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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

My mam had her phone in her hand like she was going to ring someone, the guards or the ambulance or even my dad. She was leaning against the kitchen sink. She was looking at my dad. My dad was looking at her. Then she started to slap her phone against the palm of her other hand. There was a flock of birds on the purple tree in our garden. It was directly behind my mam and I could see them tearing something off. Maybe buds or flowers. Do birds eat buds? They were just ripping things and throwing them away. She said, There’s letters for you, I would have forwarded them but I didn’t have an address, they’re from the Revenue, I got them too.

Dad: What do they say?

Mam: They want us to come in again. My solicitor says they’re going to declare us bankrupt.

Dad: Your solicitor?

Mam: That’s what she said.

Dad: When did she make this pronouncement? How long have you been talking to her about me?

My mam sighed. Then she turned around and ran the cold tap. Then she took a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with cold water. Then she drank it. All of it, all the way down, a whole glass of water in one go. It’s a family tradition in my house, drinking water when you’re stressed. Other people go for the drinks cabinet, but with us it’s the cold tap. Except my dad who needs alcohol in everything. This may be because all our best fights happen in the kitchen and there is no drinks cabinet to hand. They seemed to have forgotten about me. Then she turned around again.

I asked you months ago, she said, and you said everything was fine, we were back on our feet again, the houses were paying. You said we’d turned the corner.

What fucking corner? There’s no corners. It’s just one long road.

Downhill.

My dad shrugged. You were happy enough in the good times.

Matt, she said, I was never happy. You are a complete shit, you are now and you always were. I was sorry I married you on the day I married you and nothing has changed. There were never good times.

That’s what you say now, but you usen’t to say it. You’re only saying it because of the Revenue.

I asked my solicitor if I divorced you now would I still be liable and she said I would.

You asked her about if you divorced me?

She said I would carry the debt with me the same as I would carry the property. Half and half.

Your fucking solicitor? She couldn’t write a postcard nevermind a fucking divorce letter. I warned you she was a bimbo, a complete airhead. She’s a blonde for fuck’s sake.