He had a mug for work that he’d had for years; he still had it. It was a big plain white one, no cracks, no stupid slogans. He put two teabags into it; used to. My God, he’d never forget the taste of the first cup of tea in the morning, usually in a bare room in a new house with muck and dirt everywhere, freezing; fuck me, it was great; it scalded him on the way down; he could feel it all the way. And the taste it left; brilliant; brilliant. He always used two bags, squeezed the bejesus out of them. The mug was so big it warmed more than just his hands. It was like sitting in front of a fire. After a few gulps he’d sip at it and turn around and look at his work. He always got a few walls done before he stopped for the tea. Even if the other lads were stopping he kept going, till he felt he needed it; deserved it. He’d look around him at the plastering. It was perfect; not a bump or a sag, so smooth you’d never know where he’d started. Then he’d gulp down the rest of the tea and get back to it. The mug was outside in the shed, in a bag with his other work stuff. He’d wrapped toilet paper around it.
— You’ll get drenched goin’ to school, Darren, he said.
— Yeah, said Darren.
— Still, said Jimmy Sr. — It’ll save yeh the bother o’ washin’ yourself, wha’.
— Yeah, said Darren.
Darren looked at the rain hitting the window.
— Jesus, he said.
— Stop that, said Veronica.
— That’s the real wet stuff alrigh’, Jimmy Sr told Darren.
— I’ve P.E. today, Darren told him.
— Is tha’ righ’? said Jimmy Sr. — Ah, they’ll never send yeh ou’ in tha’; they couldn’t.
— They did the last time.
— Did they, the cunts?
Veronica put his plate in front of him and then walloped him across the head.
— Sorry, he said.
He took out tenpence and dropped it in the swearbox.
— D’yeh want a note for the teacher? he asked Darren.
— He does not, said Veronica.
— No, said Darren. — I don’t mind. It might stop.
— That’s very true.
Darren got back to his book and his breakfast. Jimmy Sr picked up his knife and fork.
— Wha’ have we here? he said.
Darren kept reading. Veronica was busy. So he just chopped a bit of sausage off, put it on a piece of toast, closed the toast over on it and bit into it. The marge was lovely and warm.
The twins came in.
— You’re to sign this, Linda told Jimmy Sr.
— Get back upstairs and get that stuff off, said Veronica.
— Ah, Mammy—
— Go on! — You too, she told Tracy.
Tracy followed Linda out into the hall.
— It’s not fair! they heard Linda.
— Wha’ was tha’ abou’? Jimmy Sr wanted to know.
— They were wearing eye-shadow, said Veronica.
— Oh.
— They were sent home last week for having it on, said Veronica.
— It’s crazy, said Darren. — It’s pitiful.
Jimmy Sr wasn’t sure.
— They’re a bit young, he said.
— Sixth years aren’t allowed to have it on either, Darren told Jimmy Sr.
— Ah then, said Jimmy Sr. — Then you’re righ’, Darren. That’s just stupid.
— It’s a school rule, said Veronica.
— That’s right as well, o’ course, said Jimmy Sr.
Darren was standing up, putting his book marker carefully into place so it wouldn’t fall out.
— If everybody had that attitude, he said, — nothing would ever change.
Jimmy Sr didn’t know what to do. He liked hearing Darren talk like that, but he was being cheeky as well; to his mother. There was something about the way Darren spoke since his voice broke that left Jimmy Sr confused. He admired him, more and more; he was a great young fella; he was really proud of him, but he thought he felt a bit jealous of him as well sometimes; he didn’t know. Anyway, he wasn’t going to be let talk like that to his mother. That was out.
But the twins were back.
— You’re to sign this.
Linda had spoken to him.
— Wha’?
— Here.
— Yeah, said Jimmy Sr. — Why but?
He took Linda’s homework journal from her.
— Don’t know, said Linda. — You’re to just sign it.
Jimmy Sr looked at the cover; Big Fun, Wet Wet Wet, Brother Beyond, Tracy loves Keith. He looked at the back; Linda loves Keith.
— Lucky Keith, he said. — Where am I to sign?
Linda took the journal and found the right page.
— Here, she said.
There was a page for each week, divided into sections for subject, homework and teachers’ comments.
— You don’t have to read them, said Linda.
— Homework not done, Jimmy Sr read. — Persisted in talking. — Homework not done. Cheeky. Stabbed student with compass. — Homework should be done at home.
He looked up.
— Fuckin’ hell, he said. — An’ that’s only Monday.
— Let me see, said Veronica. — My God.
Linda pointed at one of the comments.
— I wasn’t cheeky. She just said I was but I wasn’t. An’ he — tha’ one there — he hit me with his ruler so I had to get him back but she didn’t see him hittin’ me, she on’y seen—
— Saw, said Veronica.
— She only saw me gettin’ him with the compass. An’ I did not stab him. I on’y—
— Shut up! said Jimmy Sr.
He looked at Veronica.
— Give us a pen, he said to Linda. — Where’s your journal till I see it, he said to Tracy.
— It’s in school, said Tracy.
— Why’s tha’?
— A teacher kept it.
— Why?
— He just did.
Jimmy Sr looked at Veronica again.
— You’re grounded, he told the twins. — The two o’ yis. He saw Parent’s Signature, and signed the dotted line.
— Till when? said Tracy.
— Till I say so, said Jimmy Sr. — Who told yeh to get me to sign this?
— Miss McCluskey.
— Elephant Woman, said Darren, on his way out.
— Don’t start now, said Jimmy Sr.
He stared the twins out of it.
— I’m warnin’ yis, he said. — If one o’ yis laughs I’ll tan your arses for yis.
Tracy started; she couldn’t keep it in. And that got Linda going.
— Here, said Jimmy Sr.
He walloped her with the journal, but not too hard.
— I’m checkin’ your homework every nigh’, d‘yeh hear me. An’—
He shouted after them.
— if I see anny more bad comments I’ll—
The front door slammed.
— crucify yis! — The pair o’ them’ll be pushin’ buggies before they’re fifteen.
— Oh God, said Veronica. — Don’t.
He looked at Veronica, carefully.
— I’ll check their eccers every nigh‘, don’t worry. An’ we won’t let them out at all after their tea, an’ that’ll sort them ou’, wait an’ see, Veronica. Fair enough?
— Okay.
— I’ll do everythin’. I’ll even sleep in the same bed as them.
— Jesus, said Veronica. — We’ve enough trouble in the house without that as well.
Jimmy Sr laughed.
— Good girl, he said. — An’ you can sleep with Darren. How’s tha’?
He loved the breakfasts. Pity they went so quick.
He got up.
Where was Gina?
— No rest for the wicked, he said.