Father was giving a bad look to Longgrasses. Long-grasses stared at Father for a long time too and then shook his head and walked away to the riverbank where Stevie was still down in the water.
Father’s hands were on my shoulders keeping me warm and he said It’ll be all right now, love, but I was only thinking about Stevie and how long he was under water. Hayknife was shouting at the top of his voice and staring down into the water, and I looked up and saw the big army truck coming through the hedgerow fence and the hedge was broken open with a big hole and Father screamed No!
The extra lights of the truck were on and they were lighting up all the river. Father screamed again No! but stopped when one of the soldiers stared at him. Your horse or your bloody hedge, mate.
Father sat down on the riverbank and said Sit down Katie, and I could hear in Father’s voice more sadness than when he was over Mammy’s and Fiachra’s coffins, more sadness than the day after they were hit by the army truck down near the Glen, more sadness than the day when the judge said Nobody is guilty, it’s just a tragedy, more sadness than even that day and all the other days that follow.
Bastards, said Father in a whisper, bastards, and he put his arm around me and sat watching until Stevie came up from the water, swimming against the current to stay in one place. He shouted up at Hayknife Her leg’s trapped, and then I’m gonna try and get the hoof out. Stevie took four big gulps of air and Hayknife was pulling on the halter rope and the draft horse was screaming like I never heard a horse before or after. Father was quiet and I wanted to be back in the barn alone waiting for drips on my tongue. I was wearing Stevie’s jacket but I was shivering and wet and cold and scared because Stevie and the draft horse were going to die since everything in this country must.
* * *
FATHER LIKES HIS TEA without bags like Mammy used to make and so there is a special way for me to make it: Put cold cold water in the kettle and only cold, then boil it, then put a small boiling water in the teapot and swish it around until the bottom of the teapot is warm. Then put in tea leaves, not bags, and then the boiling water and stir it all very slowly and put on the tea cozy and let it stew on the stove for five minutes making sure the flame is not too high so the tea cozy doesn’t catch flame and burn. Then pour milk into the cups and then the tea, followed at last by the sugar all spooned around into a careful mix.
My tea fuss made the soldiers smile, even Stevie, who had a head full of blood pouring down from where the draft horse kicked him above his eye. Father’s face went white when Stevie smiled but Stevie was very polite. He took a towel from me because he said he didn’t want to get blood on the chair. He smiled at me two times when I put my head around the kitchen door and he held up one finger meaning One sugar please and a big O from fingers for No milk please. Some blood was drying in his hair and his eyes were bright like the sky should be, and I could feel my belly sink way down until it was there like love in the barn, and he smiled at me number three.
Everyone felt good for saving a life, even a horse life, maybe even Father, but Father was silent in the corner. He was angry at me for asking the soldiers to tea and his chin was long to his chest and there was a puddle at his feet. Everybody was towel drying except Father because there was not enough towels.
Longgrasses sat in the armchair and said Good thing ya had heat lamps, guvnor.
Father just nodded.
How was it under the water, Stevie? said Longgrasses.
Wet, said Stevie and everybody laughed but not Father. He stared at Stevie, then looked away.
The living room is always dark with Father grim, but it was brighter now. I liked the green of the uniforms and even the red of Stevie’s blood. But Stevie’s head from the horse kick must have been very sore. The other soldiers were talking about how maybe the army truck should take Stevie straight off to hospital and not get dry, just get stitches, and not get tea, just come back later to see about the draft horse if she survives under the heat lamps. But Stevie said I’m okay, guys, it’s just a scrape, I’d kill for a cuppa.
The tea tasted good from long brewing and we had biscuits for special visitors, I fetched them from the pantry. I bit one to make sure they were fresh and I carried out the tray.
I was sneezing but I was very careful to sneeze away from the tray so as to have politeness like Stevie. Stevie said God bless you in his funny funny way and we were all quiet as we sipped on the tea but I sneezed again three four five times and Hayknife said You should change out of them wet clothes, luv.
Father put down his teacup very heavy on the saucer and it was very quiet.
Everyone even the soldiers looked at the floor and the mantelpiece clock was ticking and Mammy’s picture was staring down from the wall and Fiachra when he was playing football and the soldiers didn’t see them but Father did. The long silence was longer and longer until Father called me over, Come here, Katie, and he stood me by the window and he took the long curtain in his hands. He turned me around and wrapped the curtain around me and he took my hair and started rubbing, not tender but hard. Father is good, he was just wanting to dry my hair because I was shivering even in Stevie’s jacket. From under the curtain I could see the soldiers and I could see most of all Stevie. He sipped from his tea and smiled at me and Father coughed real loud and the clock ticked some more until Hayknife said Here, guv, why don’t you use my towel for her?
Father said No thanks.
Hayknife said Go on, guv, and he put the towel in a ball and made to about throw it.
Father said No!
Stevie said Take it easy.
Take it easy? said Hayknife.
Maybe you should all leave, said Father.
Hayknife changed his face and threw the towel on the ground at Father’s feet and Hayknife’s cheeks were out-puffing and he was breathing hard and he was saying Fat lot of fucken thanks we get from your sort, mister.
Hayknife was up on his feet now and pointing at Father and the light shone off his boots well polished and his face was twitching so the scar looked like it was cutting his face. Longgrasses and Stevie stood up from the chairs and they were holding Hayknife back, but Hayknife was saying Risk our fucken lives and save your fucken horse and that’s all the thanks we get, eh?
Father held me very tight with the curtain wrapped around me and he seemed scared and small and trembly. Hayknife was shouting lots and his face was red and scrunched. Stevie kept him back. Stevie’s face was long and sad and I knew he knew because he kept looking at Mammy and Fiachra on the mantelpiece beside the ticking clock. Stevie dragged Hayknife out from the living room and at the kitchen door he let go. Hayknife turned over Stevie’s shoulder one last time and looked at Father with his face all twisted but Stevie grabbed him again and said Forget it mate.
Stevie took Hayknife out through the kitchen and into the yard toward the army truck and still the rain was coming down outside and then the living room was quiet except for the clock.