‘Oh aye,’ said Joe.
‘We’ll hammer the Huns today for sure.’
‘Oh aye,’ said Joe.
‘Oh aye,’ Graham mimicked Joe once they were away from the doorway and out of earshot. ‘Hammer the Huns? If you’re referring to the mighty Glasgow Rangers, who have players like Houston and McMahon, the best in Scotland, I don’t think so. Not with that bunch of losers you call a team.’
‘Ha!’ Joe scoffed in return. ‘Wait till you see our bhoys in action. Kerr and Carmichael are going to kick your erchies from here to kingdom come.’
‘Carmichael’s keech,’ sneered Graham.
‘Is not,’ said Joe. He lunged at Graham, who jumped away laughing.
They dodged through a group of tourists photographing the statue in a little grass enclosure beyond the museum.
‘Take a photograph of anything, they would,’ said Joe.
‘That’s not just anyone,’ said Graham. He gave Joe a sidelong glance. ‘Very important person, King Billy.’
‘King Billy!’ Joe turned to look at the statue of a man dressed as a Roman emperor. ‘That’s never King Billy. We don’t have a statue to King Billy in the middle of our city!’
‘Aye we do,’ said Graham. ‘Read the inscription.’
‘There’s our bus,’ said Joe. ‘C’mon, we’ll need to run.’
Graham felt better as they sat on the top deck of the bus on the way across the city. Mr Joe Know-it-all didn’t know so much after all. Graham’s granda took him to see that statue every year at the beginning of July before setting off to Northern Ireland for the celebrations in Ulster on the twelfth. The Orange Walk was the biggest event in his granda’s life. Granda Reid had been a member of his local Orange Lodge since he was a young man. And William of Orange, King Billy, was his big hero. He was made King when Parliament turned against King James and deposed him after he became a Catholic. King James tried to retake his throne by coming through Ireland like a back door, and he used the native Irish Catholics in his army. Most of the Protestants sided with King Billy and, north of Dublin, they beat back James’s army at the Battle of the Boyne on the twelfth of July in 1690. Granda Reid told Graham that the statue used to stand near the Trongate, where the first Orange Walks had taken place in Glasgow. So the statue, like the Walks, was part of the proud heritage of their city.
The bus swung round the Tollbooth Steeple. They’d hanged people there in the olden days. Public executions, which seemed utterly gross to Graham, but his dad had once joked with him saying that people had to have entertainment in the days when there wasn’t any football.
Graham could see some boys setting up for a game of football now, on Glasgow Green, as the bus left the city centre and went down the Saltmarket past the High Court towards the Clyde. Along the riverbank the faceted dome of the mosque claimed its own place on the skyline. You got a different outlook from the top deck of a bus, Graham thought, and suddenly realized that he hardly ever travelled on a bus. He walked to school in the morning, and most times if he went anywhere, one of his parents drove him. It had been a huge tussle for him to get them to allow him to attend the Glasgow City training sessions as it meant him being out by himself later in the evenings. The river slid gunmetal-grey underneath them as they crossed the Albert Bridge and headed into the south side of the city.
Fifteen minutes later the two boys stood outside a large house surrounded by a well-kept garden.
‘This is it,’ said Joe. ‘It’s your call. What d’you want to do?’
‘Her parents don’t know about Kyoul,’ said Graham. ‘And I’m not to let them know. Supposing one of them answers the door?’
Joe thought for a minute. ‘I’ve got an idea,’ he said. ‘Hang on here. I’ll go to that paper shop we passed on the main road.’
Five minutes later he returned carrying a selection of papers: the Daily Record, the Evening Times, the Herald and the Scotsman. ‘If her mum or dad comes to the door we’ll say we’re paper boys,’ Joe explained, ‘and pretend we’ve got the wrong address.’
‘And if that happens,’ said Graham, ‘then what?’
‘We think of plan B.’ Joe grinned. ‘But let’s hope it’s Leanne who answers.’
Chapter 12
The bell chime was still sounding when a young teenage girl dressed in jeans and a short T-shirt opened the door.
‘Are you Leanne?’ Joe asked.
