Fresh (4 page)

The butcher shows her a special offer on chicken breasts. But she tells him her husband gets them at his work. She pushes the trolley towards the bread. Bum tensing with the weight. The shop manager having a look and his eyebrows going up. Maggie notices him noticing her. She smiles. He smiles. Do you need any help? he says to her. No thanks she says I come here every week and know what I want. OK he says but if you need anything give me a shout. He winks at her.

Maggie goes to the bakery section and picks over loaves till she finds one with the most distant sell-by date. She does the same with the milk. She gets some juice for Donna, a packet of chocolate biscuits and half a dozen cans of lager. She gets herself ten Mayfair to see her alright until Sean comes back from work.

When she’s finished she takes her purchases to the fat woman on the checkout. As the shopping is beeped through the till they talk about the price of butter. The woman asks her if she heard about the pensioner who got mugged on Wednesday. Maggie shakes her head. Right outside her front door says the woman. Terrible Maggie says, probably drugs.

Maggie pays and struggles out of the supermarket with four bags of shopping. She puts them down at the taxi rank. While she’s waiting a youth asks her for some change for a cup of tea. She looks at the boy and reaches for her purse. She gives him fifty pence and tells him not to spend it on drink. She puts her purse back and gets out her fags. She shakes her hair out of the way of the flame as she lights it and takes a long drag. She blows the smoke towards the sky, her gold necklace glinting in the winter sun.

George appeared with two white caps.

Are ye busy?

Sean turned from his station.

It’s no been too bad the day.

George nodded.

Ye can drive can ye no?

Aye. Ah passed my test a coupla years ago.

Good. Ah’ve a wee job for ye.

Sean pointed to his station.

What about this?

George nodded at the white caps.

That’s what these two are for. As long as the line isnay too busy they’ll be alright.

Well it isnay.

They’ll be a few less comin through anyway.

How, what’s up?

We’ve got a bit of an emergency.

George turned to the white caps.

Right yous two, take over here.

He shouted across the Junction.

Albert.

Aye.

George walked towards the exit.

Follow me.

Sean and Albert looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. As much as they didn’t like being ordered about, it was always a relief to get called away from the line.

They followed George through Fresh and out into the corridor. When they got near the offices he turned round to Sean.

Ah’ve got a wee message Ah want yous to run. D’ye know the way to Falkirk?

Aye.

Good. We’ve been delivered the wrong size of shrink-wrap and they cannay get any more to us before Monday. Overstretched they said, the lazy bastards. So anyway, Ah thought Ah’d gie yous the pleasure of a wee run out to pick up the right stuff.

Sean found it hard to stop smiling. He nudged Albert in the ribs.

Fuckin brilliant eh? Ah’ve no been to Falkirk for years.

Albert looked miserable.

Magic.

George gave Albert a funny look and went into the office. He came back out with a clipboard under his arm and a set of keys in his hand.

Here ye  are.

Sean grabbed the keys and put them in his jacket pocket.

They walked out of the rear of the factory and onto a diesel-stained yard. Two lorries were parked with their
backs in the loading bay. Forklifts were running in and out with pallets of chickens. The lorry drivers were having a fag and a chat. George nodded at the lorries.

We’ve got a lot of birds to be delivered over the weekend.

Sean noticed the we.

Aye.

George frowned.

And we’ll be runnin out of wrap by this afternoon. Ye cannay send chickens to Tesco’s without a package. Sean tried to laugh.

Aye they wouldnay have that.

They crossed the concrete yard to the garage. George pulled the little door open and they stepped through. It looked like the door in a prison. At the back there was a chain system that George pulled and the main doors opened. Light shone through the garage and onto a white transit van with rust stains around the headlights. Albert pointed at it.

We’re no goin in that old banger are we?

That’s all there is. The other vans are out on deliveries. If there was any of them there Ah’d get the driver to do this job. But it’s Friday and –

Ye have to scrape the barrel.

George nodded as he echoed Albert’s words.

Barrel.

Sean went over to the van and climbed into the driver’s seat. He turned the keys until the glow light went off then he clicked on the starter. The engine barked a few times before it roared into life. He drove the van to the entrance of the garage and climbed out. He left it
running to warm it up. It had the odd beat of an old engine. He wondered if it would make it to Falkirk and back.

Sean leaned on the van’s front wing and kicked the tyre. Albert crossed his hands over his chest. George got his clipboard out. Black smoke drifted round from the back of the van and started Albert coughing.

Jesus fuckin Christ he said between gasps. Sean banged him on the back and Albert coughed till there was saliva running down his chin. He wiped his mouth.

That thing’s fucked.

George rested his hand on the van.

