Gawn Cald Turkey

Gawn Cald Turkey





Noel takes a sip of tea, finishes his biscuit. The room rings with the cheery jingle of a cereal commercial. He stands from the chair, crumpling the biscuit wrapper in his hand and popping it in the bin. He heads down the hallway to the doorway with a lock on the outside. From his pocket he withdraws a key, slips it in the lock, turns it. Click.

A beam of light falls across John’s eyes and he scrabbles back like a vampire. Closethefuckindoor, he says, blinded. Noel enters the room, nose twitches, stops for a moment, then shuts the door behind him, bathing them both in darkness. He sits across from John on a chair and looks at the twisted and damp mess of covers that hangs raggedly from the bed. How ye feelin, John? Shite. A wee bit better? Nah, am ah fuck.

Noel sighs. He looks at the untouched plate of food on the bedside table. Still no hungry? Naw. Ma stomach’s lit a walnut. Could dae wi a vally though. Got any vallies? Nah, I don’t huv any fuckin vallies. I telt ye, nae stimulants. But ah feel like shite. Ah’m fuckin dyin, ah kin hardly move. There is a moment of silence. Have ye tried huvin a wank? John sighs. Tried. Couldnae get it up. Fuck’s sake. Ah know.

How long has it been, Noel? Noel checks his watch. Thirty hours. Fuck. Feels lit weeks. The first two days ur the worst, ah telt ye that. You’ll feel magic the morra. Naw ah wilnae. Ye will, mate. Ah promised maw I’d get ye off that shite. Ah’m no goin back oan that.

How is maw, by the way? She’s deid. Died two weeks ago. Aw, wit! Shit. Aye, shit indeed. And ye didnae even go tae her funeral. Where the fuck were ye? Dunno. Proabably scorin. Aye, nae doubt, ya junky cunt. You’ve got a lot aw apologisin tae gee dad when yer better, which’ll be soon. Ah’ll see tae that.

No even one vally? Just wan tae help me through the worst bit? Naw, ah told ye. Nae stimulants. Nothin lit that. No even tea. You’ll be better aff. Noel stands up and walks to the door. Ah’ll be back through later. Try tae eat some aw that scran. Ye’ll feel much better. Aye, sure. Noel opens the door and the light from the hallway slashes into his brothers eyes again.

Noel?

Aye?

Cheers.

Noel pauses for a moment. Then he sighs. Nae bother, wee brother. He leaves the room feeling like a hypocrite and John is bathed in darkness again.