‘Yeah, Jackser, I would!’
Then Jackser slid down the wall an went off te sleep, still mutterin. I started te cry. I was cold, tired an hungry, an I was afraid te move in case he’d wake up an find me missin.
I was sittin on the edge of the footpath, thinkin this would never end, when an aul one wit a shawl wrapped aroun her head came aroun the corner an stopped. ‘What ails ye, love? Will he not take ye home?’ An she ran at him. ‘Get up, ye drunken aul sod, an take the child home. Do ye hear me talkin te ye?’ An she gave him a kick wit her boot. Jackser stirred himself an looked up at her. But he didn’t see her, an he curled himself up inta a ball an went back te sleep.
‘Where’s yer mammy? Where do ye live? Did she send ye te find him? Ye shouldn’t be out on yer own at this time a night. Come on! I’ll take ye home.’
‘I can’t leave Jackser,’ I said. ‘He’ll not want me te go!’
‘Ye can’t stay here, daughter! Te hell wit him. The Devil takes care of his own! Come on, I’m takin ye home. Let yer poor mammy worry about him.’
I cried on the way home, worryin about wha Jackser was goin te do te me when he woke up. ‘Ye’ll be all right! Yer mammy shouldn’t be sendin a little one like you out this time a night.’
The woman left me at the hall door, an I went up the pitch-black stairs. Me heart was heavy. I hoped maybe the fire was still lightin an I’d get a sup of hot tea. I hoped she didn’t need a shillin fer the gas meter. An maybe she wouldn’t take it so bad, Jackser drinkin all the money we made.
I knocked on the door an then harder. I could hear noise inside, but she wasn’t openin the door. I tried lookin in the keyhole, but it was too dark. ‘Ma! It’s me! Open the door. Let me in, Ma. Ma, Mammy! Will ye let me in?’ I was shoutin at the top of me lungs, an then I stopped te listen. Me ma was comin.
‘Wait!’ I heard her say. An I waited. Then I heard her shufflin an pantin, an I wondered wha was wrong.
‘Open the door, Ma!’ I knew somethin was wrong.
I rattled the doorknob, an I heard her cryin, ‘Fuckin wait!’
When the door opened, me ma was holdin her big belly an sayin, ‘Where’s he?’
‘He’s not here, Ma!’
‘Where is he, fer fuck sake! Get him!’ An she collapsed against the wall, moanin. ‘Martha, get him te get an ambulance. Tell him the babby’s nearly here!’
I looked at her. ‘Wha babby, Ma? Jackser’s drunk! He’s asleep outside the pub, Ma!’
‘Ah, Jaysus Christ. The whore’s melt! Go te a phone box an get someone te ring fer an ambulance. Hurry, hurry, Martha, fer God’s sake. Then wait fer them outside, bring them up here, the door’s open.’ Then she went very white an slid down on her hunkers wit her back te the wall an gave a terrible scream. I started te cry, not wantin te leave her an wantin te get someone te help at the same time.
I came te me senses an turned, plungin meself down the stairs in the dark, holdin onta the banisters te stop meself breakin me neck. I was out the front door, down the steps an on the street runnin, headin towards the lights on O’Connell Street. There’s nobody aroun. I need a phone box. No! Don’t stop te ask fer help. Wastin time. Have te get a phone box. Me chest is crushin me. A man passes by me, but I don’t stop. I need the phone box! I round the corner onta O’Connell Street, an I see a man comin outa the Gresham Hotel. ‘Mister! Mister! Call an ambulance fer me mammy. She’s lyin on the floor very sick, an she says the babby’s comin. She’s all on her own! Will ye help me, Mister? Will ye get the ambulance?’
He stared at me fer a moment, his jaw hangin open. ‘Right! Come with me! Where do you live?’ An he rushed back te the hotel door an called, ‘Paddy! Quickly! Call an ambulance. It appears a woman is about to deliver a baby.’
Paddy, who was the porter, was on the phone. ‘What’s the address?’ he asked me, an I gave it te him. ‘Right! It’s on the way,’ Paddy said.
‘Thanks very much, Mister!’ An I dashed off, tryin te race back te me ma as hard as I could. I wanted te see her again. Prayin she was all right. What ails her? As I neared home, the ambulance flew past me, bells ringin, an then slowed down, lookin fer the number of the house. It stopped at the house before mine, an a man jumped out te look at the numbers. He waved his arm at the driver, an they stopped outside my house. The driver jumped out, an they opened the ambulance doors an took out the stretcher an the red blankets.
Just then, Jackser staggered aroun the corner an stopped, holdin on te the railins. Me heart gave an awful jump, an I stopped dead in me tracks, ready te run in the other direction. But instead I ran on te help the ambulance men find the room up the stairs an help me mammy.