Run, Lily, Run

by Martha Long

  The boots were bangin along the hall now makin te come in here, when suddenly there was loud knockin on the door soundin like someone was at it wit a hammer. I could hear childre shoutin, ‘Are ye in there, Mister Mullins?’

  ‘Who’s tha?’ said Nellie’s voice. ‘Open it, Essie. Might be someone important.’

  Nellie then pushed in the door an made straight fer the table pullin a chair out from under it.

  I held me breath wrappin me hand over me mouth tryin te hold it in. Suddenly I couldn’t breathe, I shot out me tongue openin me mouth te let in air, an now I was pantin like Nero. Tha’s Janie Mulberry’s dog. He does tha he does, when he does be gettin too hot.

  I watched as she landed the chair over at the mantelpiece then dragged her skirt up an hauled herself onta it, puffin an pantin. So she didn’t hear me, at doin the same thing. I stared as she lifted the mirror offa the nail an held it by the cord, then turned it around lettin the glass face the wall. Then she stared at a big cobweb wit a dead spider hangin out of it an she looked like she was wonderin. I watched as she looked down an lifted her skirt makin sure te keep the snow-white apron well outa the way, wantin te keep it clean. Then she had a go at wipin away the cobweb, but the skirt wouldn’t reach. Her eyes shot wide open, just before she suddenly toppled an went skiddin sideways, then slowly her head leaned through the air an the next, she was flyin te land flat on her face an belly! I heard a grunt then a moan an watched, as her face went from turnin snow-white te bright-red, then went purple an looked like it was goin black. She opened her mouth an nothin came out but a wheezin an a hissin air, then a grunt, an suddenly a piercin scream. ‘MERCY! HELP! I’M KILT!’

  I watched as she tried te turn her head mutterin, ‘Oh God te night, me end’s come!’

  Essie missed out hearin the screams as she opened the door an I heard a young fella say, ‘Is Mister Mullins here?’

  ‘No, he’s not, wha do ye’s want? You better not be wastin my time, I’ve more te be doin than runnin te answer the door fer the like a youse!’

  ‘Oh no! We’re not doin tha, sure we’re not, gang? No we’re not, missus. Honest te God, cross me heart an hope te die! We came because we want te say we’re sorry fer poor Mister Mullins’ trouble,’ shouted a young fella.

  ‘Right! Thanks very much. I’ll tell him. Now goodbye, I’m busy!’ said Essie, soundin like she was makin te shut the door.

  ‘WAIT! WAIT!’ a load a voices all shouted at the same time. ‘Wha about the hooley, the wake? Is it startin yet?’

  ‘NO! Ger away from this door, or I’ll drown the lot a ye’s wit a basin a cold water!’

  ‘Well can we ask ye just? Is there goin te be lemonade an biscuits outa the shop fer the people, fer us? We knew poor Nosey, I mean Delia Mullins, all a her life!’

  ‘Did youse know her all her life? Really? So youse lot must be a pack a midgets, an here was me thinkin ye’s were childre. An ye’re cheeky midgets at tha! Callin the respectable Miss Mullins “Nosey”. Listen, I know your faces, youse are all from the tenements up the road. You’ve no business comin down this end. So get back where ye came from, an don’t be comin down here botherin the likes a yer betters. We’re the respect ables down here, now get yer foot outa the door or I’ll take it off fer ye!’ Essie said, just as the almighty scream came outa Nellie.

  ‘JESUS WHA WAS THA?’ screamed Essie. ‘WHAT’S HAPPENIN? WHA’S WRONG? I’m comin.’

  ‘Oooaa ahhh! Oh Jesus, oh I’m fadin,’ moaned Nellie givin a big sigh then lettin her eyes roll.

  ‘I’m here! Hang on!’ keened Essie, rushin in the door mutterin ‘Where are ye?’ wit her head spinnin around tryin te spot Nellie, she was lyin plastered the other side a the fireplace, behind the armchair.

  Me eyes shifted from her te Essie. She stood starin bitin her fingers wonderin wha could a happened. Then she leapt, rushin herself te Nellie, sayin, ‘Did you have a blackout? Wha happened? Is it the heart? Ye’re lookin very blue, I think it may be the heart, it looks like it could a burst, Nellie! God you’re lookin very bad!’

  ‘Do something, I’m fadin fast, Essie! Me hour has come!’ said Nellie, moanin barely a whisper wit her voice soundin like a little child’s.

  Essie leapt up rushin fer the door, shoutin, ‘QUICK, SOMEONE! HELP! THERE’S A WOMAN IN HERE HURTED! She’s dyin! Get the ambulance! Bring the priest!’

