Summer Soap: We meet Eve’s friend Katie — but what is her secret? (Episode 8)

ACROSS the city, Katie was waking up to the noise from a gaggle of young girls, on the way home from a party or going on to another. They stood over her.

“Look at this lazy bitch,” the small one said. “You don’t look homeless to me.”

The tall, blonde girl spat the words onto Katie’s head and filled her airspace with alcohol and cigarette fumes. The brunette in the spindle heels kicked Katie’s coffee cup over.

Katie buried her head in her knees until she heard the tap, scrape, and stagger of the vile creatures slinking back in the shadows.

Katie didn’t mind the dirt on her face. It made her unrecognisable. Darker, less Donegal. The filth of unkindness that came from the mouths of girls a little older than her was harder to accept. The passing cruelties lodged deeper than her skin, and she couldn’t get rid of them by washing.

Maybe if she curled up small, nobody would notice her. No, it was too risky. The guards would be on the streets soon, and she could be noticed. Found. Taken against her will, again.

Katie moved as Shandon bells sent seven sounds across the river. She took the sausage roll a kinder passerby bought her out of the silver-lined bag, and bit a piece off. It was too hot; she held it between her teeth, and steam rose from her like a warrior breathing.

She felt like those New Zealand guys on the rugby team when they did the dance. Her shadow was long and straight in front of her. Menacing, that’s what it was. No-one was going to mess with her today. It’s just you and me now.

Katie was on her way to the City Library. She watched to see which security guard was on. It was the older man. A gentleman. He let her in sometimes before the lights came on, if she promised to stay quiet and not tell anyone that he had let her in. She had to pretend to sneak in past him as his back was turned. The CCTV cameras recorded everything and she didn’t want him to get into trouble. She hoped the book was where she had hidden it last week.

Katie hurried to the shelf where they kept the books on women’s health. She didn’t want anyone to see her taking those titles down. Someone would surely ask questions. Some old nosey parker. There were more of them in Cork than anywhere else she had ever been. One woman told her last week that she was too young to be reading those kinds of books, and shooed her away to the Y.A. section.

Katie tucked herself into the corner of the library. The security man handed her a cup of coffee and left her alone. She was grateful for any kindnesses. Eve was like that too. A couple of biscuits, and a sandwich here and there. She didn’t ask any questions either. Katie liked that. Maybe she would tell Eve about her secret... but if she did tell someone, she’d be taken away. She was sure of that.

Katie remembered her mother’s face. The disgust marked in every red patch that flared when she was angry, which was often. Liar, she shouted at her. Always trouble. Little slut. As if anyone would go near you.

He came in then. Nodding his head. Agreeing. They were both drunk, as usual.

Katie had seen the posters, but it was all for show, to keep up appearances. Nobody knew her secret. She had promised she wouldn’t tell. It was all her fault.