بخش 01

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD TWENTY OR THIRTY OR FORTY years ago I lived in a small town where they were all after me on account of what I done on Mrs Nugent. I was hiding out by the river in a hole under a tangle of briars. It was a hide me and Joe made. Death to all dogs who enter here, we said. Except us of course.

You could see plenty from the inside but no one could see you. Weeds and driftwood and everything floating downstream under the dark archway of the bridge. Sailing away to Timbuctoo. Good luck now weeds, I said.

Then I stuck my nose out to see what was going on. Plink – rain if you don’t mind!

But I wasn’t complaining. I liked rain. The hiss of the water and the earth so soft bright green plants would nearly sprout beside you. This is the life I said. I sat there staring at a waterdrop on the end of a leaf. It couldn’t make up its mind whether it wanted to fall or not. It didn’t matter – I was in no hurry. Take your time drop, I said – we’ve got all the time we want now.

We’ve got all the time in the world.

I was thinking about Mrs Nugent standing there crying her eyes out. I said sure what’s the use in crying now Nugent it was you caused all the trouble if you hadn’t poked your nose in everything would have been all right. And it was true. Why would I want to harm her son Philip – I liked him. The first day he came to the school Joe says to me did you see the new fellow? Philip Nugent is his name. O, I says, I’ll have to see this. He had been to a private school and he wore this blazer with gold braid and a crest on the breast pocket. What do you make of that says Joe. Woh boy, I said, Philip Nugent.

Every time you saw him he was investigating insects under rocks or explaining to some snottery-nosed young gawk about the boiling point of water. The best thing about him was his collection of comics. I just can’t get over it, said Joe, I never seen anything like it. He had them all neatly filed away in shirt boxes not a crease or a dog-ear in sight. Mrs Nugent says: Make sure not to damage any of those now they cost money. We said: We won’t! – but afterwards Joe said to me: Francie we’ve got to have them. So you could say it was him started it and not me. We talked about it for a long time and we made our decision.

We had to have them and that was that.

We called round to Philip and had a swopping session.

We cleaned him out. I admit it. It was only a laugh. We’d have given them back if he asked for them. All he had to say was: Look chaps, I think I want my comics back and we’d have said: OK Phil. But of course Nugent couldn’t wait for that.

I met Joe coming across the Diamond and he says to me watch out Francie we’re in the wars with Nugent. She called at our house and she’ll be round to you. Sure enough I was lying on the bed upstairs and the knock comes to the front door. I could hear ma humming and the shuffle of her slippers on the lino. Ah hello Mrs Nugent come in but Nugent was in no humour for ah hello come in or any of that. She lay into ma about the comics and the whole lot and I could hear ma saying yes yes I know I will of course! and I was waiting for her to come flying up the stairs, get me by the ear and throw me on the step in front of Nugent and that’s what she would have done if Nugent hadn’t started on about the pigs. She said she knew the kind of us long before she went to England and she might have known not to let her son anywhere near the likes of me what else would you expect from a house where the father’s never in, lying about the pubs from morning to night, he’s no better than a pig.

After that ma took my part and the last thing I heard was Nugent going down the lane and calling back Pigs – sure the whole town knows that!

Ma pulled me down the stairs and gave me the mother and father of a flaking but it took more out of her than it did out of me for her hands were trembling like leaves in the breeze she threw the stick from her and steadied herself in the kitchen saying she was sorry over and over. She said there was nobody in the world meant more to her than me. Then she put her arms around me and said it was her nerves it was them was to blame for everything. It wasn’t always like this for your father and me she said. Then she looked into my eyes and said: Francie – you would never let me down would you?

I don’t know what night it was I think it was the night the town won the cup da had to be left home it was one of the railwaymen dropped him at the door. I heard da cursing the town and everybody in it he said he could have been somebody hadn’t he met Eddie Calvert who else in the town had ever met Eddie Calvert who else in the town even knew who Eddie Calvert was?

Something broke crockery or something and then ma was crying: Don’t blame me because you can’t face the truth about yourself, any chances you had you drank them away!

