DOUGHBOY

doughboy intro

doughboy 1st

doughboy 2nd

doughboy 3rd

doughboy 4th

Doughboy 4 ...

Listen. You left home at 16. You joined the army at 16. You went to war at 17. You had not even had a drivin lesson, but you did know how to use a bullet-chucker. These days you have to wait till you are 18 before you are allowed to go to war. So it is not somethin that I cud copy. Unless I move to the Congo or Posh Side. Round there you sort of have to join a gang or a army at the age of 14.

Had badboys in your day, agreed, but in them days it was all football hooligans wi haircuts like curtains, carryin craft knives n ½ bricks. These days it is all bluetooth communicatin n modified semi-automatics from Croatia. Point is. Not comparin me to you. There are things I have done n things you have not. The world is the world, it spins n spins then it is another year. Since wot happened have done a lot more listenin n lettin others do the talkin. Ha ha. No surprises there. Bridie is the main 1 who does the talkin. She took time off work to do some lookin after me. Feedin me tommy soup etc. She does not need a excuse to talk to me bout everythin n the price of onions.
You started smoking at 13, had your 1st girlfriend at 14. Embassy no.6 + Caroline Miller. Then it was Jenni Tinger – or somethin. Then you sort of got into the army idea n everythin else sort of got ignored. You went to the Army recruitin office n asked bout signin up. If you cud join Army school or somethin. They told you to come back in 3 years.

Is any of this true?

Bridie thought it was just a sort of *Action Man* thing. Playin out playin games.

“Have to protect our country. Duty. Some 1 has to do it etc.” You were very worried by communistas. They were everywhere in those days. Wantin to take over the world etc. Afghanistan ha ha ha. “I will fight em on the football pitches, I will fight em in our chip shops, I will fight em over peas.” You liked Britain you did. You have always had a deep love of your country, so it is funny that you never spend any time here. Maybe that is why you still like it.

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You whined n made Bridie buy you a pair of 13 hole Doctor Marten boots. You got some jungle camouflage pants. Had your head shaved to the bone like a skinhead. Not coz of wantin to be a racist. Coz of wantin to be a army fellow. Coz that is the haircut to have. You did everythin coz of that 1 reason. Sold your bike, bought a air rifle. Got a scuzzy old khaki paratrooper jacket from Oxfam.

Bridie says when you were 14, you n your mate Kev Osbourne wud go out on a Friday night n climb over the fence into the South Pongsight allotment n crawl round on your bellies like snipers behind enemy lines. Stayin out all night, sleepin in your bivvy bags, hidden away behind a row of cabbages. Pair of you top n tailed together for warmth. Boot polish rubbed on your faces like little commandoes. Tired out from runnin all over town, garden hoppin n goin on *missions*. 1 of you havin to stay awake to keep look-out. Unless it got too cold. Then you went round his house n slept in the shed. It was the *Cold War* so suppose it was sort of good practice. Or else I hope you had a woolly hat n thick socks on. You wud tell Bridie you was stayin wi Kev. He wud tell his dad he was stayin at yours. Pair of you spyin on other kids out drinkin cider in the park, smokin joints, havin party *party* time. Doin wheelies on their bikes, playin football, getting love bites n chinese burns of the girls who were hangin round smokin n lookin cold. Callum Driscoll n Kev Osbourne hidin in the bushes watchin. Hidden from the world. Black faces n silent hand signals. Or else you wud go down by the canal. 1 of you holdin a torch. 1 of you firin the air rifle at rats. Practisin bein a death squad.

It is a bit of a story tho. Sort of think she is makin some of those bits up. I should of learned to crawl round n keep my head down, maybe might not have got into so much trouble. Ho ho. But is crawlin round in the allotment really somethin a youth does when he is 14? Even in the past, in the history days when you lived? Does not seem like somethin that he lets his mum know bout if he does. Sort of thing I might of wanted to do when I was like 9 or 10, but you never gonna be allowed to stay out all night at that age. Bridie also said you started havin problems at school. Classroom disruption etc. Did not like goin! Ha ha! The boot was on a different foot, but it fitted you the same way it fits me. Even if for different reasons.

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go back to where you were

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