Free The Young Wan by Brendan O'Carroll Page B

search of Marion to tell her of her ordeal. She looked everywhere but to no avail. Agnes prayed that Marion would not miss school today of all days. When the school bell sounded, all the children began to assemble into their lines. Agnes stood in her line looking around feverishly for any sign of Marion. The line began to move toward the school door, and Agnes saw Marion tearing across the schoolyard. She was late, but Agnes was just relieved that she was there. As soon as they got out to little break, Agnes took Marion aside and told her the whole story. Marion listened with great interest. By the time Agnes had finished telling the story, especially the piece about the surprise, Marion was grinning from ear to ear and nodding knowingly.
     
    “It’s a baby,” announced Marion.
     
    “What is?” Agnes asked.
     
    “Your surprise. It’s a baby. Your mammy’s gone to get a baby.” Agnes stood rooted to the spot, her mouth open wide, staring at Marion.
     
    “But how do you know?” Agnes asked.
     
    “Its always a baby. Every time your mammy goes away and your daddy says, ‘We might have a big surprise tomorrow’”—she mimicked Agnes’ father—“it’s a baby. It always is. We’ve had so many surprises in our house that me mother can’t feed them all. It’s a baby, I ought to know.” Marion of course came from a household that was so large that some of the children didn’t even know the others’ names. Agnes was shocked and stunned.
     
    “But, but,” she stammered, “my mammy and daddy already have a baby, I’m their baby.”
     
    “You’re not a baby anymore, Aggie, you’re a young wan.”
     
    The bell sounded for the end of the break. Marion trotted back into the class. Agnes dragged her feet slowly behind her. As promised, Agnes’ father was indeed waiting outside the school gates when she finished school. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. He was all cleaned up, like it was Sunday, and he was beaming with joy.
     
    “Come on, missy, let’s get on home; I have that surprise for you.” He smiled. He took her hand and they began to walk. Agnes stopped and looked up at her father. He looked down. “What?” he asked.
     
    “My surprise, is it a baby?” she asked. Bosco’s eyes widened and he began to laugh.
     
    “How did you know? Yes, it is a baby! A beautiful little sister for my Agnes,” he announced.
     
    Agnes stomped her foot. “I don’t want it. Give it back!”
     
    Bosco took her by the hand, and they walked home in silence to meet Agnes’ new sister.
     
     
     
    Connie was sitting in the armchair, a tiny bundle in her arms. She was smiling. Agnes was not. Connie motioned Agnes to come closer with a wave of her hand and whispered, “Come, Agnes, come meet your new sister. Her name is Dolly.” Slowly Agnes went over and tried to peek in at the bundle. She angled her head this way and that. Connie pulled the blanket down slightly, and Agnes could see this pink wrinkled “thing” chewing its hand.
     
    “Isn’t Dolly beautiful?” Connie asked.
     
    “Maybe it’ll die,” Agnes said.
     
    “Agnes, don’t be so nasty,” her mother admonished her.
     
    “I hope it does die,” Agnes said through pouting lips, and stomped off to her bedroom for a cry. Bosco stayed in the flat for just half an hour, then made his way back to the foundry to work. Connie went to the bedroom, and after she fed the baby, she and the baby had a nap. When Agnes came out of the bedroom, the flat was quiet. She turned on the radio and sat listening to the music. Agnes, even at five years old, was beginning to learn how to be alone.
     
     
     
    Despite Agnes’ first hope for the child, Dolly didn’t die. Like many second-born children, Dolly was spoiled at every turn, leading Agnes to feel a little neglected, even though she was not. And worse was to come as she grew older, for on Dolly’s first week in school, Connie insisted that during the breaks Agnes was to hold Dolly by