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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

And how would he die? He would drive my mam’s next car through a stone wall, or jump in the river like John Brown, or maybe he would cut his throat with a razor blade. Or maybe, like me, he would just choke to death in the dead air of our family. Something would happen and he would be dead. I already had a broken heart.

36

It was snowing. We call it snow in Ireland but, as Serena Never Tires Of Telling Me, they have different varieties of snow of which ours is the pissiest. She Has Seen The Real Thing. It was a thin straight snow and when it landed on the ground it was the size and shape of a grain of rice. But minute by minute it was covering the ground and the ground was frozen. Like the earth would break if you hit it with a hammer, the whole world would crack down the middle. Frozen things break. Standing at the bus stop with Holly. I love Holly like the best thing you can love, we don’t even need to talk to understand each other. We were so cold. We stamped around and tried to rub each other warm. The bus was probably delayed by the snow. In Canada and places they have snowploughs but in Ireland if two snowflakes fall it’s a weather alert code red. I love the weather forecast. It’s my favourite programme. Holly nudged me and started to sing ‘My Resistance is Low’. And I sang along. It was funny because Holly had a cold. We were happy. My phone rang. It was Serena. She was crying. Like Serena has a liquidity problem. She breaks down under stress, even if it’s only stress she imagined.

I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

Slow down, girl, I said, what are you telling me, I can’t hear properly.

Holly came close and put her ear to the phone. We looked at each other.

Holly said, She’s saying she’s in the hospital.

I tried to talk. Serena, Serena, slow down. Serena. Are you in hospital?

I couldn’t get her to stop. Then the call ended. Did she end it? Or was it my crappy signal?

Holly said, We better go see her. Do you think she...?

What? Do I think she what?

She sounded shook. Like really shook.

Well, she’s sick.

She said something about an ambulance, Holly said.

I could see what Holly was saying. I said: The night we set fire to the bin I helped her undress…

Holly gave me the retina scan look. Like she was thinking, Bitch, you did Serena too!

No way, I said, don’t you start. She was frozen and she couldn’t get out of her clothes. I helped her that’s all.

And your point is?