It went on a long time I was just standing there listening to it all. I’d hear him: God’s curse the fu king day I ever set eyes on you!

It wasn’t too long after that ma was took off to the garage. She says to me: I’m away off up the town now Francie I have to get the baking started for your Uncle Alo’s Christmas party. Right, I says, I’ll just stay here and watch the telly and off she went I didn’t notice the time passing until I heard Mrs Connolly at the door with da and some other women she said ma’d been standing for two hours looking in the window of the fishing tackle shop with the bag on the ground and a tin of beans rolling round the footpath. Da was flushed and when the women said they’d have to see about a nightdress he got even more flushed then Mrs Connolly said never mind Benny I’ll look after it and she tapped him on the shoulder like a mother then hoisted her skirts and went off upstairs singing. He went out into the scullery then I could hear him swigging whiskey in under his coat. He was waiting for them to call out through a megaphone: Don’t move! Stay right where you are! Put the whiskey down nice and easy and don’t try any tricks! Take ‘em to Missouri! said John Wayne and hee-yah! he rode off in a thunder of hooves.

Mrs Connolly said well I’d best be off now I’ve left his dinner on the stove and you know what men are like if you don’t look after them. I’ve a bit of business to do said da, you’ll be all right, and handed me two bob. Then off he went to see about his business Tower Bar business that is. I didn’t know anything about ma and all this but Joe filled me in. I heard Mrs Connolly saying breakdown what’s breakdown Joe. I says, Oh that’s when you’re took off to the garage, Joe told me, it’s when the truck comes and tows you away. That was a good one I thought, ma towed away off up the street with the coat on. Who’s that, they’d say. Oh that’s Mrs Brady they’re taking her off to the garage.

Joe said there was some crack in this town and there sure was. Hand me down the spanner I think Mrs Brady’s ankle needs tightening. Oh now, I said, what a laugh.

There was some good laughs in them days, me and Joe at the river with our noses in the water, hanging over the edge. You could see the dartboard eyes and the what do you want me to do faces of the fish. Hey fish, Joe would say, fish? fu k off! What do you think of that, fish? we’d say.

I went off up the street that I saw Philip and Mrs Nugent coming. I knew she thought I was going to turn back when I saw them. I was standing in the middle of the footpath. Mrs Nugent held on her hat with one hand and took Philip with the other would you let me by please she says.

Oh no I can’t do that I said, you have to pay to get past. She had all these broken nerve ends on her nose. What do you mean what on earth do you mean she said and I could see Philip frowning with his Mr Professor face wondering was it serious maybe, maybe something he could investigate or do a project on. Well he could if he wanted I didn’t care as long as he paid. It was called the Pig Toll Tax. Yes, Mrs Nugent I said, the pig toll tax it is and every time you want to get past it costs a shilling. Her lips got so thin you really would think they were drawn with a pencil. She tried to push her way past then but I got a grip of her by the sleeve of her coat and it made it all awkward for her she couldn’t see what was holding her back. Her hat had tilted sideways and there was a lemon hanging down over the brim. She tried to pull away but I had a good tight hold of the sleeve and she couldn’t manage it.

Durn taxes, I said, ain’t fair on folks. When I looked again there was a tear in her eye but she wouldn’t please me to let it out. When I saw that I let go of her sleeve and smiled. Right, I says I’ll tell you what, I’ll let you by this time folks but remember now in future – make sure and have the pig toll tax ready. I stood there staring after them, she was walking faster than Philip trying to fix the lemon at the same time telling him to come on.

There was a drunk lad with a ripped coat lying in the doorway of the Tower singing I wonder who’s kissing her now into a bottle. Then he’d quit for a while and say: Uh! Uh! for a while with his head nodding like a cloth doll you’d see in the back of a car. He shouted over at me: Do you know me do you, do you know me? I just stood there looking at him. I didn’t want to go home and I didn’t want to stand there. He kept on saying it with the eyes wild in his head do you know me do you? It was getting dark and when I looked up there was one of them moons you’re not sure if its there or not and the first dusty flakes of snow were starting to fall. We’re early this year they said but sure all the better. That’s right I said as I caught one of them on my tongue and licked it.

