school, I lied to my mother. Yes, my child, and what else? I— I— I did dirty things, Father. Ah, my child, was that with yourself or with another or with some class of beast? Some class of beast. I never heard of a sin like that before.This priest must be from the country and if he is he’s opening up new worlds to me. The  night  before  I’m  to  go  to  Killaloe  Laman  Griffin  comes  home drunk and eats a great bag of fish and chips at the table. He tells Mam boil water for tea and when she says she has no coal or turf he yells at her and calls her a great lump living free under his roof with her pack of brats. He throws money at me to go to the shop for a few sods of turf and wood for kindling. I don’t want to go. I want to hit him for the way he treats my mother but if I say anything he won’t let me have the bicy- cle tomorrow after I’ve waited three weeks. When Mam gets the fire going and boils the water I remind him of his promise to loan me the bike. Did you empty the chamber pot today? Oh, I forgot. I’ll do it this minute. He shouts,You didn’t empty my damn chamber pot. I promise you the bike. I give you tuppence a week to run messages for me and empty the chamber pot and you stand there with your thick gob hanging out and tell me you didn’t do it. I’m sorry. I forgot. I’ll do it now. You will, will you? And how do you think you’ll get up to the loft? Are you going to pull the table out from under my fish and chips? 293