Read Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes for Free Online

pulled me down te the statue. ‘Now!’ she explained, ‘This here is the statue of St Jude. He’s the saint fer hopeless causes.’ She joined her hands an held them high in the air, an lifted her eyes up te the statue, an started te pray in a loud voice. I was sittin beside her on the kneeler, an she told me te hold me hands together an pray.
    I didn’t know wha te say, so I just made it up. I was sayin, ‘Hally, Mally, Vecha, a do,’ an the aul one smiled an nodded at me, an said I was great. Then the ma came down the chapel, an we went out inta the sunshine. I felt a very good girl.

7
    The noise woke me up, an I sat up in the bed wonderin wha was happenin. Me ma was standin at the side of the bed, shiverin an moanin. Nelly told me an Barney te get up an put our clothes on. I saw blood on the floor an blood streamin down me ma’s legs. Nelly threw her coat over her shoulders an shot outa the door. She was back in a minute, an a load of aul women streamed in behind her. They started fussin aroun the ma. One aul one picked me ma’s only frock up from the chair an swooped down te wipe up the blood from the floor. I didn’t think tha was a good idea, cos what is me ma goin te wear now? Another aul one grabbed me an said, ‘Here!’ handin me a shoppin bag. ‘Go down an get the potatoes an messages fer the dinner.’
    I’d never been sent fer messages, an we didn’t get potatoes, but I thought this was a great idea. So I held onta the bag an looked up at the aul one, waitin fer her te give me the money. But all she did was roar at me an say, ‘Go on! Go down te the vegebale shop, yer mammy needs the messages.’
    So I set off confused. I thought ye needed money te buy the potatoes. When I got te the shop, I handed up the bag te the woman behind the counter. I knew what I wanted now. I’d heard me ma an Nelly talk often enough about it. ‘Ye can give me a bit a bacon an cabbage, an potatoes, an a load a good butter, an two loaves a bread, an a bottle a milk,’ I said. ‘An a bit a tea an sugar. An gimme a nice big cake fer the tea.’
    â€˜Grand,’ yer woman said. ‘Now where’s your note wit the money in it?’
    â€˜I haven’t gorrit,’ I said.
    She stared at me an said, ‘Where’s yer mammy?’
    â€˜At home,’ I said. ‘They sent me fer the messages.’
    â€˜Who did?’
    â€˜Granny Rafters did.’
    â€˜Well, you can go home an tell tha aul Granny Rafters I’m not behind this counter fer the good a me health. Ye need money if ye want te eat!’
    When I got home, they wouldn’t let me inta the room. ‘Go off an play!’ An they slammed the door shut! I called fer Tommy Weaver, an we came back an sat outside our room on the landin. We watched the commotion, wit aul ones runnin up an down the stairs. ‘Wha’s wrong?’ I asked. ‘Why’s me ma sick?’
    Then one aul one said, ‘We’re busy. Ye’re te keep outa the way. Why don’t ye look out fer the doctor, he’s comin wit a new babby fer ye!’
    I was delighted. Tommy Weaver was ragin an then said te me, ‘Anyways, I’m bigger than you! I’m six, you’re only five.’ So then I was ragin. So I snatched the pencil an copybook from his hands an said, ‘Lookit! I can write.’ I did lovely wavy lines. He said I was a liar an I didn’t even go te school like him – tha he was goin te be a scholar. So I asked him how did the doctor bring the babby, an he said the doctor brought the babbies in his bag. We went off te sit on the street an wait fer the doctor. But he never came. So Tommy went in fer his dinner, an I went off collectin ice-pop sticks along the streets on me own.
    When I got back hours later, the room was very quiet. There was only Nelly an Barney. ‘Where’s me mammy?’
    â€˜She’s gone,’ Nelly said.