  Suddenly noise erupted, feet came rushin in an a load a childre flew through the door shoutin, ‘Are ye all right, missus?’

  All I could see was filthy scruffy legs wit dirty pot-black bare feet, an I could get the smell a piss an shit. I lifted the cloth an poked me head out te get a look.

  A sudden roar came at me. ‘LOOKIT, EVERYONE! Tha’s the young one tha’s missin!’

  Feet stopped rushin an heads turned, all lookin te see where the young fella wit the dirty face an the snotty nose was pointin. I pushed me way back further, not wantin them te see or get at me. Then I saw dirty black skinny legs rushin around the other side, then droppin down an lookin in at me.

  ‘FUCK OFF!’ I heard meself suddenly eruptin.

  ‘Ohhh! Did ye hear tha? Did you hear wha tha young one just said, missus?’ said Snotty, swingin his head te Nellie an pointin the arm at me, hopin she would be shocked.

  ‘Ohhhh me back’s broken, me neck’s twisted,’ keened Nellie, not carin about nothin.

  ‘Wha’s happenin? They’re comin, Nellie, hang on!’ puffed Essie, rushin herself back wit a load a feet hurryin in behind her. ‘Come on, she’s in here!’

  ‘Where is she?’ breathed a skinny woman outa breath from the shockin news, she had a turned eye an she was wearin a headscarf knotted at the chin. She stopped wit her hand on her chest te take in the sorry sight a Nellie, it was terrible, Nellie looked now like she was not goin te make it.

  ‘Here I am, over here,’ keened Nellie in a weak voice, strokin her forehead then leavin her hand coverin her eyes.

  ‘LOOKIT WHO WE FOUND! It’s tha Lily tha started all the eruptions! The young ones from around the corner!’ screamed a young fella wit the eyes jumpin outa his head.

  ‘She’s on the wanted list! The police an everyone is wantin te get their hands on tha young one!’ a smelly young fella roared, pointin one hand at me an cockin his leg scratchin, pullin away his trousers stuck up his arse wit the other. ‘We all know her! Don’t we, gang?’

  ‘Yeah we do!’

  ‘Is there a reward fer catchin her?’ a big young fella said wit the hair standin on his head lookin like his ma chopped it leavin him wit the bald patches.

  ‘Who’s tha ye’re talkin about? Where?’ said Essie, seein them all pullin the cloth tryin te get at me under the table. I heard her gruntin then saw her knees, she was tryin te bend herself an get down at me under the table. Hands suddenly started comin from everywhere tryin te reach in an grab hold a me.

  Me heart flew an I twisted meself, slidin me legs an arse an all a me, tryin te stop someone grabbin a hold. ‘NO!’ I screamed. ‘Let me be. I didn’t do nothin! Don’t touch me,’ I keened, frightened fer me life slappin away a dirty paw grabbin out at me.

  ‘Is tha the Lily Carney child?’ said Essie, not able te get down an see me. ‘Is tha you, Lily?’

  I didn’t answer, hopin she might tell them te leave me alone, leave me be where I was.

  ‘Lily Carney, get out from under tha table! Where did you come out of? Where did she come outa?’

  ‘We saw her!’

  ‘No ye’s didn’t I did!’ roared Snotty.

  ‘Mammy! Ceily! Someone save me!’ I keened, draggin up me knees an shovin me thumb inta me mouth, losin me mind wit fright.

  Then me eyes lit on Mister Mullins’ socks, I tore them offa me feet an twisted me legs out from under the table jammin the socks under me arms, then I was on me feet runnin. Before anyone knew it, I grabbed up Delia’s big knickers holdin onta them an ran fer me life. Out the door inta the hall headin straight inta the stretcher comin fer te cart Nellie outa the house an off te the ho
spidal.

  ‘Easy, easy!’ said the ambulance man.

  I ducked down flyin meself under the stretcher an made straight up the stairs. I lashed inta the open room an slammed the door shut behind me, an dived under the bed. Me heart was hammerin in me ears an the snots was pourin outa me nose, an I was lickin an breathin an keepin me eyes on the door, watchin an waitin fer it te open. But nothin happened. They must a forgotten about me, or don’t care because I can hear the commotion an the fussin wit everyone shoutin orders an all tryin te help the ambulance men.

  ‘Here! Clear a path!’ someone shouted.

  ‘Yeah, let the ambulance men in,’ some other fella barked.

  ‘Give her air,’ an aul one screamed.

  ‘Exactly! Stop crowdin the door,’ another one roared, not wantin te be left out wit the helpin.