Back from the garage there was no holding ma, talking nineteen to the dozen whiz here one minute, there the next, it wasn’t just the floor you could see your face in but everything. One minute she was up the stairs and the next she’d be standing right beside you talking then away off into something else. She said we’d never be run down in this town again we’d show them we were as good as any of them. She looked into my eyes and said: We don’t want to be like the Nugents. We don’t want to be like any of them! We’ll show them – won’t we Francie? They’ll envy us yet! We’re the Bradys. Francie! The Bradys!

I said we sure were. I was proud as punch. Everything was starting again and this time it was all going to work out right. Look look she says to me look what I bought she says its a record the best record in the world. Its called The Butcher Boy she says come on and we’ll dance. She put it on hiss crackle and away it went.

I wish my baby it was born

And smiling on its daddy’s knee

And me poor girl to be dead and gone

With the long green grass growing over me.

He went upstairs and the door he broke

He found her hanging from a rope

He took his knife and he cut her down

And in her pocket these words he found

Oh make my grave large wide and deep

Put a marble stone at my head and feet

And in the middle a turtle dove

That the world may know that I died for love.

It was a good song but I didn’t know what was going on in it. When it was over she says what do you think of that Francie – he went upstairs and the door he broke he found her hanging from a rope! Then whiz away she goes out to the scullery singing some other song oh no she says them days are over that’s all in the past. There’s no one will let Annie Brady down again Francie!

The nights before Alo came I didn’t sleep a wink thinking about him. We’d be coming down the street and there’d be Nugent. She’d be mad for us to talk to her. Who’s that woman Alo would say to me in his English accent, she keeps looking over. I don’t know, I’d say, I never seen her before in my life. Then we’d walk on until she was a speck standing in Fermanagh Street. Then it started all over again with me and Alo on the Diamond getting ready to set off once more down the street and Mrs Nugent trying to attract our attention. Please Francie, I’ll give you anything she’d say. Sorry I’d say, too late. Then I’d cut her off and say: What was that you were saying Uncle Alo?

THE CAKES WERE STACKED IN TOWERS ON THE CHAIRS. THERE were some on top of the wardrobe and the washing machine. There were ones with icing and without, all decorated with hundreds and thousands and marzipan and different kinds of designs. I had a hard job keeping all the flies away. I went at them with the rolled-up Irish Press. Back, dogs! I said. Then the car pulled up outside and in they came, Mary from the sweetshop and everybody popping corks and dusting snow off collars. I couldn’t take my eyes off Alo. He had the red hankie in his breast pocket and the trousers of his blue pinstripe suit had a crease would cut your hand. His steel-grey hair was neatly combed in two neat wings behind his ears. He stood proudly by the fireplace and I thought to myself Nugent? Hah! Nugent has nobody like him. I felt like cheering. Welcome to the cake house said ma, that’s what you call this place, wiping her hands on her apron. Call it what you like, home I call it smiled Alo and gave her a big hug. Da was late but the party started anyway. Here’s to Christmas and all in this room, he beamed and raised his whiskey glass.

Now you said it Alo, they said, to the man himself, Alo Brady.

Ah yes, says Alo, yes indeed and swirled the whiskey in his glass.

Where does the time go, where does it go at all? Twenty years in Camden Town this Winter, would you believe it?

You’ll never come back now Alo.

Come back? What’d take him back, am I right Alo? He has it far too good over there.

Ten men under him, called ma from the scullery.

God bless all here said Alo and long may they prosper.

Ma arrived with a silver teapot and on the plate a castle of butterfly buns with its turrets ready to topple.

Who’s for a few buns she said or maybe you’d like some cake? I’ll go and get some. I have plenty of slices cut.

No this is grand we’re well fed here sit down and rest yourself never mind us!

