Grace O'Connor

She told Liz, anyway.

liz realized whatever way it worked i rang his brother johnny the eldest and he thought i was ringing for james's surprise fart yet and i had to tell him and um

I remember someone saying, what is it to him?

I thought it was his sister.

I know now it was his wife.

But I heard him say, Jimmy's dead or James is dead.

And her screams were just...

She was screaming, I remember, and I think I just, I hung up the phone.

They got me a cab home.

I just tell my poor son, Chris, over the phone because he was going collecting my youngest.

We're meant to be going to Milano's for his birthday that day.

the saddest thing he told me he was passing out the schoolyard and he seen his little brother and he just you know and he knew that time Chris knew you know James had died and anyway we go home and me and Chris and Lil so James Junior is 8 Lily's 12 Chris is 16 that day and we're there and we're just crying we're just like you know I'm

I can't explain it because it's not real.

You know, when something like that happens suddenly, can you imagine one day seeing someone and the next day they're gone forever?

I knew then I have to get my son home and tell him.

So he went with one of the mammies from school, collected him.

I can't even really remember what I said to her on the phone.

But she's an amazing woman, Lynn, and she's two and a half years on, still there, taking gems.

So she collected him that day.

I just knew people were going to start coming to the house and I needed to get him home and tell him.