The Chisellers by Brendan O'Carroll Read Free Book Online Page B

bench seat on the right-hand side and slid herself into the bench seat on the left-hand side.
    From where Agnes sat she had a fine view of the store. Boy, is it busy, she thought. There were people milling in every direction. It was the little blond head bobbing along the racks that caught her eye - that tends to happen when you have seven children and five of them are blond. She followed the head with her eyes as it bobbed along a rail of Holy Communion jackets, then as the figure emerged she could clearly see that it was indeed her own little Dermot. He was chatting away to one of the sales assistants and they seemed to be getting on great.
    Just then Mark arrived with the tray. ‘Here we go, Ma. I got you a chocolate éclair and I got a cream slice for meself,’ he announced.
    ‘Mark, isn’t that our Dermot down there in the boys’ section?’
    Mark placed one knee on the bench seat and stretched over to the balcony to look down. ‘Where, Ma? I don’t see anythin’.‘
    Agnes now stood and pointed over to the boys’ section. ‘There. Look, talkin’ to the young one.’
    ‘Oh jayney yeh, that’s Dermo all right,’ Mark confirmed.
    ‘What’s he doin’ in here? And what’s in that bag he’s carryin’?‘
    Mark had a sinking feeling and his stomach tightened. He tried to think as quickly as he could. ‘I don’t know ... eh ... Oh yeh, he said somethin’ earlier on about goin’ down to Henry Street for a message for Mrs Egan, maybe that’s it ? ’
    Agnes was still looking down at Dermot. ‘Must be. Ah, fair play to him, he’s a good lad! He’d do a run for anyone.’

     
    The girl was most helpful. She obviously liked Tom and his ‘son’ got the red-carpet treatment. Dermot thanked the lady and again made his way back to Tom, the Security Man. He tugged his jacket. Tom turned around.
    ‘Well, son, did you get fixed up?’ Tom asked.
    ‘Yes, Mister, thanks very much.’
    As he said this, Dermot glanced back at the sales lady. As he suspected, she was staring directly at the pair of them. Dermot looked up at the Security Man and said, ‘Mister, can I tell yeh a secret?’
    The Security Man smiled. “Course yeh can, son,‘ and he stooped over.
    Dermot placed his arms around the man’s neck and whispered in his ear. ‘I still wet the bed.’
    The man looked straight into the boy’s face, puzzled, and then replied, ‘Ah, that’s no harm, son, you’ll grow out of that,’ and he patted Dermot on the head.
    From where the sales assistant was standing, it looked like Tom had just received a hug from his son. She was touched. Dermot once again looked in her direction and still she stood, looking at the pair. Dermot said to Tom, pointing at the girl, ‘That girl was really nice.’
    Tom looked in the direction of Dermot’s pointed finger and then Dermot waved at the girl. The girl waved back and for some reason, unknown to himself, even Tom waved. Tom then got back to business. ‘Okay, son, you’re fixed up now. Off you go.’
    Dermot started to move away, then turned and said, ‘Thanks a lot,’ and then just to himself he added ‘Daddy,’ and laughed as he left the store richer by one pair of corduroy trousers.

     
    Agnes gave Mark a running commentary on the whole scene. Mark didn’t look - he couldn’t bear to look.
    ‘He’s leavin’ yer woman now. Jaysus, yeh’d think they were best friends.’ She took a quick sup of coffee and a bite of chocolate éclair. ‘Now he’s talkin’ to the bloody Security Man.’
    Mark paled. ‘Did the Security Man call him over?’ Mark asked nervously.
    Without turning around to Mark, Agnes answered. ‘No, Dermot just walked straight over to him.’ Another sup of coffee. ‘Jaysus!’ Agnes exclaimed.
    ‘What?’
    ‘He’s huggin’ the Security Man!’
    ‘Maybe — maybe he knows him, Ma,’ Mark offered.
    ‘Ah Jaysus, Mark. I know the girl at the checkout in Power’s Supermarket but yeh don’t see me huggin’ her.’ She tugged