Ma, He Sold Me for a Few Cigarettes by Martha Long

babby.’
    â€˜Here, take it,’ he said. ‘An count yersel lucky he’s not splattered in the hall.’
    Me ma won’t leave Jackser, she won’t hear of it. The woman next door told her te leave him quickly. ‘Get away from him, he’s an animal!’ she said. But me ma won’t listen.
    Jackser put bread an sugar in a bowl an poured hot milk. He told me te give it te the babby. I sat on the floor wit the babby an gave him a spoonful. He loves it. Then I took a spoonful. It’s gorgeous! Jackser said the babby will thrive on it. Tha’s wha his mother gave te her childre when they were small, an now Jackser is thirty-five.
    He was standin behind me watchin, an I moved me back, then he moved te see what I was doin. He saw me take a spoonful of the babby’s bread an milk, an he gave me a punch in the side of me head. I was sent flyin, an the bowl upended over the babby. Then he gave me a kick an lifted me by the hair of me head. He roared inta me face, spittin all over me. I was not te be eatin the babby’s bread an milk. It was fer him, not me.
    I was not te know tha, cos I’d always shared the babby’s bottle when there was nothin else te eat. Me ma said nothin.
    Jackser took me down te the relief office, an he had a whispered talk wit the man there. When we got back, he said te me ma, ‘The only way I can collect the labour money fer you an yer two kids is te get them put inta my name. Now, I’m told, if we go te a solicitor an we say I’m the father of the kids, we just have te sign a sworn affidavit in front of a commissioner fer oaths. We’ll get a solicitor who’s a commissioner, an Bob’s yer uncle, we’ll get elected, on the pig’s back. The kids’ll be in my name, an we’ll go after the Corporation. They’ll have te house us.’
    â€˜Right, Sally! Let’s get movin. You stay here an mind him. Don’t let tha fire go out an don’t use too much coal, go easy on it!’ The door banged behind them, an the babby lifted his head from the bed. He looked aroun, beginnin te fret, an I went over te him an stroked his head an hushed him. An he put his head back down an went back te sleep. I got off the bed an went over te sit on the floor in front of the fire, te make sure it didn’t go out.
    The noise woke me, an I felt a sharp pain in me head from the bang Jackser gave me. Then I was dragged te me feet. Jackser was shakin me by the neck. ‘Ye stupid bastard! Ye let the fire go out. I fuckin told ye te watch the fire. Now there’s no fuckin tea.’ I looked aroun, dazed, wonderin wha was happenin. The room was dark, an the fire was out, an Jackser was roarin inta me face.
    I was shakin. ‘I’m sorry, Jackser! I won’t do it again. Don’t hit me, Jackser. I’ll be good. I’ll do what I’m told.’
    I looked te me ma. She was chewin her lip an lookin at me nervously. ‘Don’t hit her, ye’ll hurt her,’ she said.
    Jackser ran at her an started stabbin her chest wit his fingers. ‘She’s yer bastard, Mrs! If ye’s don’t do wha ye’re told, ye can get back out on the streets where I found ye’s. Now, do I make meself clear?’
    â€˜I hear ye!’ me ma said.
    * * *
    Jackser took me wit him aroun te Mountjoy Square. We went down a lane an stopped at the stables. ‘Gerrup outa tha,’ Jackser roared at the two fellas backin a horse out. An then he laughed.
    â€˜How’s it goin, Jackser? Wha’s happenin?’
    â€˜By Jaysus, I’ve landed on me feet!’ Jackser said. ‘I’ve got meself a mot. This is her young one. Go on over there, you, an play.’
    I kept outa the way. I wandered up an down the lane, lost in me own thoughts, keepin a wary watch on the stables in case Jackser was callin me. I could hear them laughin, an then Jackser shot up the lane, runnin wit a horse. At the top of the