At My Mother's Knee by Paul O'Grady

Author:Paul O'Grady [O'Grady, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-11-23T09:35:15+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

'NOT YET, HANG ON . . . NEARLY . . . QUICK! COME ON, NO, get back, get back I said . . . Now! Come on! Quick, don't dawdle. Jesus tonight, hurry up, there's a bloody big van coming.' My mother was paranoid about crossing roads. She'd grab the arm of whoever she was with in a vicelike grip and hurl herself and her prey across the road at the speed of light, but not before a prolonged and tense period perched on the edge of the kerb, her worried eyes scanning the length of the road, until she eventually decreed that the coast was clear for the moment and the road just about safe enough to cross.

'For Christ's sake, Mam,' I snapped, trying to shake her hand free from my elbow as we attempted to negotiate Old Chester Road. 'Mind me jacket, you're creasing it.'

'I'll put a crease in your lip in a minute,' she said, pulling me up outside Mrs Cunningham's chip shop. 'Taking the Lord's name in vain in the street. You want to get yourself down to confession, you heathen.'

Mrs Cunningham's sister appeared in the window with a tray of fish cakes and gave us a cheery wave. My mother quickly turned from hellfire and brimstone to gracious lady and beamed back at her through the glass. The window had net curtains that were pulled shut when the shop was closed. On the glass in lead lettering was blazoned 'Cunningham's Fish and Chips. Quality First – Civility Always'. Mrs Cunny's fish and chips were the best in Birkenhead . . . no, the world. People came from miles around to sample her peppery fish cakes, savour her chicken snacks and salivate at the sight and smell of a mountain of freshly cooked chips, deep-fried in dripping, surrounding a piece of fresh cod smothered in a crisp golden batter that melted in your mouth after you'd taken the first glorious, crunchy bite. There was usually a long queue so you had to get there early. Mrs Cunny was one of my favourite people. She had a sly, shy smile and she would chuckle privately to herself as she wrapped the fish and chips up in the newspaper and listened to the chatter of the customers waiting in the queue. 'The usual, love?' she asked my mother, leaning slightly across the counter, all smiles in a clean white blouse. 'And how are you, trouble?' she said to me. 'Still on the altar?' My mother gave a nervous laugh and, with the air of a woman who had suffered, declared that I had given up serving at mass as I was thinking of joining the marine cadets. 'And why not?' said Mrs Cunny, laughing and throwing me another sly wink. 'It'll put hairs on his chest.' Exactly what I was looking for, plus some on the face. Thank you, Mrs Cunny, O wise woman of Old Chester Road.

Mrs Cunny was extremely wise. She didn't trade in idle gossip and was, as the sign said on the window, always civil to her customers.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.