Trainspotting (13 page)

– One oaf ma hole! An whae's tae fuckin say thit Granty didnae ken? Whaes's tae say it wisnae that thit killed um? His so–called best fuckin mate, shaftin his burd!

Lenny looked at Jackie, shaking with anger. He then looked at the others, their eyes blazing. An unspoken contract was forged between them in a split–second. Jackie's screams reverberated around the stairwell, as they booted and dragged him from landing to landing. He vainly tried to protect himself and, through his fear and pain, hoped that there would be something left of him to move out of Leith, when the ordeal was over

KICKING AGAIN

Inter Shitty

Oh ya cunt ye! Ma heid's fuckin nippin this mornin, ah kin fuckin tell ye. Ah make straight fir the fuckin fridge. Yes! Two boatils ay Becks. That'll dae me. Ah down the cunts in double quick time. Ah feel better right away. Huvtae fuckin watch the time, but. She's still fuckin sleepin whin ah go back ben the bedroom. Look at her; lazy, fat cunt. Jist cause she's huvin a fuckin bairn, thinks it gies her the right tae lie aroond aw fuckin day anywey, that's another fuckin story. So ah git fuckin packin that cunt hud better huv washed ma fuckin jeans . . . the 501s . . whair's they fuckin 501s? . . . thair they are. Jist as well fir her. She's wakin up now. – Frank. . . what ur ye daein? Whair ur ye gaun? she sais tae us.

– Ah'm ootay here. 'Fuckin sharpish, a'h sais, no\OOkin roond. Whair the fuck's they soacks . . . everything takes twice as fuckin long whin yir hungower n ah kin dae withoot this cunt nippin ma fuckin heid.

– Whair ur ye gaun? Whair!

– Ah telt ye, ah've goat tae fuckin nash. Me n Lexo pulled a bit ay business oaf. Ah'm sayin nae mair oan the fuckin subject, but it's best ah disappear fir a couple ay weeks. Any polis cunts come tae the door, yuv no seen us fir yonks. Ye think ah'm oan the fuckin rigs, right. Yuv no seen us, mind.

– But whair ur ye gaun Frank? Whair ur ye fuckin well gaun?

– That's fir me tae ken n you tae find oot. What ye dinnae fuckin well ken they cannae fuckin well beat oot ay ye, ah sais.

Then the fuckin boot gits up n starts fuckin screamin it us, saying thit ah cannae jist fuckin go like that. Ah punches it in the fuckin mooth, n boots it in the fuckin fanny, n the cunt faws tae the flair, moanin away. It's her fuckin fault, ah've telt the cunt thit that's what happens when any cunt talks tae us like that. That's the fuckin rules ay the game, take it or fuckin leave it. THE BAIRN! THE BAIRN! . . . she screams. Ah jist goes: – THE BAIRN! THE

BAIRN! back at her, likes.

Shut yir fuckin mooth aboot the fuckin bairn! She's jist lyin thair, screamin like some fuckin tube.

It's probably no even ma fuckin bairn anywey. Besides, ah've hud bairns before, wi other lassies. Ah ken whit it's aw aboot. She thinks it's aw gaunnae be fuckin great whin the bairn comes, but she's in fir a fuckin shock. Ah kin tell ve aw ahoot fuckin bairns. Pain in the fuckin erse. Shavin gear. That's what ah fuckin need. Kent thir wis somethin. She's still gaun oan aboot how she's aw sair n tae git the fuckin doaktir n aw that. Ah've nae fuckin time fir that shite but, ah'm fuckin late is it is thanks tae that cunt. Goat tae fuckin nash.

– FRRRAAAANNNK! she shouts as ah git ootay the fuckin door. Ah wis thinkin tae

45

masel, it's like the flickin advert fir Harp lager: 'Time fir a sharp exit'; that wis me awright. It wis fuckin stowed oot doon the pub, early fuckin doors n aw. Renton, the rid–heided cunt, pots the fuckin black baw tae take the game fi Matty.