She’ll be alright.

He showed Sean the clipboard. They stood side by side while George went through the bits of paper.

This is the original order form. Ah’ve circled the goods they got wrong. Sean nodded and George turned over the page.

And this is the invoice. See the difference?

Aye.

Anyway Ah’ve phoned them so they should know but ye can explain it yerself if it’s an awkward cunt on the loadin bay.

Aye.

And if they gie ye too much shite just tell them to phone me.

Sean nodded and George patted him on the back.

Good man.

Albert looked at George.

So how come ye need the two of us?

Ye’ll need to load the van up. There might be no fucker at the other end and the rolls are too heavy for one guy to lift.

Albert nodded.

Fair enough.

George gave Sean the clipboard.

Right then boys.

He looked at his watch.

Ah’ll see yous in an hour or so.

George nodded.

Oh and boys?

Aye.

He pointed at a scaffold bar leaning against the wall of the garage.

Put that in the van. Ye’ll need it to lift the rolls. Sean picked one end of the bar up and dragged it to the back of the van. The door opened with a creak. He slid the bar onto the back ledge and punted it inside. It bounced off the driver’s seat and left a big gouge in it. He walked round to the front of the van and Albert sniggered.

Temper temper.

Good enough for the cunts.

They climbed into the van and slammed the doors shut. Sean let the clutch out and they shuddered forward.

Albert held his hat on his head.

Ah thought ye could drive?

Sean put the van into second and it lurched again.

Ah’m no used to the clutch.

Fuckin prick.

Aye Ah know ye are.

Albert held on to the door handle.

Just take it easy. If ye crash this rust bucket the two of us are fucked.

Sean felt barely in control of the van as it slewed towards the factory gates. The security guard saw them coming and got the barrier up just in time. They flew past him, Sean struggling with the steering wheel and Albert trying to find his seat belt.

The T-junction at the end of the drive came up really quick and Sean put the brakes on. They weren’t very good so he stomped on them and the van skidded to a halt about a foot into the road. A lorry went past with its horn blaring. Albert bounced against the dashboard and back before he managed to get the seat belt attached.

For fuck sake. Are ye tryin to get us killed? Sean fell back into his seat and watched their breath steam up the windows. He tried to turn the fan on but it didn’t work.

This van’s fucked.

Ah telt ye that in the yard.

He found a rag in the driver’s door and cleaned the condensation off the windows. He reached for the indicators and turned the windscreen wipers on. Albert muttered something. Sean poked about the steering column till he found the indicators and signalled left. He revved the engine and slowly let out the clutch. The van moved into the road and Sean went up through the gears. He could feel the vibrations coming through the steering wheel and the gearstick but the van didn’t lurch about so much if he was gentle with the controls.

Albert nodded.

That’s more like it.

Sean felt pleased.

It’s fuckin noisy eh?

Aye. It should’ve been pensioned off years ago.

What, like yerself?

Cheeky wee cunt.

They got to the dual-carriageway without any incidents and Sean put his foot down a bit until they merged with the other traffic. He looked in the mirror. A spiral of exhaust smoke disappeared into the distance.

Make us a fag uncle.

Albert pulled his tobacco out, made a couple of fags and passed a lit one to his nephew. Sean had a couple of deep draws.

This is the fuckin life.

Albert put his wellies up on the dashboard.

Beats workin on a fuckin line. Ah’ll tell ye that for nothin.

Sean pulled himself up by the steering wheel.

But ye were actin all sulky when George asked us to do this.

Fuckin right Ah was.

How come?

Albert took a draw on his fag and flicked the ash on the floor.

Ah wanted to make sure the cunt knew we were doin him a favour.

Sean felt like a bit of a prick.

Oh aye.

Albert laughed and touched the side of his nose.

Aye ye’ve got a lot to learn wee man. But stick with yer old uncle and ye’ll go a long way.

D’ye think so?

Aye. Coz ye’ve a long way to go.

Ha fuckin ha.

The van slowed as they climbed the hill next to Cumbernauld. Cars went past them. Even a lorry went past them. Sean held the steering wheel tight to stop the van being buffeted into the grass verge. He put the wipers on as fast as they would go to clear the spray from the windscreen. Albert pointed up to Cumbernauld.

Me and yer auntie Jessie nearly moved there.

How come?

They were knockin down the tenements and scatterin us all over the place. We had a choice. Easterhouse –

Fuck that.

Or Royston or here.

Sean checked out the countryside and nodded his head.

It looks alright here.

Aye maybe. But yer auntie wasnay so sure. When ye cannay drive it’s a fair distance from the family so we thought fuck it, and stayed in the toon.

