Lallie

Jennifer Smith

Monday. Ma mams first day at the college in Aiberdeen. She was gan to be a teacher. She had to git up affa early. She was awa by half past six, drivin up tae Keith then the train intae Aiberdeen. Somebody had to git us oot owir beds for school.

Lallie. She was oor neighbour, twa doors doon. Her man was a fisherman. Her hair at the front was yalla. She aie had a fag in her moo. Lallie was nivir in a bad mood like ma mam sometimes was. She nivir shouted at her ain bairns. Her quine Rosie was allowed to weer platforms an athin.

Come on quines. Time to git up for the school. Heather gets up. Hiya Lallie. She was aie the good ain. Come on Jenfer. Up ye git, ma quine. Its ten past eicht. Lallies pokin ma but nae horrible like: jist garrin ma git up. Im nae gittin up! Im ti-ert! I was aie ill-naturt in the mornin. Aricht then says Lallie, Ill leave ye five minties. Ma mam wid niver say that tae ma. And I wid nivir say Im nae gittin up tae her. Id git a right row. I feel mare ill-natered cos I kain I shouldna be horrible to Lallie. Heather comes in Im tellin mam if ye dinna git up for Lallie, I throw the blankets aff and thump doon the stairs.

Now fit de ye hae for brakfist, quines? We aie hae fresh orange juice and muesli. Ma mam says its good for us. She decided this fin she decided to go to the college. She flung oot the chip pan at the same time. A ma chums hae limonade and frosties. Its nae fair. I think a file. Limanade and a club biscuit. I look at Heather. Shes nae sayin nithin. Shes nae gan tae clype. A richt then. Fars does yer mam hae the limanade? Im caught oot for a minute. I didna expect her to say at. And weve nae got nae limonade onywye. But then I mine aboot the cabinet in the livin room far the martini and the advocaat is. Theres some in ere. Lallie gings o tae the cabinet and opens the smoke-glass door, She taks oot the bottle o white limonade and pits it on the table. Theres just a wee suppie left. Will this dee ye? Me and Heather look at each ither. Aye. Lallie unscrews the top. Nae fizz. Its been in that cabinet since Hogmanay. This is affa cal. Yer belliesll be sare. Ill heat it up a bittie. Lallie looks for a sma pan and pours the limanade in and switches on the ring. Me and Heather look at each ither again. Hait limanade? 'Fars the chocolate biscuits quines? Heather pints up tae the highest cupboard. We only git ain a week. On a Sunday. We look intae the box. I pick the orange ain. Heather has the golf club. Dark chocolate. Grown up.

Its the best breakfist Ive haen but me and Heather are quayet. Lallies really fine. She disna tell us tae hurry up. She lets us tak oor time. She smokes her fags and listens to fit we like deeing best at school. She disna gie me a row fin I say I canna find ma cotties for the school. She jist says Come awa and well look for them then. And weve telt her lees aboot oor breakfast.

Me and Heather waak tae school but dinna say nithin tae each ither.

Mams hame fae the college. Heather, Jennifer, come through here tae the scullry a minute. She sounds mad. She aie says Jennifer and nae Jenfer fin shes mad. Shes huddin the box o chocolate biscuits. Fit did you twa hae for yer breakfist this mornin? Heather and me look doon. Shes gan tae ging mental. Im feart I winna git ma Bunty this week. Chocolate biscuits and limanade says Heather. Did Lallie gie ye that? Aye but she pit the limanade in a pan so we widna git cal I say. Mam jist lookit at us. Well the morn yell hae tae tell Lallie yell hae muesli and orange juice, right? Mine and tell her noo cos she disna kain that. We waited. Ye can still hae yer biscuit for this week though. She wasna mad at a.

Lallie came on Tuesday. Fit de ye want for yer brakfist quines?