– Rab! Pit ma fuckin name up fir the pool then. Whit's every cunt fuckin wantin? Ah git up tae the bar.

Rab, the Second Prize, as we caw the cunt, he's goat a fuckin stoatir ay an eye. Some fuckin liberty–taker's been oan the cunt's case.

– Rab. Whae the fuck did this tae ye?

– Aw, a couple ay guys up Lochend, ken. Ah wis bevvied. The cunt looks at us, aw fuckin sheepish like.

– Goat names?

– Naw, but dinnae worry, ah'll git the cunts man, it's aw sorted oot.

– Be sure ye fuckin dae. D'ye ken the cunts?

– Naw, by sight, like.

– Whin me n Rents git back fae fuckin London, we'll go up tae fuckin Lochend. Dawsy goat filled in up thair a wee bit back. Thir's some questions need fuckin answering, sure n thir fuckin Is.

Ah turns tae Rents: – Aw set ma man?

– Rarin tae go, Franco.

Ah racks up n slaughters the cunt, leavin the fucker two baws oaf bein grannied. – Ye might be able tae fuckin handle the likes ay Matty n Secks, bit whin Hurricane Franco gits oan the fuckin table, ye kin firget it, ya rid–heided cunt, ah tells um.

– Pool's fir arseholes man, he sais. Humpty cunt. Everything that rid–heided cunt's shite at's fir arseholes, accordin tae that cunt.

Wuv goat tae be movin, so thirs nae sense in playing any mair. Ah looks ower tae Matty n pills oot a wad. – Hi Matty! Ken whit this is? Ah waves the notes it the cunt.

– Eh . . . aye . . . he sais. Ah points tae the bar: – Ken whit that is?

– Eh. . . aye. . . the bar. The cunt's slow. Too fuckin slow. N ah ken how.

– Ken whit this is? ah points tae ma pint.

–Eh...aye...

– Well dinnae make us fuckin spell it oot fir ye then, ya cunt. Pint ay fuckin Special n a Jack Daniels n coke then, cunt! He comes ower, n sais tae us: – Eh Frank, ah'm a wee bit short, ken ... Ah ken how, awright. – Mibbe ye'll fuckin grow, ah sais. The cunt takes the hint, n hits the bar. He's fuckin usin again, that's if the cunt ivir really stoaped in the first fuckin place. Whin ah git back fae London, ah'll need tae huv another wee word in this cunt's ear. Fuckin junkies. A waste ay fuckin space. Rents's still clean though. Ye kin tell by the wey he's tannin the bevvy. Ah'm lookin forward tae this London brek. Rents's goat his mate's flat, that Tony cunt n his burd, the shag, fir a couple ay weeks. Thair oan hoaliday somewhair. Ah ken a couple ay boys doon thair fae the jail; ah'll look the cunts up, fir auld times' sake.

That Lorraine's servin Matty. She's a fuckin wee ride. Ah goes ower tae the bar.

– Hi, Lorraine! C'mere the now. Ah pushes her hair back at the side ay her face n pits ma fingers behind her ears. Burds like that. Erogenous fuckin zones n aw that. – Ye kin tell whithir or no somebody's hud sex last night by feelin behind thir ears. The heat, ken? ah explains. She jist laughs, n so does Matty.

– Naw, but it's fuckin scientific n aw that, ken? Some cunt's ur fuckin clueless. – Hus Lorraine hud sex last night then? Matty asks. The wee cunt looks fuckin awfay, like death warmed up. – That's oor secret, eh doll? ah sais tae her. Ah've goat a feelin thit she's goat the hoats fir us, cause she ey goes that fuckin quiet, shy wey whin ah fuckin talk tae her. Once ah git back fae London, ah'll fuckin move in thair, pretty fuckin sharpish n aw, ya cunt. Fucked if ah'm gaunnae stey wi that fuckin June eftir the bairn's here. N that cunt's deid if she's made us hurt that fuckin bairn. Ivir since she's been huvin that bairn, she thinks she kin git fuckin lippy wi us. Nae cunt gits fuckin lippy wi me, bairn or nae fuckin bairn. She kens that, n she still gits fuckin smart. See if anything's happened tae that fuckin bairn .

