‘Right!’ he said, downin the last of his tea. ‘Follow me.’ An we were out on the street, clatterin after him aroun onta the hill. It used te be called the stones, long ago, by the old people. Every Saturday mornin it’s a market where people sell old clothes an furniture, an everythin cheap. We went on te Parnell Street an turned right on te Gardiner Street, then left up the hill. I was makin sure te look as if I was runnin. But I couldn’t go fast wit Charlie, he’d only started te walk not long ago. I was jumpin up an down in me big shoes, tryin te keep them on me. An they were makin an awful noise altogether. When Jackser looks back, he’ll see we’re hurryin.
Two young fellas were sittin on the path, throwin stones on te the road an hittin cars an horses tha was passin. Then they’d run off. They came back an were sittin down again. As we neared them on the hill, they looked aroun as me an Charlie were comin, an they watched us until we were passin them. Then one of the young fellas said te me, ‘Hey, young one! If ye’re thinkin of enterin fer the Irish dancin, they won’t let ye in, cos ye’re too smelly an scabby!’
I looked at him an forgot about Jackser. ‘Go on over an drag yer aul one from the pub an tell her te bring ye home an give ye a good feedin. Cos ye’d need tha before ye take me on!’
Yer man leapt out in front of me. ‘I’m goin te fuckin mill ye fer tha!’
Jackser looked back at tha minute, ‘Come the fuckin on!’ he roared, wavin his fist at me.
‘Lookit!’ I shouted te the young fella. ‘He’ll kill ye if ye don’t let us pass!’
‘I’m not afraid of yer aul fella!’ yer man roared. Then he roared up at Jackser, ‘Me da’s a docker, an he’s a boxer as well!’
Jackser came walkin back, an the young fella moved himself well back outa Jackser’s way, ready te run. ‘She called me ma names, Mister! Ye should chastise her fer tha. There was no call fer it, so there wasn’t! We said nothin te her, we were just mindin our own business, so we were! Isn’t tha right, Madser?’
‘Yeah, Mister, ye should put manners on her,’ tha Madser said.
Jackser looked at me. ‘I’ll fuckin down ye fer causin trouble,’ he said, an he was clenchin his fists an openin them again.
I looked in fear at the young fellas. Their faces were alive wit excitement. ‘No, Jackser! They laughed at ye an said terrible things about ye. They said ye were bandy! “Lookit the bandy little fucker!” they said, when ye passed them. I wouldn’t let them get away wit tha. Wasn’t I right, Jackser?’
‘Yeah!’ Jackser said. ‘Go on, ye little bastards, before I fuck ye’s under a car,’ an they ran off, callin him bandy midget, Jew nose, whore master. ‘We know where ye live. An we’ll send me da te get ye!’
We went aroun the corner an inta an arch an came inta the flats. Jackser went inta a ground-floor flat. He knocked at the door an said te me, ‘This woman is a friend of mine. She’ll mind ye until yer mammy gets outa the hospital.’ The door opened an a woman came out wit an apron aroun her an slippers on her feet. She had her dyed blonde hair in curlers an a Woodbine hangin in her mouth, an she looked down at us wit one eye closed, cos smoke got in her eye. She took a big drag of her cigarette an took it outa her mouth an said, ‘Is this them, then? I suppose ye’d better come in.’ An she dragged herself off up the hall, cos she was very fat, an the weight was too much fer her. Jackser shut the door, an we followed him inta the sittin room.
There was a gang of kids, some were millin each other under the table, an a big young one, she was about nine, was holdin a babby on her knee an tryin te feed it somethin on a spoon from a bowl. She stopped wit the spoon halfway te the babby’s mouth te get a good look at me. I don’t think she liked wha she saw, cos she clamped her mouth shut, which was gapin open, an at tha minute the babby got fed up waitin fer his feed an gave the spoon a clout, sendin the mushy food splatterin all over the young one’s hair an face. ‘Ah, Mammy! Lookit wha he done!’ she roared.
‘Mind wha ye’re doin,’ the mammy roared back, ‘an he wouldn’t a done it. Here! Give him over te me.’
A young fella who was stretched out on the floor playin wit a kitten got up an came over te me. ‘Lookit! He’s mine,’ an he showed me the newborn kitten.
‘Ah, can I hold him? Lookit, Charlie! Isn’t he gorgeous?’ I said.
The mammy looked over an said, ‘I told ye. Tha’s not stayin! When yer father gets in, he’s goin te drown it!’