‘On his face,’ Wilf said, trying not giggle.

I could see Connor weighing it up, could he catch him? But he decided against it, and used his mouth. ‘Yeah, I suppose he has, but your mum’s off with the fairies, and you’re a wanker.’

I didn’t know how he knew about Wilf’s mum. I still had her sweet in my pocket. ‘She’s not,’ I said, ‘she’s nice.’

Connor looked at me like what was the point?

‘My mum likes you, though, more than me,’ Wilf said, and I had a pang of feeling sorry for him and then guilty. But he smirked, and it changed around to mean he didn’t really like me even though she did.

He took his finger out his ear and flicked his willy under his trousers. ‘Mine still works,’ he said. ‘How d’you go for a pee?’

‘Come here, I’ll show ya,’ said Connor, but Wilf backed away shaking his head.

‘I’ll tell everyone,’ he said.

‘Tell who you want,’ said Connor, ‘but you better keep running.’

Wilf flashed a smile and ran off up the road waving back at us.

‘Do you know his mum?’ I said.

‘What of it?’

‘I think she wants to go back home,’ I said, as Wilf jumped up around the corner by the corrugated iron, laughing his head off.

‘Mum?’

‘Yes?’

‘Does it really leave scars when you get your willy chopped off?’ I said.

‘Have you got scars?’ she said.

I shrugged because I didn’t know, I couldn’t tell.

‘Well, then.’ And she walked out the room.

I went to find Manus.

‘Manus, does it still hurt? Can you show me?’

He was drinking a cup of water out the sink and nearly choked. He looked round at me severely, took a sip and blew a splash of water into my face so it dripped over my shirt.

‘There you go,’ he said.

‘Daddy?’

My dad looked at me and wasn’t cross even though the news was on. I didn’t say anything, I got in the door and curled up under his arm and watched the war going on. A skeleton boy with a big belly was holding on to the arm of his baby sister to get up a step and go for help, but she couldn’t do it, she was too weak to lift her head, she fell over on the step and curled up, and he just stood holding her bony arm because he couldn’t let go. I felt for the scars on my dad’s face and found a place for my fingers where I could touch him. It was wet, but I held on to let him know he was my dad and I was still there, I wasn’t gone.

China Walk