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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

A neighbour came out to her garden and asked us if we were OK. Like if we were burglars or winos we would just sit around on the patio for a couple of hours. I said I was waiting for my dad to get home. She gave me a sad look. Did we want a cup of tea? We said no thanks. Serena asked her to take a pic of the three of us on her phone. She gave her the phone. It was a top of the range iPhone. Serena is the kind of person who has her phone insured. The woman took a pic and gave it back. She went back inside. She was watching telly, we could see her sitting on a couch with her back to the window. The couch was huge. There was some kind of food programme on. All that was in the room was a forty-eight inch flat screen and a couch. It was like no humans need apply.

My dad houses were always Fully Furnished To A High Standard, one-hundred-per-cent IKEA, with All Appliances Including Microwave because my dad said unfurnished houses gave tenants more rights. My dad is Against Tenant Rights. In History he would have been a landlord and he would have been against the Land League which everyone is agreed was a good thing. Michael Davitt is a hero in Irish history because he won tenant rights, Fair Rent, Fixity Of Tenure, Free Sale. I think that’s partly because he had one arm. Wounded people are often heroes. Our History teacher told us that he was a friend of Karl Marx’s sister or daughter. Like that’s not much. It’s like saying, A friend of a friend knows Somebody Important. Like the seven degrees of separation. But seven degrees is too much and there is no way the guy in the seventh degree is going to help you out of trouble. Like I might be seven degrees from Barack Obama but if I write to him with a bullet point list of how we’re only seven degrees apart, is he going to come over here and tell my parents to get together again and stop fighting before they kill us all?

Maybe Michael Davitt was a friend of Karl Marx too, the way Tosser is a friend of mine because he’s a friend of my brother, but history does not record.

My dad’s car drove up at twenty minutes past five. We waited until he got inside and saw us through the patio door. Holly started to blush but Serena just looked from him to me. She was curious about how people who shouted would act together. He opened the sliding door and said, Hi, girls. Serena said, Hi. Holly said, Hi, Mr Regan. I said, Hi, Dad.