Everyone was quiet, an the man an woman talked, eatin their breakfast. Then it was over, an everyone rushed off te get ready fer school. The man got up an left, then everyone disappeared. An I was left at the table listenin te the noise comin from somewhere in the house, an the bangin an thumpin of feet on the ceilin, an then the slammin of doors. An then the house was quiet.
The two women came inta the kitchen an started talkin. I didn’t look at them, an they ignored me as if I wasn’t there. I wondered what I should do. So I waited, but nothin was said te me. Then they started te clean the tables, an the auntie told me te go outside an play, an she opened the back door inta a yard. ‘Sit on that bench,’ she said, ‘and don’t move.’
I went outside an looked aroun. There was only a high wall wit a bench against it facin the kitchen winda, an a concrete ground. I sat on the bench, not movin. An I saw her at the winda washin the dishes an preparin the dinner, peelin the vegebales an keepin her eye on me. I had nothin te look at, an she was watchin me. I had the feelin they didn’t like me. An I couldn’t understand their ways, either. Me stomach keeps churnin at the thought of me an me ma in trouble. Where is she? An wha’s happened te her? An wha’s goin te happen te me? Will I ever see me ma again?
All mornin I’ve been sittin here now, an me legs are stiff, but I’m afraid te move. The wall is high, but I’m sure if I stood up on the bench an had a leap at the top of the wall, I could get up there an take me chances jumpin down on the other side. I could try it when the auntie turns her back. But even if I got away, how would I find me mammy? I wouldn’t know where te start lookin. No! It’s best I stay here an wait. She’ll know where te find me. But then tha’s only if they tell her. Maybe they won’t tell her where I am! An if they do catch me tryin te escape, they won’t give me a second chance. They’ll probably lock me up somewhere else or watch me even more closely. No! I’ll wait te see wha happens. More time passes, an the watery sun is movin away. It’s gettin very chilly here now, an I can’t stop meself worryin.
Then I heard noise in the house. The sound of the childre comin back from school. The back door opened, an the mum put her head out. ‘Come in, Mary!’
I got up from the bench, an me arse was creakin from the stiffness. ‘Oi! Here’s the Irish girl,’ an three girls, about eight an nine an ten, were starin at me.
‘You’re not big! I’m bigger than you!’ The ten year old said, comin over te stand next te me an measure herself. ‘Look, Mum, I’m bigger than the new girl.’
‘Yeah! Look, and I’m nearly as big as her,’ roared the eight year old.
I stood there not knowin wha te say or do. ‘Yes! Mary is small for a thirteen year old,’ the woman said, lookin at me like there was somethin very suspicious about me. Then she went back te settin the knives an forks.
‘Mary is a midget! Mary is a midget!’
‘How old are you?’ I asked the one tormentin me. I felt like givin her a box.
‘I’m eleven,’ she smirked. ‘And I’m bigger than you.’
I looked at her. She’s my age, an, yeah, she’s definitely bigger. An fatter. An she has lovely long curly hair past her shoulders. But if she keeps on tormentin me, she’ll be sorry. An fuck tha aul one! I looked at her te see if she was goin te tell them te stop, but she went on about her business, gettin the dinner ready, an wasn’t even listenin.
‘Oi! You’re a Paddy!’ the nine year old said te me.
‘Yeah! An you’ve no mammy!’ I said, wantin te hurt them back.
‘Stop that at once!’ A roar came from the baldy aul fella comin in the door. He marched over te me an barked, ‘You will call me Dad, and you will call my wife Mam, and you will call the other lady Auntie! Is that understood?’ He stared down at me.
‘Yes!’ I mumbled, lookin down at the floor.
The other three witches sniggered behind their hands. Then he roared at us, ‘Upstairs and wash your hands for dinner. Hurry! The lot of you.’
They rushed out the door, an I followed behind them. Like hell I will, call them Mum an Dad! I thought te meself. Then it was back down te the tables, an when everyone was sittin down, it was the ‘Thank you, God’ prayer again.
I looked aroun, an they were all sniggerin at me, the bastards. There must be about sixteen childre here. An they’re all ages. From about six te sixteen. I looked at me dinner – green peas, potatoes an a chop. I started te eat, watchin te see how ye use the knife an fork. Ye hold the meat down wit the fork, an ye saw wit the knife. OK, I’ve got tha. I made sure te keep the knife away from me mouth an watch the aul fella, who was keepin an eye on everyone an lets out a roar if ye do somethin wrong.