We moved past them quickly, without lookin at them. An we were free! Out an onta the street, an we stood lookin at London. Red buses flyin up an down. Taxis, cars an crowds a people headin in all different directions. ‘Where will we go, Ma?’ I said, feelin I owned the world.
‘Paddington!’ me ma said. ‘We’ll go te Paddington.’
‘Oh, Ma! This is the life. We made it!’
‘Yeah!’ me ma said, laughin. ‘Come on this way. We’ll go fer the bus.’
I knelt on the seat beside me ma, an we were on the bus headin fer Paddington. I stared inta the face of two black men wit woolly hair, talkin te each other in a foreign language. They stopped talkin when they saw me starin at them. An they stared back. I didn’t blink, an just stared harder. I’d never seen a black person before. Only half-castes, but these men were black as the ace of spades. An their teeth was so white. An I wanted te study them.
‘How did ye get so black?’ I asked them.
Their mouths dropped, an they looked at each other, an one fella said, ‘You are a very rude little girl!’
‘Ye’re very touchy!’ I said, gettin annoyed. ‘I only asked ye a civil question. An I wouldn’t mind, but ye’s weren’t sayin tha when the nuns at school roared at us te bring in a penny te help the little black babbies an then bring in more money fer the missionary priests te go out an convert ye’s all in Africa.’
I said it all in one big breath an then waited te hear wha they had te say. They just stared at me, sayin nothin. I was very annoyed. ‘Yeah! But there’s somethin else ye should know.’ I paused; they waited. ‘None of ye’s got my penny, cos I wasn’t bothered about any black babbies needin te know about God. Ye’s could find tha out fer yerselves, cos I was spendin the penny on meself. So wha do ye’s think about tha then?’
‘Well!’ yer man said, smilin at me. ‘I think you were a very wise little girl.’
‘Yes,’ I said, feelin happier wit them. ‘An I think them nuns kept back half the money fer themselves. Did ye’s get much money from them?’
‘No, we didn’t!’ they said, laughin.
An I was just beginnin te enjoy meself when me ma stood up an said, ‘Come on! This is our stop.’
‘I have te go now, we’re gettin off,’ an I waved at them. An they waved back, smilin.
We got off the bus, passin shops, an I wanted te wander in an have a look. ‘No!’ me ma said. ‘We can’t dilly-dally. We have te find somewhere te stay.’
‘OK, Ma,’ I said, rushin after her.
We passed the train station an then came te rows of big houses. Some were big houses wit steps up te them. An some had railins aroun them. Me ma was lookin from one side of the road te the other. ‘To Let,’ one sign said in the winda. ‘No Irish! No dogs! No coloureds! No children!’
‘They don’t like the Irish, Ma,’ I said.
‘No! Too much trouble,’ me ma said.
‘Why, Ma?’ I asked.
‘Ah! They’re always drinkin an fightin.’
‘Yeah! Ye’re right there, Ma. But no childre? They won’t take me?’
‘No!’ me ma said. ‘It’s hard te get a room wit childre.’ We walked on, lookin fer rooms te let.
‘Ma!’ I said. ‘Tell them I’m yer sister. Ye’d pass fer tha, an maybe I’d get away wit tellin them I’m thirteen! Tha’s not a child! Will we do tha, Ma?’ I said, lookin at her. ‘If ye tell them I’m eleven, they’ll only keep shuttin the door on our faces. Them last three houses we knocked on just took one look at us an slammed the door. “No children,” they roared when they saw me. So if you go in on yer own, an I’ll wait up the road, we’ll have a better chance.’ Me ma looked at me, chewin her lip an thinkin. ‘Try tha, Ma,’ I said, feelin desperate. ‘I’m gettin very tired. We’ve been walkin all day.’
‘OK, I’ll try in here, you wait aroun the corner,’ me ma said.
I sat down on the steps of a big house te wait, hopin me ma would get somethin. It’d be lovely if she got somewhere fer us te stay. But how are we goin te pay fer it? Me ma’s not great at findin her way aroun things. I’ll have te start thinkin. But wha? I’m too tired te bother about anythin this minute. I just want te lie down an get a good sleep.
I pulled me frock aroun me knees, feelin the cold go up me now. It must be near the evenin. I watched people goin past, all in a hurry, goin in different directions. People looked at me an turned away, like I’m not supposed te be sittin here. A lot of them were better dressed than ye see in Dublin, but they didn’t stop te talk te ye. Some of them give ye such a bad look ye’d think they were afraid of catchin a disease from me. Pity about them!