Free i 51ddca29df3edad1 by Unknown Page B

steady you.
    "
    "Oh no, not' Harry shook his head, but Robbie insisted, saying, " Never mind no, no; its packing you want inside you I'd say. We were just about to have something, anyway. " .;
    As his mother came through the doorway with a cup of ; coffee in her hand he said, "It's something to eat he wants, what do you say?" | "Yes, indeed," said Janet.
    "That's the thing. So drink this, then -j sit up; it's all ready."
    Harry took a long drink of the scalding liquid, then muttered,
    'ino, janer; i m not going to trou ole you any further. "
    "Trouble!" Her voice was high.
    "We're only too pleased to have company. And what better day than on the queen of the sabbath."
    He looked up at her enquiringly for a moment. Then lowering his head he said softly, "Oh dear me, I forgot it was Friday, Janet."
    "All the better," she said.
    "We couldn't have wished for better company, so come on, drink that coffee up and we'll get started."
    She returned to the kitchen and brought in a large covered dish, which she placed in the middle of the table set to the side of the room. The table was covered with a white cloth and at each end was a candle in a tall holder.
    He watched her lighting the candles and heard her mutter something as she did so. Then she turned to him, smiling, and said, "They should have been lit at sunset but that would have been at half past three.
    Do you remember looking through the window when you were a lad and Dad going to the door to bring you in and you flying down the backyard as if the devil was after you? "
    He shook his head and she laughed, "Well, you did." Then she motioned him to the table, and he rose slowly and took his seat.
    Robbie was already standing at one end of the table. He had a bottle of wine, in his hand and began to pour some in a glass while unselfconsciously saying, "Blessed art thou 0 Lord, our God King of the Uni-verse, who created the fruit of the wine." Then he sipped it and poured out another two glasses. Next he lifted the white napkin that was covering a large object to reveal a loaf of plaited bread.
    Again he repeated the words he had said before, but adding how, "Who bringeth forth bread from the earth." Then nodding impishly at Harry, he added, "All in English for your benefit. Geordie English. Funny that, but me yiddish isn't in Geordie, at least I don't think it is."
    Janet and he now laughed together. Then he broke the bread, dipped it into wine and handed it to Harry, saying, "It's very good chollah." }
    "Thank you." Harry put the bread on his plate, then looked at the wine glass in his hand. From the smell of the contents
    lln-t^nOli. tCU Llll that was already in his stomach.
    When Janet lifted the lid from the dish in the centre of the table to disclose what looked like a stew and which gave off a strong aroma of herbs, she said, "You do like fish. Harry, don't you? So you should like this, it's what we call cholent."
    "It's got everything in but the pan scrub," said Robbie, laughing, 'and it's guaranteed to stick to your ribs. "
    Harry smiled but said nothing; he was doing his utmost to quell the rising swell of sickness, but when Janet placed the plate of steaming chopped fish and vegetables before him it was more than he could stand.
    His head down, his hand to his mouth, he stumbled to his feet, muttering, "Sorry, sorry, bathroom."
    "This way." Robbie had him by the arm, and when they got into the small kitchen, Harry, still pressing on his mouth, groaned,
    "Lavatory."
    "That's outside, man," said Robbie brusquely.
    "Get it up in the sink here. Come on."
    Harry was now past protest and, leaning over the sink, he vomited. A strong smell of whisky and dead sherry and the stodgy meat pudding he'd had for his lunch in a restaurant in town erupted.
    A few minutes later, when Robbie handed him a towel he wiped his mouth; then putting his forearms on the draining board he rested his head on them.
    "Here." Robbie pushed a plain kitchen chair towards him and said quietly, "Sit