I seen him too, he was like someone in the government or something.

He was indeed. It takes the Bradys, they said.

Every time, I said.

Good man Francie, said the women.

I'll tell Alo to call down and see you when he comes home, I said, you can have a chat with him about London and all.

Do that Francie, they said. I will indeed, I said. Then I said well ladies I'm afraid I can't stay here I have to be off on my travels.

Dear dear aren't you a ticket Francie? they said. I'm away off up the town on business to do with the toll tax. Toll tax? I never heard tell of that now Francie. What would that be?

Oh it's invented by me, I told them. But of course Nugent won't pay it. You might as well be trying to get blood out of a stone.

Nugent? says Mrs Connolly, Mrs Nugent?

Yes I said. Well, be it on her own head. She won't be getting by so handy the next time.

They were all ears when they heard it was to do with her.

Getting by? But getting by where, Francie, they kept saying.

On the footpath I said where do you think, where else would you want to get past?

The footpath? they said.

Yes, I said again, the footpath. You'd think the three of them had gone handicapped all of a sudden the way they were staring at me.

I could see Mrs Connolly fiddling with her brooch and saying something out of the side of her mouth.

Then she said: There's no denying it Francie, you're a rare character!

The other two were hiding behind her now I think they must have thought I was going to stick them for a few bob tax as well.

Oh now I said and off I went out the door as I went by the window I could see Mrs Connolly saying something and the other women nodding then raising their eyes to heaven.

I stood on the Diamond. A tractor went farting off home to the mountains with a trailer of muck. Who's this only Father Dominic swish swish and the creak of his polished shoes well Francis he says and how are you today, drrrumm drrrumm. By God Father that's a cold one I said rubbing the hands real bogman style. Hmm, he says, it is indeed, are you waiting for someone?

No, I said, I have a bit of business to do.

Business he says, what business would that be now?

I knew what he'd say if I told him about the Pig Toll Tax. Toll Tax hmm that's very interesting now yes we'll have to see if we can put a stop to that so I told him nothing. I'm waiting for Joe Purcell, I said but I wasn't Joe was away at his uncle's.

Ah I see, says Father Dom with his two thumbs like dwarfs doing an old-time waltz in and out of his little black buttons.

How's your father? he says.

The best I says, never better.

Good good, he says, and your mother will be home soon?

She will. She'll be back on the road by Christmas.

Christmas, why that's wonderful news he says.

Yes, I said Alo's coming home.

He wanted to hear all about Alo.

Alo, he says. You must be proud.

I am, I said.

Christmas Eve you say.

That's right I said.

Well with a bit of luck I'll run into your Uncle Alo. This town should be proud of him. Your mother was telling me all about him and the great job he has over in London.

Ten men under him, I said. Then he smiled at me and looked me up and down. When he was ready to leave he leaned right in towards me so I could see the wiry brown hairs up his nostrils like the inside of a mattress and he says would you not run on home now Francis like a good lad, mm?

The way he said it sounded like he was nearly going to give me a few bob if I did. I should have said yes indeed I will Father if you will just be so kind as to oblige me with a small fee of five shillings Going Home Tax. But I didn't. I just said sure Father I will indeed. But I didn't. I went off down the street and as soon as I seen him going into the presbytery I hopskipped back round by the Newtown Road. There was a drunk lad with a ripped coat lying in the doorway of the Tower singing I wonder who's kissing her now into a bottle. Then he'd quit for a while and say: Uh! Uh! for a while with his head nodding like a cloth doll you'd see in the back of a car. He shouted over at me: Do you know me do you, do you know me? I just stood there looking at him. I didn't want to go home and I didn't want to stand there. He kept on saying it with the eyes wild in his head do you know me do you? It was getting dark and when I looked up there was one of them moons you're not sure if its there or not and the first dusty flakes of snow were starting to fall. We're early this year they said but sure all the better. That's right I said as I caught one of them on my tongue and licked it.

Fuck me said Joe the face of that, it was a monkey banging a drum in the window of the fancy goods shop with a chin bigger than its head. Farmers drove off to the mountains with big blonde dolls saying mama roped to the roof racks. Tyretracks of slush webbed the streets and there was music all night long in the upstairs of the Tower. Someone was battering Nat King Cole to death and an accordion wheezing help! half strangled. There were children and a dog on the white fairgreen and the town band marched again on its fourth lap of the town as if it was condemned to wander for all eternity until all the tunes came right. It was a powder country, ice floes bobbing on the freezing water of the river.

What will youse do now fish, said Joe, youse have had it now!

We stuck our noses in it but there wasn't a dartboard eye to be seen. Sorry: Gone away, signed Fish. Our twin fishing poles sat there for days without being touched.

Back from the garage there was no holding ma, talking nineteen to the dozen whiz here one minute, there the next, it wasn't just the floor you could see your face in but everything. One minute she was up the stairs and the next she'd be standing right beside you talking then away off into something else. She said we'd never be run down in this town again we'd show them we were as good as any of them. She looked into my eyes and said: We don't want to be like the Nugents. We don't want to be like any of them! We'll show them – won't we Francie? They'll envy us yet! We're the Bradys. Francie! The Bradys!

I said we sure were. I was proud as punch. Everything was starting again and this time it was all going to work out right. Look look she says to me look what I bought she says its a record the best record in the world. I'll bet you never heard a record as good as this Francie she says. What's it called ma I says its called The Butcher Boy she says come on and we'll dance. She put it on hiss crackle and away it went. Whee off we went around the room ma knew the words inside out. The more she'd sing the redder her face'd get. We'll stop now ma I said but away we went again.

I wish my baby it was born

And smiling on its daddy's knee

And me poor girl to be dead and gone

With the long green grass growing over me.

He went upstairs and the door he broke

He found her hanging from a rope

He took his knife and he cut her down

And in her pocket these words he found

Oh make my grave large wide and deep

Put a marble stone at my head and feet

And in the middle a turtle dove

That the world may know that I died for love.

It was a good song but I didn't know what was going on in it. When it was over she says what do you think of that Francie – he went upstairs and the door he broke he found her hanging from a rope! He wasn't so smart then the butcher boy was he. She starts telling me all about it but I didn't want to hear any more. Then whiz away she goes out to the scullery singing some other song oh no she says them days are over that's all in the past. There's no one will let Annie Brady down again Francie!