Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes(163)

She laughed an pushed out a bit. ‘You an yer sister. An then tellin her I’m Kathleen.’

‘Yeah, Ma! Ye never give them yer right name.’

‘I know tha. But then the poor aul one was blind, bothered an bewildered when ye started on about the granny! She knows bloody well we’re tellin her a pack of lies!’ We laughed our heads off, an then I snuggled inta me ma’s back an started te doze off.

I woke up, shootin me eyes open, an me ma was sittin on the side of the bed. Me heart lifted. We’re in London! I sat up an looked out the winda. Traffic was flyin, an people were on the move. ‘God, Ma, we slept. It’s late!’

‘Yeah! It must be aroun the eleven mark. We better get movin before tha aul one comes in an starts askin questions.’

‘Right, Ma! Let’s go,’ I said, jumpin outa the bed an inta me frock, an puttin on me dirty socks wit no feet in them, the hole went right up the back, an the shoes wit the soles gone outa them. I wet me fingers an pressed me hair down, waitin fer me ma te button up her coat.

‘Right! Have we got everythin?’ she said, lookin aroun the room.

‘Yeah! Have ye got the money?’ I asked.

‘Yeah, I have it here,’ an she pressed her hand on her pocket, an we headed out the door. We walked down the long hall wit the strip of carpet in the middle an doors on the left an stairs leadin down te the basement.

The door down the stairs opened, an the landlady poked her head out. ‘Are you off out, then?’

‘Yes,’ me ma said. ‘We’re just goin out. We won’t be back until later.’ An she slammed the door an went back in, takin the lovely smell a rashers an sausages wit her. ‘Miserable aul cow!’ me ma muttered under her breath. ‘Hope she chokes on her rashers. God forgive me!’

‘Yeah, Ma! No fear of her offerin us any,’ I said, bangin the door behind me.

We went down the steps, an the excitement hit me on seein all the strange people an cars an red buses. A policeman wit a huge helmet on his head an a string under his chin was rockin backwards an forwards on his heels. He was standin on the edge of the footpath watchin the traffic. ‘Lookit him, Ma, a policeman.’ I stood te stare. Then a woman in a brown fur coat, holdin a little white poodle on a lead, walked past. ‘Look, Ma, a poodle.’

‘Yeah! Come on!’ me ma said, walkin on.

I stooped down te pet the poodle, an it yelped an bit me. I whipped me hand back, suckin it, an the woman whipped the dog up inta her arms, sayin, ‘Oh! Mamma’s little Tiddles got a fright from that naughty child,’ an she glared at me.

‘The cheek a you, Mrs!’ I roared. ‘Tha thing nearly took the hand offa me.’

‘How dare you touch my dog!’ she screamed, an marched off.

I watched her go, an then I saw the policeman lookin at me, an I whirled aroun lookin fer me ma, an she was gone! ‘Ma! Ma!’ I roared, runnin up the street, wonderin where she’d got te without me. I couldn’t see any sign of her, an it hit me, I’m lost! ‘Where are ye, Mammy?’ I screamed in rage an fright. I ducked in an outa the crowds a people, an when I got te the traffic light, I didn’t know which way te go. Cross here or turn right, which way? Me face was gettin hot, an I was startin te cry. She’s gone off an left me! I ran halfway across the road an then turned back, runnin inta cars an buses, an makin them stop, an headed up the right turn instead, an kept runnin.

Then I heard me name called, an stopped, lookin aroun at the crowds te see where the voice was comin from. ‘Martha! Here! Here I am!’ I couldn’t see her. I was whirlin all aroun, runnin up an down lookin fer her. ‘Over here, Martha!’ An I looked on the other side a the road, an there she was, standin an wavin at me outside a café.

‘Ma!’ I roared, delighted te clap eyes on her again. I raced across the road, not waitin fer the traffic te stop. An they all honked their horns at me. An I leapt onta the footpath, roarin at me ma. ‘Ye left me! Ye went off an left me,’ I said, cryin.

‘I was here,’ me ma said, laughin. ‘Waitin fer ye, but ye didn’t see me. Ye ran off in the opposite direction.’

I looked at her an thought, there’s nothin te laugh at. I didn’t want te talk te her.

‘Come on in here, an we’ll get a pot a tea,’ she said, tryin te make peace wit me. I followed her in an we sat down at a table.

‘What are you hollerin about?’ a workman sittin at the next table wit another fella asked me, laughin an shovellin a big plate a rashers, an sausages, an beans, an fried bread inta his mouth.

Me ma laughed. ‘Oh! She’s a devil,’ me ma said. ‘She won’t stay wit me. Every time I look aroun, she’s gone.’