Run, Lily, Run Read online

  It was a man an a woman – she was wearin a dark-green hairy wool coat wit a big Tara brooch holdin together the top of the wraparound collar. I watched as she shoved her head wearin an aul black-felt battered hat wit a nobby pin planted on top inta our two presses on the wall. She was makin sure te poke the head well in, gettin a good look fer herself. Then she bent down leavin her arse stuck in the air an pulled back the curtain hidin the tin bucket underneath the kitchen sink. It was half full now catchin water drippin down from the leakin pipe. Well, it dripped away because we had no one te fix it.

  I stared watchin the coat an frock rise, then seein the legs of a big pair of pink knickers suddenly appear. I wanted te see more, but she quickly stood up whippin down the coat an straightenin herself. Then pointed back down wit her finger, sayin somethin te the aul fella. He was standin there wit a big black notebook an a pencil at the ready, holdin it in the air, waitin te hear wha she said.

  I watched as he nodded suckin on his gums, then lifted his bottom teeth givin them a rattle an sucked them back down again, then started writin. She fixed the pancake battered felt hat on her head then whipped around the scullery lettin her eyes take everythin in. Then I saw she was lookin in different directions. She’s cross-eyed! I thought, wonderin can she see all a the room at the same time.

  Now they slid around narrowin gettin a hungry look, wantin te find somethin else to fault. I could see the left eye comin in my direction, but before I could ease meself back out the door, the right eye lit on me!

  ‘Ah! The child!’ she shouted, lightin up at the sight of me. ‘Come! Come here, child,’ she ordered, wavin the finger at me.

  Wit tha the long skinny aul fella swung his head around – he was wearin a black suit wit narrow trousers turned-up at the end, an even wore black laced-up boots like Father Flitters.

  ‘That’s the other one!’ he roared, gettin all excited mashin down on his gums an leanin over fer a better look at me as he fixed the little pair of eyeglasses sittin on the end of his beaked nose. ‘Are we done here?’ he said, whippin himself around te look at the aul one.

  ‘That’s it! I think we have covered everything,’ she said, throwin her head around the scullery an out te me, givin one last look makin sure she hadn’t missed anythin. Then she plastered the hat hard down on her head, ran her hands over her huge chest an down her coat, makin sure everythin was ordered an sittin the right way on her.

  ‘Right! Time to leave,’ he said, whippin off the glasses an noddin te the woman.

  She was already on her way, makin a fast move inta the sittin room lookin fer the priest. He was buried somewhere, still lost in among the crowd.

  I knew I should move, but I couldn’t get me legs goin, they were shakin like mad an I didn’t want te leave Ceily.

  I watched as the pair of them swam inta the crowd, shoutin, ‘Make way, please! We are from the NSPCC! The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.’

  All heads turned te take this in.

  ‘We know who tha is! Ye’s don’t have te spell it out fer us!’ shouted Granny Kelly, diggin her elbow inta Father Flitters, wit him tryin te work his way outa the heap. ‘Youse will take them two childre over my dead body!’ she warned, lookin around an bendin down findin her missin slipper, then wavin it at them makin them duck back.

  ‘Call the Guards!’ they shouted.

  ‘This is anarchy!’ shouted Father Flitters. ‘A mob riot! HEATHENS! The lot of you! PAGANS!’ he roared, throwin his head back all red-faced, then shovin his way out usin his elbows. He was after losin his hat lettin his baldy moonshine head be seen, an he not a blade a hair left, but fer the two bits left hangin around his ears.

  ‘Enough of this nonsense!’ he suddenly barked. ‘Take that girl! Get the other one!’ he shouted, wavin the stick an pointin it over at me.

  Ceily screamed as he an the woman then grabbed a hold of her. I could see the other aul fella hurryin, makin his way in my direction. I started te shake watchin as she went mad screamin an fightin, she was shakin her head wit her hair flyin around her face an people were now grabbin hold of her tryin te wrestle her outa the priest an cruelty woman’s grip.

  Then me eyes peeled on the man – he was nearly on top a me ready te grab out an take hold a me.

  ‘Wha’ll I do?’ I shivered, moanin te meself an lookin over at Ceily again. She was screamin an cursin cryin her eyes out now! ‘Oh Mammy,’ I keened, rubbin me hands an hoppin me feet then bitin an suckin me fingers wantin te make me think.

  Suddenly Ceily lifted her head an let a roar over at me. ‘RUN, LILY! GET OUTA HERE FAST! HIDE!’

