I went inta the back room where the corpse was laid out on the bed. Chairs were lined up against the wall, an people were sittin suppin porter an eatin an talkin in hushed whispers.
‘Come in, babbies, come in,’ they said te me an Barney. ‘Go over an say a little prayer. Little childre are always very welcome. Yer prayers are mighty. Holy God always listens te the prayers of little childre. Kitty! Will ye lift up there the little craturs te see the corpse.’
Barney sped outa the door, screamin fer his mammy. But I’m not a babby. He is, he’s only three. I’m four. I held me breath, an Kitty, the daughter of the corpse, lifted me up. The corpse was like a marble statue. She was in a brown habit, an her hands was wrapped in rosary beads.
‘Tha’s right, chicken. You say a little prayer te our blessed Lord, an he’ll take poor aul Mrs Coleman straight te heaven,’ Kitty said te me as she began te swing me closer te the corpse.
I started te squeak, cos I could see up the corpse’s nose, an I thought she was goin te suddenly wake up an grab me. I was gone like lightnin an didn’t wait fer lemonade an biscuits an cake.
6
Me ma is very busy in the back room, sortin out all our things. She has the suitcase opened up on the bed. She’s puttin things in an takin things out again. ‘Jaysus Christ!’ she mutters te herself. ‘I can’t get anythin in this suitcase, it’s like herself.’
She means Aunt Biddy, who left it behind when Cissy an herself went back te England. Me ma tries te squeeze in me granny’s two china dogs, but they won’t fit.
‘What’ll I do? I can’t leave them behind or tha Nelly one will pawn them if she gets her hands near them. Ah, fuck it, she can have them.’
‘Ma! Mind me weddin frock, don’t crease it!’
‘Wha weddin frock are ye talkin about?’
‘The one Cissy bought me fer the weddin she’s havin. Is it at the bottom of the suitcase, Ma? An me boots?’
‘Ah, don’t be mindin them an their weddin, they can keep it.’
‘But what about me frock an boots, Ma? I want te see them. Let me see them, Ma!’
‘No! Gerraway from tha case. If ye toss them things, I’ll swing fer ye.’
‘I only want te see me frock, Ma! Let me!’
‘Lookit! I had te pawn them te get the few bob. We’re takin the boat tonight, an I’ll need every penny I can get me hands on. Now come on! I have te rush aroun an get me hair permed.’
I roared me way up Thomas Street, me ma pullin an draggin me an threatenin she’ll be hanged fer me if I didn’t stop me carry on. Aul ones stopped te chastise me, an one aul one bent down te tell me Johnny Forty Coats was on his way down te take me away cos he could hear me roarin. Me ma laughed. Then the aul one put her hand inside her shawl an gave me a penny. So I went inta the shop an bought meself an ice pop. Me contentment lasted as long as me ice pop, an when we got te the hairdresser’s, I started again.
Me ma pushed open the door, an the bell on top of the door rang out.
‘How’re ye, Sally? Haven’t seen you in a long while?’
‘I’m grand, Ivy! I’m lookin te get me hair done.’
‘Lovely! Sit down over there. I’m just takin these outa Mrs’ hair here, an I’ll be wit ye in a minute. What are ye havin done, Sally?’
‘Ah, I’ll have a cold wave.’
‘Yeah, that’ll suit ye. Is this the little un? God! She got very big, God bless her.’
‘Ah, me heart is scalded wit her, she’s tormentin me no end.’
‘Ah, now, ye have te be good fer yer mammy. Ye’ll be very good, won’t ye? And do wha yer mammy says.’
I got very annoyed, the cheek of the ma sayin tha about me when I’d stopped cryin! So I started again.
‘Ma! I want te go home, bring me home, Ma!’
‘Will ye stop interruptin me when I’m tryin te talk! Ye see what I mean, Ivy?’
‘Right!’ Ivy said te me. ‘I’m goin te put ye out in the back yard wit the Banshee.’ But I knew she was only kiddin, cos the Banshee only comes at night te sit on yer winda an keen te warn ye someone was goin te die. So tha didn’t frighten me.
I was enjoyin meself playin wit the door, openin an shuttin it te make the bell ring. But the aul ones said it was drivin them crazy. Aul Mrs Rafters, the wida, called me over an asked me te pick up her bag, an she took out her purse an handed me a thruppeny bit. I was gone fer ages, cos I wanted te take me time decidin on wha te spend me money on. When I got back, me ma was ready. Her hair was flat on her head wit waves. I didn’t get a chance te get a good look, cos she covered it wit a scarf in case the wind blew out her perm. She was all excited. ‘Come on, Martha! It’s gettin late. We’d better hurry.’