Fresh (7 page)

For fuck sake.

Sean protected his eye from the wind by turning to face a wall and holding up his hands. He blinked and blinked and felt the bit of ash score into his eyeball. He kicked the wall. Eventually he managed to get the shit out and carried on to his work. By the time he got there, tears were running down his cheek. The security guard looked up from his paper and asked Sean what was the matter.

Mind yer own business.

Ah’m only askin son.

Sean stomped through the gates and into the factory. He went to the toilet and gave his eye a good wash out at the sink. Then he patted it with a bit of tissue paper. It wasn’t as itchy now so he thought he’d be able to manage going to the canteen without anybody else asking him what was the matter.

Shower of nosy bastards he said to his reflection.

He left the toilet and went to the canteen. The queue was pretty short when he got there. At ten o’clock it’s huge but by this time most people have had their breakfast and are settling into a cup of tea and a fag. He grabbed a tray and slid it along the rails. The baldy guy behind the counter grabbed a plate off the pile by the side of the till and nodded at Sean.

What can Ah get ye?

Fried breakfast.

Crispy bacon?

Ye’ve got me sussed.

The baldy guy gave Sean a shy wee smile. Sean wondered if he was a poof. As the guy bent over to slide a fried egg onto his spatula, Sean saw a bead of sweat gather on his head and make its way towards his forehead. It joined another bead just above his eyebrows. They raced down his nose and hung there for a second before dropping right onto Sean’s fried egg.

No that one.

What?

Ah don’t want that fried egg.

What’s up with it?

Ah don’t want it.

Why?

Just put it back. Ah don’t fuckin want it. Alright?

OK. Keep yer hair on.

Aye alright, just gie’s another egg.

The baldy guy put a fresh egg on Sean’s plate. Then a sausage and two rashers of bacon.

Beans or tomatoes?

How long have Ah been comin here?

Sorry Sean, tomatoes it is.

Don’t forget the toast.

Sean took the plate and put it on his tray. He slid it along the rails and picked up a mug of tea. Then he went to the till, paid for his breakfast and looked round the canteen for Albert. The old guy waved and Sean pushed through the tables to sit next to his uncle.

Ye still look miserable son.

Sean cut a piece of sausage and dipped it into his egg yolk. He felt like he was ten again and his uncle was
asking him if he’d done his homework.

What’s the matter?

Sean ate his breakfast and did nothing to communicate with Albert except shake his head and point at his plate. Albert sat back in his seat and rolled a fag. Sean felt him watching as the breakfast found its way into his belly. He scrunched up the toast and rubbed the egg yolk and tomato juice from the plate.

Where’ve ye been? said Albert.

Sean swallowed a mouthful of bacon and toast.

Ah had to nip down the bank.

Oh aye?

Sean ignored the question and speared the last piece of sausage and wiped it round the egg yolk drying on the plate. He took his time chewing it and sucking out the juices before he swallowed it. He dropped the fork and knife onto his plate and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Enjoy that? said Albert

Fuckin lovely.

Sean slurped a big mouthful of tea. He rolled a roll-up, sat back with a burp and a sigh and lit up his fag. Albert looked at him.

So what’s been getting ye down the day?

It’s Archie.

What about him?

Sean took a drag on his fag. He looked to make sure no one was listening. He started to whisper.

He gave me some money to look after for him.

Albert started to whisper.

How much?

A thousand.

Albert looked around him to make sure no one was listening.

And ye’ve spent it?

Just about.

Albert scratched his head.

How much?

Seven hunner.

What did ye spend it on?

That school trip for Donna.

Albert looked Sean right in the eye.

That was a dear fuckin trip.

Sean looked at the table.

Eh no just that. Christmas as well.

Albert blew a big puff of smoke towards the ceiling.

Some Christmas that must’ve been.

Sean didn’t know where to look.

Aye.

Albert had another slow puff on his fag.

So that’s what ye’ve been doin the overtime for?

Aye. Ah thought Ah could get the cash the gether before he got out in July.

Best-laid plans eh?

Aye.

He’s goin to be fuckin angry.

Sean bit his lip.

Ah know.

So what did the bank say?

They werenay much help.

They never are.

Fuckin bastards. Ah’ve been with that bank for years.

They’re like that son. Only interested in lendin ye money if ye’ve already got plenty.

Archie’s goin to fuckin kill me.

But ye’ve no spent all his money. Three hunner is better than nothin.

It’ll no be enough to stop him kickin my arse.

Albert had a puff on his fag and nodded through the smoke.

Looks like yer in fuckin trouble son.

Ah need to get more money.

Albert leaned back into his chair and tried to take another draw on his fag. It took a couple of puffs to get it going then he had a deep drag that gave him a coughing fit. He pulled out a hanky and wiped his lips.