  I stood still starin, not able te move.

  ‘MOVE! GET YERSELF GOIN! HURRY!’

  Wit tha I turned me head just as the aul fella reached out fer me. ‘Outa me way!’ I screamed, seein a crowd a people all blockin the door. I dug me head in through the crowd usin me arms as batterin rams an kicked back gettin yer man in the leg just as he grabbed hold a me jumper.

  ‘OWW!’ he screamed, lettin go a me after gettin a kick outa me wellington boot.

  Hands pushed me outa harm’s way then people moved in te block him.

  ‘POLICE! Guards! Someone call the Gardai!’ he screeched.

  I looked back seein him watchin me gettin away runnin fer me life, he was stuck in the doorway wit everyone heavin an pushin. They were all tryin te get inta the house te see wha’s happenin an he was gettin lifted offa his feet an sailed back inta the room.

  I dropped me head fer extra speed an ran like the wind. I turned the corner seein the road ahead a me, then heaved in a breath makin te run like me arse was on fire.

  3

  I WAS WHEEZIN past the shop an got a blur of old Mister Mullins sittin in the winda lookin out at the world passin by, then it hit me. Where am I goin to? Where can I hide like Ceily told me te do? An more! I was supposed te be workin!

  Without thinkin I whipped meself around an started flyin back. ‘HELP ME, MISTER MULLINS! MISTER MULLINS, THEY’RE AFTER ME!’ I screamed, tearin inta the shop an sendin the door flyin, runnin straight fer Mister Mullins. ‘DON’T LET THEM GET THEIR HANDS ON ME! THEY’RE TAKIN ME AWAY!’ I roared, shakin the arm offa him nearly pushin him offa his stool.

  ‘What ails ye? Who’s after you? Calm down, child! Take it easy,’ he puffed, wanderin his eye to the door te see who’s on me tail, then spinnin back te me, tryin te take in wha’s happenin.

  Me chest was heavin up an down wit the fright, an the panic eruptin in me was makin me lose me senses. All I could do was stare at him, wit only the noise a the sobs comin outa me mouth.

  ‘You’re in a state. What’s wrong with you?’

  ‘It’s … it’s …’ I hiccupped, the sobs slammin me chest out, but I couldn’t get anythin else te come.

  I stared at him lookin straight inta his eyes wit me chest heavin up an down, he stared back wit us waitin fer me te stop suffomacatin meself an the words te come.

  ‘The cruelty people,’ I staggered, lettin it all puff out in a sob.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘They’re after us!’ I croaked. ‘An so is Father Flitters – me an Ceily! They got her. I ran. Don’t let them catch me!’

  He nodded his head up an down slowly, helpin me te get the words out, now I shivered an sniffed, waitin te hear wha he thought about tha.

  ‘Cruelty people,’ he said slowly an quietly, repeatin te himself. ‘Do ye mean the NSPCC?’

  ‘Yeah! Them ones! Tha’s the ones,’ I said, noddin me head like mad, happy he knew straight away.

  ‘Ahh, now I get the picture,’ he said slowly, noddin his head an clampin his lips, lettin his face smile but it wasn’t a happy smile. Then he narrowed his eyes, sayin, ‘Are they up there now?’

  I nodded like mad givin a hiccup. ‘Yeah! An they’re tryin te tear Ceily outa the house, but she won’t let them,’ I said, hopin they didn’t get her.

  He took in a deep breath thinkin then looked around an leaned over te grab up a jar loaded wi
t sweets. ‘Right! Sit up there,’ he said, liftin me up onta the wooden counter plantin me sittin next te the jars a sweets all lined up beside me. Then he screwed open one a the jars. ‘Here, have that. It’s good for shock. Ye need a bit of glucose, so suck on that,’ he said, shovin a sugar barley inta me mouth.

  I was suckin an suckin, nearly enjoyin me sugar barley wit only little sniffs comin outa me now, when suddenly the door pushed in makin the bell ring an I nearly wet me knickers wit the fright.

  ‘What’s goin on here?’ roared Delia Mullins, standin wit her raincoat drippin puddles around the floor an the scarf stuck te her head wit bits of soppin hair stickin out. She looked over at me sittin on the counter lookin like I was enjoyin meself suckin on one a her sugar barleys. ‘Where did you get to, ye little monkey? Do you know I have had te traipse up and down half this town delivering your bloody newspapers, doing the job you were supposed to be doing!’ she roared, lettin the eyes stare outa her head lookin like she wanted te kill me. ‘An what do I find at the end of it? You sitting in here all nice an cosy while me da feeds you the profits out of the bloody shop!’

