He pulled again. A shadow fell on the floor. He looked up. A man stood in the doorway . It was Leon, Robert’s mother’s boyfriend.
Together they dragged the solid slab outside and set it next to the ladder. Now other men came forward to help. The tension in the crowd was punctured by words thrown out here and there.
‘We can’t have a pig up there,’ Leon explained, avoiding Joshua’s eyes. ‘It wouldn’t die, you see, and then it would destroy our fishing. We caught very little today because of it.’
Joshua had hold of the fore-trotters. Now he took some of the weight of the carving from his father. It was a sad burden. He and Leon carried it inside.
‘Sardines mostly, and not a lot of them,’ Leon continued.
‘Dad will keep it in here,’ Joshua told him, touching the pig’s head protectively.
Leon nodded.
Joshua watched his father climb down the ladder, tired and bowed and old as he had never seen him before. He carried the ladder round the corner of the shop and laid it on the ground. Then he turned to face the men, his back against the wall. Slowly they drifted away. He sank to his haunches, gazing blankly at the ground. Joshua squatted beside him.
‘It’s safe, Dad,’ he said. ‘I put it inside.’
His father didn’t respond. Joshua swallowed; he felt cold inside. He began to chatter, about Robert, about the dinghy, how choppy the water was that day, anything that he thought would distract him.
‘Psst!’ Robert’s head showed round the corner, a blur in the gathering darkness.
Joshua glanced at his father. He was still staring into space, and had made no sign that he had heard. Joshua sighed and got to his feet. He felt enormous relief as he walked round the corner of the shop to be with Robert.
‘Leon told me what happened,’ Robert said. ‘Were you very scared? Is your father okay?’
‘Yes.’ Joshua nodded. ‘At least, I think he is.’
‘Where’s the pig now?’
‘Inside the shop.’
‘Good. Leon says you mustn’t mind,’ he went on. ‘He says it’ll be all right again now the pig’s down.’
Joshua scowled. ‘What’ll be all right again?’
‘Well, you know,’ Robert looked embarrassed. ‘About your father.’
‘What about him?’
Robert hesitated.
‘What?’ Joshua asked again.
‘About him being a mountain man.’
Joshua was shocked. ‘It isn’t true.’
‘Only mountain men carve,’ Robert pointed out.
‘He’s from here, from the village,’ retorted Joshua.
‘But is he?’ Robert’s voice rose. ‘After all, he’s not a fisherman, is he? He’s a –’
Joshua glared. ‘Don’t say it!’
‘I wasn’t going to!’ Robert snapped. ‘I was going to say butcher. But he is different, he’s not like us. He must be a mountain man!’ he finished triumphantly.
‘He is not !’ Joshua said stubbornly.
‘Of course he is. You’ve only got to look at his hair. It’s straight. So’s yours.’
Joshua reached up and felt it. He knew his hair was straight, but the significance of it hadn’t occurred to him before.
‘Mine’s curly,’ Robert said. ‘And everyone else’s is too.’
Robert sounded so superior. Joshua didn’t like it. He flew at him, butting him in the stomach.
Robert gasped as the air was knocked out of him. He fell to the ground, bringing Joshua down with him.
Joshua tried to punch, but Robert was quicker and grabbed hold of his hands. Joshua struggled to free them, but couldn’t. One moment Joshua was on top. The next he suddenly found himself on the ground beneath Robert.
‘Mountain man! Mountain man!’ Robert taunted him.
‘He is not!’
They rolled over and over in the dust. Joshua kickedand made contact with a shin bone.
‘Ouch!’ Robert shouted.
Joshua was glad it had hurt. He had wanted it to hurt. ‘Take it back! He’s not a mountain man. Take it back!’ Joshua was on top now. He and Robert had never fought before. At least, not like this. This felt serious.
He wished Robert would hurry up
Together they dragged the solid slab outside and set it next to the ladder. Now other men came forward to help. The tension in the crowd was punctured by words thrown out here and there.
‘We can’t have a pig up there,’ Leon explained, avoiding Joshua’s eyes. ‘It wouldn’t die, you see, and then it would destroy our fishing. We caught very little today because of it.’
Joshua had hold of the fore-trotters. Now he took some of the weight of the carving from his father. It was a sad burden. He and Leon carried it inside.
‘Sardines mostly, and not a lot of them,’ Leon continued.
‘Dad will keep it in here,’ Joshua told him, touching the pig’s head protectively.
Leon nodded.
Joshua watched his father climb down the ladder, tired and bowed and old as he had never seen him before. He carried the ladder round the corner of the shop and laid it on the ground. Then he turned to face the men, his back against the wall. Slowly they drifted away. He sank to his haunches, gazing blankly at the ground. Joshua squatted beside him.
‘It’s safe, Dad,’ he said. ‘I put it inside.’
His father didn’t respond. Joshua swallowed; he felt cold inside. He began to chatter, about Robert, about the dinghy, how choppy the water was that day, anything that he thought would distract him.
‘Psst!’ Robert’s head showed round the corner, a blur in the gathering darkness.
Joshua glanced at his father. He was still staring into space, and had made no sign that he had heard. Joshua sighed and got to his feet. He felt enormous relief as he walked round the corner of the shop to be with Robert.
‘Leon told me what happened,’ Robert said. ‘Were you very scared? Is your father okay?’
‘Yes.’ Joshua nodded. ‘At least, I think he is.’
‘Where’s the pig now?’
‘Inside the shop.’
‘Good. Leon says you mustn’t mind,’ he went on. ‘He says it’ll be all right again now the pig’s down.’
Joshua scowled. ‘What’ll be all right again?’
‘Well, you know,’ Robert looked embarrassed. ‘About your father.’
‘What about him?’
Robert hesitated.
‘What?’ Joshua asked again.
‘About him being a mountain man.’
Joshua was shocked. ‘It isn’t true.’
‘Only mountain men carve,’ Robert pointed out.
‘He’s from here, from the village,’ retorted Joshua.
‘But is he?’ Robert’s voice rose. ‘After all, he’s not a fisherman, is he? He’s a –’
Joshua glared. ‘Don’t say it!’
‘I wasn’t going to!’ Robert snapped. ‘I was going to say butcher. But he is different, he’s not like us. He must be a mountain man!’ he finished triumphantly.
‘He is not !’ Joshua said stubbornly.
‘Of course he is. You’ve only got to look at his hair. It’s straight. So’s yours.’
Joshua reached up and felt it. He knew his hair was straight, but the significance of it hadn’t occurred to him before.
‘Mine’s curly,’ Robert said. ‘And everyone else’s is too.’
Robert sounded so superior. Joshua didn’t like it. He flew at him, butting him in the stomach.
Robert gasped as the air was knocked out of him. He fell to the ground, bringing Joshua down with him.
Joshua tried to punch, but Robert was quicker and grabbed hold of his hands. Joshua struggled to free them, but couldn’t. One moment Joshua was on top. The next he suddenly found himself on the ground beneath Robert.
‘Mountain man! Mountain man!’ Robert taunted him.
‘He is not!’
They rolled over and over in the dust. Joshua kickedand made contact with a shin bone.
‘Ouch!’ Robert shouted.
Joshua was glad it had hurt. He had wanted it to hurt. ‘Take it back! He’s not a mountain man. Take it back!’ Joshua was on top now. He and Robert had never fought before. At least, not like this. This felt serious.
He wished Robert would hurry up
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