Lingard066Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard066ManuscriptAlbertEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard066Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard066_1.jpgLHL Archive62
CHAPTER EIGHT
Uncle Albert peered back. "Is that you Kevin ladboy?"
"It is?"
"What are you doing out here at this time of the night?"
"Looking for a lift."
The engine shuddered and died. "DratBlast it," said Uncle Albert, "I've always the devil of a job getting it goingThis is a pig to start once it stops."
"I know that!" said Kevin. "Uncle Albert, I've a friend here with
me. This is Sadie. Sadie, this is my fatner's brother."
Uncle Albert leaned over to take Sadie's hand. "Pleased to meet
you, Sadie."
"How do you/do, Mr McCoy?"
"Are you getting in then, the two of you?"
"We'll get in the back," said Kevin.
"And then you can have a wee cuddle, eh?" Uncle Albert chuckled.
Sadie giggled. She thought Uncle Albert might well be to her
liking. Kevin tugged open the back door and they slid on to the
back seat. They sank into the middle of it. The springs had gone a long time ago.
"You'll need to tie up the doorhandle, Kevin, said Ucnle Albert. "tThe
door's inclined to fly opencatch is busted. I wouldn't be wanting you to fall out
on a corner."
Kevin tied up the handle with the piece of string dangling from it,
and settled back with his arm round Sadie.
"Right, we're off!" Uncle Albert pulled the starter. Nothing
happened. He cursed, tried again.
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49911Lingard067Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard067ManuscriptBangor, GreyhoundEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard067Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard067_1.jpgLHL Archive63
"Looks like you'll need a push." Kevin untied the string and
climbed out. He went round to theback of the car and pushed. They
moved off by inches, gradually gathering a little more speed, and
then with a splutter the car sprang to life again.
Uncle Albert slackened speed so that Kevin could catch them up.
He got in to the car panting.
"We'll be all right now," said Uncle Albert. "Once it gets going
there's nothing to worry about." They chugged along slowly., being
overtaken by anything else that was on the road. "There's life in the
ould thing yet, Kevin.. I always get there in the end."
"Been in Bangor, Uncle Albert?"
"I was seeing a man about a greyhound. Fine beast. I was tempted.
But the missus'd have given me hell if I'd brought it back."
Kevin laughed, imagining the torrent of words Uncle Albert's wife
would have poured out if he had returned with a dog.
"Haven't seen you before, have I x Sadie?" Uncle Albert half
tunred to have another look at Sadie. In the darkness. The car swerved
slightly.
"Keep your eyes on the road, for dear sake, Uncle Albert. You
nearly had us in the ditch."
"Have you been keeping her hidden, Kevin? You're a right lad!
Where do you live then, Sadie?"
"Not far from Kevin,» said Sadie, smiling to herself in the dim lightdarkness.
"Funny I've never seen you before. I'd have remembered a girl
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49912Lingard068Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard068ManuscriptAlbert, SchoolEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard068Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard068_1.jpgLHL Archive64
like you if I had. You know how to pick them, Kevin."
"Don't listen to him, Sadie," aid levin. "He's full of smooth
talk."
They exchanged a fe$ bits of banter. Sadie was enjoying herself.
She liked the unexpected, missing the last bus, getting a lift in a
funny old car. Tommy led such a dull, predictable life, going for
walks with Linda, taking her to the cinema. They had the odd tiff
but even they were dull and predicatble: Linda would go off in to the
sulks and come out of them when she saw that she mgiht be on the
verge of losing Tommy.
Kevin sniffed. "You don't smell brunigg rubber, do you?"
"Burning rubber?" said Uncle Albert. "You're imagining things.
Sure anyway there's always a bit of a smell in this ould car. What
else could you expect with the age she is?"
"It's just as well they don't have those Ministry of Transport
tests over here the way they do in England. You'd never get it
through."
"Tests!" scoffed Uncle Albert. "I wouldn't have anything to do
with them. Never sat an exam in my life. Always mitched on the day
they had them. Not like your da, Kev. He was a serious scholar."
"It hadn't got him very far, thought Kevin, working on a building
site, but then he had had to leave school to help support his family.
Just as he had had to do. He and hsi father were both eldest sons.
Sddie sniffed. She too xx fancied she could smell something
burning but perhaps Uncle Albert was right: it was just a part of
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49913Lingard069Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard069ManuscriptMotoring, EscapeEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard069Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard069_1.jpgLHL Archive65
of the car. He must know it better than they did.
They came to a road junction where they had to stop. As soon as
the car stopped the engine gave up too. Uncle Albert shook his head;
Kevin untied the string and got out again.
"It’s all right, Sadie," said Uncle Albert. "Another push and we'll
be away."
But Kevin opened the door and said urgently,"There's smoke coming
out of the bonnet."
Uncle Albert and Sadie jumped out quickly. Kevin lifted up the
bonnet and a cloud of steam gushed up in to the air.
"Bless us!" said Uncle Albert, scratching his head. "What the devil's the matter with that then?"
"When did you last put water in?" asked Kevin.
"Only yestreday. "
"Looks like you'reyour thermostat might be away."
Uncle Albert rested his hands on his hips and shook his head. He
was not a member of any motoring organisation, naturally not, and
he had not enough money on him to seek help at a garage. He had a
friend who would be able to come out from Belfatst the next day and
take a look at it for him. Uncle Albert always had friends who could fix things, but in the meantime they would have to abandon
it. It grieved him to have to leave it lying there on the road so far
from home. They psuhed it over to the verg side and back a little
way from the junction.
"It won't blow up, will it?" asked Sadie.
"No, no." Kevin took a cloth, wrapped it round his hand and
unscrewed the cap to let the rest of the steam escape. "It'll stop
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49914Lingard070Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard070ManuscriptCheckpoint, BelfastEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard070Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard070_1.jpgLHL Archive66
in a/minute.” When it did, he put down the bonnet lid of the bonnet.
