I heard knockin an looked aroun te see where it’s comin from. An aul one wit a blue rinse in her hair an glasses on the end of her nose was starin at me like she wanted te commit murder. ‘Go away, shoo!’ she roared through the glass. I kept lookin, wonderin who she was tellin te shoo. I looked aroun me, but there was no dog shittin on her steps.
‘Me!’ I mouthed, puttin me hand te me chest.
‘Yes!’ she shook her head up an down.
I was ragin. ‘I’m not a dog! Ye can’t tell me te shoo!’
‘I’m callin the police,’ she roared.
‘Fuck you an yer police!’ I roared back. ‘Ye aul hag.’
She dropped the curtain an rushed off. I stood fer a second, me chest still heavin up an down wit the rage! I’m not dirt, I thought. The cheek a her! Treatin me like an animal. Still, I’d better clear off. An I rushed aroun the corner, headin fer the house me ma went te. I was runnin up the steps, ready te ring the bell, when the door opened, an me ma came out wit a woman. Me ma was smilin. ‘There ye are, I was just comin te get ye.’
I looked back te see if aul blue rinse was after me, an I puffed out, ‘Ma! Wha’s happenin?’ An the two of them stopped te look at me. Me ma’s face went red, an she started blinkin. I knew somethin was wrong, but wha?
‘I thought you said she was your sister, and she certainly looks a lot younger than thirteen!’ The woman was lookin at me, very annoyed, an then te me ma, waitin fer an answer. Ah, Jaysus! I gave the game away.
‘Eh! Mrs, she is me sister, aren’t ye, Kathleen?’ Me ma blinked an coughed, lookin very confused altogether. ‘But ye see, Mrs, she’s been lookin after me since me granny died as a babby.’
‘Your granny?’
‘Eh! No, I only say tha cos I think more of her. Kathleen is like me mammy, ye see! An I am thirteen. I’m just very small fer me age. Ye’re not alone at all, Mrs, fer thinkin me a child. I just look young, but I’m not! Everyone’s always mistakin me fer a child!’
I looked at her, hopin she’d let us stay. She let go of me eyes an turned away, headin down the hall. ‘I’m not really sure,’ she was mutterin. ‘My policy is no children. We only take workin people here.’
Me ma dug me in the ribs wit her elbow. ‘I’ll kill you! I told ye te stay outa sight,’ she muttered through gritted teeth.
Ah, fuck! Nothin’s goin right, I thought te meself as yer woman showed us inta the vacant room. ‘This is the room, then.’ I looked aroun. It was a single bed under the winda, wit one chair an a little wardrobe. The room was tiny, an there was room only fer one person at a time. The woman stood in the room an I peeped in the door, an me Ma leaned over me.
‘Yeah!’ me ma said happily. ‘As I said, I’ll take it! It will do us grand, won’t it, Martha?’
‘Oh, yeah! Ma! Kathleen.’
‘Fine,’ the woman said. ‘Well, the rent, as I said, is three pounds a week, and you pay the first week in advance. So if you give me three pounds now, you can take the room.’
We all watched as me ma counted out the three pounds an handed it te the woman. She gave us a key fer the room but no hall door key. ‘I’m always awake,’ she said, ‘providing you don’t come back too late. I will answer the door and, please remember,’ she said, lookin at me, ‘you have to be quiet. We have people getting up very early and leaving for work.’
‘Yes, Mrs!’ I said.
‘Thanks very much, Mam!’ me ma said. An she was out the door an gone.
I looked at the bed an out the winda. Me ma looked aroun the room. ‘Jaysus! I’ll bet they used te keep the sweepin brushes in here,’ me ma said, lookin very downhearted.
‘Yeah,’ I agreed. ‘And the bed is very narra.’
Me ma looked at wha was left of our money, foldin up the ten bob I got from the boxer an countin the silver. ‘Fifteen shillins an threepence! Tha’s all we have left te last us.’
‘Tha’s not much, Ma. We’re goin te have te find a way te live. An we’re not stoppin here long.’
‘No! We’re gettin outa here as quick as we can,’ me ma said, takin off her coat an shoes. ‘Let’s get inta tha bed, I’m worn out.’
‘Good idea, Ma,’ an I whipped off me shoes, sittin on the bed. ‘Jaysus! Lookit, Ma. Holes in me shoes, they’re gone. An me socks are in ribbons as well.’
‘Ah!’ me ma said. ‘Mine are not much better, an I haven’t even got a comb te tidy me hair.’
‘Ah, never mind, Ma, we’ll be grand,’ I said, pullin the frock over me head an divin under the white sheets an blankets. Me ma climbed in beside me, an I was squeezed inta the wall. ‘Give us a bit a room, Ma! I’m suffocatin.’