Katie tiredly sat at the kitchen table looking around at the apartment that had been her home for the past two years. Joseph had finally fallen asleep for the night, but not after putting up a fight that Katie was sure was of the devil. Mara and Nia had gone to spend the night at the McManus's, a family that lived on the same floor three doors down. Katie was now waiting up for her father and Shawn to come home from their jobs at the factory.
The room that at one time had seemed to be a palace with an electric light and real windows was now a prison. She was entangled in a snare of dirty laundry, dishes and children. Her Aunt Elaine helped when she could but it wasn't enough and at time Katie was ready to scream. The work was getting to be too much for the young girl to whom it never seemed to end.
It was getting late and soon Liam and Shawn would be home and she hadn't even put together a meal for them. Joseph had decided that at two he was too old for a nap and now Katie had even more to worry about as she would have to keep him entertained as she attempted to run a household much to large for her. She rose from her seat at the table with a groan and softly began to put together the meager fixings of a meal trying very hard not to wake Joseph.
The watery soup and hard bread would make a very poor meal but at the moment that was all her tired mind could prepare. Sitting back at the table she let her head fall forward onto her arms and slowly drifted off in the oblivion of a weary sleep.
A persistent knocking woke both Katie and Joseph. Joseph stated crying cross that someone had dared to wake him before he was ready. Katie moved to the bed and picked him up to comfort him and then went to the door.
A strange man in a uniform stood there, "Youse mudder here goil?" The man barked.
Katie pulled back moving Joseph to her hip before answering. "Me ma died 2 years back why do you wanna see her?"
The man's face softened momentarily "Ise sorry goil. You and youse brudder have family to stay with?"
Katie was confused, "Yes our Uncle Shamus."
"Well Ise gonna have to take youse to him." He reached for her arm as Katie moved out of his grasp.
"Why should I, Me sisters ain't home. Me Da should be home from work soon. Can't you wait for him?"
The man looked uncomfortable, "Where are youse sisters?"
Katie's eyes clouded with suspicion, "why should I tell you?"
"Because Ise got ta take youse to youse uncle's." The man said stepping into the apartment.
"I don't know you from Adam, but if you wanna take me and me sisters and brother to me uncle you betta have a reason for it. Me Da ain't gonna be happy if we ain't here when he gets back from his work." Katie side stepped the man's grasp again.
"Goil your father ain't coming home."
Katie stopped to see if she had heard the man right. "Me Da ain't coming home. Of course he is."
"No goil he ain't youse father was involved in an accident at work, a machine over heated and exploded. Ise sorry goil your father is dead." The man forced the words out quickly as if saying them that way would lessen the blow of them.
Katie took a step back and began to shake her head, "No you are mistaken Da is gonna be home soon and you are wrong."
"Ise right, youse father is Liam O'Riely right?" Katie barely nodded, "Do youse know a Shawn O'Riely?" Katie nodded again. "Youse brother was taken to the hospital on the hill with some injuries. Ise gonna take youse to your uncle's house." The man took Katie's arm and she didn't resist. "Where does he live goil?"
"The tenant house near the World building." Katie responded morosely.
"Well then wes going there. Where are youse sisters?"
"McManus's I gonna leave them there and pick them up in the morning."
"Well then lets go goil." The man slowly lead the girl and her baby brother out into the hallway and down the stairs to the street. Katie was in shock and it barely registered that she was moving.
They reached the tenement house by the World building with out much of an incedent. "What floor goil?"
"Second."
They ascended the stairs and stopped in front of the room that Katie figured was her uncle's apparment. Elaine opened the door on the first knock.
"Ma'am sorry to disturb youse but is this goil your man's niece?" The man pulled Katie up into the light where Elaine saw them.
"Yes that is Shamus' brother Liam's daughter and son. Has she done something wrong sir?"
"No ma'am but Ise regret to inform you that you're brother-in-law Liam O'Riely died this afternoon in an explosion this afternoon. Seeing as your husband and youse are these children's only living relatives they is gonna have to stay here." The man then pushed Katie and Joseph into the room and was gone before Elaine could respond.
Elaine turned to Katie. "Well this is a fine kettle of fish, I can't very well take care of all of youse. Ise guess youse and Shawn are gonna have to both work. How old are youse girl, 8, 9."
"I am 10 Aunt Elaine. Wouldn't you rather I stay and care for Joseph and the little girls?" Katie stood back fearfully waiting for her response.
"Taking care of Joseph, Mara and Nia will be your job but I am gonna expect youse to help around here too. No slacking off like you did at home. Got it?" Elaine spoke with some steal in her voice, Katie nodded. "Well you can put Joseph down on a pallet there. And then you can help me fix Shamus and Bryon's meal. I am sure you have already eaten for the day haven't you?" Katie nodded again and after putting Joseph down on the pallet, he had fallen asleep on the walk over, she turned her attention to helping cook dinner for her uncle and cousin.
