The Gamal (26 page)
I was still glad I said it though.
—You’re the best friend we’ve ever had Charlie.
—Yeah.
When we got out of the bus we both knew that we were kind of saying goodbye in a bigger way than usual. That I couldn’t be hanging around with her without James there too cos it would look strange cos we weren’t kids any more and even if I was a gamal, gamals become men too isn’t it? Only place I’d see her now when James wasn’t around was in Roundy’s, same as everybody else. I watched her for a few secs when she was walking home to the council houses. Handbag on her shoulder. New high-heel boots on her. Small quick unsteady steps. Comical kind of. Didn’t find it one bit funny though. Looked like someone else to me.
Anyhow. Sinéad drew a crowd to Roundy’s.
Roundy was in well with Teesh and the lads on account of him being one of them. He was much younger than Snoozie’s father. I suppose he was about forty.
—He was some boyo in his day boy! the lackeys would say about Roundy.
—Remember the time he took the young one upstairs after closing hours one night and told us to watch the upstairs window from across the road.
—Oh Jesus Christ yeah.
—The light came on boy and next thing we see your one’s bare ass on up on the windowsill and the bould Roundy giving her a service.
—He wasn’t married then was he?
—Ah Jaisis no. Christ he only about twenty-five that time.
—Didn’t stop him in The Groove one night though and she standing right beside him.
—Oh Christ yeah, I heard about that.
—One hand around the wife-to-be and she blind stocious and the other hand down another girl’s pants that he was talking to.
—Jesus Christ ha?
—Oh unbelievable in his day, that fella. Don’t say a word about that to anyone now, that’s all a million years ago.
—’Course, sure who would I be talking to?
—Oh he’s some beaut all right.
—Legend surely. The gamal won’t be talking, will he? Did he hear ya?
—And who would the gamal be talking to? Is it joking me you are? The lights are on but there’s nobody at home. Isn’t that right Gamal?
—Ha?
—That’s right.
—Ha?
—Nothing Charlie.
—Ha?
—Nothing strange Charlie?
—Ha? Not a bit. ’Tis wild windy out.
—Wild windy is right Charlie, good man you are.
Roundy still organised bus trips for the fellas who drank in his pub. Mostly the bachelors and the too young to be married. The bachelors loved him.
—Oh some pup he was.
—Pure laugh.
—Legend.
Roundy took all the midweek trade in the village now from The Snug. In Ballyronan the midweek trade was all men. Men who didn’t want a wife or didn’t like the one they had. They sat and hissed, something of the kicked cat about them isn’t it?
After James’ first week in Dublin the plan was that his father would give Sinéad a lift to the train station in Cork on Friday so that she could go up to James for the weekend. Between the jigs and the reels she couldn’t go. Her father was after hitting the bottle hard and was vomiting mad on account of the cancer and her mother was working on the Saturday and was going to a hen party in Kilkenny on the Saturday night. James understood. James came down instead. He called over to her house Friday night. Sinéad’s father answered the door.
—She’s not here.
—What?
—She’s not here. I don’t know where she is but she’s not here anyhow.
Her father was drunk. The eyes were bloodshot in his head and he didn’t have nothing to say to his daughter’s boyfriend. He went back in and closed the door in his face. James called to my house. He had tears in his eyes telling how Sinéad’s father was to him at her house.
—Where is she?
—Dunno.
—She said she’d be there like. To call. Do you think he was lying?
—Dunno.
—He wouldn’t be after hurting her would he?
—No. Dunno. No.
—Charlie will you do me a favour?
—Yeah. I will.
—Come down with me and call to see if Sinéad is there.
—Yeah.
—I’ll wait around the corner. Just in case she’s there. See what he says to you anyway.
He opened the door to me eventually.
—Hello.
—What?
—Hello. Is Sinéad there?
—Who wants to know?
—Ha?
—Ha? Ha!
He closed the door in my face. I waited a few seconds and knocked again.
—Have you some kind of a problem have you? She’s not here and if she was she’d be having fuck-all to do with the like of you anyhow you fucking simpleton. Fuck off and leave my daughter alone.
He slammed the door shut. Then it opened again.
—And tell Prince William to do the same, if he knows what’s good for him, ye two stupid cunts. He shut the door again.
—Take no notice of him, he’s only drunk Charlie. I’m going to have a word with him now.
I grabbed James by the arm to stop him. We headed back up to my house. James’ father was after ringing my house. Sinéad was after ringing the castle. She was in Roundy’s, my mother said. James was relieved first and uneasy second.
—Cool. She’s probably just having a drink with Racey and co.
—Yeah.
—You coming down Charlie?
—Yeah.
When we went in Sinéad was behind the bar. Teesh and Snoozie were sitting at the bar. Teesh goes,
—Oho, look here. A knight in shining armour coming to rescue a damsel in distress.
That got a few laughs. Then Teesh again goes,
—And James is with him.
That got more laughs, and a few of them looked over at me and shook their heads. Then Teesh goes to James,
—The wanderer returns. How are you kid?
He stuck out his hand for James to shake. James obliged.
—So how’s the big smoke treating you?
James was looking with a kind smile at Sinéad as he spoke,
—Grand. It’ll take a bit of getting used to but I’d say I’ll like it. Any sca here?
—Yera same shit different day, you know yourself, I was only saying to Sinéad there before you came in that . . .
