to put in those big rocks so they couldn’t park there,” Uchenna’s Mam said.
“Too late now,” her dad said wearily, picking up the laptop and taking it into back into the living room. Uchenna breathed out as her Mam went in after him.
Emer glanced after them, seeing that they were still in earshot, and pulled out her phone, worked over it a moment. In her pocket, Uchenna’s phone vibrated with the incoming SMS. Uchenna pulled it out, looked at the screen. U got lucky, it said.
Uchenna glanced at her, nodded, and texted very fast, & U must be rattled. U didnt spel a word out al the way!
Emer made a face at her. “So did you see ‘You’re A Star’ last night? Did that Sammy kid completely tank, or what?” she said innocently, while at the same time texting at top speed. OK, better. Will text you in the AM early, put phone under your pillow.
“Saw that,” Uchenna said. “What a waste of time. I don’t know how he got on there in the first place. Something to do with his weird hairdo, if you ask me; not even the backup singers could save him.” Her own text went back a little more slowly, as she didn’t have Emer’s lightning speed, and her fingers were bigger. OK. Save rest til we go out.
They finished their dinners and chatted small-talk by voice while discussing more urgent business by text. The problem was that neither of them was able to come up with ideas about anything more substantial to feed the horses—nothing they could actually get, anyway— and then Emer’s mom called to find out where she was and told her to come home.
She got her stuff quite cheerfully and said good night to Uchenna’s folks. “I’ll walk her down to the end of the driveway…” Uchenna said.
Out there in the dark, they paused to giggle briefly together. There was no need for further plotting or planning: they’d done everything they could at this point. “Text me,” Uchenna said. “First thing.”
“You’re on.” Emer threw her backpack over one shoulder.
“And Jimmy,” Uchenna said.
Emer made a face. “Not real sure I like that one,” she said. “Especially when the first thing out of his mouth when he sees you is a bunch of trash-talk. Where was he getting that ‘druggy’ stuff from?”
“Old business,” Uchenna said under her breath. “They used to say that at school last year when I first got here: before you and I started hanging out. There was this giant drugs bust up at Dublin Airport, some Nigerians were trying to smuggle heroin or hash resin or something in their luggage… It was beyond stupid. But the kids in school made a big deal out of it.” She shrugged. “They learned better. But for the time being, we’ve got to give him the benefit of the doubt. I mean, he is worried about the horses…”
“And especially the Mammy Horse,” Emer said. She looked up and smiled one of those little sideways smiles at Uchenna. “So you’re his sucker…”
“I am not anybody’s sucker!” Uchenna said, making an indignant face.
Emer just let the sideways grin get broader. “Going home now!” she said, and headed on across the circle. “Text you first thing.”
“Yeah…”
She went back inside, already planning how to manage the situation that was about to unfold—especially in terms of her Mam and Dad. Better keep Jimmy away from them, Uchenna thought, and paused in the utility room to see if there was any of her laundry there, and bring it upstairs herself. That always pleased her Mam, and Uchenna was going to need all the Mam-pleasing she could come by while this weird stuff was going on. Especially, better keep Jimmy away from Mam, she thought, pickingup a few of her tops and a pair of jeans that were lying there folded up. Mam gossips with all the people in the circle, and she’ll find out all about Jimmy in a hurry if I introduce him. It’s not just that his secret’ll get out, either. She’ll pitch a fit because I’m hanging around with the ‘wrong kind of
“Too late now,” her dad said wearily, picking up the laptop and taking it into back into the living room. Uchenna breathed out as her Mam went in after him.
Emer glanced after them, seeing that they were still in earshot, and pulled out her phone, worked over it a moment. In her pocket, Uchenna’s phone vibrated with the incoming SMS. Uchenna pulled it out, looked at the screen. U got lucky, it said.
Uchenna glanced at her, nodded, and texted very fast, & U must be rattled. U didnt spel a word out al the way!
Emer made a face at her. “So did you see ‘You’re A Star’ last night? Did that Sammy kid completely tank, or what?” she said innocently, while at the same time texting at top speed. OK, better. Will text you in the AM early, put phone under your pillow.
“Saw that,” Uchenna said. “What a waste of time. I don’t know how he got on there in the first place. Something to do with his weird hairdo, if you ask me; not even the backup singers could save him.” Her own text went back a little more slowly, as she didn’t have Emer’s lightning speed, and her fingers were bigger. OK. Save rest til we go out.
They finished their dinners and chatted small-talk by voice while discussing more urgent business by text. The problem was that neither of them was able to come up with ideas about anything more substantial to feed the horses—nothing they could actually get, anyway— and then Emer’s mom called to find out where she was and told her to come home.
She got her stuff quite cheerfully and said good night to Uchenna’s folks. “I’ll walk her down to the end of the driveway…” Uchenna said.
Out there in the dark, they paused to giggle briefly together. There was no need for further plotting or planning: they’d done everything they could at this point. “Text me,” Uchenna said. “First thing.”
“You’re on.” Emer threw her backpack over one shoulder.
“And Jimmy,” Uchenna said.
Emer made a face. “Not real sure I like that one,” she said. “Especially when the first thing out of his mouth when he sees you is a bunch of trash-talk. Where was he getting that ‘druggy’ stuff from?”
“Old business,” Uchenna said under her breath. “They used to say that at school last year when I first got here: before you and I started hanging out. There was this giant drugs bust up at Dublin Airport, some Nigerians were trying to smuggle heroin or hash resin or something in their luggage… It was beyond stupid. But the kids in school made a big deal out of it.” She shrugged. “They learned better. But for the time being, we’ve got to give him the benefit of the doubt. I mean, he is worried about the horses…”
“And especially the Mammy Horse,” Emer said. She looked up and smiled one of those little sideways smiles at Uchenna. “So you’re his sucker…”
“I am not anybody’s sucker!” Uchenna said, making an indignant face.
Emer just let the sideways grin get broader. “Going home now!” she said, and headed on across the circle. “Text you first thing.”
“Yeah…”
She went back inside, already planning how to manage the situation that was about to unfold—especially in terms of her Mam and Dad. Better keep Jimmy away from them, Uchenna thought, and paused in the utility room to see if there was any of her laundry there, and bring it upstairs herself. That always pleased her Mam, and Uchenna was going to need all the Mam-pleasing she could come by while this weird stuff was going on. Especially, better keep Jimmy away from Mam, she thought, pickingup a few of her tops and a pair of jeans that were lying there folded up. Mam gossips with all the people in the circle, and she’ll find out all about Jimmy in a hurry if I introduce him. It’s not just that his secret’ll get out, either. She’ll pitch a fit because I’m hanging around with the ‘wrong kind of
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