I heard her screaming and Ah came in and he wis . . . '
'Da, stop it.'
‘And he's turned me into a - '
'Da. He wis bad, he wis allus bad. And the only wan who never saw it was oor Cath until she'd married him. Today wisnae the first time, Da. She told Ellen things eftir he'd gone the last time that, well, if Ah'd known them whin he wis here Ah'd ha done whit you did. We're all better off withoot him. Specially Cath and the bairn.'
'Oh God. D'ye think the bairn saw anything?'
'Naw, Da, he's too young. He won't know any of this. We’ll make sure o’ that.’
Second Stage: Glasgow 1943
'Mammy, you know how John McIntyre doesnae have a daddy eethir? He says his daddy wis a hero. Wis my daddy a hero?' Catherine was bent over, tying her son's shoelaces for school. She aimed her reply to the floor.
'John's daddy wis a soldier in the war, pet. Ah've told you before. Your daddy went away before the war. We don't know where he went.'
'But John said there wis other wars too. His uncle didn't fight in this war because he'd went to Spain and he got hurt there. Do you think that's why my daddy didn't fight in the war?'
Catherine stood up but hunched herself round Hugh, tucking his shirt in as an excuse to hold him close. 'Well, Ah don't know if your