– Hi Franco, Rents sais, – we'd better be movin. Wuv goat that cairry–oot tae organise, mind.

– Aye, right. What ye gittin?

– Boatil ay voddy n a few cans. Might've guessed. Hates a fuckin voddy, that rid–heided

46

cunt.

– Ah'm gittin a boatil ay J.D. n eight cans ay Export. Ah might git Lorraine tae fill up a couple ay draftpaks n aw.

– Thill be a couple ay draftpaks gittin well filled up oan the –train gaun doon, he sais. Sometimes ah dinnae understand that –cunt's sense ay humour. Me n Rents go back a long fuckin wey, but it's like the cunt's changed, n ah'm no jist takin aboot the drugs n that shite. It's like, he's goat his weys n ah've goat mines. Still a great cunt though, the rid–heided bastard. So ah gits the draftpaks, one fill ay spesh fir me, n one fill ay lager fir that rid–heided cunt. We gits the cairry–oot n jumps a Joe Baxi up the toon n down a quick pint at that pub in the station. ah gits crackin tae this cunt it the bar; boy fi Fife, ah kent the cunt's brar in Saughton. No a bad gadge as ah remember. Harmless cunt likes.

The London train's fuckin mobbed. This really gits ma fuckin goat, this. Ah mean, ye pey aw that fuckin dough fir a ticket, they British Rail cunts urnae fuckin shy, n then thir's nae fuckin seats! – Fuck that.

–Wir strugglin wi they cans n boatils. Ma cairry–oot's aboot tae burst oot the fuckin bag. It's aw they cunts wi backpacks n luggage. . . n bairns' fuckin go–carts. Shouldnae huv bairns oan a fuckin train.

– Fuckin mobbed man, Rents sais.

– The fuckin trouble is, aw they cunts thit uv booked seats. It's no sae bad bookin fae Edinburgh tae London, capital fuckin cities n that, bit it's aw they cunts thit've booked fae Berwick n aw they fuckin places. The train shouldnae stoap n aw they places; it should jist be Edinburgh tae London, end ay fuckin story. If ah hud ma fuckin wey, that wid be it, ah kin fuckin tell ye. Some cunts ur lookin at us. Ah speak ma fuckin mind, whitivir any cunt sais. Aw they booked seats. Fuckin liberty, soit is. It should be first fuckin come, first fuckin served. Aw this bookin seats shite. ah'll gie the cunts bookin fuckin seats Rents sits doon beside they two burds. Fuckin tidy n aw. Good fuckin choice by the rid–heided cunt!

– These seats ur free until Darlington, he sais. Ah grabs the reservation cairds n sticks thum in ma tail. – Thir fuckin free the whole wey doon now. Ah'll gie the cunts bookin. ah sais, smilin at one ay the burds. Too fuckin right n aw. Forty quid a fuckin ticket. No shy they British Rail cunts, ah kin fuckin tell ye. Rents jist shrugs his shoodirs. The posey cunt's goat that green basebaw cap oan. That's gaun oot the fuckin windae if the cunt fuckin faws asleep, ah kin fuckin tell ye.

Rents is tannin the voddy, n wir jist near Portybelly whin the cunt's awready made a big fuckin dent in it. Hates a voddy, that rid–heided cunt. Well, if that's the wey the cunt wants tae fuckin play it . . . ah grabs the J.D. n swigs it back.

– Here we go, here we go, here we go. . . ah sais. That cunt jist smiles. He keeps lookin ower it the burds, thir likesay American, ken. Problem wi that rid–heided cunt is thit he's no goat the gift ay the gab is far is burds go, likes, even if the cunt dis hu'v a certain style. No likesay me n Sick Boy. Mibbe it's wi him huvin brars instead ay sisters, he jist cannae really fuckin relate tae burds. Ye wait oan that cunt tae make the first fuckin move, ye'll be waitin a long fuckin time. Ah fuckin show the rid–heided cunt how it's done.

