Veronica spoke.

–All those—fuckin’ sequins, she said, softly.—Oh my sweet Jesus.

Jimmy Sr could have murdered Linda and Tracy. They saw this, so they both answered promptly when he asked them what they’d said to their mother.

–Tracy said—

–Linda said I was—

–Shut up!

Tracy started crying.

Jimmy Sr pointed at Linda.

–Tell me.

–Tracy said—

Jimmy Sr’s pointed finger seemed to get closer to her although he didn’t move. She started again.

–We on’y told her we weren’t doin’ the dancin’ annymore.

–Oh good fuck, said Jimmy Sr, not loudly.

He looked at Veronica. She was staring at a little pile of sequins in front of her.

–Yis ungrateful little brassers, he said.

–It’s stupid, said Linda.—I’m sick of it. It’s stupid.

Veronica came back to life.

–They’re not giving it up, she said.

–That’s righ’.

–Ah Mammy—

–No! said Veronica.

–But it’s stupid.

–You heard your mammy, didn’t yeh? said Jimmy Sr.—DIDN’T YEH?

–Yeah.

–An’ wha’ did she say?

–

–ANSWER ME.

–We have to keep doin’ it.

–That’s righ’, said Jimmy Sr.—An’, what’s more, yis’ll enjoy it. An’ if I hear anny whingin’ out o’ yis yis’ll need an operation to get my foot ou’ of your arses.—Now, say you’re sorry.

–Sorry.

–Not to me.

–Sorry.

–Now go inside an’ practise, said Jimmy Sr.

They got past Jimmy Sr without touching him. He heard Tracy when they’d got out of the kitchen.

–I don’t care, I’m not doin’ it.

Jimmy Sr rushed out and grabbed her and, without intending to, lifted her.

–Wha’ did you say?

–Aah!—Nothin’!

–Are yeh sure?

She was rubbing her arm and deciding whether to cry or not.

–Yeah, she said.

–Good, said Jimmy Sr.—Now get in there an’ cha cha cha.

Darren was coming in the back door when Jimmy Sr got back to the kitchen.

–Again? said Jimmy Sr.

–Yeah, said Darren.

He’d crashed again. One side of his face was grazed, the darkest, reddest scrape along his cheekbone.

–Look.

Darren showed them where his jersey was ripped.

–Look it.

He showed them the big, wide scrape down his leg. He was delighted.

Jimmy Sr remembered having a gash like that, only bigger, when he was a young fella. He was going to tell Darren about it but he decided not to, not with Veronica there.

–Wha’ happened yeh? he said instead. Sharon came in from work.—Hiyis.

–There’s Sharon. Do us a favour, love. Talk to the twins, will yeh.—They’re talkin’ abou’ wantin’ to give up the oul’ dancin’, yeh know?

He nodded at Veronica. Sharon looked at her.

–Okay, she said.

–Good girl. They’re in with the telly. Practisin’.

Sharon saw Darren.

–God, wha’ happened yeh?

–I came off me bike.

He smiled.

–Sharon’ll sort them ou’, Jimmy Sr told Veronica.—Are we havin’ the dinner?

Veronica put the dress on the table. She stood up and looked around her, as if she’d just woken up with a fright.

–It’ll have to be from the chipper, she said.

–Grand, said Jimmy Sr.—Darren can go an’ show off his war wounds, wha’.

Darren laughed.

–How’d it happen? Jimmy Sr asked him.

–I was blemmin’ down Tonlegee Road.

–Jaysis! Was it a race?

–Yeah, but I didn’t give up. I got on again an’ I finished it.

–Good man, said Jimmy Sr.—Course yeh did. Did yeh win?

–No. I was last but Mister Cantwell says I showed the righ’ spirit.

–He’s dead righ’.

He turned to Veronica.

–Just like his da, wha’.

He turned back to Darren.

–Did yeh know I met your mammy when I fell off me bike?

–Did yeh?

–He was drunk, said Veronica.

–It was love, said Jimmy Sr.—Love knocked me off me bike.

Darren spoke.

–Mister Cantwell says we’re not to bother with young ones cos they’ll only distract us.

Jimmy Sr laughed.

–Fair play to Mister Cantwell. He’s dead righ’.

