Chapter Twelve

Wattie stayed at the far end of the playground, near the heap of sand that was to be used in the building of the new gymnasium extension. He sat on his satchel.

“Wish we could have another dance like that last one,” he said sadly, but Willie, who was sitting nearby, stared into space and said nothing. “Don’t you wish we could have another dance like that last one, Willie?” he repeated, but Willie kicked out at the sand and sent it scattering about the ground.

“Oh dry up Wattie. You’re always wishing ... You’ll wish your bloody life away, you will.”

“But Willie ... that really was a nice wee lassie I danced with. ...a very nice wee lassie.” Willie looked to the sky and crossed himself with a sigh. “What are ye doin’ that for Willie?” Wattie asked.

“Nothing ...nothing, Wattie ... nothing really” ... Willie replied as he continued to look to the skies/”

Wattie sniffed and twisted his nostrils.

“You’re just jealous, like my Mammy says, because she wouldn’t dance wi’ you.”

Willie smiled complacently and sat quietly as Wattie continued his love saga. “She’s a big lassie for her age, isn’t she Willie. I mean, she’s big in the right parts, isn’t she?” Wattie gloated and his mouth hung open. He proceeded to cup his hands across his chest and suck in his breath as his eyes searched the skies for further information on the anatomy of the female form and his nervous pupils began to meet. Maybe I could study that at University, he thought and was about to elaborate further when Willie called out and jumped up from where he was sitting.

“Craigie Craigie, over here,” he waved his hand in the air to attract the attention of his friend.

Craig Daniells came over to where the two were sitting and he looked pale and drawn. There was an appeal and a hope for understanding on his face as Willie whisked him to the other end of the playground and Wattie looked on, wiping his nose with great care and with his own warm thoughts of University and what he might study there.

“Are things any better, Craigie?” Willie asked.

“It’s kwi... kwi ... quieter,” Craigie stuttered and Willie told him to take his time and to take a deep breath before he said any more. “He’s in Edinburgh for a week or two,” he blustered in one quick sentence and his eyes were wide and dark in his ashen face.

Willie frowned. He was genuinely concerned for his friend.

“You must tell someone about this Craigie. You must.”

“Wh Wh Who could I t.t.tell? Wh who would l,l,listen? They would they would believe him and n,n,no’ me.”

Willie knew that his friend was in a bad way from the manner of his speech. He always stuttered, but never as bad as he was doing at that moment.

Sit there and be quiet for a while, Craigie. Just nod for yes and shake yer head for no do ye understand?” Craigie nodded and bit his lip as Willie went on.

“He’s abusing you Craigie. That’s what it’s called. Do you know that?” Craig Daniells nodded through his tears. “It’s a sin as well not for you, but for him. Do you go to confession, Craigie?”

The boy nodded again as he sniffed and rubbed his cold hands together.

“Maybe the priest could help you. Do you think you could tell one of the priests what you’ve told me?”

Craigie stared at Willlie and there was fear in his eyes.

“I’m no goin’ to ... confession,” he said slowly and deliberately, “I .w.w.w wouldn’t know wh.wh.what to say.”

Willie looked around and he could see Wattie looking at them from a distance as they spoke closely together. He kept waving his hands and trying to attract their attention, but Willie ignored him.

“Tell the priest that old bugger keeps touchin’ ye and he’ll understand. They’re trained for that sort of thing and if you can’t tell him, then I’ll write you a note and you can pass it through the curtain in the confessional box . . . O.K?”

Craigie began to cry.

“Don’t cry Craigie. I canna stand tae see anyone greetin’”

At that moment Wattie came over to investigate.

“Och! He’s no blubberin’ again, is he?” he asked scornfully and Willie started at him; his mouth tightened.

“Mind your mooth, Wattie . Shut it!”

Craigie jumped up from where was sitting beside Willie.

“I I have to to go now. Miss Carson wants me,” he said and bolted off.

“What’s the matter wi’ him, Willie? He’s always greetin’ . . . Big baby.”

Willie did not answer as he sat down again beside Wattie and watched his friend, Craigie disappear into the school’s back entrance and he hoped that Miss Carson wasn’t going to tell him off for being absent. Wattie took out a chocolate bar; whipped the wrapper off it as he shoved the wrapper into his pocket with a smile.

“My Mammy says you shouldn’t waste anything and everything can be used again in the effort to end the war. Do you think she’s right, Willie? I mean, I don’t understand how this wee wrapper could be used again, do you? Would they wrap another bar of chocolate in it again Willie, Willie?” Willie was trying to be patient and Wattie decided to change the subject. “Willie about that girl I danced with the other night ...she was well ... I don’t know really ... Willie, have you ever been in love?” Wattie drew himself up to his full height, straightened his spectacles and picked his nose in that order as he smiled contentedly to himself. Willie gave some considerable thought to the dilemma, but there was a hint of mischief in his eye as he replied.

“Yes, I have Wattie ... I have been in love,” he said and Wattie looked at him with renewed admiration as he asked greedily.

“Oooh! What’s it like, Willie? ...Tell me, what’s it like?” he asked, with his mouth literally drooling with crystal clear saliva.

“I loved a woman once, Wattie . . . a real woman, you understand,” Willie went on and Wattie nodded frantically.

“Yes Go on ...Go on Willie what then?” Willie closed his eyes and swooned dramatically as Wattie watched his every move. “What then, Willie?” he asked again, “Please tell me?”

Willie opened his eyes slowly and held his wrist to his forehead.

“I could have come just looking at her ...That’s what ... Ya silly bugger.” he said, but Wattie wasn’t at all disappointed or upset by the reply. He drew in his breath and opened his eyes wide as his lips formed a perfect miniature circle. Then he stuck his finger in his mouth. There was a poignant silence in the surrounding air before he withdrew his finger again and swallowed nervously.

“Is that what it’s like Willie? Gosh! I wish I could come just lookin’ at somebody,” he muttered and stared into space, shaking his knees together violently as he contemplated this new fact of life that his friend had disclosed. Willie felt hypocritical. He wished he had thought of that phrase before Charlie had done.

Wattie raced off to the toilets near the fir trees, finding life was getting too much for him and he would have to take all this knowledge in small doses if it was to stand him in good stead at the University. The next immediate step was in the men only domain.