Holly’s dad is a bit involved with the protests about the evictions. Holly and me agreed that no matter what our dads did we would stay friends forever. It turns out her dad is in a political party that’s not up for evicting people for non-payment. They’re not Blue, Green or Pink. Maybe they’re Red or Black, Holly doesn’t know about the colours. My mam thinks he’s the Antichrist. Like the Antichrist must be a commie or an anarchist, it just makes complete sense. If my mam was around in Christ’s time she would have said he was the Antichrist. And they stopped my dad doing an eviction one day. They all stood around outside and the sheriff didn’t want to risk it. My dad wants them all in jail.

Dad says I’m not even supposed to mention absconding to my mam because seemingly my mam is too scared of the idea. But she’s going to do it. She Will Join Us Later.

That doesn’t sound like your mam, Holly said.

That’s what my dad said. She was so nervous she didn’t want to talk about it.

Sounds to me like your dad is fucking kidnapping you. Like that’s what paedophiles say. It’s just our secret. You should have told your mam.

My dad is not a paedophile for fuck’s sake.

I’m not saying he is.

And anyway Mam is gone to work.

Phone her. Tell her.

My dad would kill me.

Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you if he cuts you up and stores your bits in the deep freeze.

We were waiting at our bus stop. There was that dribbly rain that’s a bit heavier than mist but not fully grown rain. It was pissy. And it was cold too. The weather forecast said the air mass was coming from the continent where they were getting a nasty patch, people dying in their cars in snowdrifts. There was a weather warning yellow, wintry showers turning to snow over high ground. A danger of heavier falls in mountainous areas of the West. It never snowed enough. Ireland is a crap country for weather. Everything we get is wet.

Don’t tell them in school. You’ll get into trouble.

You know me. I won’t tell.

I knew she wouldn’t. They could waterboard Holly and she would never talk. I had the feeling she was right but I thought I owed my dad. I had to give him a chance. Like, I was the only one on his side.

I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, I said.