muttered.
You slept in! Tammas, for heaven sake, you cant afford to be taking days off your work.
He shut his eyelids.
She continued to stand there. The door creaked on its hinges then after a few more moments it closed behind her; she could be heard walking quickly down the lobby and out, banging the front door
shut. Eventually he dozed. Later in the morning he was carrying a bulky plastic bag to the pawnbroker’s. A young woman came out of the back entrance pushing a small pram; he stood aside to
let her pass to the front close. In the shop he entered one of the cubicles and brought the suit out the bag and onto the counter. A girl attended him; without examining the suit she asked: How
much?
Seven.
The girl hesitated.
Tammas nodded. Ask him and see . . . He watched through the grille as she crossed the floor and handed the suit to the middle aged man at the table. He glanced at the suit and muttered something
to her. When she returned she laid the suit on the counter before speaking. He says three fifty for it.
Three fifty?
Yes.
Mm. He opened the bag and brought out a pair of black shoes, slid them beneath the grille.
The girl shook her head.
But they’ve only been worn once.
He wont even look at them.
What – I mean, hh . . . He shrugged and indicated the soles: Hardly even scuffed.
They have to be brand new but, no worn at all.
No worn at all?
Yes, they’ve no to be worn at all.
Just ask him.
No, there’s no point, he’ll no . . . She closed her lips and shook her head.
Och that’s terrible I mean they’ve no even been worn, just the once.
She nodded.
He sighed, then he smiled briefly. After a few moments she pushed the shoes back under the grille to him and she asked: Do you still want to leave the suit?
Aye. He looked at her.
•••
It was beginning to rain heavily. Ralphie and Tammas were collecting rubbish from the long grass near the canal bank and disposing of it in the skip container. The older man
stopped working first. That’s that, he said. The boiler room! He started trotting in that direction at once, holding his bunnet down on his head with one hand.
Tammas shouted after him: I’ll see you later.
Ralphie paused: Where you going?
Ah – just for a walk.
Aye well you better hide son, keep out the fucking road – know what I mean?
Aye dont worry. He turned and walked to one of the doors into the factory, keeping close in to the wall to avoid the rain. Inside was another door, lying ajar. There was a steady hum from the
generator room. He pushed open the door more widely, and entered. It was a small room and there was a youth sitting on a pipe with a magazine open on his lap, leaning on his shoulder was one of the
engineers. They glanced at him. The youth grimaced: Dont fucking do that to people!
Sorry.
Jesus sake, said the man, placing his hand on his chest. I nearly had a fucking heart attack!
Tammas nodded. After a moment he said, I was looking for eh auld Benny, you seen him?
They shook their heads. The man added, He’ll be in the boiler room.
Aw aye . . . Course . . . He nodded, then he made to leave.
The youth said: You playing football at dinner time?
Aye, you?
If the rain stops.
Aye. Tammas turned but he glanced back: Hey you got a smoke at all?
Naw.
I’ve got one, said the man. He took a packet of tipped from the top pocket of his boilersuit and flipped it across.
Great, ta – I’ve been gasping all morning! He withdrew a cigarette, flipped the packet back.
While the man was taking one for himself he gestured at the magazine and chuckled, Horny porny.
Aw. Hh! Tammas struck his match down the wall; he inhaled and exhaled.
Take a look, said the youth.
Tammas smiled. It’ll put me off my work!
Ach come on man it’s amazing stuff; manky as fuck, take a swatch!
After a moment Tammas stepped forwards, placing one hand against the wall to balance himself while bending slightly. The youth held it to the side a little for him to see. It was
You slept in! Tammas, for heaven sake, you cant afford to be taking days off your work.
He shut his eyelids.
She continued to stand there. The door creaked on its hinges then after a few more moments it closed behind her; she could be heard walking quickly down the lobby and out, banging the front door
shut. Eventually he dozed. Later in the morning he was carrying a bulky plastic bag to the pawnbroker’s. A young woman came out of the back entrance pushing a small pram; he stood aside to
let her pass to the front close. In the shop he entered one of the cubicles and brought the suit out the bag and onto the counter. A girl attended him; without examining the suit she asked: How
much?
Seven.
The girl hesitated.
Tammas nodded. Ask him and see . . . He watched through the grille as she crossed the floor and handed the suit to the middle aged man at the table. He glanced at the suit and muttered something
to her. When she returned she laid the suit on the counter before speaking. He says three fifty for it.
Three fifty?
Yes.
Mm. He opened the bag and brought out a pair of black shoes, slid them beneath the grille.
The girl shook her head.
But they’ve only been worn once.
He wont even look at them.
What – I mean, hh . . . He shrugged and indicated the soles: Hardly even scuffed.
They have to be brand new but, no worn at all.
No worn at all?
Yes, they’ve no to be worn at all.
Just ask him.
No, there’s no point, he’ll no . . . She closed her lips and shook her head.
Och that’s terrible I mean they’ve no even been worn, just the once.
She nodded.
He sighed, then he smiled briefly. After a few moments she pushed the shoes back under the grille to him and she asked: Do you still want to leave the suit?
Aye. He looked at her.
•••
It was beginning to rain heavily. Ralphie and Tammas were collecting rubbish from the long grass near the canal bank and disposing of it in the skip container. The older man
stopped working first. That’s that, he said. The boiler room! He started trotting in that direction at once, holding his bunnet down on his head with one hand.
Tammas shouted after him: I’ll see you later.
Ralphie paused: Where you going?
Ah – just for a walk.
Aye well you better hide son, keep out the fucking road – know what I mean?
Aye dont worry. He turned and walked to one of the doors into the factory, keeping close in to the wall to avoid the rain. Inside was another door, lying ajar. There was a steady hum from the
generator room. He pushed open the door more widely, and entered. It was a small room and there was a youth sitting on a pipe with a magazine open on his lap, leaning on his shoulder was one of the
engineers. They glanced at him. The youth grimaced: Dont fucking do that to people!
Sorry.
Jesus sake, said the man, placing his hand on his chest. I nearly had a fucking heart attack!
Tammas nodded. After a moment he said, I was looking for eh auld Benny, you seen him?
They shook their heads. The man added, He’ll be in the boiler room.
Aw aye . . . Course . . . He nodded, then he made to leave.
The youth said: You playing football at dinner time?
Aye, you?
If the rain stops.
Aye. Tammas turned but he glanced back: Hey you got a smoke at all?
Naw.
I’ve got one, said the man. He took a packet of tipped from the top pocket of his boilersuit and flipped it across.
Great, ta – I’ve been gasping all morning! He withdrew a cigarette, flipped the packet back.
While the man was taking one for himself he gestured at the magazine and chuckled, Horny porny.
Aw. Hh! Tammas struck his match down the wall; he inhaled and exhaled.
Take a look, said the youth.
Tammas smiled. It’ll put me off my work!
Ach come on man it’s amazing stuff; manky as fuck, take a swatch!
After a moment Tammas stepped forwards, placing one hand against the wall to balance himself while bending slightly. The youth held it to the side a little for him to see. It was
Similar Books
