Chapter Nineteen

Miss Carson called the assembly and all the pupils gathered in the Main Hall. The chatter was deafening and the curiosity was intense, for Miss Carson never took the assembly herself unless something important had to be said.

“Silence,” she called out and her eye twitched twice.

The room was stilled and a deathly hush filled the air as she put her hand to her mouth and coughed.

“I’m sorry to have to announce that Mrs.Daniells, Craig’s mother died this morning in hospital. Will you all please remember to pray for the repose of her soul and of course to remember Craig in your prayers as well ...” She folded the little notelet she had in her hand when she had read the obituary and her eye twitched again as she removed her spectacles and produced her scented handkerchief from the pocket of her thick, tweed skirt.

***

Willie was more saddened by the news he had just heard, than any of the others as he knew of the circumstances surrounding his friend’s life at home.

“I wish he would go to a priest and talk to him,” he murmured as Wattie came across the room to meet him.

“Shame, isn’t it, Willie,” he said and wiped his nose, “I wouldn’t want to have my Mammy dyin’ like that.” He sniffed as Willie looked around the playground for his friend, Craig and was surprised to find him sitting on a wall at the far end of the ground, near the toilets, by the fir trees.

“Why don’t ye go home, Craigie? You shouldn’t be here at a time like this,” he said and he would have said much more if he hadn’t felt that it wasn’t the right time to do so. Craigie smiled sadly and rubbed his forefinger under his right eye.

“Home ... home“...he asked, “Where is that now Willie?” and Willie was aware of his inadequacy to console his friend as he would have wanted to do.

“You can come home wi’ me Home tae ma hoose,” he decided instantly, “My Mammy will see you are alright.” He looked about him as he spoke and a wind was beginning to gather as he stared at the children filing into their classrooms. He shuddered. “Come on ...Let’s go now. Bugger the lessons,” he said but Craigie did not move. The little boy looked slowly towards the ground, trying hard not to cry and Willie put his arm around his shoulder.

“Let it oot Craigie. Let it aw oot,” he murmured but his friend continued to look blank His eyes staring without seeing.

“All my worries are over now, Willie. I don’t care what happens.”

“But what are you going to do about your? ...” Craigie cut him short.

“I don’t have any more worries or fears now, Willie. I was only worried that my Mammy would find out what I was doin’ and I know that would have made her awfy unhappy. I think she only married my step-faither so that I could have a decent home. What a laugh, eh? Willie. What a bloody laugh.”

Craigie’s stutter was particularly bad as he spoke, but Willie was patient. He was always able to help him through that difficulty and he often understood what his friend was saying, even before he had finished his sentence. There was always this special something between them, although neither boy could describe what that something was. They only knew it was there and each was glad of it in his own way.

“Please come home wi’ me, Craigie. My Mammy would like that, I’m sure and we can sort everything out from there.”

“No thanks, Willie. I’m fine now. I saw my Mammy suffering a lot. She had cancer, you know, but she won’t suffer any more now, will she ... and I don’t care what happens to me. My step-faither can do what he likes to me. I don’t care any more ... I don’t care for ANYTHING any more ...”

Willie was amazed at the attitude of his friend and even more amazed to hear that his stutter had subsided.

“Don’t say that Craigie. I CARE and I don’t want you to go through any more of that bloody nonsense with that old sod. You shouldn’t have to put up wi’ that. Nobody should. Your body is your own, Craigie. Don’t let him muck about any more. Tell him to fuck off ...”

Willie put his hand to his mouth when he said that. It was a language that he had never used, but his feelings for his friend’s happiness was strong and it had the desired effect as Craigie followed him home meekly, without saying another word.

As they left the playground together they bumped into Trottie. She looked sympathetically at the two companions before she turned to speak to Craig Daniells. She didn’t smile, as she always did, but put her hand on the boy’s shoulder and looked intently into his eyes.

“See you gentlemen later,” she said and walked away slowly. This was one occasion when Trottie didn’t trot

***

Mary Blair was upset as she hugged Craig and made him sit down in the best living room chair whilst she went into the kitchen to prepare something for him and Willie to eat. She said nothing that they had returned from school so early in the day and Craigie was glad. He knew that she was being kind but the kindness hurt.

“Can Craigie go into my bed and lie down for a wee while, Mammy. I think he must be tired.”

Mary nodded as she stood with the food in her hands.

“He can eat when he’s had a wee rest then,” she said and Craig Daniells fell across the bed that Willie shared with his brother and within minutes, he was fast asleep. Willie sat quietly with his mother, neither knowing what to say, but a little arm crept around her waist and as she looked down she could see a tear in his eye.

“I don’t want you to die, Mammy I don’t want you to die,” he pleaded. Mary smiled tenderly and hugged her son closer to her as she whispered into his ear.

“I won’t if you promise no tae fart any more into the chairs,” she said softly and they hugged each other tightly ...as Craigie slept on.

***

Rita Watts wanted to know the ‘ins an’ outs of the death of Craigie’s mother when she heard the news.

“That wee angel,” she said, forgetting that he was effeminate only a short time before, “God knows what will happen to him now. It’s a good thing his Mammy married again, that’s what I say. That wee boy will have a father at least, to look after him, thank God. If she hadn’t got married when she did, God knows what would have happened to that wee angel now,” she went on as only Rita Watts could. “I always thank God for my wee bairns, ‘though I’ve only got my Jamsie wi’ me now since Alec his brother got married and moved tae Arbroath, you know and Mr. Watts passed away, God rest his soul. Ma bairns are a blessin’ tae me and Mr. Watts would say the same Oh! God, he would turn in his grave if he was here now.” She stopped for a few moments to reflect on what she had said and poked her finger under her turban to scratch her head as Willie wondered about her contradictions, but you never argued with Rita Watts ... “Well, ye know what I mean. don’t ye now,” she said and hurried into her house to look after her remaining bairn, who was soon to go to University ... “Please God, “ she would say, but whether it pleased God or not Wattie was going.