She’s all jealous because I had a visitor today. Did I tell you about my visitor, hen? I did. Oh right. Nice to have a visitor. Well, he was a musician so that was his excuse. Had a bonny voice on him. Her father. She was talking to me. That’s why I’ve got my hair on – it’s important to put your best face on. Even in this place. I always like to put my best face on. Not like that thing over there just sitting there. Wan of the nurses gets the panstick special for me and it all comes out of my savings. I saved well, I did. I’m not taking anything off the government except my pension and I paid for that. If you start taking things off them they start thinking of you as a drain, that’s what my daddy always said. Or he said before. Alec couldny help it when they closed the pits, though, him and my brother. My poor brother. My poor brother.

No, no you sit here and we’ll get a nice chat, hen. I think there was something important, somewan told me today, and I think I need to remember it and maybe I’m supposed to tell somewan. That wee bad bitch, so she is. No, not you. That’s my girl. My girl. His girl, more and more. Always his girl. Could tell it in the hair. Not a bit of me about her, not really. I’d thought I’d given her principle. I thought I’d taken her away and given her principles and morals, but I took her too late. Took her away too late and he’d spoiled her. Maybe it was always going to be that way. Bad seed. Campbell rottenness. Islander blood. Lazy. You just always want the best for your children, don’t you? You always want the best and you work that hard and you can’t tell what’s going to come of them. But I’d really thought coming home would do it for her. I did think that, hen, I did.

Aye aye, I’m fine. I am fine. Crying? Am I – I am crying! Well, would ye look at that. I don’t know why. I’m no a silly old wummin yet, I’m sure I’m no. Have you seen my legs, hen? Look at these legs. These are not the legs of a wummin of fifty-five! Aye, fifty-five. Are ye sure? Wait.

No, I couldnae be fifty-five, you’re right. That was the year I was running the union even though they were trying tae get me to retire. No, I wisnae for retiring, me. I didnae retire until sixty-six. I worked all my days till sixty-six. And then it was that thing. What’s that thing that I’ve got? You know the wan.