@page { margin-bottom: 5.000000pt; margin-top: 5.000000pt; } 32After the drama of Uncle Pat’s demise I didn’t mind getting back to a normal routine. It was a relief to go back to school and spend all day discussing boys, makeup and how incredible Rob Lowe looked in About Last Night. Sarah remained my VBF – very best friend – and had decided to stay away from drink after the last fiasco had cost her a boyfriend and almost a best friend.Auntie Sheila sold the house and they moved into a new one, south of the river in a non-Irish part of London, away from the rest of the family. She said they needed a fresh start. She wanted Sally and Brian to go to new schools where no one knew that their father had been an alcoholic who fell down the stairs. She wanted the children to be ‘normal’, to fit in and not be pitied because their father had shown up at the school gates drunk.Once they’d moved, we didn’t see them very often. Dad called in to see them once a month, but they pretty much kept themselves to themselves and got on with rebuilding their lives.I knew that Dad was sending Auntie Sheila money every month because I’d overheard Mum talking to Auntie Nuala about it.‘How much does he send?’ my aunt asked.‘He covers the mortgage and school fees,’ said Mum.‘What about the money she got from selling the house?’ Auntie Nuala asked.‘Sure she needs that to live on.’‘He’s a good man, your Mick,’ said Auntie Nuala.‘Well, business is good and family is family.
