Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes(51)

‘I’m lookin fer Lilly!’ I said. ‘She’s me friend!’

‘Ye’re not gettin te see no Lilly up here!’

‘I’m from Sean McDermott Street,’ I said.

‘Well, go back there an stay there. Who do ye think ye are? Who told ye ye can come up here?’

‘Let’s mill her,’ a little young fella said.

I knew I was outnumbered, so I decided te talk me way outa it. ‘Listen, if ye let me go, an tell me where Lilly lives, I’ll let ye’s play on me big brother’s bike. It’s a lovely new three-wheeler. Me uncle brought it over from America. He’s a millionaire!’

They all stopped te think. ‘Ye’re a liar!’ the big young fella said.

‘No, we don’t believe ye!’ they all shouted. ‘Show us the bike an show us yer money if ye’re a millionaire!’ An they were lookin at me rags an no shoes on me feet. ‘Get her!’

I screamed, ‘No! Wait! Wait, I can prove it.’ An they all stopped again. ‘Get me Lilly an she’ll tell ye! She was there when me rich uncle was puttin all his suitcases inta the big black motor car, an he had a suit on an a big belly from loads a feedin. An a ten-gallon hat on his head wit a big fat cigar in his mouth. An he gave me a red ten bob note. I was supposed te buy meself a new pair a shoes, but I didn’t bother. I spent it on sweets an the pictures instead.’

They all nodded their heads an agreed tha was the best thing te do. ‘An did he give ye anythin else?’ the big young fella asked.

‘Yeah! The big three-wheeler bike fer me brother an a fur coat fer me ma. She’s in great style now.’

‘An did ye get anythin else?’ they asked me.

‘Yeah! A pair of rollerskates.’

‘Jaysus, I’d love tha!’ they said.

Then the big fella said, ‘Why’re not wearin them an flyin up an down then if ye got them? I don’t believe ye! Ye’re tellin us a pack a lies!’

‘No!’ I said. ‘I can’t wear them, cos I haven’t got me shoes.’

‘Oh, yeah,’ they said. ‘Tha’s true!’

‘Come on, then,’ the big young fella said. ‘We’ll take ye te where Lilly lives.’

On the way, one fella asked me wha’s me uncle’s name.

‘Eh!’ I was tryin te think, an I said, ‘Roy Rogers.’

‘Who?’ they all screamed, an they stopped wit their mouths open. ‘Roy Rogers an his horse Trigger? We know him, he’s a cowboy in the pictures! Ye were makin a dirty eejit of us. Get her, Gang! We’re goin te mill ye te mash!’

I shot off, straight onta the road, makin cars screech te a stop. I raced up Summerhill, an when I looked back, the cars an vans an horses an carts were pulled out in front of each other, an the people were hangin out, wavin their fists an callin them all the names under the sun. The young fellas were caught between the traffic, an a hackney cab driver was lashin out wit his whip at them. But the young fella an another one behind him was tearin after me, an I was tryin te lose them by turnin onta Rutland Street an shootin in one of the hall doors an slammin it behind me.

I stayed in the middle of the hall, waitin, wit me heart poundin, an tryin te get me breath back. If they come in, I’m not backed inta a corner. I’ll duck past them an out onta the street again. I crept out an looked up an down. They were gone! I won’t go back tha way again. I dashed across the road an down past Rutland Street School.

By the time I got home it was tea time, an I went up te the landin an got me copybook an pencil. It was still where I’d left it. I came down onta me landin an knocked on the door, no answer. Good job fer me. They won’t know I was missin. So I went back up te the old woman’s landin an sat down te rest meself. I can wait here an listen fer them. I like this place best, cos it’s quiet an I feel safe up here, an nobody bothers me. It would be great if I had a doll. I could sit here an dress her, an I could hold her in me arms an mind her, an I’d have company. I’m thinkin, if I could find somewhere like this place, I could get away from Jackser an everyone, an no one would be able te bother me. All I’d need is somethin te eat an somethin te wrap meself in te keep me warm at night. An then I could wait until I’m old enough, an start workin an find a place fer meself te live. Then I wouldn’t be at the mercy of anyone. But how would I get the food? An even if I found somewhere safe, people would ask questions. They wouldn’t let me be. There’s nowhere te go. I’ll just have te wait. An I’d be worried about me mammy an Charlie.

I heard them comin up the stairs, an me heart jumped. Me head started te fly. Right! Have I done anythin wrong? Is there somethin I might have forgotten te do? I’ll stay here until I see which way the wind blows. If he’s in a mood, I’ll have te think up somethin te put him in good form. Pity I didn’t get any money, maybe fer doin people’s messages. Then I coulda bought him five Woodbines, tha’d stop him hittin me. Pity I wasted tha time. Me ma arrived on the landin holdin the little babby. An I watched Jackser puffin up the stairs, carryin the big folded-up pram. It was a silver carriage walker wit big springs! An it was very deep inside wit a lovely big hood an apron. ‘Nothin but the best fer me son,’ Jackser said when he bought it second-hand wit the Childre’s Allowance money an the week’s labour money. He put the pram down an put the key in the door.