Nae Winner
The school bell was still ringing when the first children escaped through the oak doors of the school. They spread out like gushing water from a pipe as they cleared the gate and headed home in different directions. Helen ducked into the side away from the stream of blazers and leather satchels and waited for her best friend Susan to emerge from 5B. When she appeared, Susan grabbed Helen’s arm, and the pair walked along the stone wall towards the main street and Ina the lollypop lady.
‘Whose hoose first?’ Helen said.
‘Yours. Ma mum wulnae notice if Ah’m late back the day.’
Ina the lollypop lady waited on the crossing for Susan to cross.
Susan shook her head. ‘Ah’m aff tae Helen’s.’
The two friends stood close together looking at Susan’s Snoopy Watch. The minute hand was a tennis racquet that swept after a tennis ball counting the seconds.
‘Right, ready?’ Susan said.
‘Five, four, three, two, wan,’ Helen said. ‘Go.’
Then they were off, running together past walking friends towards Helen’s house at the bottom of the town. Their Clarks' shoes clipped as they ran, and their leather satchels bounced on their backs. The route was downhill past the shops, the green grocers, the bakers where the owner was pulling down his shutters, Woolworths, Safeway and the carpark before the bus garage. They made it to the bus garage before they had to slow down.
Susan stopped running and bent over clutching her side.
‘Ah’ve goat a stitch,’ she said, as she kept walking.
Helen slowed and waited for her.
‘A stitch wouldnae stop you. Come oan,’ she said, pulling at Susan’s arm.
The pair began to jog and then as the downhill slope grew steeper they found their strength and flew on. Susan laughed as they burst through the queue for phone box at the bottom. They slowed as they turned right into Helen’s scheme, but then sped up as number thirteen came into view.
They ran along the pavement, through the gate and up the steps. When Helen touched her front door Susan looked at the watch. The tennis racquet had moved seven minutes, and the ball was almost at nine.
‘Seven minutes an forty-four seconds,’ Susan said.
Helen frowned. ‘That’s way over six minutes,’ she said, ‘we couldnae dae it much faster.’
She sat on the front step and dropped her head into her hands.
‘We’ll dae yours the morra, it might be quicker.’
*
The next day the two friends waited with their eyes on Snoopy’s tennis ball as Ina walked out onto the crossing.
‘No yet.’ Susan said.
The other children had crossed, and Ina waited for Susan and Helen who stood on the kerb.
‘Now,’ Helen said, and the pair ran across the road making Ina jump.
‘Sorry,’ Susan said as they sped past.
The route to her house was up hill before going back downhill, making this run harder. They were soon out of breath as they ran up Young Street, and they both had to stop at the Salvation Army Hut. They kept walking but couldn’t run the rest of the hill. When they reached the junction with Shand Street they burst into a sprint, straight downhill to Susan’s house. A stray dog, Trixie ran after them joining their race.
Susan’s mum was standing at the front gate talking to the neighbour as the pair approached. The two women had curlers in their hair covered with head scarves. They folded their arms as they watched the girls run towards them.
‘Sorry, scuse us,’ Helen said as she rushed through the gate with Susan, then up the front steps followed by Trixie who was enjoying this game.
Susan held out her wrist as she reached the top step. They both looked down at the Snoopy watch. The ball had just reached the twelve and the minute hand had tracked five minutes exactly. They sat on the step their sides touching with Trixie.
‘It’s your hoose then,’ Helen said.
‘Sorry,’ Susan said, ‘but we’ll both get a cuddle.’
Susan’s mum walked over to the two girls.
‘What are you two up to now?’ she asked. ‘Who needs a cuddle?’
‘Nae one,’ Susan said, ‘but when the bomb drops we only hiv six minutes.’
Susan’s mum leaned on the handrail to house. ‘But what does that have to do with you two.’
‘My hoose is too far,’ Helen said.
‘We can get here in five minutes. If it’s awe right Helen’ll come hame wae me?’ Susan said, ‘then we both get a cuddle.’