  I stopped suckin an went dead still wit me tongue hangin out an the sugar barley halfway te me mouth starin back at her. I wanted te start cryin again because I was afraid a me life. Delia had a terrible temper when she was crossed, an she always lets everyone know not te ask the da fer credit because the answer is NO! An ye’s better not come inta the place askin, because she’s the real boss. But we all know tha’s not true. Her da owns the shop an when she’s not around he’ll give it te you, she’s only lookin after the shop an mindin him an tha’s her only job. People say no wonder no man would go next or near her, she’s so mean she thinks she owes herself money. An anyway, she’s too fat an she has a hairy chin. But she does do wha her da tells her when he growls at her.

  ‘Leave easy, Delia. There’s trouble afoot,’ he said, throwin the eye at me, then noddin the head when she stared at him. ‘I need you to come wit me, we better lock up an make tracks fast around to—’ then he threw his head at me again, an nodded over te Delia.

  She stared back at him readin his eyes without sayin nothin.

  ‘I’ll get me hat an coat,’ he said standin himself up, then made fer the back headin inta the livin quarters.

  Delia looked down at her soppin-wet clothes then lifted her head slowly, lettin her eyes rest on nothin givin a big weary sigh, then made easy te drag herself around the counter an collapse onta her da’s stool.

  ‘Jesus, what a life I have for meself,’ she muttered, talkin te herself under her breath. Then she lifted her big leg pullin down the zip on the brown-suede boot an dragged it off. It was soppin wit the wet an black wit the dirt after lettin in the rain an walkin through all the dirty filthy puddles. I watched as she lifted her toes wrigglin them in front a the smelly paraffin fire te warm them up an dry out her nylons.

  ‘Come on! Are you ready?’ Mister Mullins said, after appearin back in wearin his top coat wit the trilby hat sittin on his head.

  ‘What are ye doing with that stick?’ she said, throwin her head at his brown wooden walkin stick wit the rubber stopper at the end. ‘You never use that!’ she said. ‘Are ye planning on hitting someone with it?’

  ‘Come on, don’t be asking so many questions, ye have me hair turned grey before me time,’ he said, lookin sour then makin fer the door.

  Wha about me? I wanted te say, followin him around wit me head. I gave a quick look down at the floor seein I would break me neck if I jump.

  ‘What do ye mean, “Come on”?’ Delia snorted, lookin shocked at tha idea. ‘I’m going nowhere, look at the state I’m in! Soaked to the skin, freezing with the cold an starved with the hunger!’ she roared.

  ‘Don’t question me, Delia. You take the child down off the counter an follow me fast. I have a job for you to do. Hurry! I’ll talk to you on the way there,’ he said.

  ‘What about the shop?’ she said, lettin a roar outa her.

  ‘Never mind that, we’ll close up. Sure half me bloody customers are right this minute probably up around there!’ He flew at her, swingin the arm lookin fed up. ‘Busybodies! All wanting to see the scandal,’ he said, losin the rag himself now because he had te keep givin her excuses why she should get movin.

  I wanted her te get a hurry on too, but first let me down offa this counter. Then I wondered where me sugar barley got to I worried, givin a quick look around the counter. It’s gone! But I don’t remember eatin it.

  ‘Good news travels fast, and bad news even faster,’ he said, snortin an lookin away in disgust, while Delia muttered an cursed shovin her boot back on.

  We finally got goin an Mister Mullins pulled the shop door shut after him, lockin it, then we were on the move. I rushed ahead wantin te get there fast, then stopped te look back seein how far behind they were. Mister Mullins was walkin fast wavin his walkin stick, but not too fast wit a great hurry on him. He was more like takin the night air wit a bit of exercise, an Delia along fer the company, keepin in step.

  Me nerves was gone. I rushed on ahead wishin they would hurry more. Ceily could be gone by now, an tha means I may never set eyes on her again, then they would come back lookin fer me!

  Then a thought hit me. Where would I hide? I have te live somewhere, wit someone te mind me! The thought hit me so fast I took te me legs an started flyin them. ‘Ceily! I want Ceily!’ I started te roar, cryin me heart out again wit the sudden fright.

  ‘COME BACK! Don’t go up there on your own!’ Mister Mullins shouted, rushin te catch up wit me.

