Broonie is on the way noo. He didnae huv the heart tae be a gangster or a ruthless cunt. Most wid have been destroyed but wee bulletproof Broonie kicked back n refused tae gee in. Cos there’s suhin in him anaw, suhin that me n Danny don’t huv. He hus that purest survival instinct, that steadfast knee-jerk that when things hit rock bottom n wid kill most ae us, that means he endures n survives. That’s suhin special, hard formed n fought fur against his home life n his million n wan knocks tae his hard shell. Resilient, but never bitter. A hope in aw ma heart that his money n his wee burd wid take him far away fae here. Somewhere else, Elgin maybe, or further. Broonie’s peace wid be more difficult tae find, further pursued n less tangible but it’s oot there somewhere n he deserves it.

As fur Danny Stevenson, well, he’s a different kettle ae fish. He’s still talkin aboot Australia. He husnae won his own war against drink n drugs yit n until he does, he wid never be free. Every day, week n month that yir aff them adds tae the thin margin – and the likeliness yi wid stay aff them increases. Australia could be the makin ae him or the ruin. Cos if he wis tae make pals wae bams like us fae the north ae England or Ireland or Wales, wae matchin psyches n sensibilities, he may slip back tae the eld ways n the party wid come tae an end prematurely. People kin surprise yi soon as yi take them oot their element but. If yi kin bury the past n adapt n blend in wae other normal folk – rather than seekin oot clowns, who yi will inevitably meet – yi realise there’s so many good people oot there n yi kin build positive relationships n huv proper friends. Yir attitude n swagger go n yi become a decent human being, capable ae interestin conversation wae anybody – wae just a twist ae Scottish charm. Yi huv tae be yir own man n yi wid find a world ae opportunity oot there. As a sound Scottish cunt yi wid generally be well received. Plus, the burds love it. It’s no that shite being Scottish, Irvine.

People like Big Tam McKenzie irnae made tae run. He hud never dreamt ae another life, content tae live, work n die in Scotland. It wis true, yi could find yourself in much worse places, wae worse folk that ir a lot worse aff. Tam is proud workin class, happy tae work hard n earn his livin tae dae the best he kin fur his new wee family. That’s easy tae understand n value. His own past hus made him wise tae the downfalls ae our area n A’m sure that him n Michelle wid move on somewhere, but no too far. He wid forever be the king ae the young team, Big Kenzie. The last days ae his dynasty hud come wae the birth ae his daughter but he wid live forever in the memory n legend ae these streets.