We’re an awful crowd!

Alo stood behind Mary with his hands placed on her shoulders and sang When you were sweet sixteen.

The clapping went on for over a minute and she didn’t know where to look.

You shouldn’t she said.

And why shouldn’t I me darling?

He fell into her lap and his legs swung out and up into the air.

Ma squealed and everybody cheered.

We may get the priest! they cried.

Just for a split second I though Mary was going to throw her arms around Alo and burst into tears. She kept biting her nail and her lip was trembling just like a kid when it falls and everybody’s asking are you all right are you all right?

But she didn’t burst into any tears. When the laughter had died away, Alo struggled to right himself with one hand and straighten his tie with the other. As he got up his fingers lightly brushed against her cheek and she bent her head. Then someone went to say something but didn’t say it. After that there was silence but Alo didn’t want silence. He rushed over and poured himself a fresh drink.

What about the Inspector of Drains from the County Leitrim? The man himself – Percy French!

Mary hunched herself up over the keyboard so that no one would see her hands were shaking. The flies were at the cakes again and there were crumbs all over the floor where Alo’s elbow had knocked a plate. But no one even noticed. There was a spot of butterfly bun cream on the triangle top of his red hankie. It was well past two and everybody was singing different songs. Would you look at the time someone said and a long low whistle glided across the room.

We’ll never make Mass in the morning.

Time we were moving so, they said.

You’ll stay another while, please! said Alo.

There’ll be more nights, they said, man dear but it was great to see you Alo!

Let me, said ma, and went to the hall for their coats.

Well there you are, said da, standing in the doorway and smoothing his hair back from his forehead with the edge of his hand.

Now we’re right, they said, or right as we’ll ever be!

Mary tried to look away but a magnet pulled her eyes back until they met Alo’s. She said it was lovely to see you but that was exactly what Alo said and the sentences collided in mid-air. Mary tried to start again. So did Alo. Then Alo went pale and leaned forward. He kissed her softly on the hair. Da muttered something under his breath I don’t know what and the ball bearing eyes were cold steel in his head.

The engine chugged into life. The car took the corner by the ash pit out onto the main road, and everything settled back into silent white.

Inside Alo had opened another bottle of whiskey. Shadows ate up the room. One last song, said Alo, and a nightcap to wind it up, what do you say Benny?

No more singing. There’s been plenty of singing.

Ah now Benny, laughed Alo, don’t be like that. A wee bit of singing never hurt anyone, am I right Mrs?

He started into The Old Bog Road, he said that was the one the priest had taught them in the home all those years ago. I knew as soon as he had said the word home that he regretted it. When you said it even when you weren’t talking about orphanages, da went pale sometimes he even got up and left the room. Alo tried to cover it up by saying Will you ever forget the time we robbed the presbytery orchard?

He laughed. Then he laughed again. But it was all wrong. It was like the moment before a cracked glass shatters.

Then I saw him look at Alo. I knew the look. Who do you think you’re fooling Alo? Are you going to go on making a laughing stock of yourself or are you going to catch yourself on? Do you think any of them believe that shite-talk you’ve been going on with all night?

For the love of God Benny leave the man alone, cried ma.

Coming home here crowing about Camden Town, do you want to have us the laughing stock of the place?

Look at him with his wee red handkerchief. Did the wife iron it for you?

Not again ma cried not again please Benny!

I warned him! I told him I wanted to hear no more of it! But no, we had to have it, then on top of that carrying on with her like a schoolboy halfwit. The whole town knows that too, made a cod of himself with her. Never even had the guts to ask her out straight till it was too late. Oh Camden Town’s a great place Alo, we all know that. Camden Town’s the place he met the only woman he ever laid a finger on. Took her to the altar because he was afraid to ask anyone else. Twenty years his senior for the love of God. Half-blind and hates him from the day she married him!

I knew ma wanted to hold it in she didn’t want any of that to start now I knew what she was afraid of she was afraid of the garage. But she didn’t want to let Alo down, she would never let anyone down. She had to say it. Dear God I’m sorry Alo, she said.

