Lamb Read Online Free PDF Page A

smiled and winked cheekily and Michael cuffed him lightly on the head.
    â€˜Don’t overdo it,’ he hissed. He gave Owen the money to get two cups of tea. The boy, obviously proud to be trusted, swaggered up to join the queue at the counter. He brought back two plastic beakers, yelping with the heat in his fingers. It was the colour of blood and tasted of iron. They had thimblefuls of milk which had to be torn open and they both spilled them. Owen took some sugar lumps from his pocket and offered one to Michael, which he refused. They were wrapped in twos and Michael watched the boy unwrap three packets and plonk the lumps in his tea. Owen watched the tiny procession of bubbles rising to the surface.
    â€˜That’s six lumps of sugar,’ said Michael.
    â€˜I can count.’
    â€˜You’ll ruin your teeth.’
    Owen widened his lips and clacked his teeth together the way a chimp does.
    â€˜They’re O.K.’
    â€˜That’s only because they don’t give you much sugar in the Home.’
    They half finished their tea and Owen began to yawn.
    â€˜Tired?’
    â€˜Naw.’
    â€˜Stretch out here anyway.’
    Michael put his feet up on the facing window ledge and the boy settled down beside him, nuzzling beneath his arm.
    They’d been up since first light that morning, and soon the boy was asleep, his mouth dropping open. Michael, not wanting to waken him, used his other arm to cover him with the tail of his anorak. He adjusted his protective arm and noticed again the glitter of his ring. He was conscious of the pressure it exerted on his finger and the unusualness of seeing it flash as he moved his hand. He still thought it a reasonable idea. Owen had agreed, but that didn’t mean much because he agreed with most things Michael said.
    Owen had waited outside the shop in Belfast, minding the bag, while he went into the jeweller’s. A woman came quietly over the carpet to him.
    â€˜Can I help you, sir?’
    â€˜Yes, I’d like a wedding ring.’
    â€˜Any particular price range, sir?’ she said, going behind the glass counter.
    â€˜Not too dear,’ said Michael. He leaned on the counter and felt it warm beneath his hand. He peered down into its lit interior at the selection of rings, shining gold on scarlet satin. They were half sunk in the plush.
    â€˜Ladies’ or gents’?’
    â€˜It’s for myself,’ said Michael. ‘I lost mine and I don’t want my wife to know.’
    The woman seemed to understand because she nodded sympathetically.
    â€˜Yes, we get a lot of that in here. But it’s the sentiment that’s important, isn’t it? A ring’s a ring. It’s what it means. That’s the point.’
    The woman produced a tray of men’s rings and set them on the counter. Michael felt a moment of panic when he realized that he either did not know or had forgotten which hand it went on. He knew it was the third finger and flexed them both, his hands hanging by his sides.
    â€˜Just look at those, sir, to see if there is anything that takes your fancy.’
    She bustled into the back of the shop and came back with a device for measuring the size of his finger.
    â€˜See anything like it?’
    â€˜Like what?’
    â€˜Like your ring. The one you lost.’
    Michael pored over the tray and made an ‘Mmmmm’ sound for effect. He was so unsure he felt he had to say,
    â€˜Not really.’
    She produced another tray, saying that these were slightly more expensive.
    â€˜That’s the one,’ said Michael pointing to a gold ring with tiny flat facets.
    â€˜My favourite,’ she said. ‘Let me see your size.’
    Still Michael was reluctant to commit himself to offering his right or left hand. He waited, pretending to be engrossed in the ring, until he saw out of the corner of his eye the woman make a move towards his left. He extended his hand and, flicking her eye from his