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

‘They took her away in an ambulance te hospital.’ I said nothin, just looked out the winda, quietly wonderin wha would happen te me ma an would I ever see her again. ‘Now,’ Nelly laughed at Barney. ‘See! Martha doesn’t cry when her mammy leaves her, not like you! I can’t even go te the tilet without you holdin on te me skirts.’ Then Nelly went off te the pub, takin Barney wit her. He wouldn’t stay wit me. He’s nine months younger than me, an he’s a real babby. I continued te stare outa the winda until it got too dark te see, an eventually I fell asleep on the bed waitin fer Nelly te come home.
    I was all excited. Me ma was comin home wit the new babby! We walked up the steps of the Coombe Hospital, an Nelly told me te wait outside while she went in te collect me ma. When me ma came out carryin a bundle a blankets, she looked very tired. She was too tired te talk te me an barely looked at me. Everyone was very quiet as we made our way up Meath Street. An we went inta the chapel an sat down an waited quietly fer the priest te come an baptise the new babby boy, called Charlie. Tha was the first look I got of him. They took all the blankets offa him, an Nelly held him over the font filled wit water. Charlie stiffened an gasped an shot his tiny hands out as the priest poured the jug of water over his head. The babby screamed, an me an Barney watched, wonderin if the priest was goin te try an drown us in the font, too, cos we didn’t like gettin ourselves wet.
    Me ma took straight te the bed when we got home. Nelly took out a drawer from the press an put it on the table at the end of the bed, an tha’s where Charlie slept.
    The next day, the district nurse arrived te wash an clean the babby’s belly button. It looked very yucky. I watched very closely as she stripped Charlie. He smelled terrible an his poo was yella! An he lay in his box, naked an screamin. The nurse turned aroun te get the box of borax powder, so I leaned in closer te get a better look, an the nurse roared at me. She said I was te keep me filthy hands offa the babby. Well, I’d had enough! I didn’t like him anyway. When she was all ready, an Charlie was sleepin peacefully in his drawer, an the nurse was packin her bag, I sneaked over an looked inta the drawer. He was all washed an polished, an smelled lovely, but the nurse shouted, ‘Get away from that baby.’ So I pinched his cheek, an she gave me an unmerciful slap on the ear. The babby was roarin, an me ma was threatenin te kill me. The nurse picked up her bag an galloped out the door. I started roarin, too. I wanted me ma te get up outa the bed.
    â€˜If I have te get up outa this bed, I’ll be done fer ya!’ she kept sayin. ‘Give tha babby his soother.’ But I wouldn’t. I wanted te see if she still had legs, cos she was walkin in a queer way when she came home from the hospital. So she dragged herself from the bed. First one leg, then the other, all the time grindin her teeth an starin at me like she was goin te tear me from limb te limb. When she finally stood up, holdin onta the bed an the press, I stared at her legs. She had them miles apart, an she couldn’t walk properly. I was very worried she might not get better, an on top of tha she didn’t seem te like me any more. She wouldn’t talk te me.
    â€˜Get tha babby’s soother an put it in his mouth!’ but I just kept starin. I wanted her te move some more an be me mammy again. ‘I’m warnin ye, Martha, if ye keep on tormentin me, I’ll throw this at ye,’ an she picked up the bread knife. I ran te look after the babby.
    I walked past the pub on the corner, an me cousin Barney was standin outside, eatin a bag of grapes. Nelly was inside drinkin porter an roarin her head laughin. I said te Barney, ‘Wha’s them ye’re eatin?’ An he said, ‘Grapes.’
    â€˜Give us