‘I’ll meet ye outside the Tivoli at eight o’clock,’ he shouted after me ma when we stepped off the bus.
‘You’ll be lucky,’ me ma shouted back.
We arrived at the home where me babby brother was kept. There was trees all aroun an high steps up te the big door. I stood on the iron thing fer cleanin yer shoes an looked in the coloured glass at the side a the winda. There was another door inside an a big pot holdin umbrellas. Me ma rang the bell, an me heart was poundin up an down. I fixed me hat te make meself look respectable, an hoped nothin would go wrong. A nun opened the door, an me ma said, ‘Good afternoon, Sister. I’m here te pick up me babby.’
‘And you are?’ the nun said. Me ma told her, an the nun brought us in. Me ma went inta another room, an I was told te wait in the hall. I sat on a big black chair, an me heart was flutterin in case they kept me here or they wouldn’t give us back our babby. Or maybe they’d call the police, cos me aunt Lizzie told them, an they’d take away me ma an lock her up. An I’d never get a chance te see me babby brother or me ma again.
A big clock suddenly bonged, an I wet me new knickers wit the fright! I crossed me legs an dragged meself across the hall, lookin fer someone te take me te the tilet. I opened the door where me ma went, an said, ‘I need te go te the tilet.’ She was talkin te the nun, an she said I’d have te wait. I was jiggin up an down an tryin te reverse out the door, but me face was red, an I was sayin, ‘Ah! Ah! I’m wettin me knickers.’ I didn’t care any more about the nun, an I shouted wit me head in the door, ‘Ma, Ma! Me pooley’s comin.’ Me ma chewed her lip, an the nun jumped up, grabbed me by the arm an rushed me down the hall. She kept sayin, ‘Don’t soil the floor. You’re a very naughty girl.’ I was sloshin piss down me legs an inta me new shoes, an keepin me legs apart so I wouldn’t destroy me new dress. An leavin a trail of piss behind me. I couldn’t see where I was goin, cos me hat was knocked over me eyes, an I was holdin me frock an coat wit me free hand te stop them gettin full a piss.
When we got te the tilet, I didn’t need te go, cos I’d pissed meself all the way down the passage. I was soppin wet, so I took off me shoes an me socks an me knickers, which were swimmin. An I put them on the floor, wettin the floor. An I wondered wha te do now. So I emptied me shoes of all the piss an put them back on again. Then I looked at me knickers an socks an decided te leave them there, they were destroyed.
I came back out an looked fer the hall, an I went in the wrong direction. I seemed te be walkin fer miles, an I couldn’t find the hall. So I opened a door, cos I heard voices inside. An there was a load a nuns wit white veils an black veils an white aprons. Some were laughin an talkin, an some were knittin, an two young ones wit all their hair an a lace on their heads were doin a jigsaw. They all looked up, an I said, ‘Excuse me, can any of youse tell me where the hall is?’ An they looked at me, from me hat down te me shoes, an they burst out laughin. ‘I’m lost,’ I said. ‘I went te the tilet, an I can’t find me way back. I left ye’s a pair a knickers an me socks, they’re in the tilet. They’re no good te me, cos they’re soppin wet! But youse can wash them an put them on the childre.’
The young ones asked me where I came outa an gave me a box of chocolates, te help meself, they said. Then they asked me loads a questions, an every time I opened me mouth they roared laughin. ‘An tell me now!’ they said, blowin their noses an wipin their eyes. Then one of the nuns said they’d better get me back te the parlour, an they gave me the rest of the chocolates in the box.
When I got back, me ma said, ‘Where were you? The nun’s lookin everywhere fer you!’
An the nun who brought me back said I was a tonic. They hadn’t enjoyed themselves so much fer a long time. An she was still laughin when she said, ‘Come and see us again some time.’
The nurse brought in our babby. He looked different. His face was fatter, an he looks gorgeous. He had a mop a white curls, an his skin was so white. They must have washed him te nothin! He had a lovely red suit wit glitter buttons an a lovely blue furry coat. He stared at us, an me ma laughed an put her arms out te take him. ‘Ah, come on te me,’ she said. But he turned his head inta the nurse’s neck an cried. I jumped up an ran aroun te see his face, but he slapped me away. The nurse laughed an said he was makin strange cos he hadn’t seen us fer two months.
Me ma asked the nurse fer a bottle fer the babby an maybe a few nappies, cos she hadn’t anythin left fer him. An maybe a few extra clothes, an she’d be very grateful. The nurse said she’d have te check wit Sister. She said the babby was twelve months old an was eatin solids, an the bottle was only te give him a drink when he was thirsty. Me ma was smilin an chewin her lip, an shakin her head up an down, an sayin, ‘Is tha right now? God, he’s gettin big, isn’t he!’ An then she said, ‘Wha do you feed him?’