We flew inta the hall an through another door, the nun in an awful hurry. I looked up at wide stairs as the nun hurried me past, sayin through her breath, ‘Come and see our lovely chapel, wouldn’t you like that?’ I wasn’t bothered an said nothin as we turned left inta a big wide passage wit shiny brown tiles. Ye could see yer face in them.
‘Now, pet! Come into our chapel and we will say a quick prayer,’ she said, dippin her hand inta a holy water font an blessin herself an splashin it at me te bless me, too.
I was lookin up at the big long rope comin down from the ceilin. ‘That is rung to call the nuns to prayers and announce the angelus,’ she said, seein me lookin at it.
I’d love te have a go at ringin tha, I thought, lookin at it swingin in the air. She swung the door open inta the chapel an steered me in, collapsin herself onta her knees an bowin her head. I looked aroun at the chapel an it was very plain. I wondered wha she was makin all the fuss about; I’ve seen better. Then she stood up an breathed out again. ‘Really, it is very beautiful, don’t you think?’ she said, bendin down te look at me.
I stared at the benches runnin the length of it, an the kneelers at the back wit priests’ chairs behind them. The wooden floorboards were polished within an inch of their life, an the altar wit the marble floor was a bit smaller than normal churches. ‘Yeah, it’s lovely, Sister,’ I croaked in a whisper.
She was delighted an gave me a big smile, noddin her head an squintin her eyes aroun like it was her very own palace an she built it all be herself. Gawd! It doesn’t take much te make her happy, I thought, as she whipped me out the door an headed me down another passage.
‘This is the convent passage,’ she whispered. ‘We have to be very quiet,’ she said, puttin her finger to her lip. ‘The children are not allowed up here,’ she whispered very quietly, bendin down te me. ‘We are passing the side of the chapel. So we must not make any noise,’ she said, soundin like our life depended on it an waggin her finger at me.
We turned right onta another long passage. ‘This is the sick bay,’ she said, openin a door, an I followed her inta a room wit beds lined along the walls. ‘The children come here when they are sick and need to see our doctor, Doctor Blightman.’
‘Right!’ I breathed, tryin te get me breath an take everythin in. I had a chance te count six beds before I was whipped out the door, an we were off, on the move again.
She pushed a door open an we were standin on a landin wit a long winda an a wide windasill. It was too high up te see out, an anyway, ye wouldn’t be able te see out through it, cos the glass wasn’t fer lookin through. I looked up the stairs wit another passage, an the stairs went fer miles up te more floors.
A door opened suddenly an I could hear a tilet flushin an a young one wit long white hair streamin down her back came rushin out. ‘Sister Eleanor! Sister Eleanor, I have to talk to you,’ she roared, rushin over te the nun.
‘Not now, Jane Mary, I’m in a hurry,’ an she rushed me down the stairs wit the young one screamin behind us.
‘Sister Eleanor! I have to tell you something. I told that big gom Jean Clarke I was going to tell on her because she gave me a box in the ear for nothing!’ she moaned, her mouth droppin down te her chest.
The Sister kept rushin, draggin me behind her. I was tryin te get a look back at the young one, an she gave me a dirty look as if it was all my fault the nun had no time fer her.
‘It’s real red and it’s paining me,’ she screamed, tearin down the stairs an pushin past me, gettin herself next te the nun.
‘What? What is it?’ the nun stopped, lookin distracted, an squinted inta the young one’s ear.
‘I think me eardrum is broke. I can hear a roaring in me ear!’ she gasped in a whisper, outa breath, thinkin she’s near te death’s door. ‘Can you see the red?’ she asked, lookin hopeful, her eyes bulgin outa her head an her mouth hangin open, waitin fer the nun te tell her she has te be rushed te see the Doctor Blightman, an it’s a real emergency.
I held me breath.
‘No! You’ll be all right,’ the nun said an flew off again.
We tore off down another passage then she stopped an opened a door. I could hear shoutin an laughin an music, an I followed her through a room wit mahogany boxes wit lids on them, lined all along the walls, wit a big winda in the middle like the one on the landin, only this one had big black thick bars across it, an an old-fashioned sewin machine tha ye put yer foot on te make it go sat in the middle of the wall, wit a big old pine press like ye find in school sat behind the door. Young ones were sittin on a sofa an one was holdin a banjo. They all stopped talkin an gaped at me.
‘Girls, this is Martha. Will you take care of her?’ she said, smilin at them then puttin me sittin in an armchair. ‘I will see you later,’ she said te me an made te fly out the door.
