Pedro Lenz - Naw Much of a Talker

Naw, says Paco, ah mean joab-wise an’ that.

Ahv a joab in a school.

You? In a school?

Ye dont believe me, dae ye? It’s true but.

It’s true?

Aye, it’s true.

Dae ah want tae hear a truth fae him an’ aw, Paco goes oan tae ask.

Naw necessarily, ah said, if he absolutely his tae get rid ae a truth but, that’s fine an’ aw.

Ah look the wey ah used tae before, he went. Like someone daein too many drugs, i.e. ill.

Ah felt sorry, but naw fur masel but, mair fur Paco. Cos ah reckon he wis genuinely worried aboot me.

Ah wisnae lyin. Ah really am workin in a school noo. As a deputy jannie, or assistant gardener, or whitivver ye want tae caw it. Ahd like tae know masel how ah ended up wi this joab. Ah dae whit ah kin but. Ah git oan well wi the teachers. Wi the weans an’ aw.

The ither bit’s true an’ aw. Noo an’ then, at weekends, ah dae some drugs. Some smack here. Some smack there. Aye makin sure ah hiv it unner control. Ah hope so, anyhoo. Wi that stuff, ye nivver know. Ahm naw gaggin fur it but. Ah jist take it fur that warm feelin jist. If it starts suckin me in again, ah’ll dae summit aboot it.

Aw in aw, ah cannae complain. Or mair like: ah kid complain a hale lot. Specially if ah think aboot the future. Whit’s the point but? Yiv got a past fur a reason. True, it wisni aw guid. Least ah kin tell it but whitivver way ah want. An’ who knows: mibbe wan day, eftir aw, a guid baw in will faw fur me.

In 2004 and 2005, Donal McLaughlin and Pedro Lenz were the first writers to benefit from a literary exchange between the cities of Berne and Glasgow, administered by Peter Schranz (Berne), and David Kinloch, Catherine McInerney and Simon Biggam (Glasgow). Donal McLaughlin also wishes to thank Raphael Urweider for his generous support of his work. Der Keeper bin ich (bilgerverlag) — Raphael’s standard German version of Pedro’s novel — appeared in 2012, but draft versions were exchanged as early as 2010. Extracts from Donal’s translation first appeared in New Swiss Writing 2010 (ed. Martin Zingg, Solothurner Literaturtage 2010) and 12 Swiss Books (Pro Helvetia 2012). Donal completed this translation during a residency at Ledig House (Art Omi) in upstate New York.