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Back Trespasses Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. COVER
  2. HALF-TITLE PAGE
  3. BY THE SAME AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION PAGE
  5. TITLE PAGE
  6. 2015
  7. THE IRISH FOR NO
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. DÚIL
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. CHIAROSCURO
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. 17
  27. 18
  28. IN CALVARY’S FLOW
  29. 19
  30. 20
  31. 21
  32. 22
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. WHEN I MOVE TO THE SKY
  36. 25
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. 29
  41. 30
  42. 2015
  43. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  44. A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR

On the rare occasions Gina watched, it was to ridicule the fussy hats and gormless faces of the congregation. She didn’t even join in with the prayers at Mass. The only time Cushla had ever heard her sing was when Cushla’s father was alive and she performed ‘I’m Just a Girl Who Caint Say No’ at a party, pretending to pull up the sides of her skirt, to guffaws from the men and knowing looks from the women.

Gerry stayed for another couple of hours and Cushla walked him to his car. He hugged her and put his key in the lock but hesitated before he turned it. Joking aside, he said, I don’t know what you’re up to but be careful. You could lose your job.

She felt a little flicker of disquiet but the phone began to ring again and, kissing Gerry’s cheek, she ran inside, praying it was Michael. It was Tommy.

Oh, said Cushla, unable to keep surprise from her voice. Why was he ringing her?

She heard a faint fizz as he drew saliva into his mouth. I told my mummy that you wouldn’t be that good to us and then report her, he said. You wouldn’t, like, would you?

Of course not.

That’s what I thought, he said. The strike of a match, a deep intake of breath. I’m working now. General labouring stuff to start off with, but the money’s good.

Your mummy is really hoping you’ll go back to school.

He exhaled through his nose. She can hope away, he said.

Ah, Tommy, don’t say that. There’s no reason why you can’t go back some day. I’ll drop a book or two round, she said. If you keep reading all will not be lost. OK?

Yes, miss.

IN CALVARY’S FLOW

IN CALVARY’S FLOW

19

19

A duck patrol, soldiers hunkered down, the last man – a boy, really – walking backwards, scanning the pavement with his gun. A Saracen, then another. BRITS OUT dabbed on the wall outside the leisure centre, the only venue available at short notice – the hotel Gerry’s friends had booked for their wedding reception had been firebombed.

Inside, the floor was marked for basketball with coloured tape, and trestle tables had been erected and covered with white cloths. They were seated with people she remembered from the party: Harry and Joe and the hairy chap she had last seen with a woman wrapped round his hips. Once the tables were full the room was almost pretty; Cushla’s father used to say that people were the best decoration of all.