The girl hesitated. ‘Who are you?’
‘I’m Graham,’ said Graham, ‘and this is Joe. We’ve got a message for someone at this address. Are you Leanne?’
When she nodded Graham fumbled in his pocket and brought out Kyoul’s piece of paper. ‘A friend of yours asked me to bring you a message,’ he said in a low voice.
Joe took a quick look behind Leanne into the hallway of the house. ‘It seems clear,’ he hissed at Graham.
‘Kyoul.’ Graham mouthed the name at Leanne.
‘What?’ Leanne gave them both a startled glance.
‘Kyoul,’ Graham repeated a shade louder.
‘Kyoul?’ The girl now looked scared. Her eyes opened wide. Huge dark eyes in her pretty oval-shaped face. ‘What do you know about Kyoul?’
Graham handed Leanne the piece of paper Kyoul had written on. Leanne took it. She read it twice, then opened the door wider and brought them both inside the house.
‘Something’s happened to him,’ she said, and her voice began to shake. ‘Hasn’t it? Something bad. What?’
Graham glanced around nervously. ‘Kyoul told me to be sure your parents didn’t hear,’ he whispered.
‘They’re out visiting my gran,’ said Leanne. ‘They won’t be back till this afternoon. Where is Kyoul?’
Graham found he couldn’t say the sentence to tell Leanne that her boyfriend had been stabbed in the street. The memory of last night came rushing into his mind and his mouth wouldn’t form the words. Instead of speaking he gave Leanne the mobile phone Kyoul had asked him to return.
Leanne stared into Graham’s face. Then she took the phone from him and looked again at the paper in her hand. ‘These marks,’ she said, ‘are they blood? His blood?’ Her fingers trembled. ‘What has happened to him? What has happened to Kyoul?’
‘He’s OK,’ said Graham. ‘I think.’ The words rushed out of him. ‘He got jumped by a gang in the city centre last night. They knifed him. I was passing and called the ambulance on his mobile phone and went with him to the hospital.’
‘What!’ cried Leanne. ‘He’s been stabbed! Who did it? Is he all right?’
‘I think he’ll be OK,’ said Graham. ‘When the ambulance got to the hospital they took him straight into theatre.’ He looked to Joe for support. ‘I mean, he should be OK. His eyes were open when I left him and – and the doctors were right there.’
‘No!’ Leanne clutched the piece of paper. ‘No! How could this have happened? He’s usually so careful.’
‘It was a deserted street,’ said Graham. ‘I think he was taking a short cut. Like me,’ he added.
‘He’s in hospital? Which hospital?’
She had stepped closer to Graham. He could see tears filling her eyes. ‘The City Hospital. They were taking him to theatre when I left.’
‘Why didn’t you wait to find out how he was?’ she said in a piteous voice.
‘I couldn’t,’ said Graham. He felt guilty now. ‘I’d to get home before my parents started worrying. Anyway, Kyoul said he’d tell the doctors nothing, not even his name, so I couldn’t hang about in case they started asking me questions. And I had to leave because he wanted me to tell you what had happened to him. But I don’t know if he’s survived.’
Leanne gave a small moan, and ran her fingers through her hair. Her tears overflowed and began to run down her face. ‘You said it was a knife wound. Supposing they couldn’t save him? Supposing he – he’s . . .’ Her voice broke on a sob. ‘Supposing he’s died?’
Graham looked at her miserably.
‘Can’t you phone the
hospital?’ Joe suggested to Leanne.
‘Oh, yes,’ said Graham eagerly. ‘I’d like to know how he is too.’
Leanne shook her head. ‘I can’t do that,’ she said. ‘They’d want to know who I am.’ She brushed her face with her hands and managed to smile at the boys. ‘Come and have a drink while I think what to do.’
She led them through the house and into a huge kitchen where her jacket and bag lay on a chair. She had been ready to go out, Graham thought. Maybe waiting for Kyoul to call her. Joe and Graham sat down while Leanne took some cans of juice from the fridge and put them on the table.
Then she sat down beside them. ‘I thought there was something wrong when Kyoul didn’t meet me last night and the mobile didn’t answer when I called him.’ She studied Graham for a minute before saying, ‘That was a kind thing to do. Call the ambulance and wait with him.’
