The mornin of me Communion is here. Me ma’s friend Tessie turned up te get me ready. Last night they washed me hair an scrubbed me in a tin bath belongin te Tessie. They dragged up buckets a water from the tap in the back yard an then boiled the water over the fire. I’d never seen so much water in me life! Me ma held me down while Tessie covered me in Sunlight soap. I couldn’t breathe, an I was screamin an roarin an tryin te escape from the bath. Me ma was pushin an slappin me back down inta the water, an I thought me last hour had come. I never want te see a bath of water again fer as long as I live. Then they put pipe cleaners in me hair te make me hair curl. But I couldn’t sleep, an me ma wouldn’t take them out. An just as I got te sleep, now they’ve woken me up again.
‘Come on, Martha! It’s time te wake up. We’ve te get ye ready.’
‘No, Ma! I’m tired. I don’t want te make me Communion . I want te go back te sleep.’
‘There’s a good girl, ye’ll be grand! I’ll just give yer face an hands a wash before I dress ye.’
‘Ma! I want a bit a bread.’
‘No! Ye can’t eat anythin, ye have te fast.’
‘I’m hungry.’
‘Lookit! Ye’ll get yer lovely breakfast of jelly an ice cream after ye receive Holy God!’
‘I don’t want Holy God, I want a bit a bread,’ I whined.
Tessie took out the pipe cleaners, an me ma put me in me frock an me shoes an socks. Tessie fixed me veil on me head, an I’m all ready now.
Charlie is sittin in his go-car, in his new romper suit, an he has a lovely blue pixie hat sittin on top of his mop of white curly hair. He gorra wash, too, after me. He’s after bangin his teeth wit the new rattler Tessie gave him. An he thinks it’s my fault, cos he gave me a smack of it when I leaned in te give him a squeeze.
Me ma finished her tea, an now we can all get movin te the church.
‘She looks like an angel, Sally. She’s a picture of beauty!’
‘Yeah, she turned out well, didn’t she? Listen, Tessie. Will you take the babby, just in case he starts in the chapel?’
‘Right, Sally, I’ll mind him. How old is he now, Sally?’
‘Eh, he’ll be ten months soon. Martha was six three days ago.’
‘Tha was lucky, or she wouldn’t be makin the Communion now.’
We arrived at the chapel in Meath Street, an all the mammies took their places in the seats. We were lined up outside on the street. We formed a procession of girl an boy, wit the priests an altar boys carryin lighted candles at the top of the procession. We slowly made our way along Meath Street an up the steps an inta the brightly lit chapel, singin hymns. As the last of us filed in, the great black doors slammed shut behind us, an we broke inta ‘Ave Maria’. I looked aroun, startled by the thuddin doors, an saw crowds of old women in their black shawls linin the back of the chapel. They were all cryin an dryin their eyes wit their shawls.
We sat in the benches at the top of the chapel, an I listened te the hushed drone of the priests murmurin the Latin an swingin the big incense box, an the whispered prayers of the old women at the back. I smelled the lilies from the altar an heard the expensive sound of starch an crinkle comin from our frocks as we shifted ourselves fer more comfort. The bright lights came from all aroun us. Every statue had its lights burnin, an candles was lit fer every one of us by our mammies. I looked aroun at the others, an they had white faces an shiny curly hair under the snowy-white veils, an the tiaras glinted against their faces. An they were very quiet an still. I looked down at me baby-blue coat an me starched white frock, an me white gloves coverin me hands tha I had joined together an wrapped aroun me mother o pearl rosary beads tha Tessie gave me, an I felt in me senses tha we were all precious. Heaven must be somethin like this. An I wanted me mammy te be happy, too. I asked the angels te whisper te God’s mammy, Our Lady, te send me mammy enough money so she won’t have te worry about coal, an we could have dinners, an she could pay the rent. An maybe a bit more te buy the babby a few more romper suits, an a teddy fer him. An maybe a doll fer me. An enough so she can go te the pictures, cos she loves tha, an take me wit her. An she’d laugh all the time, an she wouldn’t be lonely, sittin starin inta nothin. An then I wouldn’t be worried, cos me ma is me whole world.
We stood now in front of the altar rail, waitin our turn te kneel at the marble steps. But the little girl in front of me has gorra fright. She doesn’t want te take Holy God! The priest is annoyed, an he barks at the altar boy te hold the brass shovel under the child’s chin while he grabs her face an tries te squeeze Holy God down her throat. But she twists an fights an tries te get sick, an they drag her away. We stare, hopin nothin happens te us. The priest is very angry an his face is roarin red. ‘Hold it under! Don’t let them drop it!’ he keeps sayin te the altar boy. I was glad when I went back te me bench an concentrated on tryin te swallow down Holy God.