‘Wait, Sister Eleanor! What about me sore ear?’ the blonde young one roared, flyin out the door after her.
I stared at the young ones an they stared back at me.
‘Where are yeh from?’ a young one wit fat freckly cheeks an roarin red hair asked me.
‘Dublin,’ I said, eyein the banjo.
She muttered somethin te the tall skinny one wit a red culchie face an the two of them laughed, eyein me. I eyed them back, not thinkin much a them. Laughin at me an I only in the bleedin door two minutes. Yeah, they better watch out, or I’ll put the grin on the other side of their faces if they’re not careful! I snorted te meself, feelin sick in me stomach at the thought of havin te stay here wit the like a them.
The fat one started te play the banjo an they all started singin, ‘Oh, Polly wally doodle all day!’ It sounded grand, an I watched te see how she played it. I could play tha easy! I thought te meself, an I jumped up te grab the banjo. ‘Give us a go!’ I said, whippin it offa her an sittin meself back down in the armchair an pullin the strings. It made an awful noise, an the others started roarin laughin. I didn’t blame them, it wasn’t easy after all, an I stood up an gave it back.
Yer woman still had her mouth hangin open an looked aroun at the others, sayin, ‘She just grabbed it out of my hands! Huh! She’s a street kid!’
They all started roarin an laughin again, an I looked aroun at them, gettin the picture of the four-eyed skinny nun insultin me be askin if I was retarded. They’re all tryin te make an eejit outa me in this place. I suddenly felt meself gettin a red-hot fire in me belly an me chest tightened. Without warnin, I grabbed the banjo back an gave yer woman a smack on the head wit it, roarin, ‘Who are you callin a street kid, ye culchie cow?’
The fat one leapt te her feet, still rubbin her head, an made a lunge fer me hair. I jumped back, holdin out the banjo, roarin, ‘Come on, an I’ll give ye another taste a this!’
Yer woman stood grindin her teeth an watchin the banjo an then landin her eyes on mine, an we locked on each other’s faces, an I felt meself stiffenin, watchin fer the slightest move.
‘I’ve a good mind to rip your hair off,’ she said, thinkin better of it an lettin her shoulders drop.
I looked aroun at the others an they were lettin their breaths go an drawin up their jaws hangin down te their bellies. ‘No one calls me names or threatens me, cos ye’ll soon see wha I’m made of,’ I said te the room, walkin out an headin fer the door.
I could hear them all shoutin at the same time, givin out about me. Te hell wit them! I thought, slammin the door shut after me, an walked down a passage tha looked dark at the end, wantin te put distance between me an them. I passed a door wit glass at the top an hesimitated. I could hear voices shoutin an little childre screamin. Jaysus, no! I’m not goin in there. I moved on an it was very quiet – good! No one aroun. I stopped at the end of the passage an looked at a door te me right, an one at the end in a corner, then I turned right then left again an went through an open door. I could smell disinfectant an came inta a row of doors wit tilets fer the childre. They look like the ones ye get at school. I went in an put the lid down on the seat an sat meself down te get a bit a peace an quiet.
God! Are ye listenin te me? I don’t like this place. The people are not very nice an them young ones are very ignorant. They don’t have the easy way of talkin te ye like the Dublin people do. No, they’re very sour. Anyway! They’re different from me. I think they’re all a load a culchies in this place. An they don’t like the Dublin people cos Dublin belongs te us, an we don’t like them fer robbin all the jobs! Tha’s wha all the big people do be sayin. Tha long skinny nun doesn’t like me, an now I’m afraid of me life gettin locked up wit the whole lot a them. I know I shouldn’t a grabbed the banjo, tha was a definite mistake. I made a right eejit outa meself. Then when I couldn’t play it they all started laughin, then I knew I made a right gobshite outa meself. Then tha young one got annoyed an called me a street kid. Well! God, tha put the tin hat on it an I went fer her. Now I’ve made an enemy of meself when the last thing I wanted te do was get meself inta trouble. I was hopin te keep meself nice an quiet, an get on wit the people here. But now . . . I’m feelin all on me own wit no escape. God, will ye stay wit me an help me te keep outa trouble, an let me know I’m not on me own, cos I’m feelin lost again, as if I was a babby. Thanks, God, an I promise te be very good. An anyway, tha little nun wit the red face, I like her, she’s very gentle. Maybe I’ll take a wander an see where she is. Yeah! Good idea.