Ah’ll see what Ah can do.

What do ye mean?

Ah’ll phone yer auntie Jessie and see if we can gie ye a loan.

Albert paused then spoke some more.

Ah doubt we’ll be able to get ye the lot but we’ll gie ye some of it.

No Ah couldnay do that.

How no?

It wouldnay be right.

Albert put his hand on Sean’s arm.

We’re family son.

Sean leaned on the table with his forehead on his wrist.

This is doin my fuckin nut in.

Albert ruffled Sean’s hair.

Ah know son.

Ah’ll no let ye down Albert.

Ye better no or yer auntie’ll kill me.

They put their fags out and got up from the table. A quick trip to the toilet and they were back in the Junction counting chickens.

Albert?

Aye pal?

Ye’ll no believe this.

What?

Ah’ve just counted sixty-seven seconds between two chickens.

Sixty-seven?

Aye sixty-fuckin-seven.

Is that a record for ye the day?

Fuckin right it is.

Albert picked a chicken off the belt and hung it on a hook.

D’ye think it’ll stay a record?

Course it will. Sixty-seven long seconds. Put that in yer pipe and smoke it.

Ah would but smokin shite gies me a sore throat.

Jealous eh?

Of course Ah am. Sixty-seven seconds is a great achievement.

Fuck off ya sarky old cunt.

Albert laughed.

Ah’m messin with ye. Sixty-seven’s no a bad score.

Sean held a chicken up like a trophy and shook it by the wings.

No bad? It’s pure fuckin champion.

It’s no quite champion son.

How d’ye mean?

Albert pushed his cheek out with his tongue.

It’s no as good as seventy-three.

When did ye get seventy-three?

Ah got that between two Sunday roasters before we went for breakfast.

Aye right.

Ah’m serious.

What, really?

Albert breathed on his hand and rubbed it on his shoulder.

Aye. Seventy-three.

Bet ye counted fast.

Albert pointed at Sean.

No as fast as you ya wee cunt.

Ah count slow ya old bastard.

Yer too tight to count slow.

Ah used my watch.

Albert turned his back.

Liar.

Aye Ah know ye are.

Sean grabbed a chicken and banged it on a hook. Twenty-three till the next one. Then he counted eighty-six.

Albert?

What is it now?

Eighty-six.

What?

Eighty-fuckin-six.

Eighty-six what?

Eighty-six between two chickens.

Yer telling lies so ye are.

No. Eighty-six seconds.

Maggie’ll be pleased.

Ya old prick. Yer just gutted coz Ah’ve broke yer record.

Albert pointed at the door.

Away into personnel and pick up yer medal.

Fuck off.

Sean picked up another chicken and placed it on its hook. He heard Scotland the Brave playing as he leaned forward to receive his medal from some royal princess with blonde hair and a silk shirt on. Or maybe a movie-star type or a Miss World. He saw the cleavage as she bent to place the medal round his neck. She gave him a smile and he knew it was game on when he saw her later in the bar. His auntie Jessie watched from the stadium. She wiped a tear from her cheek. Albert was tight-lipped and his eyes were shining. What a day for Scotland and the O’Gradys. What a day.

Sean, called Albert across the Junction.

What is it?

Ah’ve got an idea about Archie.

Sean looked around. He walked over to Albert.

What?

Ye could ask yer pal Gambo for a wee hand.

Sean picked at his gloves.

Ah couldnay do that.

How no?

Sean looked at Albert as if he was daft.

Ye know.

Ye shouldnay let that bother ye.

Tell that to Archie.

He doesnay need to know.

Aye maybe.

Albert turned to pick up a fallen chicken.

Ye’ve known the guy since ye were weans, so it’s no outrageous to ask him for a wee hand. Is it?

Aye but Ah could be puttin him in a position he doesnay want to be in.

Ye could just ask him for a bit of advice.

Ah’ve no really spoke to him since the weddin.

Maybe it’s about time ye did.

Sean heard a chicken land on his station, so he nipped over and then came back to Albert.

But what would Ah say to him?

Just tell him what ye’ve done and how worried ye are.

But he’ll think Ah’m a prick.

So?

But –

A chicken landed on Albert’s station.

How much do ye want out of this mess?

Sean pulled the peak of his cap.

Alright. Alright. Ah’ll ask him.

Albert patted Sean on the arm.

That’s my boy. It’s goin to be alright.

D’ye think so?

Albert never said anything for a while, then he nodded.

It’ll be alright. Ah’ll get ye some money and ye can put that in with what ye’ve got. Ye can speak to yer pal and see what he can do for ye. Before ye know it we’ll be sittin back and laughin at all the fuckin panic. Sean looked left and right like a child doing the Green Cross Code.

