Kes Page #7

They're always lookin' at their watches,

to see how long there's left of t'lesson.

They're not bothered about us,

and we're not bothered about them.

How are things at home these days?

All right, sir. Usual, I suppose.

- Been in trouble with the police recently?

- No, sir.

Not since I've been

without MacDowall's gang.

You know, they used to go into t'city

and go into t'coffee bars and t'cinema,

but since I've been without them

I've been all right.

- It's all right now, innit?

- But when there's trouble on estate,

all the police come to our house.

Well, I shouldn't worry.

ln a couple of weeks you'll be starting

your new job, gettin' new friends.

Lookin' forward to that, are yer?

Eh? Have you got a job?

No, sir. I've got to see

t'employment bloke.

- What sort of job do you want?

- Anything'll do me.

But you want something that

you're interested in, don't you?

- I'll take what I've got.

- I thought you wanted to leave school.

- Not bothered.

- Thought you didn't like school.

I don't, but it dun't mean to say I'll like

work. Still, I'll get paid for not likin' it.

- That's one thing.

- I suppose it is.

I might be able to save up and buy

a goshawk. I've been readin' about 'em.

Have yer? When do you fly

this hawk o' yours?

- Dinner times.

- Where?

- Just outside our house, sir.

- Wood Lane?

- Yeah, it is, sir.

- I'll come round, then. lf it's OK.

Go on, then. Get yourself cleaned up.

"Five bob double.

Crackpot. Tell Him He's Dead."

"Jud."

Bloody hellfire!

Kes! Come on, then.

Kes!

Come on, then, Kes.

Come on.

Come on, Kes.

Casper?

Bloody hellfire!

- Hope I'm not too late.

- No. But you'll have to stand over there.

- I'll go by the fence, eh?

- It's all right.

- As long as you keep quiet.

- I'll not say a word.

Come on, Kes!

Come on, Kes!

Kes!

Come on, Kes!

Come on, Kes!

Kes!

Well done, Casper. The most exciting

thing I've ever seen in me life. Great!

- Thrill of a lifetime, lad.

- Thank you, sir.

Let's have a look at it.

lsn't it beautifully marked, eh?

Look at the feathers on it.

Oh, it's not gonna eat that, is it?

Yes, sir. This bird's full of vitamins.

Oh, dear!

- Have any more birds before him?

- Stacks. Animals an' all.

A young fox cub once.

Reared it and let it go. A little blinder!

I've had magpies, jackdaws.

Had a young jay once.

- He's your favourite, though.

- Others weren't int' same street.

Come on, then. Come on.

- Come on, sir.

- Oh, dear me!

- Watch that mattress, sir. It's slippy.

- OK.

Look what's left, sir.

Only t'sparrow's leg.

Must have been hungry.

Must have been starvin'.

You hang on here. I'll put him ont' perch.

Come on, then.

You know, there's something

weird about it when it's flyin'.

- Hawks are t'best fliers there is.

- No, I didn't mean that.

When it's flyin', there's something

about it makes you feel strange.

- ls it cos everythin' goes quiet?

- That's it, aye.

Other folks have noticed that. I know

a farmer who says it's same wi' owls.

You know, when they get

his mice in his yard at night.

When they swoop down, he feels like

pokin' his ears to make 'em pop.

Cos it goes that quiet.

It's as if they're flying

in a pocket of silence.

Have you noticed

how quietly we're speaking?

As if we're frightened to raise our voices,

a bit like shouting in church.

- It's cos they're nervous.

- Oh, no. It's more than that.

It's instinctive. It's a sort of respect.

I know, sir. That's what makes me mad.

When I take her for walks, somebody says

"Look, it's Billy Casper and his pet hawk."

I could shout at 'em, sir. lt in't a pet.

Or if somebody comes up to me

and says "ls it tame?"

ls it heck tame! Hawks can't be tamed.

They're manned. It's wild and it's fierce

and it's not bothered about anybody.

Not bothered about me, right.

That's what makes it great.

A lot of people wouldn't understand.

They like their pets to be fussed.

I'm not bothered about that.

I just want her for her looks and to fly her.

They can keep their talkin' budgies.

They're nowt compared wi' her.

You're right, Billy. You're probably right.

D'you know summat, sir? I think she's

done me a favour, lettin' me watch her.

"Same price, 7-1,

number 12, Doorkeeper."

What's he studyin' there?

- Can I help you, son?

- No, thanks.

Hey, mister, can you

tell me t'prices of these?

What are they?

Crackpot.

Crackpot. 100-6.

Tell Him He's Dead.

I've just been lookin' for this one meself.

Tell Him He's Dead.

Second favourite, 4-1 .

100-6, 4-1 .

Would you back 'em?

Tell Him He's Dead's a good horse.

Best horse int' race. Top weight.

Don't fancy that one, though.

No form. Hasn't even got a jockey on

here. No, shouldn't bother with that one.

D'yer think they'll win, then?

- How've you got them? Doubled?

- They're our Jud's.

Oh, he'll be all right if they do,

but I can't see it meself.

Right. Ta.

- A bob's worth o' chips, and a fish.

- Serve him, will you, Mary?

- Yes, love? What do you want?

- Fish 'n' chips.

Stop kickin'. We only put that on today.

- Got any scraps, missis?

- Yes, love. I'll put you some on.

Two shilling, love. I'm gettin' rid of

these chips, Floyd. It's gettin' late now.

Aye. But don't be goin' mad.

Sixpence change, love.

These kids. I don't know,

Mr Glover, they're just all the same.

- Can I have a quarter o' beef?

- By, those smell good.

Can I have a quarter o' beef?

- Tha stilI got that bird, then?

- Yep.

- Here, you can have them for nowt.

- For nowt?

- They're only scraps.

- Another chip?

- No. I'm goin' for me dinner in a minute.

- Right, then. See yer.

See yer.

Usual difficulty

over concentration. Hm?

Three fives are 15, eh?

We write 15 one, five.

You write five, one.

Oi, tha f***in' twat!

lsn't that that illustrious

brother of yours, Casper?

Shouldn't have thought he was the type to

have paid a visit to his old school again.

- What's the matter? Don't you feel well?

- No, sir.

- Do you want to go for a drink of water?

- No, sir.

- Well, open the window.

- I'm all right, sir.

Please yourself.

Right, now just pass your books forward,

will you? To the front.

Front person on each row,

bring them to my desk, will you?

What's the matter, Casper?

Lost something?

- Me, sir? No, sir.

- On your way, then.

- What's up with thee, Jud?

- It's that little bastard, our Billy.

I left him with a bet for t'horses and he's

kept t'stinkin' money. I'll kill the little git!

- What are you playing at?

- Goin' to t'toilet, sir.

Hurry up, then.

- I'm on 'ere!

- Seen our Billy?

- Aye. He's here wi' me.

- Tryin' to be funny?

Cos I'll stick thi head down there,

old pal, and flush it.

- I asked if tha'd seen him.

- I wouldn't tell thee if I had.

- Look, I'm warnin' yer!

- Ow!

'Ey up, Tibbut, has tha seen our Jud?

- They've been lookin' all over for thee.

- Who has?

- Gryce Pudding.

- What for?

Youth Employment.

Tha should have gone for t'interview.

- Has tha seen our Jud?

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