James Kelman - Kieron Smith, Boy

He came up for me a lot of times. I took him in. My maw said it too, Oh take him in Kieron.

If Matt was there he let him in too. But if Matt was in the room swotting I had to take Mitch into the living room. But if my da was home it had to be the kitchenette or the balcony, or just the landing stairs outside the door, he did not like Mitch. Oh he is just a dunderheid. He called him that. I did not like it. My da called people names.

Me and Mitch just sat on the steps and talked about stuff or else played cards. If we were all away out and Mitch came up for me he just waited till we came home. He sat outside the front door or else at the foot of the close, on the steps to the pavement. My da did not like him doing it. Oh has he no home to go to?

Then if it was too late at night. Once it was after ten o'clock and it was my time for bed. We had had our supper and were watching the telly. Matt was in the bedroom swotting. The bell rang and my maw and da were looking at each other and were worried. Oh who could that be?

I was going to answer the door but my da said, Stay there son I will go.

It was Mitch. Is Smiddy coming out?

My da was annoyed and gived him a row. Oh what time do ye think this is? A boy of your age should not be out at this time of night. It is far too late, away ye go home. And he shut the door on Mitch and came back and was saying about it to my maw and laughing. Is Smiddy coming out? Oh he had a ball too! Ten o'clock at night and he is looking for a game of heidies. A boy at that age, it is a disgrace.

My da was not saying it to me, only to my maw. But I was there and it was my pal. So how come? How come it was not to me?

I jumped up from the floor and rushed to the window and opened it to see down. My maw said, Kieron, it is too late at night for that.

Oh but I am just looking out.

Do not lean out the window.

Oh but I am just.

Shut that d**n window, said my da.

Oh but.

Shut the window.

I did shut it but was still trying to see out and down for Mitch.

Come away from that b****y window!

Yes but dad

What is it with you? My da was sitting up in his chair and looking straight at me. Eh? I am asking you a question?

Answer your father, said my maw.

Well if he is my pal, if it is Mitch.

It is after ten o'clock at night.

Yes but if he is my pal.

Ten o'clock at night, said my da, and he is out looking for a game of football!

It is far too late, said my maw.

But it is not my fault.

What are you talking about? said my da.

Well if he came up for me.

We are not saying it is your fault, said my maw.

Do not be so stupid, said my da.

Well I am not being stupid, if he came up for me, it is not my fault.

Oh away and give us peace, said my da. What is he doing up for ye at this time of night? Ten o'clock! For a game of b****y football! There is something wrong with that boy. He is just a b****y dunderheid.

No he is not.

Aye he is. And do not talk back to me.

My maw was looking at my da and I knew what it was, it was swearing and saying aye. He kidded on he did not know.

I was just going to wave to him, I said.

It is too late at night, said my da.

Yes but I was just going to wave.

Oh for Heaven sake. My da shaked his head and lifted up his newspaper. He kept it at the side of his chair and just read it when he wanted.

William's mother and father will be worried, said my maw.

They will not.

Of course they will.

Of course they will not.

What? My da leaned out of his chair now to look right at me. His face was the angriest. I was sitting where I sat at the side of the settee but I could not go behind with him speaking to me. Oh what did you say? Eh? What did you say? Are you being cheeky to your mother? Do not you ever be cheeky to yer mother! I am warning ye.

I was not being cheeky.

What!

My maw said, Yes you were Kieron.

Well I did not mean to be.

Well it d**n well sounded like it to me! Get to yer bed.

Yes, I am going.

Aye well go, just b****y go, afore I lose my temper.

My maw was looking at my da because all what he was saying. But I just got up and went to the door and right out. I was glad, glad glad glad, just glad. I did not want to stay there with them. It was just not fair and I was sick of it. If it was my pal I should have went to the door. It was my pal if it was Mitch. He came up for me. It was not up for them. He did not come up for them. So if he did not, if my da said it to my maw and not to me, he should have said it to me. Oh your pal is at the door. He should have said it to me. I should have went to the door just to see Mitch. Oh it is too late, I cannot come out. I would have said it to him.

Oh yer pal is there at the door. My da should have said that. It just was not fair, because I was young. If it was Matt it would not have been, he would have said it to him. My da always said stuff to Matt, no to me. That is what happened in this house. I was sick of it and I just thought it was horrible, just all things ye were always not allowed. How come ye were not allowed? And if it was something even just if it was yer pal, if he came up for ye, how come ye could not see him? It just was not fair. Because he came up late, it was not my fault.

I saw Mitch at school and said it to him, Do not come up for me too late, that was too late, my da was just angry.

What for?

It was too late.

Oh did he give ye a doing?

No, but he nearly did.

Oh if he does ye should just f*****g run away. I would go with ye, we will just go to England, I have got cousins there and they would help ye.

Mitch wanted to run away a lot. I said I would go with him but just no just now. He still came up for me, even if it was rows. The doorbell rang and my maw went to get it. Oh is Smiddy coming out?

My maw did not like him saying it. Who is Smiddy?

This is his house.

Oh his name is Kieron, it is Kieron, you must say Kieron. And it is not hoose it is house, you must say house.

House.

My maw took him in but she did not like him in the house all the time and no if we were having our tea. He kept looking round to see us. He was sitting on the settee and doing it. Lucky for him my da was not home. My maw got up and left the table, she carried her tea ben the kitchenette. She said it to me after. Oh William is watching me eat, tell him not to, it is awful rude.

My maw did not like people watching her. Sometimes she thought stuff and it was just daft. But Matt said it too. Tell Mitch no to watch us eating.

So after me and Mitch went out I said to him, How come ye were watching us eat, my maw did not like it.

Oh I was not watching yez eat.

Aye ye were. Matt said it too.

I was just looking.

What at?

Everything.

My maw thinks it was her.

Well it was not.

So after that if we were having our tea he just sat in the bedroom and waited. My maw said to Matt about his books and jotters because if he had them all out and Mitch was there but Matt said, Oh mum it is okay.

Oh but you do not want him touching your things.

Oh he will not touch them.

That was Matt saying it. I was glad. Because Mitch would not. So it was good Matt saying it. If it was Podgie but, Podgie would touch everything. I took him in and that was what happened. I did not like taking him in because ye just had to watch yer stuff all the time. But no Mitch. He loved my house. Oh Smiddy I would stay here. That was what he said. He hated his house and the most thing was his da. When he was a man he was going to kill him, that was what he said, I am going to poison him to death, he is a horrible old stinking b*****d.

He would do it. Mitch was Mitch. I did not go into his house much. His maw did not mind but he did not like me going in. If it was his big sisters. Boys had sisters and did not like people going in their house. So if they saw something. Oh I saw yer sister's k*****rs.