Aye Royston’s alright. And this place looks as if it might be a bit quiet.

Ye can say that again. It was even worse back then coz they didnay have any pubs in the place.

Yer kiddin.

No, Ah’m serious.

Sean didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

At the top of the hill the road curved away into the distance and under the railway arches at Castlecary. Sean pointed ahead.

Some view eh?

Albert cracked open his window to let out the smoke.

Aye it sure is. Them Victorians knew how to build railways. Ah bet ye it was some site in the old days. The old mail train would puff along there behind a big head of steam. Ye could see them comin for miles.

Sean went to ask him more about the steam trains but he noticed the old boy was gazing out the window. Sean focused through the windscreen and sighed. He pressed the throttle to the floor and felt the van vibrate as the speed built up.

Albert and Jessie had to go to a funeral in Ireland. Some cousin of Jessie’s. They were goin to be away for three days. Albert had a quiet word with Archie. Ah’m trustin ye now son. If anythin happens while Ah’m away. Anythin to the house or yer wee brother and Ah’ll be holdin ye responsible. They’ll be consequences. That’s no a threat son, that’s a promise. Archie was too busy plannin what he’d do with the freedom. He wasnay payin attention. He wished he had though. Ah can tell ye that.

They left on the Monday mornin and straight away Archie was on the phone to Sammy. Said he could stay with us for a coupla days. That he could sleep in the double with me and Archie would sleep in Albert and
Jessie’s bed. Last thing Ah wanted was to be sleepin with Sammy but it was either that or the couch.

Monday night was pandemonium. We came back from school and Ah had to make them a fry for their dinner. Ah did my best but the eggs were a bit crispy and the toast was burnt on one side. They put about half a bottle of tomato sauce on theirs and ate it with their elbows out and plenty of rifts. Then it was the feet up on the kitchen table and a fag each while Ah washed the dishes. Archie said Ah’d make somebody a good wife and Sammy sniggered. They went out and left me in the house. Ah was watchin
Coronation
Street when the phone went. It was my auntie Jessie. Was everythin alright? Ah said aye, that we’d had our tea and was doin my homework. Put Archie on the phone she said. Ah telt her he’d gone out with Sammy and the phone went a bit quiet. Then my uncle Albert came on. Where is he? Ah don’t know. Tell him if that Sammy McCann comes into my house Ah’ll fuckin kill the pair of them. OK. Ah put the phone down.

Archie and Sammy came in at nine. They were stinkin of glue. Archie had loads of it stuck round his face. Sammy sat in the chair and stared at me. Ah got up and he asked me to make him a cup of tea doll. Ah telt him to fuck off and ran up the stairs. Archie shouted at me. Don’t talk to my pals like that ya cunt. Ah slammed the bedroom door and lay on the bed. Ah thought he’d follow me up and gie me a slap but he never. A little while later Ah heard the front door go and Ah hoped they were out till mornin. But Ah felt Sammy get into bed with me durin the night.

The next mornin Archie gave me a pound for my dinner money. Ah was chuffed coz school dinners only cost twelve and a half pee. As Ah was goin out the front door Ah could hear him tellin Sammy to get downstairs and get the fuckin kettle on. Ah was glad to be out. Last thing Ah wanted was to be their slave all day. They’d probably make me tie a tea towel into the front of my trousers so Ah looked like a waiter.

The house stunk of feet and sweat when Ah got back. It’s rotten in here Ah said and Sammy called me a cheeky wee cunt and wriggled his big toe through a hole in his sock. Him and Archie were playin brag on the kitchen table. They had a pile of pound notes between them. Archie looked at the clock on the kitchen wall and said come on Sammy we better move. He scooped up the money and gave me a pound. He telt me it was my wages for washin up and Ah should get some chips for my tea. Ah asked where they were goin. To see a man about a dug he said and touched the side of his nose. He said they might have a wee treat for me later. If Jessie phoned Ah was to tell her they were at the youth club.

Ah was just settlin down with a quarter of Kola Kubes, a bottle of Irn Bru and
World in Action
when Sammy put his head round the door and telt me to help bring in a bag of coal. Ah pulled on my trainers and my jacket and walked into the road. Archie was sittin in the drivin seat of an Escort Mexico revvin the engine. C’mon to fuck Sean we’ve no got all day he shouted and flicked a fag-end into the road. Sammy held the door open and Ah climbed in the back. As
Sammy was gettin in Archie let the clutch go and we wheel-spinned up the street. Sammy fell into the seat goin for fuck sake. Archie laughed and my head hit the window as the motor flew sideways round the corner and into the main road. Jackie Stewart eat yer fuckin heart out he shouted and Ah didnay know whether to laugh or be sick.