James Kelman - A Chancer

The man in charge was sitting up by the hoist with a clipboard of papers on his lap. Tammas watched him for a time, before sidling in from the fire-escape exit, and moving in behind the large stacks of packing crates. Piles of old sacking lay in the corner. When he reached there he felt in at the bottom of some of it and brought out a couple of Readers’ Digests , and lowered himself down onto the sacking.

A while later the hoist could be heard clanking to a halt, the gates being opened. Shifting some of the higher crates a little he was able to make enough of a gap to see through. Two women from the floor below. A younger one followed them out pushing a barrow; her blue dustcoat was unbuttoned and she had a blouse on and jeans. She was pushing the barrow down towards him while the other two stayed at the hoist gates chatting to the storeman. When she reached a stack about 20 yards off she stopped, and she bent to lift a big cardboard box onto the barrow, lifting one corner only, and then sliding it on; but the weight caused the barrow to move, the box sliding back off to lie on the floor. The girl stood up. She glanced up to the others, she put her hands into the side pockets of her dustcoat and she kicked gently at the cardboard box, making a whistling sound, a tune. The two women were coming. Tammas stood back from the gap between the crates; he lowered himself down onto the sacking.

The man was saying: Naw, I dont give a fucking monkey’s; it’s wrong. He strode into the smoke-area and sat down facing Ralphie and Tammas. His mate followed him, propped the brush he was carrying against the wall. How’s it going?

Ralphie shrugged. Tammas did not reply.

The first man frowned at them. You heard?

Heard what?

Heard what! The man frowned again and he gestured vaguely around. . These fucking bastards in here. Fucking O.T. man!

O.T.?

Aye fucking O.T. man! They’re fucking working O.T. man and we’re fucking. . bastards! He turned and he pointed at a guy who was standing by a machine some distance away. Him and all the rest of the cunts up here.

Heh, said his mate, reaching to him and patting his arm. Take it easy.

Aye no fucking wonder. Make you fucking sick man we’re about to get laid off man and these cunts’re steaming into the fucking O.T.

Ralphie nodded.

The second man said: Did you know?

Put it this way Fred, I’m no surprised.

Hh! He glanced at Tammas: Did you know and all?

Who me — naw, did I fuck, I never knew. . Tammas turned to Ralphie.

Different department. The older man shrugged: This wing’s nothing to do with us, no when it really comes down to it.

What! The first man gazed at him. What did you say!

I said it’s a different department. Here. It’s fucking different, it’s different from us. He took the pipe from his mouth and he pointed it at the man: Can you work any of their machines?

Course I cant work any of their fucking machines.

The second man glanced at him: Ralphie means cause it’s a different machine man, you cant work it. . He shook his head. Even if they wanted to let you man you couldnt fucking work it.

I know. So what!

Well, fuck sake.

Look I dont give a fucking monkey’s man it’s out of order. I’ve never heard of anything like this in my fucking puff. Treat you like fucking shite in this place and you all fucking stand back and let them man — fucking. . He stopped and shook his head.

Come off it, muttered Ralphie.

Well it’s the same fucking factory.

I know it’s the same factory.

Aye well you trying to tell me should fucking stand back and watch them steaming into the fucking O.T. when we’re getting fucking laid off!

Nobody’s getting laid off.

Yet, added the second man.

Ralphie glanced at him. He had the pipe back in his mouth and he sucked on it. He struck a match and began relighting the tobacco. But he blew out the flame and took the pipe back out of his mouth. He dropped a mouthful of spit onto the floor, wiped his boot heel over it. Then he sniffed and stood up. He said to Tammas: Time we were going eh.

Aye. As he followed Ralphie out the smoke-area he called to the other two, See yous later.

They walked in silence to the corner of this wing. There was another stores’ section here and they were assisting the storeman clear old stuff away to create space. Some ten minutes later the other two men could be seen leaving the smoke-area. Tammas paused with the box he was passing to Ralphie and he said: I can see his point but.

Good for you son. The older man took the box from him and turned to lay it on the platform.

Tammas had reddened. After a moment he walked away. He went to the nearby toilet and sat in one of the cubicles.

Back in the stores Ralphie was starting on another stack of boxes. Tammas joined him at it without speaking. Eventually Ralphie said, Another two and we’ll call it a day.

Tammas made no answer.

Then by the time we get over to our bit. . Ralphie shrugged.

Tammas nodded slightly.

•••

The room was in darkness. He lay there with his eyelids shut. Footsteps down the lobby, from the bathroom to the front room, and the door being opened and closed. He squinted at the alarm clock. It had stopped, it was not ticking. Pulling off the quilt he swung round his legs and sat for a moment; he was wearing jeans and a shirt and had his socks on. He got up, he stretched, standing on his tip-toes and thrusting out his chest, making a groaning sound. And he walked to the window, drew the curtains enough to peer out. It was still raining, the actual drops of water visible as they fell within range of the glow of light from the street lamps. A man was walking from one pavement to the other and his voice was audible, as if he was calling to someone in Tammas’s close. But he was not doing that, he was singing to himself as he walked.

•••

The foreman looked at him when he entered the office.

About Friday afternoon, said Tammas; okay if I get it off? I saw the chargehand at tea-break and he says to ask you.

What is it for?

I’m going away for the weekend.

So am I. So’s a lot of folk. It’s always the same at this time of year.

Tammas sniffed and stared at him.

What is it you want the afternoon for?

Well the bus, it leaves at half three.

Half three?

Aye. And I’ll need to get home and changed and that.

The foreman paused. Then he went on. You shouldnt have got fixed onto a bus that’s leaving when you’re supposed to be at your place of work. I mean that’s daft; it’s silly. Christ, if everybody did that we’d be as well shutting down on bloody Thursday night!

Tammas nodded.

A carry on so it is. The foreman looked at him. You had Monday off this week as it is.

I had diarrhoea.

I know you had diarrhoea.

I phoned in.

I know, we’re grateful.

Tammas glanced at the floor. Look, he said, I’m going with a few of my mates; it was them made the arrangements.

I’m no denying that. I just think you should’ve made sure it wasnt going to interfere with your job. I mean some things are bloody more important than holidays.

Tammas nodded.

Away you go. . The foreman returned his attention to the things on his desk.

•••

The door had opened. He sat up. And rubbed his eyes when the light came on. Margaret was saying: Somebody at the door.

What?

Billy. I thought you came ben here to read?

I fell asleep.

No wonder, with the light out! Margaret was smiling.

Tammas nodded. He yawned.

Stepping outside his room Margaret called: Come on in and get him Billy.

The footsteps and then Billy was at the door, grinning.

Tammas pulled his shoes out from under the bed, slipped them on and quickly knotted the laces. He grabbed his jerkin from the back of the chair and ushered Billy out into the lobby. When the outside door was shut and they were walking downstairs Billy said: What you doing in bed at fucking 9 o’clock at night! Then he laughed: Dont tell me ya dirty bastard ye.