Naw, honest. He kissed her on the cheek. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he moved to kiss her on the lips; they remained kissing for a while.
Someone was tapping on the door. Betty moved slightly but they continued to kiss. The tapping became louder. It was Tammas who broke away. That’s the door, he said.
God sake. . She walked to the door and jerked it open.
William knocked over his ginger! cried the youngest girl. It was on top of the mantelpiece and he was reaching up!
Betty made no answer. She continued standing there for several seconds. Then she turned and said, I’ll be back in a minute Tammas.
When the door was shut she could be heard asking if the tumbler had smashed.
There was a travelling clock on the dressing table. Nearly 8 pm. He got up from the bed, walked to the window, pulled the curtains aside to see out and down the three storeys to the street below. It was now dusk, rain drizzling. He closed the curtains. He looked at himself in the mirror of the wardrobe door, patted his hair down. In the ashtray his cigarette had burned away and the grey ash was about threequarters of an inch in length. He took two drags on it before stubbing it out.
By the time Betty returned another LP was playing and he was sitting on the bed browsing through the sleevenotes on the various covers. I’m really sorry Tammas. She said, It’s that wee bugger William. I ended up having to put him to his bed. He’s a bloody pain so he is.
Mm.
You never get any peace in this house at all.
Tammas nodded. He opened his cigarette packet and lighted one. Betty shook her head: You dont know how lucky you are. Sometimes I feel like running away. Just packing my bags and going away, going away from here altogether.
She sat down beside him and he put his arm round her shoulders. And she continued speaking: I’ve got an Auntie lives in England. She was up in the summer for a visit and she was telling me there was plenty of jobs down there if I ever felt like trying it.
Hh, whereabouts?
Torquay.
Is that no just seasonal work?
No, all the year round.
I never knew that, I thought it was just hotels.
No.
They were silent for a short while. Tammas leaned across to nip his cigarette into the ashtray, leaving the remainder on the side to be smoked later. He grinned: Did the tumbler smash right enough?
It was a china cup! Mammy’ll kill him. . She smiled, put her hand to her mouth and bit at the corner of her thumbnail. She smiled again and added. What like were you when you were a boy?
Terrible.
Honest?
What! Terrible! No kidding ye Betty!
I dont believe you.
I was — ask my sister!
Well I will!
Good! Tammas grinned at her and inclined his head to kiss her on the lips.
She moved away quite soon and she said, It was their fault anyhow because they shouldnt’ve let him take one of the china cups.
He nodded.
•••
The runners were at the post for the 2.15 at Lingfield. He was standing gazing up at the names of the horses listed on the board. The latest betting show had just come through the speaker and the elderly boardman was still marking up the price changes. Then Donnie appeared in the doorway. He rushed straight over and grabbed Tammas by the elbow, kicking the holdall bag that stood between his feet. Come on ya bastard!
Hang on a minute.
No time man come on they’re nearly fucking away. . Donnie bent and lifted the bag and pushed him on the other side of the shoulder. Tammas glared at him and strode off to the counter, scribbled out a bet and passed it beneath the grille to the cashier who returned him the receipt when he had paid across the money.
Donnie was holding the door open. They raced along to the subway station, in time to see the others disappear round a corner beyond the ticket office.
Down at the platform a subway was in and they clattered aboard just before the gates shut. The rest of the team was sitting along at the top end of the compartment. Following Donnie down Tammas sat next to him on the side away from the others. Donnie was pointing him out to the man in charge of the team and saying, This is the guy I was telling you about, plays in the midfield, or wherever.
The man glanced along at him and so did some of the team members. He took out a cigarette and lighted it, he gazed at the floor while exhaling smoke.
Forty minutes later they were at the park and having to rush into the dressing rooms to get changed. The opposing team passed them on their way out.
When Donnie had his strip on he began fixing an elastic bandage round his left knee and he whispered, I’ll see him in a minute.
Tammas nodded. He was sitting on the bench with the team stockings and the pants on but had yet to be thrown a jersey. He reached into his jerkin pocket for the cigarette packet, but left it there.
Soon most of the team had gone. Donnie came back. The man in charge was walking towards the exit. Donnie muttered, You’ve to go sub man sorry.
Aw fuck.
Donnie was silent for a moment. It’s your own fault; he chose the team at the station.
Tammas looked at him.
He’s just after telling me. . Donnie pointed to the exit. Christ sake Tammas if you hadnt been fucking about in the bookie’s you’d probably’ve got picked. You were too late.
Too late! I was first there.
Aye well you should’ve stayed there; that’s what I’m saying, he didnt know. How could he if he didnt fucking see you?
You told me I would get a game Donnie.
Well what can I do man? I cant do fuck all. . He shook his head and turned away, then he indicated the large suitcase in the centre of the floor. Number 12’s in there, he said. And he grinned. Come on Tammas ya bastard, stick it on immediately. If he doesnt give you a game before half time I’ll strangle him!
Fuck off.
Donnie had reached into the bag and he threw Tammas the jersey, and he laughed. I always collapse at half time anyway, so you can come on in my place!
About midway through the first 45 minutes Tammas zipped up his jerkin to as high as it went, hunching his shoulders. The wind was fierce. And that coupled with the sharp slope from sideline to sideline was causing the ball to travel on long distances whenever miskicked with any force. In company with the substitute from the other team Tammas was having to go chasing after it every few minutes. A couple of old men and wee boys were also there helping. On one occasion he had to run fast to stop the ball interfering with the game on the next pitch and when he ran back the teams were waiting for him and Donnie was there on the touchline ready to take the throw-in. Tammas gave him the ball and muttered, Fuck ye Donnie ya bastard.
Donnie seemed not to have heard. He moved to take the throw-in. Tammas stuck his hands in his side jerkin pockets, he took out his cigarettes. The other substitute approached him. Hey jimmy, he said, you got a fag you could give us?
Tammas nodded and gave him one, and offered him the matches.
Ta. . He indicated the man in charge of the other team: He doesnt like us smoking when we’re playing.
Silly cunt, said Tammas.
The other guy nodded, he was concentrating on getting a match to stay alight long enough to get the cigarette going. Eventually Tammas passed him his own and he got a light from it.
It was nothing each at the interval. When the players came off the man handed round a pile of orange quarters. Tammas left them and strolled onto the park where the other substitute was kicking the ball about with the boys and the elderly men. He kept his hands in his jerkin pockets but trotted over to get the ball when it was passed to him. Then he saw Donnie waving to him and he trotted back. Donnie said: Has he no told you anything yet?