I stood up an let out a big breath an dropped me shoulders, feelin better in meself. An headed out the door. Just as I got te it I heard laughin then runnin feet. I tried te open the door an it was locked. I pulled an pushed but it wouldn’t open. The bastards! They’ve locked me in! I’m locked in. I felt meself gettin hot an bothered, I’m not goin te be able te get out!
‘Open this door, ye bleedin ratbags!’ I slammed me fists an kicked the door, screamin me lungs out, an the bastards were laughin their heads off outside the door.
‘Let me out, I’m goin te fuckin tear ye’s limb from limb when I get me hands on the lot a ye’s!’
The door suddenly flew in, an a little woman wit long thin grey hair an wearin a blue overall smock stood blinkin an starin at me. I pushed past her an made fer the young ones.
‘Where are they? Let me at them, the mean cows!’
‘Glory be! Stop!’ An she grabbed a hold a me. ‘What happened to you at all?’ she said, lookin inta me face.
‘They locked me in!’
‘Who?’
‘The young ones.’
I was sweatin wit the fright, thinkin I’d never get outa there, an ragin at them makin a fool a me. I tried te pull meself free of the aul one an she held on tight te me coat. Me coat! She’s pullin me new navy-blue gabardine coat I robbed fer meself, an I was wearin me new red an white check wool frock, this is me first time te wear it, an I robbed tha on Saturday te look respectable fer the court. She’ll tear me coat!
I sobbed in a big breath an tried te ease meself, wantin her te let go. I wasn’t goin te run after them young ones now. ‘I’m all right,’ I sobbed, takin in another big breath.
‘Ah, that was very mean of them. Are you the new girl?’
I nodded me head up an down, happy someone was bein nice.
‘Come along and I’ll take you to Sister. She should be down now from the convent. It’s time for the rosary. I’ll take you to your group.’
We walked back along the passage an the little nun was rushin an pushin a load a kids ahead of her inta a room.
‘There she is! Sister! Sister Eleanor!’
The nun shot her head aroun, lookin very distracted.
‘I found the new girl, Sister Eleanor. She was locked in the toilets!’ The tiny little woman laughed, blinkin an shakin her head, like she had more te say but couldn’t get it all out at the same time. ‘Some bold brats were playing a joke on her,’ she laughed an coughed. She probably got tha from the smokin, I could smell it offa her.
The nun took me arm, sayin, ‘Oh, thank you so much, Miss,’ then let me arm go te move closer te the woman. They whispered te each other, watchin me, then the nun moved away, makin a hold fer me arm again, sayin, ‘Oh! They are very bold children altogether. When I find out who was involved, I will certainly punish them. Tsk, tsk, it is shocking behaviour,’ an she stared at the tiny woman, squintin wit her eyes half closed an clampin her lips together.
I felt better wit the fuss they were makin about me, an them agreein wit me thoughts tha them young ones were definitely mean cows! An I’m happy now havin the nun back, I feel more safe now she’s here. I think she’s very nice an gentle, an I really think I’m goin te like the Sister Eleanor.
The door opened an a pile a young ones came roarin out. ‘Sister Eleanor! Tell that big gom to give me back my ruler. I need it to make a straight line for me English composition.’
‘No, Sister! That’s mine! She gave it to me for helping her with her sums.’
‘I did not, you!’
‘Yeh liar. You dirty filthy terrible liar!’ the fat one wit the freckles roared inta the face of a young one wit long curly black hair streamin down her back.
‘Sister Eleanor! Ivy Holmes robbed me rubber! I want it back this minute, or she’s going te get it off me! She’ll be sorry,’ roared a young one wit lovely jet-black bouncy hair cut just past her ears, wit a thick fringe an lovely eyelashes tha look like sweepin brushes. Then she thumped a fat young one wit long gingery curly hair, it was lovely.
‘Give me back that rubber!’ screamed Bouncy-hair, wrestlin wit Curly-ginger. Bouncy got an unmerciful slap on the kisser, then was sent flyin when Curly put out her two hands givin yer woman an almighty push an ran back inta the room.
Sister Eleanor let out a scream. ‘Stop this fighting at once!’
‘But, Sister . . . me ruler! She has it!’
‘I want to hear no more out of you, Dilly Nugent!’ the Sister erupted, losin her rag an draggin hold of Dilly Nugent, pushin her inta the room. ‘Or the rest of you,’ she roared, swingin herself aroun te grab out at people.
‘Sister Eleanor! I want me rubber back! Punish her for hitting me!’ screamed Bouncy inta me ear.
‘Get in! Get in!’ an she dragged an slapped anyone she could get her hands on, an she started pushin an pokin them in the back te get them movin, an looked aroun at me, decidin not te slap me, an said, lookin very weary, ‘Come in, darling,’ then shut the door behind me.