–Cantwell. He’s your man from across from the shops, isn’t he?

–Yeah.

–He does the church collection.

–Yeah.

–Isn’t he great? said Veronica.

Jimmy Sr grinned at her.

–An’ he’s your manager, is he?

–Yeah.

–Good. What’re yis called?

–The Barrytown Cyclin’ Club.

–Go ’way! That’s very clever.

–Don’t mind him, Veronica told Darren.—He’s just being smart. Wash your cuts and then you’re to go to the chipper.

–I don’t need to wash—

–Do wha’ your mammy tells yeh.

Darren did.

Jimmy Sr looked at Veronica.

–How’re yeh feelin’, love?

–Ah—

Linda and Tracy came in.

–Yes? said Jimmy Sr.

The twins looked at each other. Then Linda spoke.

–Ma, we’re sorry.

–Mammy.

–Mammy. We’re sorry.

–It’s not tha’ bad, said Tracy.—It’s not really stupid.

–Won’t yeh keep makin’ our dresses? said Linda.

–She will o’ course, said Jimmy Sr.

–I’ll think about it, said Veronica to Jimmy Sr.

–She’ll think abou’ it, said Jimmy Sr.

He clapped his hands.

–The few chips’ll go down well, he said.

He went over to the bread bin.

–I’ll butter a few slices, will I? For butties.

–You think of nothing except your stomach, said Veronica.

–It’s the family’s stomachs I’m thinkin’ of, Veronica, me dear.

He rolled up two slices and shoved them into his mouth. He winked at Veronica and then he went back to the front room. Sharon was in there, alone. She was sitting on the couch, and reading Jimmy Sr’s book.

–Who’s readin’ this? she asked Jimmy Sr when she saw him.

He shouldn’t have left it there.

–I am, he said.

–You!

The book was Everywoman.

–Yeah.—Why not?

He sat down beside her.

–What’re yeh readin’ it for? Sharon asked him.

–Aah—Curiosity. I suppose.

–Where d’yeh get it?

–Library.

He looked at Sharon. He took the book from her.

–I didn’t know there was so much to it, yeh know.

–Yeah.

–It’s like the inside of a fuckin’ engine or somethin’. ’Cept engines don’t grow.

Sharon grinned.

–D’yeh get cramps, Sharon? said Jimmy Sr.

Sharon laughed a bit.

–No. Not yet annyway.

–Good. Good. I’d say they’d be a killer. We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed.—Anythin’ else?

–Wrong?

–Yeah.

–No.

–Good. That’s good.

–I went to me antenatal check-ups.

–Yeh did o’ course.—An’ wha’ were they like?

–Grand.

–Good.—Good. Darren’s gone to the chipper, for the dinners.—Yeah.

–That’s some knock he got.—Yeah.

–He got up though, fair play to him.—I was lookin’ at another chapter there.

He opened the book and closed it and opened it again and looked at a diagram and closed it.

–The one abou’—doin’ the business, yeh know.

–Sex?

–Yeah. Exactly.—Jaysis, I don’t know—It’s very fuckin’ complicated, isn’t it?

Sharon laughed, and felt her face getting hot.—I can’t say I don’t know, she said.

–Wha’? Oh yeah.—I’d say Georgie Burgess was a dab hand at the oul’—wha’ d’yeh macall it—the foreplay, wha’?

–Daddy!

–Sorry. Sorry, Sharon. It wasn’t Burgess, I know. I just said it for a laugh. But—abou’, yeh know, ridin’ an’ tha’—I thought it was just—D’yeh know wha’ I mean?

–I think so.

–Jaysis, Sharon. I don’t know—

–I’d better warn Mammy.

–Wha’? Oh yeah. Very good. Yeah.—Annyway, I was lookin’ at another bit here. Look it.

Les saved Sharon by sticking his head round the door. Jimmy Sr felt the draught and looked up.

–Jaysis!

–Howyeh.

–Leslie. How are yeh?

–Alrigh’.

–Good man. How’re the jobs goin’?

–Alrigh’.

–Good man. Gardens?

–Yeah.

–An’ windows.

–Yeah.

–Good. Gives yeh a few bob annyway, wha’. Are yeh havin’ your dinner with us?

–Yeah.