Hannah massey (17 page)

"A bit over twenty thousand. Round about twenty-four I should say when everything's settled up." His tone was quiet but self-assured. Hd spoke of twenty-four thousand as if he was quite used to thinking in thousands.

For a full minute no one in the room moved or spoke a word. Each of them was digesting this news, and most of them were wondering what was in it for them, if anything. Strangely it was the two girls who were the exceptions. Karen knew she would get nothing out of Hughie's

legacy, for there had always been a mutual dislike between them. She had become aware of it as a small child and reciprocated the feeling in full, but, thinking along the lines of her grandmother, she was saying to herself, God, it would be someone like him who would come into

money, a mutt who won't know how to enjoy it.

If Rosie was thinking of the money, it was to the effect that it had put power and courage into Hughie. It had also endowed him with a

dignity. His back was straighter, his look even bold, he was no longer afraid of her mother, that's if he had ever been afraid of her. But he must have been, because for some reason or other he had always knuckled down to her.

Rosie saw that her mother was utterly flabbergasted, but she also saw that she was determined not to show it.

Sitting herself slowly down, Hannah again took charge of the situation.

She jerked her head up towards Hughie and said, "Well, sit down, and tell us what you're going to do."

Hughie sat down, after going and picking up his chair and bringing it to the table. No one had said, "Stay where you are, I'll get it for you." As much as they would have liked to they hadn't the face to do that, it would look too much like sucking up.

Hughie sat down opposite to Jimmy and Karen. Jimmy's expression was eager, bright. He looked as it he wanted to say something but was

withholding it with difficulty. Karen still looked surly. She had the intelligence to know when it was fruitless to beat a dead horse. Shane and Arthur had sat down again, and now they were all around the table like a family. Again Hannah said, "Well?"

Hughie moved his knife and fork to one side and surveyed them for a moment before looking along the table towards Hannah.

"You want to know what I'm going to do, is that it?" He stared at her while waiting some response from her; but receiving none, he went on,

"As soon as the caravan's ready-- I'm having it all rebuilt inside. Jim Cullen's doing it for me." He turned his head now and addressed himself to Frederick.

"He's a good craftsman, as you know."

"Oh, you'll get a good job out of old Jim," said Broderick, nodding his head quickly.

"He's a grand fellow when dealing with wood; you'll get a good job out of him."

"I know that, Broderick." Hughie turned his gaze slowly back to Hannah again and unhurriedly went on, "Well, when it's ready, and it should be towards Monday of next week, I'm starting on my travels; that's if the weather allows. Anyway, I'm going to make for the Continent and just jog along where the fancy takes me.... That's all."

They had all been looking at him; now they were all looking at Hannah, their eyes brought to her by the sound of her strong short teeth

grinding over each other. They watched the invective rise in her and fill her mouth, and they watched her check it and select words which had to be pressed through her lips to ask him, "How much are you going to leave behind you?"

"How much? Nothing, not a penny."

"Ma.... Ma, go easy, go easy; give the fellow a chance." Bamy had put his hand across the table towards Hughie, and he brought Hughie's

attention away from his mother, saying quickly, "I'm not asking you for anything, Hughie, but I could do with a loan. Is there any chance?

I want to start a shop. "

Hughie's eyes held a kindly expression as they looked back at Bamy, but he shook his head twice before he spoke.

"No, Bamy, not a chance.

But you could still start your shop. Your mother has around four

hundred and seventy-five pounds of yours upstairs. "

Bamy's hand lifted from the table; his face jerked towards his mother as she jumped to her feet. Then he looked again at Hughie; and Hughie finished evenly, "I've had nothing much to do these last few years when I was in the house but count up. About four hundred and seventy-five I should say, Barny, would be your share."

"You dirty sod!" Hannah picked up a knife from the table, and as her arm swung up Jimmy gripped it, crying, "Here! Steady on. Steady on, Ma."

"Put that knife down, woman!" Broderick was standing before her.

"Have you gone out of your senses?"

"I'll kill him! I'll kill him! The ungrateful sod that he is. And what money he's got belongs here, for haven't I looked after his

offspring for years? He owes me a share of that money, he killed me daughter."