Ten men under him, said da, that’s right. Closing a gate in a Backstreet factory that’s what he’s been at from the day he landed there, tipping his cap to his betters in his wee blue porter’s suit. Oh Alo went far, make no mistake!

Ma cried out. I never seen her face da before. Don’t blame it on your brother because you were put in a home! Christ Jesus Benny are you never going to come to terms with it! After all this time, is it never going to end?

The side of Alo’s face jerked and for a second it seemed as if he was on the verge of saying something really daft like: Do you think it will rain? Or Where did you get that tablecloth?

He didn’t though. What he said was: Its getting late. Maybe I’m as well get to my bed.

Then he said: I’ll hardly see you before I go.

He asked ma did the bus still go from the corner. She said it did.

Da had a whiskey glass in his hand. It was trembling a little. I thought maybe he wanted to fling it from him, throw his arms around Alo and cry at the top of his voice: How about that Alo? Fairly fooled you there! That took you in hook line and sinker! Me and Alo – the years we spent in Belfast! The home? A wonderful place! The best years of our lives! Me and Alo – we loved every minute of it in there! Isn’t that right old friend?

When all this came into my head I wanted to leap up and yahoo. I wanted to cry out let’s have another party I’ll go and get Mary and the whole thing can go right this time what do you say to that Alo is that a good idea?

But that was only me raving and didn’t happen and the next thing I heard was the sound of the front door closing, you could hardly hear it at all. Ma was in a bad way now. It destroyed you that place, can’t you see that?, she said. You can’t even talk about it, can you? Not even after all this time! Its no shame Benny that you were put in there! And even if it was, no shame should make you turn on your own brother like a dog!

He didn’t like that and he turned on her then. He said at least he never had to be took off to a madhouse to disgrace the whole family. I knew then ma was never in any garage but I knew all along anyway, I knew it was a madhouse I just didn’t want Nugent or anyone to hear so I said it was a garage. But then I knew too that Nugent knew all about it. I could hear Nugent saying: Imagine him thinking he could pull the wool over my eyes!

When da said that she ran out of the room and I didn’t know what to do. Da was laughing to himself he said what did he care? He clutched the whiskey glass like a weapon and poured himself another. He stood in the middle of the kitchen.

I’ve always gone my own way, he shouted. Everything I ever did, my way – father or no father! No thanks to Andy Brady or anyone else! Do you hear me?

He just stood there holding the glass swaying, like a drugged giant in the middle of the room. You hear me?

I waited until he was asleep in the armchair and then I opened the front door and went out into the morning.

I left the town far behind me and came out onto the open road. The white clouds floated across the clear blue glass of the sky. I kept thinking of da and Alo standing outside the gates of the home all those years ago. How many windows do you think are there says da. Seventy-five says Alo. I’d say at least a hundred says da. The priest brought them inside through long polished corridors. The assembly hall was crowded. They were all cheering for the two new boys. The priest cleared his throat and said quiet please. I would like you to meet our two new boys he said. Bernard and Alo. Bernard and Alo who? said all the other boys. The priest smiled and rubbed his soft hands together. I was waiting for him to say Brady and finish it. But he didn’t say Brady. He said: Pig.

Every day I walked until it got dark. I slept under bushes and once in a tyre. I didn’t know what day it was when I reached the city. I was exhausted so I leaned against the big sign. It read: WELCOME TO DUBLIN.

The buses were green as gooseberries and a stone pillar cut the sky. This is Dublin I says to a fellow yeah its Dublin where do you think it is for the love of Jaysus. I liked the way he said that and I tried to say it myself. Jay-zuss.

