she shows me a penknife her father'd brought home for her
a thin bladed one with a white handle it's in the palm of her hand balancing
it looks good I say
that's not what Mum said when Dad brought it home Hannah says
what did she say? I ask
Whit did ye brin' 'at haem fur? she said
what did your dad say?
nothing he pretended he was deaf and just gave me the knife and went and sat in his armchair and read his newspaper
how do you understand what your mum is saying? I'm never sure if she's being angry with me or if that's just her being nice
probably the former she's seldom nice to people Hannah says
she puts the knife in the pocket of her skirt and says where we going then?
we can stay here if you like I say lying in the sun and talking
o sure and have my mum peering out the window at us saying whit ur ye tois up tae?
I fall back laughing what's that mean?
it's what are you two up to? Hannah says no let's go through the Square and get an ice lolly and 1d drink and look at the cheap shop on the New Kent Road
so we up and go over the mental fence and through the Square and go buy our ice lollies and 1d drinks
and I wonder as we walk what her mother says and thinks.