smoker who meowed and didn’t do it; an injector who did and would again; two men with mad-bitch wives who drove them to it; and young Kieran, who cried for the entirety of his eighty-day lie-down.
*
Chas changed into the white overalls the boss gave him, and held tight onto his bag as he followed him out of the hall. He thought he’d feel more as the keys dangled and the huge metal doors opened, but he didn’t feel much at all. The boss he liked had said goodbye the night before, and no-one else gave a damn about him.
The most important thing Chas had learnt in prison was from a ten-minute conversation with a nurse. He’d asked to see one, just because it was one of the few things that you could choose to do in prison. This girl came to see him, and listened to him rant about how he had failed to look after the person he loved. That was why he was in here, fortrying to look after the person he loved. But he had failed.
The nurse told him that he should stop blaming himself. He had tried his best and it wasn’t his fault. Instead, he should look after himself. He should let himself be loved.
Chas was dumbfounded. She was right. It had not been his fault and he did deserve to be loved. As the door locked Chas in again, he looked at the silver-white cell and knew who it was who should love him. It was Krissie.
As the taxi took Chas into town, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster – out of control, on the brink of death. Too much noise, too much speed, too many people. He put his hands over his ears and only lifted his eyes when the taxi driver shook him on the leg. ‘That’s you.’
Chas stepped out of the taxi and looked at the house in front of him. It was a nice wee terraced house in a nice wee suburb of Glasgow. He took a deep breath, checked his hair in the side mirror of a parked car, and walked up to the door.
Krissie’s dad, Dave, answered the door holding a crying baby boy and looking a little bit frazzled.
‘Chas! How are you? Are you okay? Come in! It’s so nice to see you. Anna’s just gone out to get Calpol for Robbie here, she’ll just be a sec. Come away in.’
‘No, no, I won’t. I was just wondering if Krissie’s about.’
‘She’s on holiday, camping. We’re minding the wee one. This is Robbie, Krissie’s son.’
Chas’s heart sank at the realisation that Krissie had hooked up with someone, but he did his best to hide it.
‘Oh, hello, Robbie! You’ve got your mummy’s eyelashes , haven’t you? So where have your mummy and daddy gone?’
‘His mummy is away with Kyle and Sarah.’
‘Oh, and Robbie’s daddy?’
Dave shook his head. ‘He’s not around. It’s a long story. Krissie’ll be back in a few days. Here’s her number … She’s still in Gardner Street. But listen, come in and wait for Anna. She’ll be sad if she misses you. And you’re welcome to stay with us until you get back on your feet.’
‘Thanks, but Mum and Dad have already ironed my Hibs duvet!’
But before Chas could head off to his parents Krissie’s mum arrived. She dropped her shopping bags at the front gate when she saw who was at the door. ‘Chas!’ she said, running to give him a hug.
Anna used to bring packets of food to the flat Chas shared with Krissie and Kyle – fantastic meatballs and cakes and even the odd bottle of wine. Chas had adored her – she always seemed to say the right thing if he was having a difficult time. She oozed happiness, had a wonderfully elegant face and was an amateur philosopher. She loved nothingbetter than to sip coffee in the bay window, people-watching, and making observations like: ‘You know, Chas, I think there’s only so much happiness for each person. Like half a glass maybe, and you just can’t expect more. So what’s a person to do, sip or skol?’
Chas knew when he met Krissie’s mum that Krissie was only going to get better with age. She was like a good cabernet, softening and smoothing with time.
‘Come back in,’ Anna
*
Chas changed into the white overalls the boss gave him, and held tight onto his bag as he followed him out of the hall. He thought he’d feel more as the keys dangled and the huge metal doors opened, but he didn’t feel much at all. The boss he liked had said goodbye the night before, and no-one else gave a damn about him.
The most important thing Chas had learnt in prison was from a ten-minute conversation with a nurse. He’d asked to see one, just because it was one of the few things that you could choose to do in prison. This girl came to see him, and listened to him rant about how he had failed to look after the person he loved. That was why he was in here, fortrying to look after the person he loved. But he had failed.
The nurse told him that he should stop blaming himself. He had tried his best and it wasn’t his fault. Instead, he should look after himself. He should let himself be loved.
Chas was dumbfounded. She was right. It had not been his fault and he did deserve to be loved. As the door locked Chas in again, he looked at the silver-white cell and knew who it was who should love him. It was Krissie.
As the taxi took Chas into town, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster – out of control, on the brink of death. Too much noise, too much speed, too many people. He put his hands over his ears and only lifted his eyes when the taxi driver shook him on the leg. ‘That’s you.’
Chas stepped out of the taxi and looked at the house in front of him. It was a nice wee terraced house in a nice wee suburb of Glasgow. He took a deep breath, checked his hair in the side mirror of a parked car, and walked up to the door.
Krissie’s dad, Dave, answered the door holding a crying baby boy and looking a little bit frazzled.
‘Chas! How are you? Are you okay? Come in! It’s so nice to see you. Anna’s just gone out to get Calpol for Robbie here, she’ll just be a sec. Come away in.’
‘No, no, I won’t. I was just wondering if Krissie’s about.’
‘She’s on holiday, camping. We’re minding the wee one. This is Robbie, Krissie’s son.’
Chas’s heart sank at the realisation that Krissie had hooked up with someone, but he did his best to hide it.
‘Oh, hello, Robbie! You’ve got your mummy’s eyelashes , haven’t you? So where have your mummy and daddy gone?’
‘His mummy is away with Kyle and Sarah.’
‘Oh, and Robbie’s daddy?’
Dave shook his head. ‘He’s not around. It’s a long story. Krissie’ll be back in a few days. Here’s her number … She’s still in Gardner Street. But listen, come in and wait for Anna. She’ll be sad if she misses you. And you’re welcome to stay with us until you get back on your feet.’
‘Thanks, but Mum and Dad have already ironed my Hibs duvet!’
But before Chas could head off to his parents Krissie’s mum arrived. She dropped her shopping bags at the front gate when she saw who was at the door. ‘Chas!’ she said, running to give him a hug.
Anna used to bring packets of food to the flat Chas shared with Krissie and Kyle – fantastic meatballs and cakes and even the odd bottle of wine. Chas had adored her – she always seemed to say the right thing if he was having a difficult time. She oozed happiness, had a wonderfully elegant face and was an amateur philosopher. She loved nothingbetter than to sip coffee in the bay window, people-watching, and making observations like: ‘You know, Chas, I think there’s only so much happiness for each person. Like half a glass maybe, and you just can’t expect more. So what’s a person to do, sip or skol?’
Chas knew when he met Krissie’s mum that Krissie was only going to get better with age. She was like a good cabernet, softening and smoothing with time.
‘Come back in,’ Anna
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