The way they were going across that bridge you’d think someone had said: I’m sorry but we’re going to let off an atomic bomb any minute now. There was picture houses and everything. Over I went. The Corinthian Cinema written in unlit lights. What’s going on here I said. The creatures were coming to take over the planet earth because their own was finished there was nothing left on it. The shaky writing said they came from beyond the stars bringing death and destruction. I’d have to go and see them aliens when it opened up. I went into a chip shop. The girl says to me what would you like. I says chips. What have you been up to she says you look like you’ve been dragged backways through a ditch. Oh just walking I says. You’ll need a few extra chips so she says and gives me a big heap. I could see her counting money in behind the counter. Then off she’d go into the kitchen with the door swinging behind her I could hear her going on about dances. I was in behind the counter like a bullet and I stuffed any notes I could into my pocket. Then I ran like fu k. All the way down the street I kept thinking: Hunted from town to town for a crime he didn’t commit – Francie Brady – The Fugitive! Except for one thing – I did commit it.

I bought bubblegum cards and spread them all out on a park bench. I had Frankie Avalon, John Wayne, Elvis, and a load of other ones I don’t know who they were. I took buses all over the place. Whiz, buses shooting by like arrows. This is some place, this Dublin I says. Then it was time for the aliens. I stocked up at the kiosk. Come on aliens youse bastards!, I was thinking as I pushed Maltesers into my mouth one after the other.

Tinny voice the mayor squared up to the alien leader and told him he’d never get away with it. Every army on earth will fight you he says. But the alien just laughed. He had a human body that he stole off some bogman of a farmer that gave him a lift but you knew by the twisted sneer that inside he was a fat green blob with tentacles like an octopus and his face all scales. Make no mistake he says we will control the world and neither you nor anyone else in this town will stop us. It was him saying in this town made me think of the women and Mrs Nugent they were always saying that. Mrs Nugent said: I’ll tell you one thing our Philip wouldn’t do it. No son worth his salt would do what he did, disown his own family.

She looked at the women and said: No matter what they are they’re still his own flesh and blood!

It was pouring rain. I heard a girl singing it was in a church so I went in. She was wearing a white dress and singing a song about gardens. I never heard singing like it. The notes of the piano were clear as spring water rolling down a rock and they made me think about Joe. The first time I met him was in the lane at the back of our house. We must have been four or five at the most. He was hunkered down at the big puddle beside the chickenhouse. It had been frozen over for weeks and he was hacking away at the ice with a bit of a stick. I stood looking at him for a while and then I said to him what would you do if you won a hundred million billion trillion dollars? He didn’t look up, he just went on hacking. Then he told me what he’d do and that kept us going for a long time. That was the first time I met Joe Purcell.

There was a snowdrop on the ditch that day I remember because there was only one. It was one of those days when you can nearly hear every sound in the town as clear as the girl was singing now. They were the best days, them days with Joe. They were the best days I ever knew, before da and Nugent and all this started.

I still had some of the chip shop money left. The man behind the counter says: Well this one here is two and six and the one on the top shelf that’s a little bit dearer but better quality you’d be getting a bargain there.

How much is it? I said.

Three shillings, he says.

It was like a slice of a tree cut out and a rhyme carved into the wood and decorated all around the edges with green shamrocks. At the bottom was an old woman in a red shawl rocking by the fireside.

We sell a lot of those says your man looking at me over his glasses.

I read it a good few times. A Mother’s love’s a blessing no matter where you roam.

I put it in my pocket and off I went. I don’t know the name of the towns I passed through. I didn’t care what they were called all I wanted to do now was get home I was sorry I had ever left but I would never do it again.

Grouse Armstrong was asleep under a tractor but he passed no remarks when he seen me crossing the Diamond. There wasn’t many about they were all in having their tea. I could see the grey glow of the tellies in the living rooms. I kept feeling inside my pocket to check if the present was still there. I could feel the grooves of the letters with my fingers. I was so busy thinking about that that when I turned the hotel corner at first I didn’t even realize it was Mrs Nugent standing there in front of me. I had bumped into her she nearly dropped her handbag but she didn’t mind, she paid no attention to it at all. O Francis, she says, and what does she do only put her hand on my arm I didn’t know what she was playing at. Then O Francis she says again isn’t it a pity you missed the funeral and makes the sign of the cross. Funeral I says what funeral and looked around to see was there anyone else with her only the empty street and Grouse limping past the railway gates. I was going to say what do you want Nugent what are you putting your hand on my arm for but I couldn’t get a word in she was talking away nineteen to the dozen your mother this your mother that. She was staring at me to see what I would do. I did nothing. I tried not to look at the stringy mouth or smell the powder. I said to myself: Do nothing Francie. I felt the present inside my pocket and said: It’s OK. Everything’s OK now.

