they’d be totally impervious to the fact that Jackie was naked. Maybe they’d just concentrate on making art.
And if it did turn out to be awful she could say so after the class, and her conscience would be clear because Audrey would have a whole week to find someone else.
She followed Eoin upstairs, just as Audrey climbed, dripping, from her Monday-evening bath.
—————
“You have to go,” he said, grinding his cigarette butt into the bare cement floor. Carmel knew he was doing it to annoy her; he knew she hated cigarettes. He could just as easily have flicked it out the open window.
“We got nowhere,” she said. “You can’t throw us out, we’ll be on the street.”
“Not my problem,” he said. “I told you, you don’t deal, you don’t make no money, you can’t stay.”
“You can’t make us go,” she said. “This isn’t your place. We was here before you.”
He took a step in their direction and she instinctively pushed Barry behind her. He reached out and grabbed her wrist and squeezed it painfully.
“You’ll go,” he said softly, “or your little boy will be sorry. You can’t watch him all the time.”
She felt something lurch inside her. “You touch him an’ I’ll kill you,” she said, feeling his nails digging into the skin of her arm.
He laughed. “Stop, you’re scaring me,” he said, dropping her arm. “You got two days to go back to dealing, or you’re out.” He hawked and spat on the floor, barely missing Carmel’s shoe. “You hear?”
Carmel said nothing.
“Two days,” he repeated. “Then it’s bye-bye.” He wheeled and left the room, and Carmel turned and gathered Barry into her arms, her skin still burning.
She’d have to go back to the pet shop. Even though Ethan’s father thought she was a liar, even though he’d ordered her out and said he’d call the police, she’d have to go back and try again, because she couldn’t think of anything else to do.
“My tummy hurts,” Barry whimpered.
She put her hand on it and rubbed round and round, the way her granny used to do with her. “Shh,” she said.
She was afraid of going back to the pet shop. He’d be angry when he saw her again, he might get so angry that he’d hit her this time. But she had nothing else, nobody else.
She put Barry on the bed and pulled the blanket up around him, even though it smelled like sour milk. His forehead wasn’t hot, so it must be the sandwich giving him the pain. She often took stuff from the bins at the back of the supermarket. She only took things that were still wrapped up, but once in a while something would be gone off and you wouldn’t know until later. He’d vomit it up in a while and he’d be okay.
She found a plastic bag and left it by the bed. She sang softly to him, rubbing his tummy round and round.
Tuesday
B ut why are you going?”
James untied and redid the belt of his daughter’s red dressing gown. “I told you, because I’d like to try and do some drawing. It’s just for a little while.”
“But why can’t you do drawing here?” She poked a finger through one of his buttonholes.
“Because I want the teacher to help me,” he answered patiently. “Because I’m not very good.”
“But why can I not come too?”
“Because it’s only for grown-ups.”
Charlie pulled hard at the buttonhole. “That’s not fair .”
James smiled. “Well, school is only for children—that’s not fair either.”
“I hate school,” she said crossly, twirling her finger around, winding the fabric into a creased bunch. “School is a stinky bum.”
“Now, now, that’s not very nice,” he said, extricating the finger. “And mind my poor jacket, you’re making it all crumply. Look, you’re going to have great fun with Eunice.”
“I don’t like Eunice,” Charlie mumbled. “She’s smelly.”
“Ach now,” James protested—but he had to admit that his daughter had a point. Helpful as their new neighbor was proving to be,
And if it did turn out to be awful she could say so after the class, and her conscience would be clear because Audrey would have a whole week to find someone else.
She followed Eoin upstairs, just as Audrey climbed, dripping, from her Monday-evening bath.
—————
“You have to go,” he said, grinding his cigarette butt into the bare cement floor. Carmel knew he was doing it to annoy her; he knew she hated cigarettes. He could just as easily have flicked it out the open window.
“We got nowhere,” she said. “You can’t throw us out, we’ll be on the street.”
“Not my problem,” he said. “I told you, you don’t deal, you don’t make no money, you can’t stay.”
“You can’t make us go,” she said. “This isn’t your place. We was here before you.”
He took a step in their direction and she instinctively pushed Barry behind her. He reached out and grabbed her wrist and squeezed it painfully.
“You’ll go,” he said softly, “or your little boy will be sorry. You can’t watch him all the time.”
She felt something lurch inside her. “You touch him an’ I’ll kill you,” she said, feeling his nails digging into the skin of her arm.
He laughed. “Stop, you’re scaring me,” he said, dropping her arm. “You got two days to go back to dealing, or you’re out.” He hawked and spat on the floor, barely missing Carmel’s shoe. “You hear?”
Carmel said nothing.
“Two days,” he repeated. “Then it’s bye-bye.” He wheeled and left the room, and Carmel turned and gathered Barry into her arms, her skin still burning.
She’d have to go back to the pet shop. Even though Ethan’s father thought she was a liar, even though he’d ordered her out and said he’d call the police, she’d have to go back and try again, because she couldn’t think of anything else to do.
“My tummy hurts,” Barry whimpered.
She put her hand on it and rubbed round and round, the way her granny used to do with her. “Shh,” she said.
She was afraid of going back to the pet shop. He’d be angry when he saw her again, he might get so angry that he’d hit her this time. But she had nothing else, nobody else.
She put Barry on the bed and pulled the blanket up around him, even though it smelled like sour milk. His forehead wasn’t hot, so it must be the sandwich giving him the pain. She often took stuff from the bins at the back of the supermarket. She only took things that were still wrapped up, but once in a while something would be gone off and you wouldn’t know until later. He’d vomit it up in a while and he’d be okay.
She found a plastic bag and left it by the bed. She sang softly to him, rubbing his tummy round and round.
Tuesday
B ut why are you going?”
James untied and redid the belt of his daughter’s red dressing gown. “I told you, because I’d like to try and do some drawing. It’s just for a little while.”
“But why can’t you do drawing here?” She poked a finger through one of his buttonholes.
“Because I want the teacher to help me,” he answered patiently. “Because I’m not very good.”
“But why can I not come too?”
“Because it’s only for grown-ups.”
Charlie pulled hard at the buttonhole. “That’s not fair .”
James smiled. “Well, school is only for children—that’s not fair either.”
“I hate school,” she said crossly, twirling her finger around, winding the fabric into a creased bunch. “School is a stinky bum.”
“Now, now, that’s not very nice,” he said, extricating the finger. “And mind my poor jacket, you’re making it all crumply. Look, you’re going to have great fun with Eunice.”
“I don’t like Eunice,” Charlie mumbled. “She’s smelly.”
“Ach now,” James protested—but he had to admit that his daughter had a point. Helpful as their new neighbor was proving to be,
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