GLAD TO GET OUT 1960

A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1960 AND HER SCOTTISH MOTHER

Mrs Scot
(Hannah's mother)
said
Hannah's in
the bathroom
yoo'll hae tae bide

ok
I said
and she let me
into the sitting room
and I sat in a armchair
and she gazed at me
with her dark eyes
then went out
into the kitchen
(which was also
the bathroom)

I sat and waited
then after a short while
the bathroom door opened
and Hannah walked by
wrapped in a white towel

I won't be long
she said

Mrs Scot was behind her
and said
dornt be standin'
thaur in yer nakedness

Hannah pulled
a face at me
and fled off
to her bedroom
and closed the door

I picked up a copy
of the newspaper
and read the headlines
until Hannah came out
dressed in a blue dress
her hair brushed
and tied in a bow
with blue ribbon

she smiled
sorry about that
if Maw wasn't around
you could have
rubbed my back dry  

she joked of course
I wouldn't have done
such a thing(liar)

anyway
she said
where we going
or doing?

Jail Park?

doing what?

ride the swings?

she wasn't impressed
let's go swimming
in Bedlam Park
she said

ok but I’ll have to
drop off at my place
for my swim stuff first
I said

ok I’ll just get mine
and we can go
she said

she went off
and told her mother
who moaned but
gave her the locker money
and me a hard stare
and so off we went

and I was glad
to get out of there.