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Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. By the same author
  3. SUZY SUZY
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Glossary of Dialect Terms
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. About William Wall
  90. An Invitation from the Publisher

My dad wanted to get rid of him. I could see it. He has no patience for talk. But he couldn’t find a place to say something. Peter just kept talking without looking. Every now and again he would take a step closer to the door and then he would take the same step back again. It was like a dance. Sometimes it was two steps. I wanted him to stay because I was scared of what would happen when the door would close and it would just be us.

He gave us his mobile number in case we burned through the turf before our holiday was up. It was good dry stuff, he said, maybe too dry some of them were saying. It was all machine cutting now, the machine did no damage at all, and it had a sort of hose out the side to spit out the turf. I had no idea what he was talking about. He had a Ford van. He got back into it eventually and waved and drove away.

What an asshole, my dad said.

And after that it was just me and him. We lit the stove. I don’t know why, but that first evening we were happy. There was no television or radio but my dad found a pack of cards in a drawer and we played poker and snap and beggar-my-neighbour until bed time. It is hard for two people to play cards. My mam did not come that night. And neither did Tony.

The next morning my dad didn’t wake. I knew he had his sleeping pills so I let him sleep. I could hear him snoring. I made a slice of toast. And then I went out. It was a fine morning, sunny and warm. Or at least it was not cold. I climbed up behind the house and had a look around. About four kilometres away to the north I saw the first house, down below in the valley and close to the shore. There was smoke coming out of the chimney and Peter’s van was parked outside. The sea was empty. There were no fishing boats. I saw sheep and one or two cattle. I thought, ffs we’re off the edge of the map. This was the middle of nowhere, in fact it was the outside edge of nowhere. We were inhabiting an uninhabited peninsula on a temporary basis and America was our next-door neighbour. There was just my dad and me. By then I didn’t think my mam was coming, and I knew Tony wasn’t. Tony liked his comfort. One of the ratty couches was convertible. I couldn’t see Tony sleeping on it. And my mam would miss the gym and the aircon.