  I listened wit me ears buzzin an me eyes blinkin, feelin me nerves is gone.

  ‘Ger outa here, youse young fellas!’

  Tha’s Essie Bullcock startin the roarin now, she sounds like her nerves is gone too!

  ‘Look! Will someone shut tha front door. There’s too many of youse wanderin in.’

  I listened hearin the goins on, then someone gave a hoarse roar.

  ‘Missus! Would you ever get yer hands offa me neck. I can’t breathe!’

  I leaned my ear onta the floor fer a better listen, then hearin tha, an nodded my head satisfied. Yeah, tha’s Essie losin the head in her rushin an hurryin. Now she’s tryin te strangle the ambulance man.

  ‘Here! The place is crowdin wit the lot a ye’s an the wake is not startin yet! Would youse all ever leave an—’

  ‘WHAT NOW, IN THE NAME OF GOD, IS GOIN ON HERE?’

  I stopped suckin. Mister Mullins! He’s back!

  ‘Out! Get out of my house fast, each and every one of you! Or by Jesus I promise you there will be even more bloodshed before this day is out!’

  Everythin went quiet, it was like the quiet when ye hold yer breath not te make a sound. Then I heard a rumble, it was like the sound a bare feet slappin on wood. Then more noise as boots an shoes clattered after them.

  People mumbled, ‘Sorry fer yer trouble!’

  ‘Yeah, oh yeah! Very sorry fer yer trouble!’

  ‘Oh excuse me! Here, stop pushin you!’

  I listened thinkin about wha he said, an me heart slid down inta me belly makin me terribly afraid. Mister Mullins might kill me as well!

  I crawled out from under the bed an put me hands inside the socks pullin them all the way up me arms an onta me shoulders, they’ll be easy te carry an keep me nice an warm. Then I tried te twist open the door handle wit me two hands but it wouldn’t work, so I pulled off me new gloves now whippin the door open easy. I put me gloves back on then grabbed up me Delia’s knickers an rushed meself down the stairs goin fast, I was doin tha by usin only the one leg an goin sideways, holdin onta the banisters. There was a heap a people all shufflin out through the hall, then I was on the ground an rushin inta them all hurryin now te get out an away from the house.

  I turned left wit everyone goin in different directions, then flew up the road, lookin like I was goin home. But at the last minute as I got te the corner of my street, I skidded right, an shot onta the road, straight inta the path of a big black motor car. Me eyes flew te the driver an he stared back, lookin annoyed. Then his face changed an it went lookin ragin, wit the eyes leppin an the face turnin roarin red. I saw his mouth movin, then it turned up his nose in a snarl. It was FATHER FLITTERS!

  ‘MAMMYEEEEEE!’ I screamed, turnin into a statue wit the fright an me not able te move.

  The motor car stopped dead an the door opened. He leaned over te pick up somethin, then heaved himself outa the seat in an awful hurry, an now I could see he was wavin a new black stick. It looked like a twisty thorn stick people use fer walkin.

  ‘Stay there! Don’t move, you little cur,’ he growled, keepin his eyes on me while he made te stand straight an get himself goin.

  I couldn’t move! Me eyes stared an me mouth opened an closed but nothin came out. I was stuck fast!

  ‘Ger offa the road, you stupid child! Are you tryin te get yerself kilt stone dead?’ a man’s voice suddenly roared, wakin me up. I looked around blinkin, seein a coalman, he was tryin te get his horse an cart around the motor car stood in the middle a the road. Wit tha I held up the Delia knickers an flew fer the footpath, rushin past a gang of kids playin outside a tenement house.

  ‘Get back here! Stop that girl! Lily Carney, I will give you a fine good thrashing, when I get hands to you!’ the priest roared.

  I looked back te see how far he was. Me eyes lit te see he only got te the footpath an he was miles behind me, but he was ragin, spits was comin outa his mouth an he was wavin the new stick like mad.

  ‘Eh you, young one, come back! Lily Carney! Stop! Wait it’s me, Neddy!’

  I looked back te see Sooty shoutin after me. He was standin wit Father Flitters’ old stick in his hand an the hat spinnin on the top, while a gang a young fellas all stood around watchin an laughin, delighted at seein this.

  I looked at him then looked te see Father Flitters standin an pointin, he was talkin to a policeman who was starin up the street lookin after me. I watched Father Flitters’ allegations, not likin the way he was flappin his mouth wit his head hammerin up an down an the stick pointin te me, keepin in time te wha he was sayin. There was even a crowd now all gatherin around on the footpath te watch wha was goin on.