Graham’s face went red but he didn’t say anything.
‘Did either of you tell your parents any of this?’
‘No way!’ said Joe at once.
‘Absolutely not,’ said Graham. ‘I would never be allowed out on my own again.’
‘I’m sorry if it’s caused you a lot of bother,’ said Leanne. She stood up and opened her bag. ‘You really deserve a reward for coming all the way across the city.’ She took out her purse. ‘I’m sorry. I’ve only got twenty-five pounds on me at the moment. I’ll give you the rest later.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Graham awkwardly.
‘You must take it,’ said Leanne. ‘You’d to pay the bus fare to get here. And anyway,’ she went on as he still hesitated, ‘I’d like you to do something else for me.’
Chapter 13
‘All I want you to do is find out how he is.’
Joe stood slightly to one side and watched Leanne plead with Graham.
‘Please.’ Leanne’s voice began to wobble again. ‘You could do this for me.’
‘I don’t want to go back into that hospital,’ said Graham. ‘They were swarming all over us last night in Accident and Emergency. They probably think that I’m one of the gang because I ran away. If they see me again they’ll call the police.’
‘Kyoul will have been moved from Accident and Emergency,’ Leanne reasoned. ‘He’ll be in a ward somewhere. It won’t be the same staff. You could go in at visiting time. See that he’s all right. Tell him I’ll try to sort something out.’
Graham shook his head. ‘What do you mean “sort something out”? Sort what? There’s something funny here. You’re not telling us everything. Is Kyoul on drugs?’
‘No way!’ Leanne exclaimed. ‘I swear we’re not into drugs.’
‘I don’t really want to get involved,’ said Graham.
‘You’re not getting involved. Just speak to Kyoul in the hospital and give him my message.’ She included Joe in her tearful look this time. ‘Please.’
The boys exchanged glances.
‘Then we can meet again so that you can let me know how he is,’ Leanne went on. ‘And I’ll give you the rest of your money.’
‘Never mind that,’ said Graham. ‘Can’t we just phone you to tell you how he is?’
‘Please, no. My parents might pick up the phone.’
‘You could use your mobile.’ Graham pointed to the phone he’d given her when they’d entered the house.
Leanne shook her head. ‘I’ve thought about that. There will be a record of the call you made for the ambulance last night. Just in case anyone follows that up, I’m going to throw it away and say I lost it yesterday afternoon.’
Graham hesitated. ‘I guess I do want to know myself that he’s OK.’
‘Then why don’t you go and find out?’ said Joe. ‘Tomorrow’s Sunday. Afternoon visiting will be very busy. Nobody’ll notice you in the crowds. But if you think you might be recognized you could wear a baseball cap so your face won’t show on the CCTV cameras.’
CCTV cameras! Graham’s stomach flipped. There must have been some at the hospital last night. ‘I’d forgotten the CCTV cameras.’ He turned to Joe in panic. ‘I’ll be on the CCTV at the City Hospital. The police will know who I am.’
Joe laughed. ‘The polis have got better things to do than chasing the likes of you.’ He looked at Leanne. ‘Kyoul’s not done anything wrong, has he?’
‘No-o,’ she said slowly.
‘What?’ Graham said sharply. ‘What’s he done?’
‘You’d better tell us,’ said Joe. ‘Or we’re not going to help you.’
Leanne gripped her hands together in anxiety. She paced over to the window, then turned to face the two boys. ‘I suppose I need to tell you if you’re going to help me. But you mustn’t tell anyone else.’
Graham and Joe nodded.
‘Promise?’
‘Aye,’ the boys said together.
‘He’s from the Balkans. And he was smuggled into Britain by a friend. He had to get out of his own country. He was a target for a militant anti-Muslim group.’ She shuddered. ‘You’ve no idea of the things they do to people.’
‘How did you meet him?’ asked Graham.
‘I was at one of Glasgow University’s school open days. He came in off the street. He’d always hoped to go to university. We were both looking at the same stand and we got talking about what course we might take. I liked him straight away. He’s really clever. And he’s funny and kind.’