  ‘LILY CARNEY! GET BACK HERE THIS MINUTE!’ roared Delia.

  I stopped dead in me tracks an turned around gettin even more of a fright wit Delia.

  ‘Do what you’re told, you, and stay here with us, otherwise you’ll be landing yourself and everyone else in a heap of trouble!’ she snorted, grabbin me hand an givin it a shake. ‘Now stop your whining, this’ll be sorted out,’ she said, lettin her voice drop, noddin at me.

  We rounded the corner, lookin up te see our footpath was black wit people. They were all millin around, stretchin back down the road an across te the other side. The ones outside my house were all shovin te get in, an some were pushin te get out. We could see a police squad motor car outside, sittin just up in front of the cruelty people’s black one.

  ‘Oh holy Jesus!’ Delia moaned, lettin it out in a prayer whisper.

  ‘Curse a them bastards!’ Mister Mullins muttered, suckin in his mouth an snortin out through his nose. ‘Worse, look at the fucking circus!’ he muttered, cursin an lookin at Delia before throwin his head up at the crowds.

  ‘Come on! At least the young one must still be there! Maybe they couldn’t move her out with this lot,’ she said, startin te rush now really hurryin.

  I started te keen, hearin a nervous tune comin up outa me chest. I knew any minute it could break out into a scream. I had me mouth shut tight an I was breathin heavy breaths out through me nose. ‘Don’t let them take me Ceily,’ I sang but it was really a keenin moan – I didn’t want Delia te hear tha in case she roared again.

  We got te the crowd an Mister Mullins pushed his way in. Delia let me hand go, sayin, ‘You stay right there against that wall an don’t move. Now stay well away from that crowd an tell no one nothing. Don’t answer any questions! Do ye hear me talking to you?’ she roared, pointin her finger at me knowin I wanted te rush in after Mister Mullins.

  I turned me head back to her givin it a little shake. ‘Yeah, OK, Delia,’ I went, sayin an givin a big lie.

  ‘Right!’ she said, not lookin too sure but havin te believe me. ‘Listen, Lily, if you go into that house you’ll get yourself trampled, not just that, but you’ll walk yourself back into a trap. They’re only waiting in there to take you away. Do you realize that?’ she said, lookin very worried at me.

  I nodded, not worryin about tha, I wanted te get back in te Ceily.

  We stared at each other wit her wantin te make a move an me wantin he
r te get on wit it.

  ‘DON’T MOVE FROM THAT SPOT!’ she shouted, then turned an rushed inta the crowd pushin an shovin her way in, roarin at people te let her past.

  I didn’t move, I waited me patience watchin her go, rockin on me feet shiftin from one foot te the other just waitin till she disappeared.

  Then I was off, flyin in after her wit me head down an me elbows shoved out, squeezin, diggin an knockin wit me fists, then outa nowhere I got lifted in a big heave an landed packed tight te suffomacation. I grabbed me breath suckin in an out fast, then let it go in a big puff an gave a blink te see where I landed.

  Where am I? I can’t see nothin because I’m now buried in people’s bellies, I can only hear the shoutin, it’s comin from all sides.

  I lifted me neck stretchin it, gettin a look at our stairs just in front a me. They’re thick black wit the people, not just tha, but the ceilin’s hoppin wit a whole lot more a them all millin around up there.

  Who told them they can do tha? Who they think they are? Tha’s our very own bedroom! An we have our bestest good candlewick bedspread up there, it’s still coverin Mammy’s bed. Ceily said we’re not takin it off, because tha’s wha Mammy was laid out on fer her wake. Then, after when the men carried Mammy out in the coffin te bury her, Ceily shut the door behind them mutterin. ‘We won’t be settin foot in there again, not fer many a long day te come. Tha room will stay just as it is,’ she whispered, lettin her eyes turn te me wit them lookin very sad. They looked like she wanted te cry, but she was too annoyed te let tha happen.

  Yeah, Ceily an me always sleep in the one bed together, tha’s in the other little bedroom. Mammy always had her own bed fer herself, but sometimes when I was little or when I do be sick she brings me … she brought me in wit her.

  ‘Them people’s not supposed te be steppin foot in Mammy’s room, the cheek a them!’ I roared te meself, givin a lash out wit me fist at the fat arse of an aul one sendin her heavin on top of a lot fightin an roarin. They were at tha because they were all mashed an mangled, gettin squashed on the stairs.