he was not one for long silences. It had been the wrong question to ask, apparently. Nobody knew where he was and everyone seemed to be blaming someone else. Nick gave up in despair. Sometimes you just couldn’t get families right.
*
Star picked up the phone. Michael was on the other end.
‘Don’t say my name, pretend it’s someone else, that fellow from the supermarket or something.’ He sounded anxious.
‘Oh, hi, Kenny,’ Star said. Her mother looked up sharply but nobody else took much notice as Star took the phone upstairs.
‘Where are you, Michael, what
is
it?’ she whispered to him.
‘Star, have you any money, any money at all?’
‘No, of course I haven’t any real money. I’ve about sixty euro. Would that do?’
‘Listen to me carefully. Laddy is holding some money for Dad, I know he is. Can you get it from him, tell him the rainy day has arrived.’
‘Tell him
what
has arrived?’
‘You know the way people say they are saving for a rainy day? Well, it’s here, it doesn’t get much rainier than this. I’m in awful trouble, Star. I have to have the money tonight.’
‘I’m not speaking to Laddy, ring him yourself.’
‘This is not the time for games.’
‘It’s not games, let me tell you.
You
talk to him.’
‘He won’t talk to me,’ Michael admitted.
‘That makes two of us, then.’
‘This isn’t a joke, I
have
to have this money.’
‘Ask Dad then.’
‘I can’t
do
that, Star, it’s some kind of a secret. I’m not even meant to know about it. It was something you asked Laddy to do way back, to make Dad give up gambling, and Laddy did it, and he’s holding some money Dad won. So the money’s there, and if you could just tell him that it was for you, Laddy would certainly give it to you. He has a soft spot for you, you know he has.’
‘Not any more he doesn’t,’ Star said and hung up.
‘How was Kenny?’ Molly asked.
‘Kenny?’ Star looked at her blankly.
‘You were just talking to him,’ Molly reminded her.
‘Oh yes. That’s right. I was.’
‘So is he OK?’
‘He’s the same as always,’ Star said.
*
Star met Kenny next day when they both returned to work. He had a black eye and a bruise on his chin. Star had a cut and a bruise on her forehead. She pulled her white bakery hat low over her face and tried not to meet anyone’s eye as she served them scones or croissants with her pincers. So she didn’t recognise her brother Michael until he hissed at her, ‘Star, talk to me.’
‘God, I didn’t see you, Michael, you look
terrible
! What happened to you?’
‘What happened to me is that my sister hung up on me yesterday and I’m in deep, deep trouble.’
‘What kind of trouble?’
‘Well, these guys I know . . . half know . . . met, anyway . . . They took my van. And now the fellows who own the van want to know where it is.’
‘And can’t you tell them that the other people stole it?’
‘Not really, you see, I wasn’t meant to have it out the night it disappeared.’
‘But what about the insurance?’
‘Wake up, Star, these kind of people don’t have insurance.’
‘Michael, I can’t do anything for you, I don’t
have
anything. It’s Tuesday today, I get paid again on Friday. Would that be any help?’
‘By Friday I’ll have two broken legs.’
‘
No!
’
‘Yes. Star, can’t you speak to Laddy?’
‘I told you, there was awful trouble at the party, you missed it all. Biddy left Mr Hale, and Kenny hit Laddy, and he hit Kenny back, and I fainted and got this.’ She showed him her bruised face.
‘God, Star, are you serious?’
‘Yes, it couldn’t have been more horrible.’
‘And Kenny?’
‘He’s got an awful bruise, worse than mine. I haven’t talked to
him
either.’
‘And why did he hit Laddy?’
‘A misunderstanding. He thought Laddy had hit me.’
Michael looked thoughtful. ‘Where does he work, this Kenny?’
‘Over that way, the fish and deli counters. You’re not going to go
*
Star picked up the phone. Michael was on the other end.
‘Don’t say my name, pretend it’s someone else, that fellow from the supermarket or something.’ He sounded anxious.
‘Oh, hi, Kenny,’ Star said. Her mother looked up sharply but nobody else took much notice as Star took the phone upstairs.
‘Where are you, Michael, what
is
it?’ she whispered to him.
‘Star, have you any money, any money at all?’
‘No, of course I haven’t any real money. I’ve about sixty euro. Would that do?’
‘Listen to me carefully. Laddy is holding some money for Dad, I know he is. Can you get it from him, tell him the rainy day has arrived.’
‘Tell him
what
has arrived?’
‘You know the way people say they are saving for a rainy day? Well, it’s here, it doesn’t get much rainier than this. I’m in awful trouble, Star. I have to have the money tonight.’
‘I’m not speaking to Laddy, ring him yourself.’
‘This is not the time for games.’
‘It’s not games, let me tell you.
You
talk to him.’
‘He won’t talk to me,’ Michael admitted.
‘That makes two of us, then.’
‘This isn’t a joke, I
have
to have this money.’
‘Ask Dad then.’
‘I can’t
do
that, Star, it’s some kind of a secret. I’m not even meant to know about it. It was something you asked Laddy to do way back, to make Dad give up gambling, and Laddy did it, and he’s holding some money Dad won. So the money’s there, and if you could just tell him that it was for you, Laddy would certainly give it to you. He has a soft spot for you, you know he has.’
‘Not any more he doesn’t,’ Star said and hung up.
‘How was Kenny?’ Molly asked.
‘Kenny?’ Star looked at her blankly.
‘You were just talking to him,’ Molly reminded her.
‘Oh yes. That’s right. I was.’
‘So is he OK?’
‘He’s the same as always,’ Star said.
*
Star met Kenny next day when they both returned to work. He had a black eye and a bruise on his chin. Star had a cut and a bruise on her forehead. She pulled her white bakery hat low over her face and tried not to meet anyone’s eye as she served them scones or croissants with her pincers. So she didn’t recognise her brother Michael until he hissed at her, ‘Star, talk to me.’
‘God, I didn’t see you, Michael, you look
terrible
! What happened to you?’
‘What happened to me is that my sister hung up on me yesterday and I’m in deep, deep trouble.’
‘What kind of trouble?’
‘Well, these guys I know . . . half know . . . met, anyway . . . They took my van. And now the fellows who own the van want to know where it is.’
‘And can’t you tell them that the other people stole it?’
‘Not really, you see, I wasn’t meant to have it out the night it disappeared.’
‘But what about the insurance?’
‘Wake up, Star, these kind of people don’t have insurance.’
‘Michael, I can’t do anything for you, I don’t
have
anything. It’s Tuesday today, I get paid again on Friday. Would that be any help?’
‘By Friday I’ll have two broken legs.’
‘
No!
’
‘Yes. Star, can’t you speak to Laddy?’
‘I told you, there was awful trouble at the party, you missed it all. Biddy left Mr Hale, and Kenny hit Laddy, and he hit Kenny back, and I fainted and got this.’ She showed him her bruised face.
‘God, Star, are you serious?’
‘Yes, it couldn’t have been more horrible.’
‘And Kenny?’
‘He’s got an awful bruise, worse than mine. I haven’t talked to
him
either.’
‘And why did he hit Laddy?’
‘A misunderstanding. He thought Laddy had hit me.’
Michael looked thoughtful. ‘Where does he work, this Kenny?’
‘Over that way, the fish and deli counters. You’re not going to go
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