Aye but if Archie finds out Ah’ve even thought about goin to Gambo, he’ll fuckin kill me.

Maybe that’s a risk ye’ll need to take.

A chicken landed on Sean’s station. By the time he got over there the machine was dropping loads and he didn’t get the chance to finish their blether. He pulled them apart like an army NCO breaking up a wrestle. Big chest and shoulders pushing in amongst the skinny recruits, grabbing collars and arms and dishing out the odd punch. Before long the rioters would be scattered and subdued. Sitting on their bunks nursing bruises. A cheeky one would try and say something but the big sergeant would just look at him and the wee cunt would shut up and sit down. Failing that he’d knock the boy to the floor. Harmony would be restored to the barracks. Sergeant O’Grady could put his cap over his face and dream of his comfortable life back home with the missus.

Albert’s voice kept coming into Sean’s head. Ask him. Ask Gambo for help. Never mind the consequences. Just ask him. When Sean finished work he’d get straight on the phone and tell Gambo everything that’s been going on. From the time Archie sent Sammy round with the DSS envelope full of twenties, right up till the other
week when he took a note for a punt at the bookies. Gambo would help. He knows what it’s like to make a wee mistake and have a pal bail you out

It was really sunny, so me and Gambo decided to dog the school for the day. We went in for registration then jumped the back fence when the rest of them went to double English. As long as we didnay get into any trouble, nobody would know we werenay in the school.

It was some laugh walkin down the road towards the city centre. We kidded on we were Russian spies in Glesga to check for places to print money and passports. Every time we saw a motor we’d duck into the hedges so they couldnay see us. Gambo reckoned he knew a brilliant wee hideout as we walked down The Avenues. We looked up and down the street, jumped over a wall, across a lawn and through a hedge, and we came to a shed in this overgrown garden. Ye could tell it was some old dear’s house coz the windows were manky and there was one of them flowery aprons hangin from the washin line. Gambo said his ma was the old dear’s home help but we didnay need to worry coz it was her day off and she wouldnay be back till the morra.

We settled into the shed by movin the lawnmower and gettin two deckchairs off the wall. After five minutes sittin in the chairs goin this is alright we got up and had a look through the tins of stuff that were layin
around. Paint and thinners and old tools. Gambo reckoned we could get some money for the tools but Ah couldnay see it. We put some in a plastic bag though, just in case.

When we’d had a good look through everythin, we started throwin bits of spider’s web at each other. Ah rubbed some in Gambo’s hair and he called me a dirty bastard and pushed me onto a deckchair. The canvas split and Ah ended up with my arse on the floor. We had a bit of a laugh at that but the shed was gettin roastin so we decided to go out for some fresh air. We’d maybe come back if it rained. Gambo made me swear on my auntie Jessie’s life that Ah wouldnay tell anybody about the hideout.

Once we were on the street we took turns at brushin the bits of dust and web off each other’s clothes. Then we took the tools to a secondhand shop in Magdalene Street. There was a plane and a set of chisels in the bag. It wasnay that heavy but it was a long walk so it started to drag on my arm by the time we got there. Gambo didnay know where to go. Ah said we should try Sparky’s. Ah remember Archie sayin he’d sold him a stereo and got good money for it.

A bell went when we pushed the door open. It stunk of damp and fags in the shop. An old guy came through from the back. He had half an unlit roll-up hangin out his mouth. Let’s see what ye’ve got he said. We went to the counter and Gambo got the stuff out the bag. No a lot of call for tools these days said the old guy. Ah was gutted. All that way for nothin. Then he said he’d gie us a pound for the lot. Gambo said aye but Ah
thought we should ask for more so Ah telt the guy they were my da’s tools and he’d said we shouldnay leave the shop with less than a fiver. He laughed and said a fiver, yer in the wrong business wee man, ye should’ve been a fuckin comedian. Ah said fair enough, there was plenty of other shops. He telt me no to be so hasty. We could split the difference and call it three bar.

Gambo was well pleased. Kept pattin me on the back and tellin me Ah was as sharp as a farmer. Ah telt him that anybody would be sharp that lived with Archie and my uncle Albert. Gambo nodded.

We went into a paper shop and Ah asked the woman for ten Regal. She gave me a funny look so Ah telt her they were for my ma. When she turned round to get them Gambo stuffed a coupla sausage rolls up his jumper. Ah grabbed a Mars Bar and a Twix. My heart was poundin as we walked out the shop but the woman didnay say anythin. We jogged up the street until we came to a wee bench under a tree. The sausage rolls were lovely. We washed them down with a bottle of gold top milk off someone’s doorstep.

