Read Hymn From A Village for Free Online

Wilson seemed to me like walking into the lion’s den all covered in gravy.
    If he knew about his brother, he was hardly going to be full of his usual peace and love.
    “What the fuck do you want?” he said as I was shown in to his office. I’d never seen the place in the daylight before. I was impressed.
    I pointed to the wires on my teeth that were holding my jaw in place and pointed over to his laptop.
    He wheeled over his computer chair. As soon as my buttocks hit the seat he pushed me towards the desk.
    I opened Word. Was faced by a big white glare from the new page. First thing I did was the first thing I always do, changed the background to tan.
    As I wrote I kept Bart within my field of vision. Watched him take something out of his inside pocket. It was either a cigarette or a gun.
    Bart doesn’t smoke. Things weren’t looking good.
    “Didn’t think I’d see you ever again,” he said, rubbing the barrel of his pistol across his forehead. “This is the plank I was telling you about, Gerry.”
    Gerry was the spitting image of Bart only he was half as tall and twice as wide. The only other difference as far as I could see was the piece missing from his ear. “Thought he didn’t have anything to give us.”
    “That’d be right. Gave him the works and he didn’t budge a bloomin’ inch.” He’d never talked like that before. It was as if he’d come over all Michael Caine.
    I set to type as quickly as possible, but that’s not very fast on account of all the breaks I’ve had in my fingers. “I didn’t say nothing because I didn’t feel nothing.”
    “You know Ger, this prick is really pissing me off.”
    “Can’t feel pain. Never could.”
    Before I could do anything, he grabbed my wrist and pinned it to the table. “Show me.”
    The blast was loud. I felt something touch my palm and felt it go away. I picked up my arm and looked down at the desk. A small, circular hole had appeared at the edge of its green leather top. It was singed at the edges and let out tiny curls of smoke.
    I lifted up my hand. There was a hole there too. Held it up to my face. Looked through the space like it was a Judas Peephole. Looked Bart straight in the eye and smiled.
    As if to prove a point, I made sure I used my left hand for the rest of my typing.
    Midnight Thursday and there wasn’t a star to be seen. A mist in the air brought the vision down to fifty metres. Couldn’t even see the Post Office tower. It was cold enough to keep most of our homo-sexual brethren indoors.
    Jamie Ray came up the hill whistling some Elvis. Sounded cheerful. Full of life. I guessed that meant Pinky was all right.
    I’d called her in the afternoon. Just listened. It was good to hear her voice. She’d see me at the airport, she said. Jamie-Ray would tell me about the arrangements.
    I felt the urge to go along. Give her a hug. Let her know I was helping her in my own way, only I had to sit on it in case Bart was having me followed. Didn’t want to blow the whole thing by being impatient.
    “You boy,” Jamie-Ray said as he came over and gave me a hug. “You are a fucking genius.”
    He was definitely right about that one.
    “Pinky sends her love. Told me to give you this.” He leant over and kissed me on the cheek. I caught a whiff of booze and fags from his mouth. Gestured to him to give me a smoke. He got out one for both of us.
    That was good. I didn’t want him going out without a cigarette to hold.
    We both took long drags. Watched the clouds mix in with the mist, then he pointed to the bag.
    “You got everything I asked for?”
    I reached down, picked it up and opened the zip. That and a little bit more, I thought.
    I gave him his passport. He flicked right to the back and took an admiring look at his photograph. “Haven’t lost it, eh sport?”
    When he looked up again, it was into the barrel of the gun. I didn’t smile. Didn’t feel a thing. Pulled the trigger like they’d shown me and set off down the hill.
    When I