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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

As soon as my brother was gone my dad said, If we sell Clarinda Park and use the flats in Paradise Street as collateral we could come up with the money. It’ll be close to two mill.

I couldn’t believe it. I’m like: You promised Clarinda Park for when Tony got married.

My dad gave me the silent look.

My mother said, Eat your chicken, look at you, if you don’t eat you’ll die.

My dad said, I’ll tell you this for nothing, Suzy, it is a once in a lifetime chance. Ballyshane won’t come up for sale again any time soon.

But Clarinda Park is practically their house.

But it’s not. It’s part of our portfolio of properties and all property is an asset to be used wisely. And I never promised it I just mentioned it once. I’d say he doesn’t even remember.

Like, Dad, that so sounds crap.

Out! my mother said. Up to your room. Go. Now.

Perfect, I said, I won’t have to smell that KFC shit any more.

Sometimes I can see my mother is going to hit me but she stops herself. Like there’s a little tick of bones and muscles and a change in the way her hands and her body are tilted. She did that now. It always makes me flinch. To cover I got up fast.

Not a word of this to Tony, my dad said, we’ll tell him when the time is right.

None of my business, I said.

Don’t let us down, my dad said.

I made sure to slam the door behind me. I heard my dad calling me back to close it politely, but I ignored him. Like my dad is the King Of Letting Down. I went out for a walk. I like walking. It was a cold night with a full moon and a billion stars. They were like little bits of glass pressed against grey-blue velvet. It was so beautiful. I could hear dogs barking somewhere.

2

So my dad on the phone to Dan Kelleher the auctioneer. First comes Wheedling Dad: Come on now, Dan, you and me go back a long way, we soldiered together bad times and good, seriously, come on now, Dan. How many sweet deals did I set you up for? You know me and I know you. This is letting yourself down. Your father wouldn’t have let me down like this. What came over you to sell so quick? You closed the sale without coming back to me. You know me, of course I’d have come up on my first offer. No way Miss Corry would have preferred selling to a Brit.