‘Let her rage! We only stayed a few extra days.’
We made our way fer the bus. Me ma tryin te balance on her high heels. ‘Take it easy! Stop pullin at me an hold the bag up. I’m goin te break me neck in these high heels,’ me ma roared.
‘I am, Ma! But we’ll never get te Euston station if ye don’t walk faster.’
‘Ah! Holy Jaysus, wait! Me nylons is slippin down.’
I dropped the handle of the bag te watch me ma. She took a quick look aroun te see if anyone was watchin an then pulled the stockins up under her skirt an put a tighter knot in the elastic. A big whistle came from somewhere, an me ma’s head spun aroun, an she tore her skirt down. ‘Cor! What a gorgeous bit a stuff!’ An aul fella pedallin his bicycle winked an nodded his head at me ma as he puffed past.
‘Ye dirty aul sod, ye!’ me ma roared after starin at him wit her mouth open. He turned his head back, blowin kisses at me ma. An she laughed an picked up the handle of the bag, sayin, ‘Go easy. We’ll get there if ye take yer time.’
The bus arrived, an we tried te get on. ‘Hold this! Take the bag!’ me ma said, tryin te grab a hold of the bar an haul herself up. I took the bag an watched her hoppin her leg up an down, tryin te get onta the platform. But her skirt was too tight. ‘Jaysus!’ she panted. ‘Give us a hand, Martha!’ but the conductor flew past me an grabbed me ma aroun the waist an hoisted her up wit his arms wrapped aroun her, an her exposin the tops of her stockins an the legs of her knickers. ‘Ah, Jaysus! Put me down,’ she laughed, tryin te fix her skirt an pull up the stockins tha rolled down. Everyone was leanin forward te get a good look. An the men clapped, an some of the older women muttered te each other tha she was disgraceful!
I walked down the bus lookin fer an empty seat, an everyone was laughin. ‘Wait, Martha,’ me ma roared, makin a show of me. An she was laughin, makin herself even more foolish. I sat down, pushin meself inta the winda an stared out, not mindin me ma talkin te herself an laughin about not bein used te the high heels.
The conductor came rushin up an wrapped his arm aroun the back of me ma. An rested himself against the seat an sang. ‘You are my heart’s desire,’ an then whispered somethin in her ear. Me ma roared laughin, delighted wit herself.
‘Oh! Tha’s shockin,’ she said. I ignored them, an the rest of the people, all gapin. I wish she wasn’t actin so foolish. Ye’d think she was a young one, the way she’s carryin on. Not like a mammy should.
‘Is this your little daughter?’ he asked me ma.
‘Eh?’ said me ma.
‘Yes, I am!’ I roared. An I was just about te tell him she had five more when I saw the look on me ma’s face. An I knew I’d hurt her. I’d said enough. An I turned back te the winda. They went quiet then an started talkin about the weather.
‘This is our stop,’ me ma said, gettin up. I took hold a the bag an dragged it down the bus, leavin the conductor te help me ma off.
‘Be seein you!’ he winked at me ma, holdin out his hands, still feelin the weight of me ma in them.
She was laughin. ‘Wait, take yer time!’ she said, clatterin after me. I was holdin the bag wit me two hands an tryin te get ahead so people wouldn’t know I was wit her. ‘Hold on, me nylons!’ An she stopped again te pull up her skirt.
‘Ah, fuck off!’ I screamed, makin a show of meself an not carin who heard me.
I puffed me way inta the station. This bleedin bag is too big an awkward te carry! I stopped an looked aroun, most of the seats was taken up. A lot a them by down an outs. I pushed past an aul woman takin up a whole bench te herself wit all her old newspapers an rags tied up wit bits a twine.
An aul fella in a dirty raincoat wit a shoppin bag under his arm an a greasy aul cap pulled down over his eyes, an a cigarette stickin outa his mouth, leanin against the pillar an watchin everythin goin on, spotted me, an his face lit up. I saw him look aroun te see if anyone was wit me. An he slowly made his way in my direction. I stopped an stared right back at him, givin him a dirty look. An he stopped an looked away, surprised I was onta him, but he didn’t move off. He would wait fer a chance te try an get me if he thought I was on me own. I watched the door, waitin fer me ma. ‘There ye are!’ she shouted, wavin an laughin at me. When she appeared, I watched yer man move off in a hurry an disappear out the other door when he saw I wasn’t on me own.
‘Come on, Ma. Let’s go inta the tilet, an you can change outa them things.’
‘Yeah! An it’s not soon enough fer me,’ she muttered.
‘Ah, tha’s more comfortable,’ she said, sittin down in her frock an coat an flat shoes. ‘We’ll sit down here an watch fer the train comin in. We can see wha’s happenin from here.