"Stop it, woman! An' don't talk wild. Stop it! Do you hear me?"

With a jerk of her elbow, Hannah thrust Broderick aside, and because Jimmy was still holding one arm she leant crookedly over the table towards Hughie, crying.

"Do you want me to tell 'em? They'll murder you."

"Yes, tell them." Hughie slowly rose from the table; his face had lost its taunting expression.

"You tell them your side of the story, and I'll tell them mine, and let them judge. If I hadn't been such a blasted fool that's what I'd have done years ago, and you would have had one less to suck dry then. Go on, tell them. Or will I do it without the hysterics?"

"You rat, you! You bloody mealy-mouthed rat, you!" There was froth gathering at the corner of Hannah's mouth. She turned her furious face now towards Broderick, then flashed her eyes towards her sons, and with her free arm she pointed dramatically at Hughie and cried, "He raped me daughter, Moira, and she died with his child... her there!"

Shfe was pointing at Karen.

Again a silence came upon the room, and it would have been broken long before it was if the contortion of features had made any sound, for the faces of the men were twisting with amazement. They looked from their mother to Hughie, then to Karen, and then back to their mother.

And it was Jimmy--big, thoughtless Jimmy--who spoke first.

"But, Ma," he said, his face a mass of bewilderment, "Moira was eleven years older than me; she was a woman when Hughie was a lad."

"There you have spoken my defence. Jimmy." Hughie motioned his head towards the big, puzzled man.

"I was fourteen, not quite fifteen, when I, as your mother put it, raped her eldest daughter. And into the bargain I was a thin, puny lad, as was pointed out to me practically every day, and was always ailing. Moira was twelve stone if an ounce. She came up into the room one night and ate me alive. Granted there was a raping, but I had very little share in it; yet there were results." He dropped his eyes now to where Karen was staring at him, her full-lipped mouth agape.

"We've never liked each other, Karen," he said sadly.

"It's a pity. I suppose it was my fault because I blamed you. I was held like any prisoner because of you, and also because" --he smiled wryly now"--I hadn't, as you said a few minutes ago, any gumption. But whatever gumption I was born with and retained until .1 was fourteen, she kicked out of me." He lifted his eyes again to Hannah; then they nicked to Broderick, where the old man stood, his hand to his brow, exclaiming over and over, "God Almighty! God Almighty!"

"I'm sorry, Broderick, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have had you hurt for the world."

Hannah gazed around her family in nothing less than blazing

amazement.

Their reactions were maddening her still further, and she cried at them, "Well, what are you goin' to do? Standin' there like stuffed dummies!" She tried to pull herself from Jimmy's hold, but he held her fast and shook his head at her.

"Leave go, will you!" She was lifting her other hand, the fist doubled at him, when Broderick spoke to her, calmly, deadly.

"Enough woman, enough," he said.

"I think whatever Hughie did he's had to pay for."

"My God!" The words were deep and guttural, as if they were issuing from the throat of a bass singer. At the moment she was seeing no one but her husband.

"You would turn against me in this. I've carried the load for years, on me own shoulders I've carried this load and you would" ---- "I've said be quiet. For your own good, be quiet!" Broderick now turned to Hughie, and his voice still low, he said, "We want none of your money, Hughie...."

"I know that, Broderick, at least I know you don't. And I wouldn't see you short, only I know you'd never keep it for yourself."

"What about her? He owes her something." Hannah was spitting the words out like grit as she pointed to Karen, and Karen snapped her fascinated gaze from Hughie's face, the man whe had become her father, and looked at her grannie. A moment ago she had wanted nothing from Hughie because then she thought she stood no chance, but now things were different, she had a claim on him. And when she looked back at him her expression showed this claim and he read it. And he answered it, but looking again at Hannah, "Not a farthing, not a brass farthing," he said.

"I

paid you for her keep from the day she was born until she started to work. Many's the time I could only meet me board, but you wanted that two pounds for her or else. Yes"--he nodded towards the staring faces that surrounded him" --two pounds a week I had to pay. Do you wonder now that she had me brought back twice? My wage was four pounds five.