– No fuckin shy, they British Rail cunts, eb? ah sais, nudgin the burd next tae us.

– Pardon? it sais tae us, sortay soundin likes, 'par–dawn' ken?

– Whair's it yis come fae then?

– Sorry, I can't really understand you . . . These foreign cunts've goat trouble wi the Queen's fuckin English, ken. Ye huv tae speak louder, slower, n likesay mair posh, fir the cunts tae understand ye.

–WHERE... DO... YOU... COME... FROM?

That dis the fuckin trick. These nosey cunts in front ay us look roond. Ah stares back at the cunts. Some fucker's oan a burst mooth before the end ay this fuckin journey, ah kin see that now.

– Ehm . . . we're from Toronto, Canada.

– Tirawnto. That wis the Lone Ranger's mate, wis it no? ah sais. The burds jist look it us. Some punters dinnae fuckin understand the Scottish sense ay humour.

– Where are you from? the other burd sais. Pair ay rides n aw. That rid–heided cunt made a good fuckin move sittin here, ah kin tell ye.

– Edinburgh, Rents goes, tryin tae sound aw fuckin posh, ken. Fuckin smarmy rid–heided

47

cunt. He's aw ready tae steam in now, aw Joe–fuckin–Cool, once Franco breks the fuckin ice. These burds ur gaun oantay us aboot how fuckin beautiful Edinburgh is, and how lovely the fuckin castle is oan the hill ower the gairdins n aw that shite. That's aw they tourist cunts ken though, the castle n Princes Street, n the High Street. Like whin Monny's auntie came ower fae that wee village oan that Island oaf the west coast ay Ireland, wi aw her bairns. The wifey goes up tae the council fir a hoose. The council sais tae her, whair's it ye want tae fuckin stey, like? The woman sais, ah want a hoose in Princes Street lookin oantay the castle. This wifey's fuckin scoobied likes, speaks that fuckin Gaelic is a first language; disnae even ken that much English. Perr cunt jist liked the look ay the street whin she came oaf the train, thoat the whole fuckin place wis like that. The cunts it the council jist laugh n stick the cunt n one ay they hoatline joabs in West Granton, thit nae cunt else wants. Instead ay a view ay the castle, she's goat a view ay the gasworks. That's how it fuckin works in real life, if ye urnae a rich cunt wi a big fuckin hoose n plenty poppy.

Anywey, they burds take a wee bevvy wi us, n Rents is pretty steamboats, cause ah'm feelin it n aw n ah kin drink that rid–heided cunt under the fuckin table any fuckin day ay the week. Mind you, ah wis oan the pish last night wi Lexo, eftir we pilled that joab it the jewellers it Corstorphine. That explains how ah feel that fuckin pished now. Whit ah really fancy now though, is a game ay cairds.

– Git the cairds oot Rents.

– Nivir brought any, he sais. Ah dinnae fuckin believe that cunt! Last thing ah fuckin sais tae um the other night wis: Mind the fuckin cairds.

–Ah telt ye tae mind the fuckin cairds, ya doss cunt! Whit wis the last fuckin thing ah sais tae ye the other night? Eh? Mind the fuckin cairds!

– jist forgot, the cunt goes. Ah bet the rid–heided cunt's forgot they fuckin cairds oan purpose. It's fuckin borin withoot cairds eftir a bit.

That fuckin borin cunt starts readin a fuckin book; bad fuckin manners, then him n this Canadian burd, thir baith sortay students like, start talkin aboot aw the fuckin books thuv read. It's gettin oan ma fuckin tits. Wir supposed tae be doon here fir a fuckin laugh, no tae talk aboot fuckin books n aw that fuckin shite. See if it wis up tae me, ah'd git ivray fuckin book n pit thum on a great big fuckin pile n burn the fuckin loat. Aw books ur fir is fir smart cunts tae show oaf aboot how much shite thuv fuckin read. Ye git aw ye fuckin need tae ken ootay the paper n fae the telly. Posin cunts. Ah'll gie thum fuckin books .