Sammy was out the jail so Ah said we should go up to Sighthill and see him. Ask him how our Archie was gettin on. Sammy’s ma was alright. She didnay care who went round as long as ye didnay leave fag burns on the carpet or bring the polis to the door. The bus from the city dropped us outside the block about eleven o’clock. We went up the lift and knocked on the door. Ah could hear music in the house and when the letterbox opened to ask who it was Ah could smell hash. Sammy let us in and we went to his bedroom.

Sammy and a pal were sittin in the room listenin to punk songs. He telt his pal to turn the fuckin music down. Then he said Archie was doin alright in the jail. He showed us the Dead Kennedys tattoo Archie had gave him on the forearm. It looked a bit rough but he seemed pleased enough with it. Get the fags out then he said, and Gambo gave him one. Sammy broke it up and made a joint with it. Nice bit of rocky black he said. Me and Gambo only had a coupla draws coz Sammy telt us no to hog it. He had it for ages but.

Ah asked Sammy to sell us a bit of hash for two quid. He gave us a bit but we couldnay make a joint between us so he said he’d make them for us. It didnay look like he put much in but he said ye couldnay put too much in or ye might take a whitey. His pal nodded. Whitey he said. Sammy telt us no to walk the streets smokin the joints. Ye have to watch where ye smoke them. And if ye get captured by the polis, ye didnay get the stuff off me. Me and Gambo nodded.

We stayed round there for an hour then Gambo got up off the bed and said we had to go. Sammy gave me a bag of rubbish and telt me to put it down the chute. Watch yer trousers though, coz it’s drippin. There was a can of beer in it. Last thing Ah wanted was to go home stinkin of beer. We went to the bin cupboard and listened to the bag go down the chute and hit the skip at the bottom. There was a coupla concrete blocks lyin there so we put them down as well. They made some racket when they hit the skip.

When we got outside onto the forecourt Ah heard Sammy shout ye’ve forgot yer schoolbag ya fuckin diddy.
Ah looked up and it came flyin out the window and landed on the grass. Ah was a bit gutted coz it broke my calculator.

We went back to the old dear’s shed to smoke the joints. Ah put a box under the ripped deckchair and it was pretty comfy. Gambo put on a posh accent and asked me for a light. Then he leaned back into his chair and had a few puffs. He crossed his legs and flicked a bit of ash on the floor. Ah telt him no to hog it and he passed it over. The shed was alright when ye got a joint on the go. Ah asked him what he thought of Sammy’s Dead Kennedys tattoo and we burst out laughin.

Gambo got up and started pokin about with the tins of stuff on the shelves. He asked if Ah’d ever tried glue. Fuck that Ah said, that’s what got our Archie into trouble. Ah asked him if he’d tried it and he said he’d had a wee blast of the Tippex. What’s it like? Ah asked him. It’s just like the hash he said. Only different. Ye hear a buzzin sound in yer ears then everythin goes quiet and ye wake up and it’s about an hour later. Ah telt him it sounded like a lot of shite. And anyway, it might make my lungs collapse. It’s good he said. He took the top off a can and had a few sniffs. Then he looked at me with this smile that didnay seem to care what was happenin. Ah thought aye why no, so Ah had a few sniffs from the top of the tin. It was good as well. Ah could hear the birds in the garden like they were down the end of a cave. Ah sparked up the other joint while Gambo blasted away at the can.

After a coupla puffs he asked to swap, so we did. One
of us must have dropped it coz the next thing Ah knew Gambo’s chair was on fire. Ah woke him out his buzz and he had a coughin fit. Ah had to drag him out into the garden. It took him a coupla minutes to get his breath. Ah heard the old dear in the house shout somethin and we ran through the hedge and over the wall. We looked back and shat it coz ye could see black smoke pumpin out the garden.

We got halfway up the street before Ah realised Ah’d left my bag in the shed.

When Ah got home my auntie Jessie asked if Ah’d been playin with fires. Ah said no but she said she could smell it. Ah telt her some lads had a bonfire at the garages and Ah’d stood round it for a bit after school. But Ah hadnay put anythin in it. She telt me to stay away from fires. If ye got burned ye’d know all about it. She asked me what Ah’d been doin in school the day. Ah telt her a bit of chemistry and some physics and that. She gave me my dinner and Ah went out for a game of football on the street.

That night Ah was goin to bed and Ah heard a knock at the door. After a bit my uncle Albert gave me a shout to come downstairs. Ah went down and there was two polis in the livin room. They asked if Ah’d been to school. Ah telt them aye. Ah gave Albert the honest Ah have look. The polis asked if Ah’d been anywhere near The Avenues the day. Ah shook my head. They telt me arson was a very serious offence and carried a risk of a custodial sentence. Ah looked at my auntie and she bit her lip and looked away. My legs were shakin and Ah needed a pish. They telt me they’d found the remains
of my bag in the shed. Ah started cryin and sayin it was an accident. My auntie sighed and went Sean.