‘Why can’t he become like an ordinary asylum seeker?’ said Joe. ‘And get help the usual way?’
‘It’s complicated,’ said Leanne. ‘I don’t know if I understand it myself exactly, but because his country is on this thing called the White List, Britain won’t help him. They say these countries are safe because their governments have officially agreed they won’t persecute minorities. So even if it’s known that you might be killed or tortured if you went back, you still can’t apply for asylum. That means no benefit. People like Kyoul are treated as though they don’t exist.’
‘If he was picked up by the police,’ said Graham, ‘what would happen to him?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Leanne, ‘and neither does he exactly. He’s terrified of anybody in authority. He’s only been here a few weeks. The people who brought him in left him by the side of the motorway. He lives rough most of the time.’
‘Would he get deported?’ asked Joe.
‘He might be put in one of the detention centres.’ Leanne rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘I’d probably never see him again.’
‘That’s why he told me he wouldn’t speak once the ambulance arrived!’ said Graham.
‘Please,’ said Leanne. ‘You’re the only ones who can help me. I can’t go myself. I don’t want my parents to find out about us.’ She began to cry again and pulled out another tissue to wipe her eyes. ‘They just wouldn’t understand.’
Joe glanced at Graham. Graham looked away.
‘I can’t do this,’ Graham said finally.
‘Of course you can,’ said Joe. He moved nearer to Graham and said quietly, ‘It’ll be dead easy. And once you’ve done it you can meet Leanne and collect the rest of your reward.’
‘It’s dangerous,’ said Graham.
Joe laughed. ‘Dangerous?’
‘Well, it was dangerous for me this morning,’ said Graham with feeling.
‘It was only dangerous for you because you were reading your map upside down and wandered into the Promised Land.’
‘The Promised Land?’
‘Aye, that’s what we call our bit of the city. The Promised Land.’
‘You’re kidding!’ said Graham.
‘Naw, I’m no,’ said Joe.
Graham didn’t answer.
Joe spoke fiercely. ‘It’s better than that place your granda lives.’
‘What’s wrong with Bridgebar?’ Graham demanded.
‘What’s right with it?’ Joe asked sarcastically.
Graham took a step towards him. ‘My granda lives there. That’s what’s right with it.’
‘Well the Garngath is a great place. Only at one time my granny says the Council used it to dump troublemakers.’
‘Exactly.’
‘What are you trying to say?’
‘I’m not saying anything.’
‘Well, keep it that way.’
‘Why are you arguing?’ Leanne looked from one to the other. ‘I thought you were friends.’
‘We’re just thinking out what to do,’ said Graham tightly.
‘Yeh, that’s right,’ Joe mumbled.
‘Will you do it for me?’ Leanne asked. She was crying openly now. ‘Go and see if he is all right. Tell him I know where he is. That’s all I’m asking.’
Graham looked at Joe helplessly. How could he refuse?
‘I’ll come with you,’ Joe offered. Then, as Graham continued to hesitate, he added, ‘I’ve just remembered anyway. I know someone that works in the City Hospital. I’ll arrange to meet her there tomorrow and then we can ask her about Kyoul.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ said Graham. ‘It’s another one of your cousins.’
Chapter 14
After the boys left Leanne sat for a while in the kitchen.
It was her favourite room in the house. Her early childhood memories had been forged here, with the smell of cooking and the sound of conversation. It had been the domain of her gran, her father’s mother, who had lived with them for many years until illness meant she had to go into a nursing home.
All through her life it was this kitchen that Leanne came home to after school each day. When she was younger her grandmother would take her onto her lap, feed her scones warm from the oven and listen to all her tales of triumph and woe.
But now her beloved gran hardly knew her any more. Her mind was loosening as she got older, her thoughts drifting, touching reality less and less. Leanne’s parents spent most Saturdays at the nursing home. Sometimes her gran recognized them; often she spoke to Leanne’s father as though he were her husband, who’d been dead for more than thirty years. ‘Where have you been, David?’ she would scold him. ‘I wait so long for you to come and see me. Why aren’t you here when I wake up in the morning?’
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