Secrets and Shadows by Brian Gallagher Read Free Book Online Page B

you, you’re not Irish.’
    ‘My dad is Irish, my grandma is Irish, my cousins are Irish. Of course I care, but–’
    ‘
But?
But what?!’ demanded McGrath.
    Barry answered calmly. ‘The North Strand raid was awful. I know, more than anyone.’
    ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
    ‘I’ve been in raids, loads of them. But
one
plane bombed Dublin and it dropped
four
bombs.
Six hundred
planes raided Liverpool and dropped
thousands
of bombs. You don’t know the first thingabout air raids.’
    McGrath didn’t have a ready answer, and Barry sensed that the other boys had been influenced by his argument. Quitting while he was ahead, he turned on his heel and walked off, leaving McGrath looking a little foolish.
    That had been this afternoon, but now, as Barry made his way home, he feared that McGrath was out to pay him back. They walked along Brunswick Street and approached the junction with Grangegorman. This was where McGrath, Nolan and Byrne turned off for Kirwan Street. If Barry could get past the corner he would be safe for another day. He didn’t want to run in fear, but he picked up his pace a little and began to round McGrath and his group.
    ‘Don’t be in such a rush, Malone,’ said McGrath, blocking his way.
    The other two boys moved behind Barry, and he felt himself trapped, but tried not to show his anxiety.
    ‘Nothing to say for yourself?’ taunted McGrath. ‘You’d loads of lip earlier.’
    ‘Everything I said was true.’
    ‘You’re still a smart-aleck, English loudmouth. But we’ll put manners on you!’
    McGrath nodded, and Barry felt himself gripped from behind by Nolan and Byrne. McGrath moved quickly, scooping the lid off a nearby dustbin full of factory ash. He swiftly dipped the dustbin lid into the dirty grey ash then approached Barry, who struggled fiercely.
    ‘Hold him tighter,’ said McGrath, and he drew nearer, holding up the ash.
    ‘No!’ cried Barry, unable to escape as the bully held the bin lid above his head. McGrath was so close that Barry could smell sweat from him, then McGrath tipped the ash all over his head.
    Barry spluttered, blinded by the ash, then he was roughly pushed and he lost his balance, falling against the factory wall. He heard laughter, and rubbed his eyes, clearing them of the fine ash that his school cap had only partially kept off his face.
    He rose shakily to his feet and saw McGrath and his friends running away, laughing.
    ‘Not so smart now!’ McGrath called as he ran up the slope of Grangegorman.
    Barry was aware that other people were staring at him. Humiliated and furious, he quickly brushed himself down, then continued unhappily on his way home.

    Grace stepped carefully over the cow dung that littered Stoneybatter as she travelled home from school. The dung was a nuisance, but Grace thought it was a small price to pay for the fun of seeing cattle being herded by the drovers right past the door of the cake shop. Hundreds of cattle were kept in pens in the nearby cattle market, and Grace loved the excitement when they were herded down Manor Street and Stoneybatter by the drovers and theirclever, barking dogs. She was slightly disappointed that so far she hadn’t seen an animal run amok, but a big black cow with saliva running from its mouth had mounted the pavement and gone past the window of the cake shop, and Grace reckoned that that was the next best thing.
    She crossed the thoroughfare now, making sure not to soil her shoes, and made for the junction of Stoneybatter and Arbour Hill. As she reached the corner she saw Barry, his schoolbag on his back, as he too returned from school.
    ‘Barry!’ she called in greeting.
    ‘Grace,’ he answered in a lacklustre voice.
    Drawing closer, she realised that something was wrong. ‘What happened?’ she asked.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Your cap, Barry’ she said indicating the soiled school cap that he carried in his hand. ‘And your hair is all dusty.’
    Barry said nothing, and Grace felt concerned