David Peace - Red or Dead

The man smiled. The man pulled up a chair. The man sat down at the table with Bill. And the man smiled again –

It’s good to see you, Bill. Great to see you again. But how are you, Bill? Are you well?

Oh, I’m very well. Thank you, son. Thank you. Mind you, I picked up a wee knock in the five-a-side on Monday. But I’ll be right for Friday. I’ll be fit to play on Friday, no danger. But what about you? How are you, son? I’ve not seen you in here for ages. You must be busy, son. Are they keeping you busy at work?

Yeah, yeah. We’re busy, Bill. We’re busy. But I mean, I can’t complain, Bill. I mustn’t grumble. At least we’re busy, Bill. At least I’ve got a job. I mean, I’m one of the lucky ones these days, Bill.

Oh yes. You’re right, son. You’re right. These are hard times for so many folk, son. I mean, these are desperate times for so many folk. It appals me, son. I mean, it appals me the way the country is going. It’s going backwards, son. Backwards. So you do right to count your blessings, son. You do right. You have your job, you have your work. You have your family and you have your health. These are the things that matter, son. These are the important things.

And the football, said the man. Don’t forget the football, Bill. At least we’ve always got the football …

Oh well, yes. Yes. You’re right, son. You’re right. We’ve always got the football, son. Always got the football. No matter what a mess the politicians make of things, son. No matter what a mess they make of the world. We’ve always got the football, son. We’ve always got that to be thankful for …

The waitress brought over a breakfast for the man. The man picked up the knife and the fork from the table. And Bill said, Go on, son. Go on. Get stuck in, son. Get stuck in. Get that inside you, son. A man needs to keep his strength up …

The man nodded –

And at least we’re having a good season, Bill. Thank God we’re having a good season, eh?

Oh well, yes. Yes. At Anfield, at home. We are. Yes. We are. Not bad, not bad at all. But away from home, away from Anfield. It’s a different story, son. A very different story. And to be honest with you, son. I’m worried. I’m very worried, son. I mean, I know they won away at Leicester on Saturday. But they’ve lost at City, they’ve lost at United. And they lost at Queens Park Rangers. Now you can’t be losing at Queens Park Rangers, son. You can’t be losing there, if you want to win the League. Not if you want to win the League, son. And they lost at home to Villa, too. At Anfield, son. And then there have been all the draws. I mean, five draws already, son …

The man nodded again –

But you think we can still win the League, don’t you, Bill? You think we still can …

Well, it won’t be easy. I can tell you that, son. It won’t be easy. I mean, we’ve still to play Forest, son. Home and away.

But you don’t think Forest can win the League, do you, Bill?

Bill smiled. And Bill said, Well, nothing would surprise me with Brian. Not with Brian Clough, son. I’ve always admired him. I’ve always respected him, son. And we often chat. He often calls me, son. To get my thoughts, to pick my brains. He’s a very clever man, son. And a socialist, too. A man after my own heart, son …

But Dalglish is doing well for us, isn’t he, Bill? I mean, I thought it might take him time to find his feet. Take him a while to settle, Bill. I mean, I’m very surprised how well he’s doing for us …

Oh well, yes. But I am not surprised, son. Not surprised at all. I mean, I had my eye on Kenny since he was fifteen. I mean, when he was only fifteen, I had Kenny down here for a trial. And he was brilliant. He was brilliant, son. Even then, at fifteen. I remember it well. After the trial, me and Reuben. We drove him back to the YMCA. And I would have signed him then and there. No bother at all! But the boy was homesick. He was only fifteen. And he didn’t want to leave home. And so I remember I called Jock Stein. And I said to Jock, I said, John, I cannot believe no one has signed this boy. This boy is brilliant. This boy is unbelievable. And Jock signed him. Then and there. Even though the boy was a Rangers fan! Jock signed him on. And that was good. That was great. I mean, if he wasn’t going to come to Anfield. If he wasn’t going to play for us. Then Celtic was the best place for him. With Jock to look after him, Jock to watch over him. So I’ve had my eye on him for years, son. For years. So I’m not surprised how well he is going, son. Not surprised at all. And I tell you another thing, son. This is only the beginning. Only the beginning for Kenny at Anfield, son. And he’ll not get carried away. No, Kenny’s not that type, son. I mean, the night he signed for us. Big John Toshack brought him over to my house here in West Derby. Because John knows what it’s like. No matter how old you are. No matter what you have done in the game. You are in a new city. You are stuck in a hotel. Away from your family, away from your home. So John brought him over to my house. For a cup of tea with me and Ness. And so we had a nice cup of tea and I had a wee chat with him. And I said to him, Kenny. I said, I’ve just got two pieces of advice for you, son. Don’t go overeating in that bloody hotel. And don’t lose your accent!

The man laughed. The man put down his knife and his fork –

So you think he’ll score on Saturday then, Bill?

Aye. No danger, son. No danger at all.

And you’ll be there, Bill, yeah?

Oh aye. Rain or shine …

The man glanced up through the window of the cafe. The man glanced down at his watch. The man shook his head –

Well, I suppose I best be getting back, Bill. Back to work …

Bill stood up. Bill picked up his umbrella. Bill handed the man his umbrella. And Bill said, Take this with you then, son.

Oh no, said the man. I can’t do that, Bill. What about you? What will you do, Bill? You’ll get soaked …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, Take it, son. Take it. You’ve to go back to your work, son. Your need is greater than mine. I mean, I can stay here till it stops. Or I can dry off when I get home. But you’ve to go back to your work. You’ve your work to do …

Well then, thank you. And I’ll drop it back here tomorrow for you, Bill. I’ll bring it back then …

Bill shook his head. And Bill said, There’s no rush, son. There’s no rush at all. So don’t be going out of your way, son. Don’t you be making a special journey now. Not for me, son. Not for me.

Thanks, said the man. Thanks again, Bill. And I’ll see you soon, I hope. So you take care now, Bill. You take care.

Bill nodded. Bill smiled. And Bill said, And don’t you work too hard now either, son. You look after yourself …

And Bill sat back down at the table in the window of the cafe on the Eaton Road in West Derby, Liverpool. In his suit and in his tie. Bill looked back down at his newspaper on the table. Bill picked up the paper again. Bill turned to the back pages of the paper. Bill heard the door of the cafe open. Bill looked up from his paper. And Bill saw a man he knew. A man who sometimes came into the cafe for his lunch. A man who always had a good chat with Bill. And Bill put down his paper. And Bill said, Hello, son. How are you, son? You look soaked through, son. Sit yourself down, son. And get some hot food inside you, son. A nice cup of tea down you, son …

Liverpool Football Club had beaten West Ham United two — nil. At home, at Anfield. Dalglish had scored in the thirty-seventh minute. And Fairclough had scored in the eighty-second minute. In the press box. The Anfield press box. With their pens and with their notebooks. The gentlemen of the press were scribbling away. The national press and the local press. The London press and the Liverpool press. The gentlemen of the press stopped their scribbling. The gentlemen of the press put away their pens. They put away their notebooks. And the gentlemen of the press walked out of the press box. They walked out into the corridor. The Anfield corridor –