Free Dumfries by Ian Todd Page A

interest in Johnboy, withoot gaun oot ae his way tae make it clear that his overtones wur friendly, so hid tae be dealt wae as quickly and as effectively by Johnboy as the circumstances allowed.
      “Right, there will be nae talking in the church before, during or efter the service.  This is an opportunity fur aw youse tae start repenting before it’s too late,” a big, fat, pock-mark-faced, senior screw growled, as the line ae YOs squeezed past him through the door intae the church.
    Johnboy felt his brain kick and whirr in tae overdrive.  He knew Silent’s wid be daeing the same, despite the lack ae visible communication being forthcoming since his talk wae the big glaikit turnkey and the Irish brothers doon in the dungeons ae the High Court.  The church wis aboot fifty yards deep and aboot twenty wide, wae an aisle running doon the centre ae it.  The untried boys wur awready in and seated and took up the first ten rows ae the pews at the front.  The screws wordlessly motioned the convicted YOs tae sit in the middle ae the rows oan the right as they arrived through the door, leaving a big enough gap between them and the untried YOs further doon, tae keep anywan fae passing o’er any illicit contraband.
      Jist before Silent turned intae his row, he doubled back and filled the gap in front ae Johnboy efter the fat senior pock-faced screw motioned The Scowler tae go and sit oan the third row oan the left haun side, away fae everywan else.  That jist confirmed tae Johnboy that something wisnae right and that the basturt needed watching.
      “See that big basturt sitting across there oan his lonesome, Silent?” Johnboy whispered, nodding across the aisle. “Where hiv we clocked him before?  Every time ma cell door gets opened, when the grub arrives, the basturt stauns there, scowling at me, so he dis,” Johnboy said, as Silent looked across at the segregated YO.  “Ah feel like diving across there and laying intae the basturt, so Ah dae.”
    “Hoi, Ginger-nut?  Ye’re no here tae jist sit and chat wae yer pals,” the fat SO hissed fae behind them.
      “It might jist be ma imagination, bit, if Ah could jist work oot where it wis that Ah clocked that face before, Ah’d know fur certain,” Johnboy murmured, in frustration, ignoring the fat twat, as he looked aboot, taking in the lay ae the land.
      Johnboy quickly glanced behind him efter the doors intae the church rattled oan their hinges as the SO slammed them shut.  Three screws, including the fat senior wan, wur aw lounging aboot, unashamedly demonstrating tae anywan who wis in the least bit interested, whit a bunch ae slovenly, lazy basturts looked like, jist inside the door.  There wur five empty rows ae pews in front ae the screws tae where Johnboy and Silent wur perched.  Apart fae Johnboy, Silent and the baby bear, sitting oan the pews opposite them, there wur fifteen convicted Her Majesty’s Pleasure boys, who aw still hid that shell-shocked look aboot them, that Johnboy hid first noticed when he’d witnessed them arriving doon intae the dungeons in the High Court efter being sentenced tae life.  Johnboy knew maist ae them fae their trips up and doon tae the High Court fae the Bar-L when they’d aw been oan remand.  Three ae them, a set ae sixteen-year-auld twins and their seventeen-year-auld brother hid goat sentenced tae HMP, alang wae two ae their other mates, who’d goat sentenced tae life. Only wan ae them hid done the actual stabbing that hid killed a member ae a rival gang across in Kinning Park. It didnae make any sense tae Johnboy.   Wan solitary, fatal stabbing wound and five ae them ended up being sent doon fur the next ten years.  Whit wis aw that aboot, he wondered, looking across tae the pews across fae them. The Scowler wis sitting wae his eyes shut as if he wis taking a nap, or maybe he wis praying.  Why the special treatment?   If he wis a stoat-the-baw, in jail fur humping some wean or shagging a