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‘Didn’t take to the homeless life, did ya?’ Aiden smirks. ‘Well you were best away from it.’
‘So how come you’re here?’
‘I told you I’d a job here, didn’t I?’ He gives the chip basket a shake. ‘Luxury accommodation: I kip on the front seats, so I’m guard dog as well.’ He bares his tobacco-stained teeth with a snarl.
‘Hey, a step up from sleeping under plastic,’ Gethin sounds awkward. ‘Does he pay well?’
‘Minimum wage, man, but I get me nosh and all, so no complaints.’ Aiden pulls up the chip basket and shovels them into two polystyrene boxes. Shoves them towards us.
‘That’ll be a fiver. Help yourself to sauces.’
I hand him the cash and shake a load of salt and vinegar on my chips. A little underdone, but I’m saying nowt. Gethin eats slowly, studying a leaflet from the counter.
‘Vote YES for a better deal for the Highlands!’ he reads. ‘Have you taken up the cause now, Aiden?’
Aiden slaps a burger into a bun with some onions.
‘The gaffer is pure on it,’ he says through a mouthful. ‘Latest is he wants to get me spray painting a fucking cliff-side with the Saltire.’
‘Sick!’ Gethin starts.
‘Like I need to get nicked for criminal damage.’
‘Yeah, no,’ Gethin awkward again.
A phone rings from the back of the van and Aiden rushes to answer it.
‘Aye,’ he mumbles, ‘Fucking hell, whales? How big are they? Right. You reckon? OK, I know where you mean. Aye, nae bother, I’ll be fast as fuck.’
He ends the call and turns to us, green eyes wide, cheeks sucked in.
‘Sorry guys, I’ve gotta run.’ He darts to switch off the grill and remove the tray from the counter.
‘Something about whales, right?’ I ask, curious as hell.
‘It’s Iain, the boss man. He’s a volunteer coast guard as well.’ He pulls the counter up on its chain and bolts it to the sides. ‘The boatman at Cape Wrath just spotted a pod of pilot whales stuck in the Kyle.’ He pulls the roller shutter half down. Comes around to the front to secure it with a padlock.
‘What’s the Kyle?’ Gethin asks.
‘It’s like a wee channel just along the coast. The whales swam in there and now they’re stuck.’ Aiden bangs the padlock against the shutter. ‘Fuck this, bastard thing.’
‘Here,’ I take the padlock and ease it through the lock.
Aiden nods and takes his keys. Grabs an old puffer jacket from the van. ‘Right, I’m away. See you around.’
‘Wait,’ Gethin touches him on the arm ‘So, what does your boss want you to do?’
‘I’m to drive his boat round on the trailer so they can start and help the whales now.’ Aiden throws his keys from hand to hand.
‘Will they need any more people to help?’ Gethin asks.
‘They’re waiting for the marine rescue team,’ Aiden says, turning to set off.
‘So, maybe we could all muck in until they get there?’ Gethin walks backwards to keep up with him.
Aiden stops, scowls at Gethin. ‘They didnae ask for no chocolate fireguards.’
‘Aw, can’t we just come with you and see?’ Gethin says, all little boy excited, setting off his dimples and those gorgeous eyes.
