A Kestrel for a Knave

‘You start inside first, makin’ her ump on to your glove for her meat. Only a little jump at first, then a bit further and so on; and every time she comes you’ve to give her a scrap o’ meat. A reward like. When she’ll come about a leash length straight away, you can try her outside, off a fence post or summat like that. You put her down, hold on to t’end of your leash wi’ your right hand, and hold your glove out for her to fly to. This way you can get a double leash length. After she’s done this, you can take her leash off an’ attach a creance in its place.’

‘Creance?’

[…]

‘C-R-E-A-N-C-E—it’s a long line, I used a long nylon fishing line wi’ a clasp off a dog lead, tied to one end. […]’

‘An’ at home, if owt goes wrong on t’estate, police allus come to our house, even though I’ve done nowt for ages now. An’ they don’t believe a word I say! I feel like goin’ out an’ doin’ summat just to spite ’em sometimes.’

‘Never mind lad; it’ll be all right.’

‘Ar, it will that.’

‘Just think, you’ll be leaving school in a few weeks, starting your first job, meeting fresh people. That’s something to look forward to, isn’t it?’

Billy looked past him without replying.

‘Have you got a job yet?’

‘No Sir. I’ve to see t’youth employment bloke this afternoon.’

‘What kind of a job are you after?’

‘I’m not bothered. Owt’ll do me.’

‘You’ll try to get something that interests you, though?’

‘I shan’t have much choice, shall I? I shall have to take what they’ve got.’

There were four chairs outside the medical room. A woman and a boy occupied the two nearest the door. Billy sat down, leaving an empty chair between them. The boy leaned forward and nodded at him across the front of the woman. The woman glanced round, then turned back to the boy.

‘And don’t be sat there like a dummy when you get in there.’

The boy blushed and looked across at Billy again. Billy sat staring straight ahead, top teeth working across his bottom lip, squeezing it white.

‘Tell him that you’re after a good job, an office job, summat like that.’

‘Who’s after an office job?’

‘Well what are you after then? A job on t’bins?’