Shawn hadn't been hurt bad in the explosion, his arm was broke but he soon moved into the tiny apartment that soon became their home. Life wasn't going to be easy but Katie believed that nothing worse could happen to her family. And she believed this with all her heart.
The room that at one time had seemed to be a palace with an electric light and real windows was now a prison. She was entangled in a snare of dirty laundry, dishes and children. Her Aunt Elaine helped when she could but it wasn't enough and at time Katie was ready to scream. The work was getting to be too much for the young girl to whom it never seemed to end.
It was getting late and soon Liam and Shawn would be home and she hadn't even put together a meal for them. Joseph had decided that at two he was too old for a nap and now Katie had even more to worry about as she would have to keep him entertained as she attempted to run a household much to large for her. She rose from her seat at the table with a groan and softly began to put together the meager fixings of a meal trying very hard not to wake Joseph.
The watery soup and hard bread would make a very poor meal but at the moment that was all her tired mind could prepare. Sitting back at the table she let her head fall forward onto her arms and slowly drifted off in the oblivion of a weary sleep.
A persistent knocking woke both Katie and Joseph. Joseph stated crying cross that someone had dared to wake him before he was ready. Katie moved to the bed and picked him up to comfort him and then went to the door.
A strange man in a uniform stood there, "Youse mudder here goil?" The man barked.
Katie pulled back moving Joseph to her hip before answering. "Me ma died 2 years back why do you wanna see her?"
The man's face softened momentarily "Ise sorry goil. You and youse brudder have family to stay with?"
Katie was confused, "Yes our Uncle Shamus."
"Well Ise gonna have to take youse to him." He reached for her arm as Katie moved out of his grasp.
"Why should I, Me sisters ain't home. Me Da should be home from work soon. Can't you wait for him?"
The man looked uncomfortable, "Where are youse sisters?"
Katie's eyes clouded with suspicion, "why should I tell you?"
"Because Ise got ta take youse to youse uncle's." The man said stepping into the apartment.
"I don't know you from Adam, but if you wanna take me and me sisters and brother to me uncle you betta have a reason for it. Me Da ain't gonna be happy if we ain't here when he gets back from his work." Katie side stepped the man's grasp again.
"Goil your father ain't coming home."
Katie stopped to see if she had heard the man right. "Me Da ain't coming home. Of course he is."
"No goil he ain't youse father was involved in an accident at work, a machine over heated and exploded. Ise sorry goil your father is dead." The man forced the words out quickly as if saying them that way would lessen the blow of them.
Katie took a step back and began to shake her head, "No you are mistaken Da is gonna be home soon and you are wrong."
"Ise right, youse father is Liam O'Riely right?" Katie barely nodded, "Do youse know a Shawn O'Riely?" Katie nodded again. "Youse brother was taken to the hospital on the hill with some injuries. Ise gonna take youse to your uncle's house." The man took Katie's arm and she didn't resist. "Where does he live goil?"
"The tenant house near the World building." Katie responded morosely.
"Well then wes going there. Where are youse sisters?"
"McManus's I gonna leave them there and pick them up in the morning."
"Well then lets go goil." The man slowly lead the girl and her baby brother out into the hallway and down the stairs to the street. Katie was in shock and it barely registered that she was moving.
They reached the tenement house by the World building with out much of an incedent. "What floor goil?"
"Second."
They ascended the stairs and stopped in front of the room that Katie figured was her uncle's apparment. Elaine opened the door on the first knock.
"Ma'am sorry to disturb youse but is this goil your man's niece?" The man pulled Katie up into the light where Elaine saw them.
"Yes that is Shamus' brother Liam's daughter and son. Has she done something wrong sir?"
"No ma'am but Ise regret to inform you that you're brother-in-law Liam O'Riely died this afternoon in an explosion this afternoon. Seeing as your husband and youse are these children's only living relatives they is gonna have to stay here." The man then pushed Katie and Joseph into the room and was gone before Elaine could respond.
Elaine turned to Katie. "Well this is a fine kettle of fish, I can't very well take care of all of youse. Ise guess youse and Shawn are gonna have to both work. How old are youse girl, 8, 9."
"I am 10 Aunt Elaine. Wouldn't you rather I stay and care for Joseph and the little girls?" Katie stood back fearfully waiting for her response.
"Taking care of Joseph, Mara and Nia will be your job but I am gonna expect youse to help around here too. No slacking off like you did at home. Got it?" Elaine spoke with some steal in her voice, Katie nodded. "Well you can put Joseph down on a pallet there. And then you can help me fix Shamus and Bryon's meal. I am sure you have already eaten for the day haven't you?" Katie nodded again and after putting Joseph down on the pallet, he had fallen asleep on the walk over, she turned her attention to helping cook dinner for her uncle and cousin.
Shawn hadn't been hurt bad in the explosion, his arm was broke but he soon moved into the tiny apartment that soon became their home. Life wasn't going to be easy but Katie believed that nothing worse could happen to her family. And she believed this with all her heart.