‘Gawd! I hate everyone!’ moaned Dilly Nugent, lookin sideways at the nun like a dog tha’s circlin ye just before it attacks ye.
‘My God and my all!’ moaned the nun, bendin herself in two an lookin at the ceilin. Then she picked herself up an rushed down the room, an started roarin, ‘Put away all your school books; study time is over.’
‘Sister! My knickers and vest got lost in the laundry,’ whined a young one wit short cropped hair an a grey face lookin like a dirty ashtray.
‘Duck Egg . . . I mean Sister Mary Innocent said she never left them down to the laundry,’ roared a young one wit long black thin hair an the face like a back of a bus. She had thin lips an small beady eyes. Then she flicked her hair back an twisted her mouth an flashed her eyes, smirkin at the pasty one.
‘You mind your own business,’ roared the pasty one.
‘Girls!’ screamed the nun. ‘Pick up everything from the work table and tidy your bags away at once,’ an she made a run at the table, grabbin up things, an people roared, ‘That’s mine!’
‘Clean up the workroom,’ roared the nun, clappin her hands an tryin te get a bit of order.
I stayed close te the door, not likin this place at all. Some of them are very rough, an I’m goin te have te watch meself.
We got goin on the rosary, an I knelt meself down next te the nun. She held her rosary beads up fer everyone te see an tried te close her eyes an concentrate but had te flick them open when she heard the titterin. They were restin themselves against chairs an tables, an the Dilly Nugent one an her gang were holdin their hands up te their mouths an laughin an pointin at me. More people were joinin in, an I couldn’t figure out wha I was doin tha was makin them laugh. I looked up at the nun, an she was sayin the prayers an squintin at them an shakin her head. I moved in closer, nearly sittin on her lap, wantin te be right beside her, an the others got very annoyed an started pointin. I couldn’t understand wha was wrong wit tha, but they didn’t seem te like it.
‘In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen,’ the nun breathed, blessin herself wit the cross of the rosary beads an kissin it. Then everyone stood up an made fer the door.
‘Come along now, pet, and we’ll go down to the refectory,’ she said, makin te take me arm.
Some of them were sittin an chattin an arguin, an the nun looked aroun an clapped her hands an shouted, ‘Would you please all do as you are told! It’s tea time for the love of God.’
‘Sister! I swept the refectory for you at lunchtime today. That big mope Terry Brown was supposed to do it, but she went off an left me to do all the washing up an everything by myself!’
‘Thank you, pet, you are very good,’ whispered the nun, lookin very distracted an pattin yer woman on the arm an lookin back at the stragglers wit her face twisted as if she was in pain. ‘Oh, give me patience,’ she muttered te the ceilin, screwin up her eyes an takin me arm an holdin onta the other one’s arm.
We made it down the passage wit the lovely shiny brown tiles an past rooms wit big glass windas lookin inta tables an chairs wit younger kids all shoutin an slappin, an the nun in charge was takin no notice an givin all her attention te a big young one cryin. The nun looked back as my nun passed, an waved an smiled an said, ‘Sister Eleanor! I’ll talk to you later about that other matter.’ She had a lovely white face an sky-blue eyes an fair eyebrows, an lovely white teeth. Gawd! She’d be lovely if she was an ordinary woman, I thought te meself as I flew on te catch up wit the nun. Then passed another room wit the same glass winda, an lookin the very same as the other room.
I threw me eye in, an little kids all lookin about four te six years old looked out at us, sittin themselves very quiet, cos a tall dark-lookin nun wit lovely brown eyes was watchin them like a hawk. She glared out at us cos of all the racket goin on an went on about her business of seein te the tea. I wouldn’t like te be in wit her, I thought te meself, rushin past wantin te catch up wit the Sister, who was gallopin ahead te break up a fight. Jaysus! They kill each other in this place. I don’t really like fightin; I prefer te have the peace an quiet.
We went inta a room like all the others. An a big young one was pourin out the tea from a huge big kettle. ‘You sit here, darling,’ the nun said, sittin me down beside a young one wit glasses an lovely wavy roarin red hair.
‘Gawd! Boiled eggs again!’ moaned the redhead. ‘Why can’t we get something different? It’s not even soft! I hate this group, I do! And I hate that Sister Eleanor,’ she moaned, lookin sideways at the nun an takin me in an decidin she hated me, too.
‘Olivia Ryan! If Sister in the kitchen hears you speak like that again, you know what will happen!’ an the nun looked away, hidin the annoyance an the laugh on her face at the same time.
