George 3

Family, friends, please accept this intimation and meet at the crematorium of St Mary’s...

George senior stands outside the crematorium, dressed in the dark blue suit he last wore two years ago, to the wedding of Joseph, his only living son. Patricia, his wife of a quarter of a century, from whom he separated pleading utter indifference two years ago, leans on his arm. She holds a worried tissue in her tiny fist.

Fifteen or so guest, mostly members of their extended family, emerge from the crematorium. It is a spectacularly bright spring morning.

George senior squints up at the sun. 
“Ashes…”

In his head, he repeats the word, once, twice, as if doing so will give him a sign about what to feel. Then something breaks within him. An unexpected sensation takes over. A nauseating lightness from head to toe. Still with his head raised towards the sun, he closes his eyes and focuses on the fiery red glow on the screens of his eyelids.

A hand grips his shoulder. Uncle Tony.

George opens his eyes. 
“He wanted to be a singer.”

“You what?” asks Tony.

“He said he wanted to be a singer.”

Patricia leaves them and walks over to the mumbling group of relatives.

“What?”

“He told me a few weeks ago.

“Fuck you on about? I don’t know…”

“Neither do I...’ George looks up and closes his eyes again. “I never have. Never.”

Tony takes out his tobacco tin and quickly rolls an unfiltered cigarette. He takes a long drag, closes his mouth to hold in the smoke for a moment, then exhales.

“They’re coming over, George,” he says.

“Fuck‘em. I can’t bear ‘em. Let’s go for a walk."

They walk along the gravel path to the adjoining cemetery. Gravestones of sootblackened sandstone and lacquered granite lean at all angles. Some have collapsed completely, or vandals have kicked them over. 

George walks down the slatternly rows with Tony by his side, picking out the words.

He tries to imagine himself as a boy, fresh, soft-skinned and without spite. Nothing.
“A fucking singer.”

“George, come on…”

“It’s a fucking joke. It’s our fault, Tony. He couldn’t handle it. Why did he have to be so fucking... thick?”

“Come on, mate...”

“You know I’m right Tony. Your lot's just the same.”

“George, don't start...”

“Ah fuck off, Tony, don’t get precious. You know it as well as I do. It's shit heaped on shit. Never ends."  

“He didn’t know what he was doing. It was the drink. It had already done its damage. I know. I know what it’s like. To hit rock-bottom. Some can't hack it. It’s what happens. Round here...” 
Tony takes another deep drag and shakes his head. “It’s too much...” 

“You’re right there, lad,” says George.

George 1

The Vic. Saturday night. Bradford lost 4-0 this aft. George got started at about 11 in the morning – a couple of tins left over from Friday night, fuel for the coach ride over to the Valley. He hasn’t stopped since then. Hard to take, 4-0.

Cath, the menopausal landlady, serves George his pint with a disdainful shake of the head. ‘You gunna pull yerself together George or are you gunna sulk into yer beer all night?’

She’s joined by Stu, the barman from Samoa. He used to be a professional rugby player. Built like a gorilla. It’s midwinter and it’s dark outside, but he’s wearing bermudas and flip flops all the same. ‘How’d you get on there, Georgie boy?’ he goads, nudging Cath. ‘Did you win?’ 

‘You know what happened, you. Now fuck off back to aborigine land,’ George replies, lost in the bubbles of his pint.

Cath grins, her thin lips stretching over a condemned set of grey teeth. Stu laughs, looking at the regulars slumped around the bar to back him up.

The pub is filling up. The Tango brigade gets settled round the U-shaped banquette - all have dyed black hair, all wear black, all saturated in fake tan and mascara, stinking of discount scent.

Stevie, who Cath refers to as ‘that weird foreign lass’, tiptoes in and looks around.

A meek-looking woman of about 30, with lank muddy blonde hair framing her chubby, rosacea-afflicted face, Stevie sees George and smiles faintly. It’s a smile that simultaneously expresses relief and disappointment.

‘Stephanie, come here, sit down with me.’ Stevie hesitates. ‘Come on. Come on over here and sit with me. What you having?’

George stumbles back to the table with a double vodka and diet coke for Stevie, about £1.50’s-worth of which he spills en route.

Andy powers up the karaoke, starts checking his monitor and the mic. This brings George to life. ‘Time for summat from’t repertoire. What d’yer fancy, Steph?’ 

‘Not tonight, you’re too pissed,’ Andy says.

‘No I’m not. Come on, one song.’

‘Why don’t you stay over there and have a dance instead,’ Andy says. ‘I’m not having you falling all over my gear again.’

‘Come on, Andy, I’m not drunk. I’ve had a few but I’m not drunk. I’m not drunk.’

The drawstring from George’s hoodie is dangling in his pint.

‘Next time. Not today.’

George stares at the table. In front of him on the table three pints of lager are going flat. Time to get this night back on track, he thinks. ‘Steph, have a vodka red bull.’

I’ve told you, it’s Stevie, and I’m fine with this, thanks.’

‘Ah come on, I’ll get you one.’

George sways up to the bar, orders two double vodka red bulls and sways back to the table, nudging the glasses on to the edge of the table between the undrunk pints.

He leans over and whispers into her ear, the drawstring from his hoodie again dangling in his drink.

‘Steph, do you remember that text you sent to me that time? Do you remember?’

‘James, it’s Stevie. And I didn’t mean to send that to you. It was an accident. It was meant for another James.’

‘Do you remember what it said, Stephie?’

Stevie rolls her eyes and takes a long swig of her vodka coke. Made bold by her anonymity in this dark little town, thousands of miles from home, she had made this mistake after her first night at the Vic, a brief, shamefully deliberate flouting of caution. James repeated the story every time he saw her.

George leans in again. ‘Do you remember what it said, Stephie?’ He slurs, his fat lower lip brushing against her ear. He lowers his voice. Sour warm breath. ‘It said: Come over now and fuck me.’

‘James, you’re drunk again. Don’t be so...’ – she stops herself.

‘No, I’m not. I just wanted you to know...’ His heavy-lidded eyes seek out hers. ‘...I’m all right with it you know. You and me, Stevie. I’ll go back with you later. Or now if you want… No, let’s have one more first...’

‘James, you’re a damn mess.’

‘Yeah, I know, it’s all right.’ He smiles at her.’ I’ll go back with you.’ He leans over and pats her leg, sending his hoodie drawsting back into his pint. Stevie downs the rest of her vodka coke.

Mick the bastard – greasy haired, unshaven, wearing a polo shirt and baggy stonewashed jeans – comes up behind George. He clasps his scalp in both hands like it’s the FA Cup and kisses him on top of his head.

‘You doing all right here, love?’ he says into George’s ear.

George smiles at Stevie. Mick squeezes his shoulders. ‘You gonna fuck that later or what?’

‘We’re all right, Mick,’ George answers. ‘We’re all right, mate.’

‘Course you are, love. Course you are. There’s nowt wrong with you. And don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise,’ says Mick with a dirty grin, before stumbling off to the gents, picking his arse crack as he goes.

The words to Angels appear in huge pink letters on the big karaoke screen.

‘Aah, Andy, come on. Angels!’