the derry girl || james maguire

ten

Niamh's pov

I had just arrived back from Michelle's house, and had to get my way through the fucking orange men, what a load of shite honestly. I chapped the door and nobody answered, maybe in fear it was an orange man, so I chapped again, this time with my suitcase.

"Oh it's just Niamh!, come in love" Gerry  said.

I came into the house to see Mary trying to pack a suitcase. Erin and Grandpa at the table and Orla using a wooden spoon and a knife to play the drums, not much has changed then.

"Already? It's started already?" Mary complained.

"I think it's just a rehearsal, love." Gerry said.

"They've been playing the same three songs since 1795, what do they need to rehearse for?"

"Well, practice makes perfect, Aunt Mary.
You know, that is why they are so cracker." Orla said.

"I'm sorry? Did you just call the Orange Order "cracker"?" Erin asked.

"I'm considering joining." Orla smiled.

"I don't think they accept Catholics, Orla, or, you know, acknowledge our right to exist." I said.

"Oh Niamh you're back" Erin smiled.

"Give us a hand here, Gerry, this'll not close. We need to shift ourselves! We're the last Fenians standing." Aunt Mary yelled.

"Relax, love, we've got a good two or three hours before the rioting starts." Grandpa reminded her.

I'll see if I can get my own flare this year, Michelle's mam took them off us last year.

"I'll not settling myself until we're over that border, Da." Aunt Mary said. "Stick that in the boot."

Gerry attempted to get the suitcase in the boot, but well, he failed.

"You'll be as well getting one of the wee'uns to do it." Joe yelled.

That's when Clare arrived, and started ranting and raving.

"Listen to it! I mean, just listen to it! I mean I mean, I don't - I mean, why do they have to be so loud?" She yelled.

"Breathe, love." Mary told her.

"Far worse for me, Clare. I mean, my hearing's impeccable." Erin said.

"Aye sure it is Erin." I say.

"I've read the same paragraph 47 times because I can't concentrate because Oh, my God, the noise! This whale, he's a bad brute, Mrs Quinn. I have to know if they catch him. Can I come away with you, please?" Clare begs.

"Okay well, if your mother has no objections, I don't see why not."

"Thank you. Thank you. I'll never forget this. Thank you!"

"She's taking you to a caravan in Portnoo, she's not giving you her kidney, Clare." Erin said.

"Listen, Mary, I just did a reading. The cards say if we go on this wee holiday, we're placing ourselves in grave danger, which I'm not buzzing about, to be honest." Aunt Sarah comes in with her new cards.

"You're not psychic, Aunt Sarah."

"I am psychic, Erin. I did a course. I got a certificate."

"Exactly Erin." I snort.

"Aye, this does not look good."

"Still no sign of the lottery numbers?"

"No, Daddy, this psychic carry-on, it's not all it's cracked up to be, you know? Last night, I woke up to this wailing sound.
I thought to myself, "Jesus, it's Granny Pat, "she's trying to cross over. Now, it turned out it was only Aggie next door.
She'd put the electric blanket on full whack and scalded the legs o' herself.
But still, it could just as easily have been"