Everyone at the table started roarin laughin. ‘Yeah! She’ll bring back in the slop bucket for the pigs and land it in front of you again on the table for calling her cooking pigs’ slop!’
‘Yeah, well, that Sister Eleanor one is not fair. I was the only one to get punished at breakfast, and she said nothing to that thick mopey gom Aine Keeps, even though she ran out of the laundry, too, without helping Duck Egg!’
‘Yeah! I know. She has her pets that one!’ a young one moaned in agreement, droppin the corners of her mouth down te her belly an givin a dirty look over te the nun. Then she went back te starin at her long skinny face an a narrow pointy nose in a broken bit a mirror leanin against the plastic cup. She leaned in fer a better look, squeezin an scratchin at pimples on her face. Then the nun shouted fer everyone te stand up an say the angelus. The bells started ringin fer everyone te pray.
‘The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,’ moaned the nun in a long breath, soundin like she was very tired. I was exhausted meself an was dyin te get a bit te eat an find where me bed was. I watched as the nun disappeared out the door, leavin the room bare without her, an me stuck here all on me own wit these wild young ones.
A big shiny metal tray arrived carryin a load a thick-sliced buttered bread an landed on the middle table where all the older ones sat. Then the tray went aroun the room te the other tables. I counted five long tables wit about six or seven people sittin at them. One table was fer holdin the dishes fer the food, the cups an saucers an plates.
The bread arrived at our table an everyone grabbed two, an there was a few left an people at our table tried te grab it, but the tray was whipped away an brought over te the big young ones’ table. I watched it go, hopin I might get another few slices, but no such luck. The big ones took it all, an Redhead roared over at them, ‘It’s just not fair! You big girls always grab the best of everything!’
‘Yes! And you’re just jealous!’ cackled the one wit the back-of-a-bus face an long stringy hair tha she thought was beautiful.
Then the nun arrived back an said more prayers, an rushed over te me an whispered, ‘Come along with me, Martha, and we’ll get you sorted out with your clothes.’ Then she galloped outa the refectory, an I rushed after her, an a load a kids chased us up the passage all shoutin an roarin fer the nun.
‘You’ll need a nightdress,’ she said, fittin up a long cotton white frilly-necked gown te me neck.
I looked down: it went te me feet.
‘It will keep you nice and warm,’ she laughed, seein me wonderin how I’d get aroun in this without breakin me neck.
‘Now! Here are two pairs of knickers and two vests. You wear one set and leave the other down to Sister Mary Innocent in the laundry on a Saturday. This is your school uniform,’ she said, fittin up a navy-blue gymslip an red jumper an white shirt an a red sash te go aroun the gymslip. I was delighted wit meself, thinkin I’ll look lovely in tha. I always wanted te wear a school uniform; all the respectable people wear them. The only thing is I won’t be able te wear them out an show them off . . . Only the gobshites livin here see them, an tha doesn’t count. Cos they’re all wearin them themselves.
‘Now! Come along with me and I’ll take you up to the dormitory.’
We climbed stairs, passin landins wit corridors an rooms an younger childre runnin aroun, an went up te nearly the top. We passed a statue of Our Lady holdin the baby Jesus an went inta a room wit ten beds then carried on inta a big long room wit loads a beds like a hospital. Only they were lengthways under the big windas tha ye couldn’t see out cos they were too high up, an more beds down the middle, runnin the length a the room.
‘Now, darling, this is your bed,’ she said, puttin me stuff on the bed an openin a locker sittin next te it. I was down in the corner outside a door leadin inta another room, an there’s only one bed beside me, sittin in the other corner. I looked at the black hairy blankets when she pulled down the red bedspread wit white roses in the middle, an I was delighted wit the lovely white sheets an white pilla.
‘Now, darling, why don’t you have a wash and climb into your bed before the others come up, you must be exhausted, you poor thing,’ she said, bendin down an lookin inta me face.
‘Yes, Sister, I’ll do tha,’ I said, feelin happy at the thought of gettin inta me new bed an gettin a bit a sleep, cos me head was painin me an I could hardly keep me eyes open. Too much had happened all in the one day.
‘Look, darling,’ she whispered, headin me over te a little room wit sinks fer the childre te wash themselves. ‘This is the dressingroom, and the toilet is out on the landing. Now, darling, off you go and get yourself ready for bed,’ an I rushed outa the room, headin fer me locker te get me wash things she gave me. ‘Good girl, have a good night’s rest for yourself,’ she said, flyin out the door.