"I hope no one siphons off me petrol,” said Uncle Albert.
"I don't think you need worry too much about that."
"Or takes off me tyres. They're up to all sorts of thingstricks these days."
The trys tyres were so smooth they were on the verge of being
dangerous, but Kevin did not point that out to his uncle. He wondered
that the police w did not pick him up more often for being in
possesssion of an unroadworthy m vehichle, but then the police had
plenty of other things to concern themselves withworry about.
"Looks like we'll have to walk," said Kevin.
Sadie walked between them, her arms linked through theirs. The
sky had cleared and the moon rode high above them lighting their
way. It was a fine night for a walk, Uncle Albert observed; he had
walked home often enough before. And no doubt it would not be the
last time, Kevin added. Uncle Albert broke into song, and Kevin and
Sadie joined in.
After they had gone a mile or two they saw the lights ahead of
a parked truck.
"Looks like an army check point," said Kevin.
When they drew near they saw two soldiers standing in front of the
truck, rifles held loosely in their hands. The walkers stopped in
front of them.
"Where are you going?" asked one of the soldiers.
"Belfast," said Uncle Albert. "Me car broke down a bit back there
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49915Lingard071Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard071ManuscriptKilled, SoldiersEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard071Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard071_1.jpgLHL Archive67
on the road.” He launched into a description of the expiring of
the car until he was cut off by the soldier.
"And where have you been?”
"Bangor. I went to see a man about a greyhound.”
”O.K. then, on you go.”
"Trouble, son?”
"Army car blown up on one of the side roads,” said the soldier
shortly. "Landmines.”
Uncle Albert tutted. ’’Nobody hurt I hope?”
"The driver was killed.”
Sadie, Kevin and Uncle Albert walked on in/silence for a way. And
then Uncle Albert said,"Well, if they will come over here they have
to expect trouble.”
"But,” began Sadiie, and then stopped as Kevin dug her in the ribs
She knew he was right: there was no point in arguing with Uncle a
Albert.
"It’s not that I'm for gettin xxx people getting killed,” said
Uncle Albert. "And some of them soldiers are just boys." He sighed.
"I don't know why we can't get a bit of peace."
They did not sing any more. They walked more briskly, eating
up the miles, until they saw the lights of Belfast ahead. They
tramped through the quiet sleeping suburbs, their feet ringing out
in the silencequietnessAnd thenAfter the suburbs they came to the
area of the rows and rows of streets of little red-brick terraced
houses, running parallel, each one almost identical. They walked closer together, their eyes shifting from side to side watching for signs of trouble.
+(over)
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49916Lingard072Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard072ManuscriptArgumentEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard072Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard072_1.jpgLHL Archive"Wee bit of an argument up ahead" said
Uncle Albert
The army and a number of dark-clothed
men were having a runnning battle with
stones and rubber bullets. Without another word
the three walkers turned off to the right
and made a detour to avoid the area. They
passed a burning shop. A few people
stood in the street watching the flames as if
they were mesmerised. Sadie shivered and held
on tighter to the arms of the two men.
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49917Lingard073Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard073ManuscriptChurch, SoulEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard073Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard073_1.jpgLHL Archive68
A church clock chimed three, and for the first time x Sadie thought
of her mother and father. She had forgotten them completely.
"We'll leave Sadie home first, will we, Kevin?" suggested Uncle
Albert.
"No,no," said Kevin hastily. "I’ll leave her home. You'd better
get on back to your own house. Aunt Patsy'll be wondering where you
are."
"Sure she knows better than to worry about me. But if that's the
way you want it! You're only young once, eh Kevin?" Uncle Albert chuckled and took his arm from Sadie's "Good night then, Sadie. It's been a real pleasurenice
to meet you."
"You too , Mr McCoy."
*
"And the next time I give you a lift I'll see to it that the ould
car doesn't let us down again."
HeUncle Albert left them. Sadie and Kevin waited until he had gone from sight
so that he would not see which direction they were taking.
"I liked your Uncle Albert," said Sadie.
"He's a good-natured soul. But he's a real trial of aawful husband."
"I could imagine that]"
They turned along the main road which xxxx xxxled to Sadie's street.
She drew in her breath.
"Kevin, there's three men coming." He looked and saw them too. They
were still a good way off. "Don't you think you should go?" said
Sadie.
"And leave you alone?"
"I'll be all right."
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49918Lingard074Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard074ManuscriptKevinEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard074Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard074_1.jpgLHL Archive*
"Kevin must bring you up to meet my
wife one of these days"
"That would be nice", said Sadie, knowing
that Kevin would never be able to take her to his
Uncle Albert's house.
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49919Lingard075Chapter 8Lingard Estate1972Linen Hall LibraryThursday, March 10, 2016TIFFLingard075ManuscriptSadie, McCoyEnglishhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/lingard075Linen Hall LibraryLinen Hall LibraryAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SAhttps://www.niliteraryarchive.com/sites/default/files/Lingard075_1.jpgLHL Archive69
"No." He held her arm more firmly. "They look like a x posse
of vigilantes," he said jokingly.
The men werewalkeding witha a firm even tread as if they were out on
patrol. As they drew nearer, Sadie felt certain that she was going to
recognise them. Their outlines were familiar, their heights were
correct.
"It's them," she murmared. "I might have/known it. Go on, go,
please, Kevin," she said urgently.
But he stayed beside her. They met the men in the middle of the
street. They stopped with a few yards of pavement between them.
Then Mr McCoyJackson, Mr Mullet and Tommy advanced to confront Sadie and TommyKevin.
TextJoan LingardTuesday, September 6, 2016 - 10:49920