  He’s gone mad, he’s out te kill me! ‘Oh Mammy, I’m dead, they’re goin te hang me!’ Tha’s wha Mammy always said when we drove her mad. ‘They’ll hang me! Or lock me up fer good in the mad house for takin your life,’ she would say te me an Ceily.

  Mammy never had the police after her, or the parish priest! But I have. I’m now a baddie on the run! I turned around an startin runnin fer me life, not carin where I went, so long as it got me far away from them.

  13

  I RAN WIT me mouth open an the sweat pourin down me face, cryin me heart out. ‘Ceily, I’m lookin fer you! Stop hidin on me, ye must hear me, I’m shoutin, where are you?’ I cried, lookin from one side a the road te the other. I was gallopin down Killarney Street then came runnin past Buckingham Street an wondered if she was down there, around be the train station at Amiens Street.

  I turned onto it an went rushin past all the tenement houses wit kids playin an runnin in me path, an I had te swerve outa the way an onta the road te stop meself gettin hit by a young fella swingin a stick. He was chasin two other eegit fellas tryin te give them a belt. They were duckin an laughin, an not carin about nearly knockin over a little babby. It was crawlin along the footpath, tryin te make its escape like me, an all while the big young ones were busy sortin themselves out. They were playin house wit cardboard boxes, settin them all up, fixin them an forgettin about the babby. I betcha they took tha babby outa his pram, I thought, throwin me eye te the empty pram while I was runnin an cryin me eyes out.

  I roared me head wit me mouth wide open an lookin at young ones playin skippy rope, jumpin in an out without standin on the rope makin it stop twirlin. If ye did tha, then ye lost the game an ye were out. I love te play tha, I do, but now I just want te find me mammy an me sister.

  I ran on roarin me head off. A big young one looked at me, she was sittin behind her counter, a stool wit her broken bits a Delft, playin shop.

  ‘Oh lookit tha cry babby!’ she moaned, throwin her head an pointin her finger at me, curlin her lip up.

  I was ragin, I looked at the big sore on her mouth an chin an roared, ‘Fuck off, ye scabby cow!’ An kept on runnin, then went back te me roarin an cryin. Me heart was really breakin now, I was losin me rag because everyone was out te get me, an I’m goin te get them too. They’re not robbin me of me sister! An me mammy! An me house an get away wit it! No! Mammy always said, ‘Stand yer ground an let no one walk on you.’ So I’m goin te do tha now, Mammy, fer you. An Ceily. They won’t walk on me, I won’t let them. Ceily says tha
so she does, an I’m sayin it too.

  I turned right an ran on, then stopped under the train-station arch wantin te cross the road. The traffic was tearin up an down wit no let-up, an I rocked meself backwards an forwards, ready te make a run fer it when I saw a gap.

  I stopped me cryin fer a bit an just keened while I kept the watch out. Me head followed the traffic rushin past an the lot goin down the other side, but nothin yet. I’m fed up waitin an me head’s gettin dizzy, they’re movin tha fast. I can’t run out an make them stop, because they’re leavin me no room te do tha. Then me eyes lit on the Guinness float, it was comin behind the bus wit nothin up behind tha. I started rockin goin backwards an forwards like mad, shovin out me right foot. ‘Get ready, on yer marks,’ I muttered. ‘GO!’

  I lunged just as the two huge horses roared past wit their white big hoofs stampin the ground an their matchin white manes streelin out behind them.

  ‘WATCH OUT!’

  I reeled at the last minute wit me neck swingin on me shoulders, just before nearly crashin inta the fella on the bicycle gettin himself a free jaunt. He was flyin along hangin onta the long cart wit the barrels a porter rollin an rattlin, an he not able te tear his eyes away. It looked like te me, he had the longin te get his hands on one a them barrels.

  ‘Don’t cross, wait!’ said a man comin outa the cake shop behind me. ‘You’ll get yerself kilt,’ he said, wavin his finger at me, then lookin up an down at the traffic. ‘Where you comin from?’

  ‘Diamond Street, mister.’

  ‘Off Portland Row, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Does yer mammy know where you are?’

  I shook me head. ‘No! I’m goin te look fer her,’ I said, seein him look annoyed an worried at the same time, because he thinks I’m runnin wild on me mammy an I’ll get meself kilt.

  ‘I won’t get meself kilt,’ I said lookin up at him, not wantin him te worry.

  He took in a big breath an shook his head not believin me. ‘Come on,’ he said, grabbin hold a me hand covered be the sock, an I grabbed up me Delia knickers an rushed wit him gettin us te the middle a the road, then he slowed down te watch an put out his hand te stop the lorry makin head on, straight fer us.