them, they get more alike.” ’
‘That was a saying she made up on the spur of the moment, son. She was good at making things up quickly. She hated dogs, and she said that to put me off. Not that she needed to, for I wouldn’t dream of having a dog. These houses are too small to keep an animal in, it wouldn’t be fair to the poor thing.’
‘We could have a cat, though, Mam,’ Monica said hopefully. ‘They’re only small, and a little kitten wouldn’t take up any room. It wouldn’t eat much, and it wouldn’t need to be taken for a walk.’
Ada looked surprised. ‘What brought this on? Yer seem to have it all sorted out in yer head, but yer’ve never mentioned it before.’
‘My friend at school has got a little kitten,’ her daughter informed her. ‘It’s black and white, and she said it’s lovely and very playful.’
‘The only time I drool over a cat is when I see one on the lid of a box of chocolates. They look very cuddly and sweet, but they leave hairs everywhere and scratch at the paintwork on the door when they want to go out or come in. So yer can forget it, sunshine, ’cos there’s five people living in this small house, and that’s more than enough for me to see to.’
Monica wasn’t going to give in so easily. ‘Ah, go on, Mam, don’t be so mean. I bet yer’d love it when yer got used to it.’
Danny shook his head at his sister. ‘I’d save yer breath if I were you, sis, ’cos there’s no way we’re having a cat in here. Even if our mam said yer could, then yer’d have me to deal with. I don’t want to be going out at night covered in cat hair, it would put the girls off.’
Paul wrinkled his nose. ‘They smell, too, and they don’t use a toilet.’ He grinned at the picture which had come into his head. ‘Yer could always carry it down the yard, I suppose, and hold it over the Iavvy.’
His little joke brought a sharp response from his sister, in the form of a kick on his shin. ‘Yer think ye’re funny, our Paul, but ye’re not. So there!’
‘That’s enough now,’ Jimmy said. ‘There’s nothing wrong with yer sister wanting a pet. But I agree with yer mam that it wouldn’t be practical in this house. What would happen to it at night when we went to bed? It would have to sleep in the yard, or in here on the couch. And believe me, kittens have long claws. They’d ruin the furniture in no time.’
‘We could find a box for it to sleep in.’ Monica wasn’t going to go down without a fight. ‘That’s what my friend did for her kitten, and she said it’s as good as gold.’
Ada wasn’t without sympathy, but there was no way they could have an animal in the house. They got under each other’s feet as it was. ‘Look, sunshine, when yer get married and have a house of yer own, then yer can please yerself what yer have in it. There’d be no one to say yer couldn’t have half a dozen kittens if yer wanted.’
‘That’s if she marries a bloke with no brains,’ Danny said. ‘One who didn’t mind having hairs on his clothes and all over the furniture.’ His face broke into a smile when he saw his sister’s woebegone expression. ‘When ye’re old enough to start goingout with boys, always ask them if they like cats. Anyone what pulls a face, send him packing. If yer find one what says he loves cats, then tell him yer’ll marry him.’
‘Okay,’ Ada said, ‘I think we’ve exhausted the subject of cats, so can we talk about something else?’ She eyed her eldest son. ‘Aren’t yer going dancing tonight, Danny? Or are we going to have the pleasure of your company for the entire evening? If yer tell me ye’re staying in, I’ll send for the doctor, ’cos yer must be sickening for something.’
Danny looked at the clock and stood up so quickly he nearly sent his chair flying. ‘Just look at the time! It’s all your fault, our Monica, you and yer ruddy cats. By the time I get there me three favourite partners will have been snapped
‘That was a saying she made up on the spur of the moment, son. She was good at making things up quickly. She hated dogs, and she said that to put me off. Not that she needed to, for I wouldn’t dream of having a dog. These houses are too small to keep an animal in, it wouldn’t be fair to the poor thing.’
‘We could have a cat, though, Mam,’ Monica said hopefully. ‘They’re only small, and a little kitten wouldn’t take up any room. It wouldn’t eat much, and it wouldn’t need to be taken for a walk.’
Ada looked surprised. ‘What brought this on? Yer seem to have it all sorted out in yer head, but yer’ve never mentioned it before.’
‘My friend at school has got a little kitten,’ her daughter informed her. ‘It’s black and white, and she said it’s lovely and very playful.’
‘The only time I drool over a cat is when I see one on the lid of a box of chocolates. They look very cuddly and sweet, but they leave hairs everywhere and scratch at the paintwork on the door when they want to go out or come in. So yer can forget it, sunshine, ’cos there’s five people living in this small house, and that’s more than enough for me to see to.’
Monica wasn’t going to give in so easily. ‘Ah, go on, Mam, don’t be so mean. I bet yer’d love it when yer got used to it.’
Danny shook his head at his sister. ‘I’d save yer breath if I were you, sis, ’cos there’s no way we’re having a cat in here. Even if our mam said yer could, then yer’d have me to deal with. I don’t want to be going out at night covered in cat hair, it would put the girls off.’
Paul wrinkled his nose. ‘They smell, too, and they don’t use a toilet.’ He grinned at the picture which had come into his head. ‘Yer could always carry it down the yard, I suppose, and hold it over the Iavvy.’
His little joke brought a sharp response from his sister, in the form of a kick on his shin. ‘Yer think ye’re funny, our Paul, but ye’re not. So there!’
‘That’s enough now,’ Jimmy said. ‘There’s nothing wrong with yer sister wanting a pet. But I agree with yer mam that it wouldn’t be practical in this house. What would happen to it at night when we went to bed? It would have to sleep in the yard, or in here on the couch. And believe me, kittens have long claws. They’d ruin the furniture in no time.’
‘We could find a box for it to sleep in.’ Monica wasn’t going to go down without a fight. ‘That’s what my friend did for her kitten, and she said it’s as good as gold.’
Ada wasn’t without sympathy, but there was no way they could have an animal in the house. They got under each other’s feet as it was. ‘Look, sunshine, when yer get married and have a house of yer own, then yer can please yerself what yer have in it. There’d be no one to say yer couldn’t have half a dozen kittens if yer wanted.’
‘That’s if she marries a bloke with no brains,’ Danny said. ‘One who didn’t mind having hairs on his clothes and all over the furniture.’ His face broke into a smile when he saw his sister’s woebegone expression. ‘When ye’re old enough to start goingout with boys, always ask them if they like cats. Anyone what pulls a face, send him packing. If yer find one what says he loves cats, then tell him yer’ll marry him.’
‘Okay,’ Ada said, ‘I think we’ve exhausted the subject of cats, so can we talk about something else?’ She eyed her eldest son. ‘Aren’t yer going dancing tonight, Danny? Or are we going to have the pleasure of your company for the entire evening? If yer tell me ye’re staying in, I’ll send for the doctor, ’cos yer must be sickening for something.’
Danny looked at the clock and stood up so quickly he nearly sent his chair flying. ‘Just look at the time! It’s all your fault, our Monica, you and yer ruddy cats. By the time I get there me three favourite partners will have been snapped
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