The always-a-pleasure Roddy Doyle revisits his Commitments creation by assembling a band of eccentric immigrants to Ireland to change the musical landscape in Dublin. The Deportees is a collection of short stories focused on the immigrant experience in Ireland; this bit comes from “I Understand,” about a dishwasher being exploited by local Irish thugs for reasons that are not quite clear.
It is not Doyle’s first appearance in the Trainjotting Reader.
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This morning, I stand at the bus stop. I have been in this city three months. I begin to understand the accent. I already know the language. How do you do? Is this the next bus to Westminster? I have brought my schoolroom English with me. There is no Westminster in this city but I know what to say when the next bus goes past without stopping.
–Fuck that.
People smile. One man nods at me.
–Good man, bud, he says. –Making the effort.
I smile.
I understand. This word, Bud. It is a friendly word. But I cannot say Bud to this man. I cannot call him Bud. A man like me can never call an Irish man Bud. But I can say, Fuck that. The expletive is for the bus driver or my fellow bus-stop waiters. I understand. My children will learn to call other children Bud. They will be Irish. They will have the accent. If I am still here. And if I have children.
It is spring. I like it now. It is bright when I stand at the bus stop. It is warm by the time I finish my first job. Early morning is the best time. It is quiet. There are not many people on the footpaths. I do not have to look away. Eyes do not stare hard at me. Some people smile. We are up early together. Many are like me. I am not resented.