The back door was open and the sink was full of pilchard tins. Da ate pilchards when he went on a skite. The flies were buzzing round them. There was curdled milk and books thrown round all over the place and stuff pulled out of the cupboards the dogs must have been in. I don’t know how long da was standing there staring at me. There were red circles round his eyes and I could smell him. You, was all he said. I didn’t know what he meant. But he told me. He meant you did it, what happened to ma. I says what are you talking about what happened to ma.

O you didn’t hear? he says with a bitter smile. Then he told me they had dredged the lake near the garage and found her at the bottom of it, and says I’m off up to the Tower I might be back and I might not.

I stood in the yard. The sky was scattered with stars. I knew one thing. As long as I walked the streets under them stars there’d be only one thing anyone could say about me and that was: I hope he’s proud of himself now, the pig, after what he did on his poor mother. I wasn’t sure if Philip Nugent would be going to music that day but I waited at the corner for a while and sure enough there he was with his crocodile music case swinging it absentmindedly against his knee the way he did. He broke into a trot soon as he seen me but I ran after him and called Philip there you are. I walked along beside him talking about all sorts of things. I told him I thought his music case was one of the nicest I’d ever seen. I’d say it’s one of the nicest in the town, I said. Philip do you think I could have a look at it?

He wasn’t sure what to say but I kept looking at him with my big bright hopeful eyes and then he said yes yes of course. He handed it to me and I took the books out. They were just like his comics not a speck on any of them. You’d think those books were brand new out of the shop. There was an ass and cart going off into green mountains on the cover of one. Emerald Gems of Ireland it was called. I leafed through it. I know that one!, I shouted. My da sings it! I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls!

Then I handed them back to him. Do youse ever buy records, Philip, I said. He said they did. Who buys them, I asked and he said his da. Does your mother not buy any? I said. He shook his head and said no. Oh, I said, and then I said I’ll bet your ma never bought a record called The Butcher Boy did she Philip? He said she didn’t. No, I said, what would she want to go and buy that for? It’s the stupidest song in the world. I started laughing, wiping the tears out of my eyes for every time I thought of how stupid it was it made me laugh all over again.

I shook my head and said its some laugh have you a hanky Philip and he gave me a lend of it then on we went.

We were getting along right well so I started talking to him about the comics and how it had all been meant to be a joke and everything. It was all supposed to be a bit of a laugh Philip I said. We would have given the comics back to you. He said I had got him in trouble.

Then I told him about the comics I got from my aunt in America. Comics like you never seen in your whole life, I said. Not English ones, you couldn’t get these in England or anywhere, oh no – only America. You just never seen the like of them Philip I told him. I have them all stashed in the chickenhouse, Philip, I said. I went there every day and what a laugh I had reading about all these superheroes. Your man comes at Green Lantern I says. Next thing bam! a big giant hammer comes flying out of his ring and splatters him. And that’s only Green Lantern. There’s far more than him that could do even better things than that! Nothing would do Philip now till he saw these comics.

We went down the back way. Nobody knew about the way into the chickenhouse through the broken window at the back only me and Joe. When you got inside there you were in the dark warm world of chirps and burbles. The lightbulbs came right down from the ceiling and hung straight in front of your face. They were only maybe four feet off the floor. This is the first time I was ever in here says Philip its great. It was a secret world and he was in it, he ran his fascinated fingers along the grooves where me and Joe had carved our names in the wood we had done it all over the place.

