Spider (Extracts) by Lowry Llewelyn Astley

Ciarian

We were born into a Catholic family. Our Ma didn't believe in meddling with God's handiwork. Da, on the other hand, used to say God must have been on the whiskey the day he made us. We only had one heart between us, anyway, so one of us would've had to pop our glogs if they tried separating us.  We both had our own two arms, two legs; our own heads, our own minds.  We looked a bit like a millipede. Even though the only thing we shared was  a heart, I won't spew out some sentimental bollocks.  Lads think with their dicks, not their hearts.  He can share mine for all I care, as long as he shares the babes as well.   But Aoife, Aoife was mine.  I'd loved her for as long as I could remember.  She lived on our street when we were wee.  She didn't stare at us the same way other kids did.  We were the only Catholic kids on the road, so our mothers thought it would be good for us to stick together.  Her Ma brought her over for a play date when we were five. She just looked at us, exclaimed 'You look like a spider!', giggled, and that was that. She wasn't scared of spiders like most people were.  We weren't conjoined twins after that, but triplets.

Malachy

Being conjoined wasn't always bad.  There were instances it could be useful.  Like when we'd cook an Ulster fry.  One of my arms would be frying bacon, the other scrambled eggs.  One of his arms would chop the mushrooms, the other stirring beans.  We were a bit like a conveyor belt….

Double Trouble as Terror Twins Top Expectant Mother

Two Siamese twins have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a pregnant Antrim woman

Ciaran and Malacy McElroy. 22, both of Antrim, are accused of the murder of 22 year old Aoife O'Reilly, who died from a stab wound to the chest….

Testimonials referring to the book:
Cheval – The Terry Hetherington Award Anthology 2012

There is a review by Joe Cushnam on his droppedthemoon online site:

‘I was mesmerized by Lowri Llewelyn Astley’s ‘Spider’, a blunt tale with dark humour and a tragic outcome. It is well worth buying the book just for this…there is so much here to applaud.’

also a ‘Roundyhouse’ magazine quote by Ann Sage:

‘I’m not a lover of short stories but ‘Spider’ by the prize-winner, Lowri Llewelyn-Astley, was haunting.’

Quotes from the Gwales (Welsh Books Council) review by Caroline Clark:

‘Lowri Llewelyn-Astley’s prize-winning story ‘Spider’ explores a murder in Antrim during the Irish Troubles… the characters have strong individual voices but the story also suggests the plight of the innocent Irish damned by association with the extremists’

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