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Cal is 19 years old. He listens to music of the Rolling Stones and he plays the guitar. He has long hair and tries to develop some female gestures. His hair hang like curtains on each side of his face. When he plays the guitar he shakes his head from side to side so that his hair will end up all over his face to screen him from the world. He leads a secluded life and so he bought a bolt to lock his bedroom and he always keeps the curtains shut even when it is day. He had learned a little bit French at school and so he often makes up phrases ho his own which are a mixture of French and English.
Cal's mother died when he was 8 years old. Her name was Gracie. She had collapsed in her own kitchen with a brain haemorrhage. Cal always cried when he was alone and also now he can bring a lump to his throat if he wants by thinking of her. He often remembers her when she got the telegram which told her of the death of Brendan, Cal' s elder brother. He mentions him only once in the whole story. We don' t know how his relationship was to him.
Cal has no real friends. To keep contact with other people there are only his father, Crilly and Skeffington. His father works all day long, so he only sees him in the evening. Because of Cal' s unemployment he often sits at home. He keeps a little bit the household and he cooks. His father Shamie tries to replace the mother but he failed. If he is out he meets Crilly or Skeffington. But this man isn't also a very good company . Crilly obviously is a member of the IRA. He robs shops and he also kills people, like Marcella' s husband.
It isn't really described how Cal came into closer contact with Crilly but now Cal even drives the van for them. He did also this job when Mr Morton was killed. Crilly isn't a friend of Cal. The young boy doesn't like him and so he often tries to avoid to meet him but he seldom is successful. Cal is also afraid of Crilly and Skeffington. He wants to get out of these things but he isn't allowed to do it. Skeffington always tells him that he must do something about the Protestant bastards and so Cal doesn't know what to answer because he has a little bit of a bad conscience.
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