Teesh found himself talking to the air that took James’ place cos James was after going over to Sinéad’s embrace. She closed her eyes and squeezed him tight. Teesh nodded and smirked to himself in his stupid silence like he knew something no one else did. He took a long draught of his pint, squinting his eyes to two slits that looked up to the ceiling for clues.
—I missed you so much, Sinéad said. So so so much.
—Me too.
—Two more when you’re ready Sinéad, Teesh said.
—Yera keep the knickers on there Teesh, Sinéad said back, and the lads laughed.
Teesh smiled and shook his head and finished his pint, having another look at the ceiling with his eyes near closed again.
—I better let you give the lads their medicine. Will you pull me a pint too babe and a Lucozade for Charlie please.
—Lucozade Charlie?
—Yeah.
—I’m here ’til closing. Roundy rang the house and Dad answered and said I’d work. Something came up and Roundy had to go to Newport with Eileen.
—Not to worry. Do you still have to work tomorrow night?
—Yeah. Roundy and Eileen have a wedding up the country.
—Not to worry, James said.
He was worried. He put a fiver on the counter for the drinks, sat on a bar stool and massaged his forehead with his eyes closed. He pulled another stool to the bar between himself and Teesh and motioned me to sit down. Sinéad was looking at him the whole time. She could see he was uneasy. She was uneasy too.
I went talking the greatest gibberish you ever heard then about my new job with the landscape gardener to let Sinéad and James have a chance to catch up.
—Any news anyhow Teesh?
He didn’t answer me so I went on.
—I’m after getting a job for a few weeks with Jim Murphy from the Four Crosses.
—The landscape gardener is it? Snoozie asked.
—Yeah. Fierce equipment altogether. Fierce equipment. I was in charge of the shredder. Throw sticks and branches into it and it comes out the other end in bits and pieces. Do the same to your hand if you’re not careful. Hand would be in bits and pieces. That’s what Jim said to me. Bits and pieces. And where would you be then? Up in the hospital and I wouldn’t have no time to take you to the hospital cos this job has to be done today. Whether your arms are in the shredder or not. Ha? Gas man Jim, ha? What do you think of that Teesh?
—Fascinating. Would your head fit in it?
—’Twould.
—Fuck sake Teesh, Snoozie said.
—Doing well for himself now boy, Jim is, Teesh said.
—Heard that all right, said one of the old fellas.
—Got the gardens of the four Fitsimmons hotels he was telling me. And fuck all to do, only a bit of weeding and trimming shrubs.
—Is that a fact?
—’Tis yeah, cushy number. Fucking thousands he’s getting for it. Cute fucking whore him, ha?
—Cleverest cunt of ’em all. Did you see the house he’s building?
—No. Nice?
—Six bedrooms. Two en suite.
—Jaysus, up in the home place?
—Yeah. The lower field.
—What did he put it down in that hole for?
—I’d say herself don’t want to be too close to that mother of his.
—Who’d blame her for that?
—No sane man, that’s who.
They went on talking then about some brother of Jim’s wife who went to the States long ago. James and Sinéad were able to talk away themselves with Sinéad going over to pull pints every now and again.
—Couldn’t really say no, seeing as I’m only here a week.
—I know babe. Do you think you’ll hang on here for a while or will you look for something else?
—Dunno. There’s isn’t a whole lot around like, you know?
—Yeah . . . God I wish you were with me.
—Me too. Every minute of every day.
They kissed for a bit.
—It feels so wrong being away from you. I’m so so lonesome.
—I know. I know, I’m the same, James said.
She suddenly turned her back on James and walked into the back room to wipe away her tears. Teesh was getting stuck in Snoozie about some soccer player.
—I still make off he was a more intelligent player than Cantona.
—You brainless cunt! You’ve just confirmed how stupid you are.
—You’re so fucking ignorant. Could you not just disagree no?
—I could disagree that today is Friday. Would only make me as stupid as you.
Snoozie got up and walked past his taunter to the jacks with a thick angry head up on him, and Teesh calling after him,
—A fact is a fact. Cantona is a genius and you’re a dunce. An ignorant harmless dunce and only your mother could ever love you.
—Get fucked you prick.
One of the old fellas piped up then,
—He’s gone sour on you Teesh.
—He’ll be fine. He’ll have it all forgot when he comes back. Memory of a goldfish that fella. If he remembers to wash his hands ’twill be a miracle. Isn’t that right Gamal?
—Yeah.
He turned around wildly and had a look at me, then he looked past me at James, then straight ahead at Sinéad who was back behind the bar. James was staring at his pint as was not usually his wont. Sinéad was staring at a telly with no sound on. Teesh took it all in with exaggerated stares.
—Someone fuckin’ die or something?
James laughed.
—No. Nobody’s dead, he said and he looked at Sinéad.
—Right Sinéad?
Sinéad looked at him and managed a little smile.
—That’s right babe, she said.
One minute, time for a chapter. This next one will be called 16.
They look the job don’t they? The real thing. I hope I’m getting this punctuation right with what people say and stuff. I hope it’s not confusing for you. Punctuation is a right pain in the hole. Anyhow, Sinéad and James started getting involved in talking shite with Teesh and Snoozie and managed to have a laugh or two. Sinéad was dragged away by her duties then cos the place started filling up. Run off her feet she was. She was a bad barmaid that night. Many’s the time she had to ask a customer what exactly was in the drink they just ordered. A White Russian is vodka, Kahlua and milk. She’d be looking around behind the bar for bottles then. The bottles stood patiently waiting for their locations and their names and their colours and their shapes to be introduced to Sinéad’s mind.
