Page 55 of Our Secrets and Lies

The boy’s voice quivered. Billy’s heart went out to him. He was a good kid, just had a lot of energy that needed to be channelled. Billy had known kids like Ollie growing up – kids who’dhad more energy than they knew what to do with. Kids who’d hated sitting at a desk for six hours a day. A lot of them had got into trouble in later life. You had to harness the energy in a positive way. The kid needed to focus on something, occupy his mind.

‘Lookit, Ollie, you’re a good lad. I was a bit like you when I was a boy,’ Billy lied. ‘My uncle Johnny, who was a carpenter,taught me howto make things. It helped me to focus my mind. Why don’t I teach you a few basics? Stand here beside me at this workbench.’

Billy showed Ollie how to cut plywood with a handsaw, supervising him like a hawk while he did it. Ollie still ended up sawing through the sleeve of Billy’s jumper and almost his skin. Luckily, Billy pulled his arm away just in time.

They managed to make a lopsided box.Billy decided to glue it together rather than involve nails or hammers or any other implements that could cause serious bodily harm.

Ollie held up the finished box and beamed. ‘Deadly!’

‘What will you do with it?’

‘I’ll give it to Dad to put stuff in.’

‘Good idea.’

‘Maybe he’ll forget about the glasses when he sees this.’

Billy patted his shoulder. ‘I’m sure he will.’

‘Is there anythingto drink in there?’ Ollie eyed up the small fridge.

‘Only water for you and beer for me.’

‘That’s cool. I’ve given up fizzy drinks anyway. It’s important to keep hydrated and water is the best thing for that. By the way, Billy, if you ever get locked in here and you have a heart attack or a stroke or one of those things that happens to old people, and you can’t get out or call for help and you’restuck here for days and you run out of water, you can drink your own pee.’

Billy spluttered on his beer. ‘Thanks for the heads-up. Hopefully, if I do have an old person’s issue, one of my daughters or grandchildren would notice me missing.’

Ollie sipped his water. ‘Maybe, but it’s good to have a backup plan.’

Billy looked at his watch. ‘It’s nine o’clock. Shouldn’t you be heading home?’

Olliesighed. ‘Not yet. Mum and Shannon are watchingGossip Girlagain and it’s so boring. Dad’s working late on a job. Can I stay for a few more minutes?’

‘Okay. Finish up your water and I’ll see you home.’

‘Billy?’

‘Yes?’

‘Do you think I could call in here sometimes, like, to hang out and stuff?’

Billy wanted to say no. In one hour the kid had nearly sawn his arm off. But his little face waseagerly staring up at him. ‘Sure, Ollie. Not all the time, mind you, but maybe once a week. How does that sound?’

‘Deadly.’ Ollie beamed at him. ‘I’ll see you next week same time. We can make a skateboard or something cool.’

Billy walked him to the front gate, then watched him run up the road and into his house. So much for a quiet night. He turned and went back to his shed to have one morebeer and listen to Frank’s soothing voice.

---