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Back Suzy Suzy Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. By the same author
  3. SUZY SUZY
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Glossary of Dialect Terms
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. About William Wall
  90. An Invitation from the Publisher

I was thinking that if I had John Brown’s baby he would have been that colour. A beautiful oily brown like some kind of dress fabric, like satin or something. My mam has a tan satin blouse. It would be like that. It gave me a warm feeling just to think about having John Brown’s baby, but it made me sad too. Because I will never get him back. Even though he wasn’t mine ever. I just liked being near him.

That’s all genetics stuff, he said, you never know what way someone’s skin will go. I’ll tell you something for nothing, Suzy, sometimes two white people get a black baby. And anyway not all Nigerians are that black. She has Irish citizenship and so has the baby.

Cool.

She was born in Morocco or someplace.

And how old is she now?

My dad looked away. Look at that fucker, he said.

A man was trying to reverse a forklift out of some kind of a factory or warehouse and he backed it straight into a parked car. We drove past. There was no one in the car. The guy in the forklift was scratching his head. I looked back. He made shit of the door and the passenger side mirror. My dad was still saying nothing.

Does she pay her rent, Dad?

He nodded.

Like if she didn’t pay her rent my dad is Conan the Barbarian. No prisoners taken. It’s just his way. No arrears, no deposit back until the cutlery is counted and the bills come in marked paid and the accounts closed. On the other side of it, if someone rings up and says there’s a leak in the roof or the toilet is blocked, he’s on to it. Joe Daly is his man. Joe Daly fixes everything. And Joe has Piotr, a Polish guy and there’s a Latvian what his name is Idk. They do our garden. Mam says they’re butchers but Dad says they keep it clean and tidy. Nothing much grows in it except blackbirds and finches and grass.