‘Martha, Sister. I was here before.’
‘Are you a new child? Who sent you here?’ she looked aroun te see if anyone brought me.
‘Eh! Not really new, only a little, cos I was here before!’
She looked down at me, tryin te figure out what I was talkin about. ‘When? When did you last attend here?’
‘Eh! Maybe a year ago, or it could be more. I don’t really remember. Ye see, me mammy told me te come back te school or I’m goin te be sent away,’ I tried te explain as she stared at me.
‘Are you on our roll?’
I stared at her, thinkin. ‘Eh! Wha roll is tha, Sister?’
‘Follow me, you stupid creature! Stand against that wall!’
I stood up against the wall outside her door, an she marched in an slammed the door behind her.
I could hear childre chantin their lessons inside all the classrooms down along the passages. ‘No! No! Sit up and pay attention!’ I could hear a teacher roar, as she banged her stick on a desk. I shivered at the thought of havin te go inta one a them.
The door swung open, an I stood up straight. ‘Come with me quickly!’ an she marched off down a corridor, past classrooms wit foggy glass at the top of the door so ye couldn’t see in. But ye could hear the noise comin out, no problem. Teachers shoutin an childre repeatin all together wha the teacher was tellin them.
We stopped outside a classroom, an the childre inside were chantin numbers. ‘Nine ones are nine!’ An the nun listened until they were finished an then knocked on the door an opened it. All eyes swung on the nun, marchin over te the desk te talk te a fat little nun wit a red face. ‘Ah, Sister Vianney!’ An they turned their backs on the childre an whispered, puttin their heads close together.
I stayed half in an half outa the door, watchin the nuns. Then I looked at the childre as they swung their eyes aroun catchin sight a me. They nudged each other an whispered wit their hands over their mouths. ‘Who’s tha? Gawd! Lookit the state a her!’
‘Quiet!’ the fat nun suddenly barked. An then the other nun turned an walked out the door. I crept inta the room, listenin te the quiet while the little fat nun pulled out a big book from a drawer in the desk an wrote somethin in it. Then she slammed the book shut an put it back in the drawer, an stood up from her desk an looked at me, then looked at the back of the classroom an pointed te an empty desk an said, ‘Sit down there.’
I followed her finger an spotted the place she wanted me te go. An walked down the middle of the room, wit dozens a pairs of eyes all pinned on me. Me legs was shakin, an I felt very foolish, cos some of them were titterin behind their books.
‘She’s real scrawny!’ one young one was whisperin behind her hand.
‘Back to work!’ roared the nun.
I sat down an looked at the empty seat beside me. Glad of tha. No one te bother me. I had a big winda on me right, an I could look out the winda an see up tha Mountjoy Square.
‘Marie Byrne!’ the nun shouted down from her desk, pointin her stick at a young one. ‘Come up here an give me the nine times table.’
The young one crawled up te the top of the class an stood lookin down, twistin her fingers an lookin up at the ceilin. ‘Start!’ roared the nun, bangin her stick on the desk.
‘Nine ones are nine,’ she squeaked, then coughed an started again. ‘Nine ones are nine, nine twos are ...’ an she looked up at the ceilin, ‘are eighteen, nine threes are ...’ an she tried te count on her fingers without bein seein. ‘Nine twos are eighteen, nine threes are, are ...’
‘Stand against the wall with your back to the room!’ screamed the nun. ‘I will deal with your idleness later. Now! The rest of you, open your table books at nine times division.’ An everyone started chantin out the nine times division. It was just a dronin noise te me. I didn’t know wha they were sayin, so me mind wandered off te look out the winda, an I longed te be grown up like tha aul woman rushin past te get her messages. On her own an no one te bother her. She disappeared outa sight aroun the corner an up the hill. Tha left me watchin the aul mangy dog sniffin aroun the waste ground hopin te find somethin te eat. Even the dog can go about his business. No one te mind wha he’s doin. But no! I wouldn’t want te be a dog. I’m better as I am. There’s always a chance fer me, but a dog has no chance. A dog can be put down anytime. At least as a child they can’t be too quick te put me down. No! I’ll just have te watch meself here. An it will all pass eventually.
‘Go on, get goin!’
‘Right, Jackser. I’m goin.’ I rushed outa the door an started te run, feelin Jackser’s eyes watchin me from behind the curtain. Ye always have te run everywhere. Jackser doesn’t like me te walk. He thinks I’m idlin if I walk. I kept up a slow run until I turned the corner. Then I slowed down, feelin very tired an not in the mood te face another walk in an back te tha school. I couldn’t understand why he was sendin me inta school when there’s a bus strike on. An yet the week before last he kept me out fer the whole week, even though I was only four days started in the school. At least it’s Monday. I’m glad Friday an Saturday is over. I didn’t get caught robbin the butter. An I needn’t worry fer another few days. Not until Wednesday or Thursday, anyway. Tha’s when I start te get very sick, worryin meself half te death about it.