" He glanced at Broderick.

"And as the years went on, many a time you had a job to find that, hadn't you, Broderick? But it all went back into the kitty, two pounds for me keep and two pounds for Karen.... And you took it, didn't you, Hannah?" His eyes were on her furious face again.

"And let me go around with hardly a rag on me back; and this too" -he nodded at her"--whilst these last few years the lads were being decked out like lords. Nor did you spare me when Karen started work either.

No, I had to pay for the good-will of the shop then, if I wanted to keep it on, you said. So you still had four pounds a week from me."

"Then why the hell did you put up with it? It's your own fault and it's no use yarping on now." It was Arthur speaking, and Hughie turned towards him and nodded at him before he said, "I'm not yarping, Arthur, I'm opening me mouth for the first time in me life in this house. And why did I put up with it? Well, as I said, I hadn't any guts. Time and time again she threatened to tell you all and set you on to me.

And" ---his lips went into a twisted smile"--you were all big lads, the lot of- you, and somehow I didn't fancy seeing me self battered to death. But there was another reason, a reason none of you would

understand because you had what I wanted, what I needed, a family, somebody belonging to you.... Well now, I think everything's been said that need be said, so I'll be leaving you ... I'll... I'll just' get me things and then ..."

"Begod! you won't. You won't take a stick out of. this house; that's something' I can stop you doin'. "

"Oh, very well." He smiled now at her.

"You're welcome to what there is."

Except for Rosie and Karen, they were all on their feet. Rosie had her hands joined together on the table. The knuckles were showing white and she had her eyes fixed on them.

But now Karen rose from her chair and her movement stopped Hughie from turning about. She was going to speak to him, and he waited, looking at her quietly, even gently, waiting to hear what she had to say. And what she said was, "I never liked you afore, and I like you less now, and you can keep your money and stick it. I hope it does you some

good. You said you had no gumption and you're right, you're gutless.

I've. often wondered who me father was. But you! You'd be the last man in the world I'd pick for a father. So now you have it. "

"Thank you." He moved his head as he spoke.

"Over the years I've been glad there was little of me in you, but on the other hand, I was sorry there was so much of your grannie in

you."

On this last shaft, Hughie turned, and amid a moment's silence walked across the room towards the kitchen door, but as he opened it a glass dish, accompanied by the concerted cries of protest from behind hipi, caught him on the back of the head and sent him flying, covering him at the same time with sliced peaches.

Hannah, with all the power of her big body concentrated in her right hand, had grabbed the thing nearest to her, a heavy glass fruit dish, and she had flung it like a disc, and it had held most of its contents until it reached its object.

Rosie was the first one to reach Hughie. He hadn't fallen but had

staggered back against the door. Then her father and Arthur were on either side of him.

"Are you all right, lad?" shouted Broderick above the screaming voice of Hannah and the cries of Jimmy, Shane and Barny, as they^ restrained her from sending the other articles on the table in the same direction as the glass dish.

Hughie looked dazed. Slowly he flicked a peach from off the lapel of his coat; then pushing his hand out in an assuring gesture towards Broderick, he nodded before going into the kitchen.

"Are you fit enough to go?" Broderick closed the kitchen door behind him as he asked the question.

And Hughie said, "Yes, I'm all right."

"Go with him, Arthur," said Broderick.

Arthur did not speak and Hughie said, "No. No, thanks, Arthur. I'm all right. I'd rather be on my own. It's nothing."

"You're bleeding behind the ear, Hughie." Rosie's voice was

"Am I?" He still seemed dazed, and when he put his fingers to his neck, then looked at the blood on them, he said, "Oh, it isn't much."

She took a tea-towel and wiped the syrup from his jacket, then she held his top coat and he got into it, and as he buttoned it slowly he said,

"Thanks, Rosie, thanks." And looking at Brod- crick, he added, "I'm sorry, Frederick. I shouldn't have done it like this. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, lad, but it's done. An' you wouldn't have been human not to have hit back. I understand, I understand. But go now, if