I left him there and went into the room at the back of the shed to get the comics. When I came back all I said was Philip, and when he turned I swung the chain but I didn’t connect I missed the side of his face. I hit the flex of the lightbulb and it started swinging to and fro. The chickens flapped and squealed a bit they knew there was something wrong then I took the next swing and it thudded dully against a sack of grain I couldn’t get a good look at him with the lightbulb painting these big shadow streaks as it swung. I saw him now he was right in front of me and then I heard: Francie!

The lightbulb steadied itself and I heard it again: Francie! It was Joe. He got a grip of me by the wrist and pushed me backwards. Philip just said please. Joe wrenched the chain from my grasp. It landed with a clatter against the septic tank. He cursed at me now look what you’ve done look what you had to go and do! I’m sorry Joe I said and I knew that was that. Joe was going to leave me and I’d be left with nobody no ma nothing.

But the thing was – Joe didn’t leave me! I hadn’t managed to hit Philip so Joe worked it so he would say he’d fallen off an apple tree and that was how he tore his blazer. But when Joe came back from leaving Philip down the street he swore more at me and said that if I ever did the like of that again they’d put me away for that was what they did with people who did things like that. He said that since the day we met hacking at the ice I was his best friend. He didn’t care what his ma or da said about me or my da or the Terrace but if I did things like that it would be all ruined. Francie, said Joe, you have to swear that’s the end of it. I did. I swore on my life that was the end of it and it would have been too only for Nugent.

After that we rode off out to the river, that was the day we built the hide. We dug a small tunnel in the ground and propped it up with pine branches then covered over the whole thing with leaves and briars and bracken. If you were passing all you saw was bushes and brambles and old leaves thrown around. But we were in there making plans, me and Joe. We built a campfire too. We blackened our faces and painted equals signs under our eyes. We mingled the blood of our forearms and said from this day on Francie Brady and Joe Purcell are blood brothers and will be friends to the end of the world. We’ll pray to the Manitou Joe said so we did. Sitting there hunched up in a blanket, paring sticks and saying yamma yamma yamma, praying to the Manitou.

I didn’t say it!, Nugent said but she did and that was why I called down to the house. I was walking across the Diamond and her and Philip were coming out of the shop. I was a good bit away from them but I saw her stopping to point me out to Philip. I saw her. There he is! she said, there won’t be so much chat out of him from now on Philip, him and his pig toll tax! Maybe if she had just left it at that I wouldn’t have passed much remarks but she should have left Alo out of it. I just heard the tail end of it but that was enough for me. Half-blind and hates him from the day she married him! What did I tell you Philip!

I took a look in the window before I knocked on the door and it was nice in there with the fire tossing shadows round the room and a brass guard with a spray of pink flowers painted on it and on top of the mahogany piano Mrs Nugent in an oval frame. She was nice-looking Mrs Nugent when she was young, with a white rose pinned to her hair and cupid’s bow lips like you’d see on an old time film star not like the bits of scribbles she had now. And on the music stand of the piano the ass and cart going off into the mountains of Emerald Gems of Ireland. It was a nice warm room with an amber glow that reached out to you and beckoned you in. Come on in, it said, so I thought maybe I would but then knock knock and out comes Mrs Nugent. She was a long way now from the rose in her hair all right. Cupid’s bow lips! What a joke! She had on a raggy old apron with forget-me-nots scattered all over it and a heart-shaped pocket bulging with clothes pegs.

I had to laugh at the furry boots.

She must have been washing for she had on rubber gloves and was pulling at the fingers. A crinkly arrow appeared over her eyes in the middle of her forehead and she said what do you want. No she said what do you want? I said nothing much just called down to see how Philip is getting on. Philip is very busy with his lessons, she said. I knew he was. He was always busy with his lessons, working things out.

Philip, I called. I knew he was in the kitchen for he always did his lessons at the table the spectacles were on. It was just beside the television and sometimes Mr Nugent sat there with him and helped him puffing away on his pipe like an ad on the television himself. Yes I like Maltan Ready Rubbed Flake says Mr Nugent! with the big briar stuck in his gob.