Maura: So you were in this house?
Da; So yes, and Bridie used to be on, she was about this old couple that lived near--I never knew the people at all--but she was trying to tell me who they were, and at the time she says they'd go to Mass and that time, you know, you'd hear a pin drop in Mass; there'd be no talking, or shuffling, or anything, and she says the husband and wife she says, when the husband would sneeze (they always had colds she said) when the husband would sneeze, he'd always go "Aaa aaa aa a SHKITTER!" like shkitter, right? and when the wife would sneeze, she'd go "Aaa aaa aaa ARSHOLES!"
Maura: Whaaaat?
Da: (imitates sneeze again) AAAARSHOLES!
Ma: Ahhhh now who told you that!
Da: ah, Bridie Gilroy was telling me about this couple
Ma: But who were the couple?
Da: Ah, I don't know who they were.
Ma she probably made it up!
Da: Well, she was telling me about them, and 'twas funny, because you see, she'd be telling this story, and she'd be adding on oul bits and pieces, and she'd be great for the dramaticising something you know?
Maura: You mean dramatisng?
Da: Did i say dramatisicing?
Maura: Yeah, you did.
Da: Is that the wrong way?
Maura: Yes, it is.
Da: Dramatising...you know, when we were young; I remember now: we used to have 2 dogs on the mantlepiece; there was one dog looking left, and one looking right.
Maura: Oh, like these ones? Kinda like this?
Da: Yes.
Maura: Those are very valuable nowadays.
Da: I think they were beagle dogs.
Maura: Really?
Da: I was just looking at at Billy now as he looked in at me, and I thought, is that what we had on the mantelpiece? We had those on the mantelpiece, one on each side.
Maura: With the ears like that? Agnes used to have those too.
Da: Yeah, they were like made out of chalk-
Maura: China!
Da: China? Well, something breakable. And everything disappeared out of that house. There was a lot of stuff in that house that was valuable. My father--people used to come in and swindle it, I guess. But, ah, yeah, funny stories. But I used to laugh so much with Bridie, she was very very funny, Ah. she loved telling stories. She'd spend the whole friggin' night there telling you stories, and yarns, and oh, God be good to her.
Ma to the dog: Come on, up ye get!
