Monday was the worst day of the week. Putting on the navy school sweater and the shoulder straps of her bag across her back was almost like putting on armour and getting ready for battle. She would take a few deep breaths and hold her spine straight to control her inner panic. She got on well with some of her classmates and they would chat to her, and they raised no objections to her sitting beside them. There was another group who avoided looking her in the eye or talking to her, but who did nothing bad to her.
But there were about five in the class who never let up taunting her. ‘Knacker’, ‘tinker’, they whispered and jeered at her. She hated each and every one of them. Often she felt sure they must be aware of her heart pounding and of the crazy throbs of her pulse if they approached her. But she decided she would not cry even if her heart felt like a wooden heart. She often thought of the words of the song now, and she understood them! Would her heart fall apart, crack and split in two? But once she kept her eyes steady and put a damper on her temper, things passed off.
Natalie jeered and taunted her as often as she could. She made sure that everyone in the school knew that Katie was a traveller and tried to shame her at every opportunity.
‘What’s the point of the likes of you coming here?’ she demanded to know.
Katie did her best to ignore her. At lunchtime one Wednesday when Katie went to get her sandwich, her locker had been broken open. It was the third time in a week, and this time her drink had been spilt down over her books and soaked her turquoise jacket which was covered with stains and flung on the floor. It was the only jacket she had. Her sandwich had been stood on, so now she had no lunch either. But the worst thing was that her new history book and Irish book the Principal had given her were destroyed.
It was only when Natalie came out of the toilets that Katie spotted a piece of squashed sandwich stuck on her shoe.
‘You busted my locker.’ Katie walked right up to her. Natalie refused to answer.
‘You busted the locker and opened my can and spilt it and ruined my lunch.’
‘I didn’t touch your locker or your mouldy old cheese sandwich.’
‘You did.’
‘I did not.’
‘I’ve proof.’
‘The proof of a lying little tinker, is it?’
‘The cheese on your shoe.’
‘Anyone and everyone knows that the likes of you bring dirt and mess wherever you go.’
‘I’ve brought no mess, you don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Ciara, get her a mop and she can clean up her filth.’ As she threw this order to her friend, Natalie snatched the can from the locker shelf and began to shake the dregs around the room.
Katie tried to grab the can but the other girl was taller and heavier than her and knocked her against the locker door.
‘Leave her alone, Natalie.’ It was Brona Dowling.
‘Mind your own business. You keep out of this,’ warned Natalie, flushing because someone had dared to question her authority.
‘Don’t clean it, Katie, don’t mind her,’ said Brona.
With her foot, Katie let fly and kicked Natalie against the wall of lockers opposite her.
Natalie then grabbed at a hank of Katie’s long hair, swinging out of it. Katie felt as if her whole scalp was being tugged off and tears of pain stung her eyes.
She lashed out with her free hand, while with the other she tried to release her hair, but Ciara tripped her and she fell down on the tiled floor with Natalie on top of her. She tried to knee her off but Natalie was much stronger. She was pinned down and Natalie was just reaching for the can again when their maths teacher’s voice boomed out.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ He stormed over and pulled Natalie off.
‘Get to your feet, both of you. Up to Mrs Quinlan’s office immediately. The rest of you stop gaping and tidy up here and go and have your lunches.’
Katie blushed scarlet. The boys were coming out of their locker room and began to catcall them.
‘Hey, girls, who won the wrestling match?’
‘When do you fight again?’
Katie’s head ached and her shoulder was stiff. She noticed that Natalie’s nose had begun to bleed by the time they reached the office.
Mrs Quinlan was furious.
‘I will not have it! Two girls fighting like …’
Katie almost laughed. She had nearly said the word ‘tinkers’.
‘Who started it?’
‘She did.’
‘No! she did.’
‘She accused me of stealing her lunch.’
‘You busted my locker.’
Mrs Quinlan came out from behind her desk.
‘Mr Byrne saw the two of you fighting. Both of you have disgraced yourselves. Neither of you knows how to behave as a lady should. Natalie, last week you were in this office over remarks made about a teacher, and Katie, you know you are in this school under special circumstances. That temper of yours will have to be kept under control. I have a large school to run.
‘We get bullying and beatings amongst the boys and I have to come down firmly on them, so it’s only fair that you girls get the same punishment. You are both suspended for two days. I will inform your parents. You will gather your things and I suggest you both go home straight away. I will see you next week in this office.’
Katie rolled up her jacket into her schoolbag. Maybe she’d get a chance to soak out the stains before Mam saw it.
* * *
The kitchen was quiet when she got in from school – the others wouldn’t be home for nearly two hours. She found a note on the table under the sugar bowl. It was written in her brother’s large scrawly writing. She read it quickly then stuffed it into her pocket and ran upstairs.
She was surprised to find Mam in bed with Davey lying near her, dozing.
‘Ah, Katie, you’re home early. We’re just having a little nap.’
‘I’m suspended, Mam.’
Her mother looked puzzled. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It means I’m not let back to school for two days.’
‘But what did you do?’
‘A girl was bullying me and we got into a fight …’ she trailed off.
‘I knew it, Katie, you and that temper! It’ll always get you into trouble!’
‘Honest, Mam, it wasn’t my fault at all.’
‘How often have I heard that? Well, tell me then how is it you always end up involved in some way or another. You and Paddy, now the two of you in trouble. What’s happening to my family at all?’
Katie wondered what she should do with Tom’s note. Would this break her Mam’s heart altogether? She decided to tell her and get it over with.
‘I found this note, Mam. It’s from Tom.’ She handed the note to her mother who stared at it blankly. ‘You’ll have to read it to me,’ Mam said.
Katie read it out:
Katie
Tell Mam I’m sorry but I can’t stick it here
any longer. I’m going to find Da.
If I stayed any longer I’d only bring the
Guards down on the whole family. The twins
will be glad to have the room.
Love
Tom
Mam didn’t say a word. She took the letter and held it close.