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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

Sometimes I would hear low talking. Like people making clandestine plans. Or people with something terrible to say. How was I supposed to know? Like I’m seventeen years-of-age. How Am I Supposed To Know Anything?

I think they were both taking my dad’s sleeping pills. Or else my mam got her own supply. Our doctor would prescribe cocaine if you asked him. If the pharmacy stocked it. By the end of the week I couldn’t sleep. I was lying awake listening to the silence. I’d hear my brother come in. Sometimes The Dog barked at him. I would say, As soon as Tony is asleep I’ll fall asleep too. But it’s one thing you can’t wait for or expect. Eventually I slogged one of dad’s pills and that night was a Saturday night and I slept until after twelve on Sunday.

And the next morning was the Monday that my dad told me their secret plan. The Revenue were going to serve some notice on him and he needed to be out of sight. We were all going to go to this house that was owned by a friend of his way Out In The Wilderness idk Kerry or somewhere. A holiday cottage. We stayed in holiday cottages before. They’re OK. Him and me would go first and get the place warmed up. We would be joined by Mam and Tony as soon as she got out of work. We were going to lie low there because the Revenue would not be able to serve a summons which has to be done in person. The way Dad talked we were the French Resistance. We were headed for the hills and the Gestapo would never find us. I was to pack my bag that night and leave it under my bed and he would pick me up from school during the day on Tuesday. He would say I had a doctor’s appointment. Then we would disappear into the hills and forests until the war was over. I said, Dad this is like absconding. It seemed to me that my dad’s answer to everything was to hide out somewhere for a while. I had a bad feeling we were all moving into Clarinda Park and that was his real secret plan. Jesus wept for the third time. It was complete crap.

Me: Dad, are you OK? Like I’m worried about you. Are you depressed?

Dad: Oh for God’s sake, Suzy, stop googling everything.

Me: I didn’t google it, Dad. I’m just worried.