MORNING SERIAL
VISTING times were the best. Salim’s mother came to see him every weekday so Pigeon had the room to himself. His mam never came. It was too far, and difficult for her on the bus. He sent her letters still and now his caseworker’d got in touch with her. She was doing better. She was doing better now they said. That was good. Perhaps she’d be able to hear him and speak to him when he came home.
One time Salim took Pigeon with him to see his mother. They walked into the visiting area. Pigeon had never been there before. It was all chairs and tables, and people in little groups, sitting. Pigeon could see Neil there, talking to a man with hair full of gel. Neil had a real life too. Pigeon felt glad about it. Neil had a real life too. All this was just a bit of it. Tem-po-ra-ry, he thought.
“This way,” said Salim. “That’s her over there.”
Salim’s mum was dressed in clothes like an Arab woman on the telly. She stood up and smiled at Salim. She kissed his cheeks like a mother would. She spoke to him like a mother in quick bubbling Urdu.
“Mum, this is my friend, Pigeon,” said Salim, shyly.
Pigeon didn’t know what to do. He wanted her to like him. He extended a hand. That was what you did when you were grown up, wasn’t it?
She stepped towards him, and she kissed him on the cheek just like she had with Salim. Her face was soft and kind, and as she kissed him she held his shoulders.
“Thank you,” she said smiling, with eyes like summer. “Thank you for being a friend to Salim.”
Pigeon could feel himself starting to cry. He could feel the shaking travelling up from his feet to his hips and up his back. He couldn’t do it. Pigeon ran out. “Pigeon!” he could hear Salim shouting after him. The wardens stepped aside to let him pass. Pigeon ran back to the room, and threw himself on the bed. He bit his own hand to stop the tears. They couldn’t see him cry. They couldn’t.
After that Pigeon decided visiting times were the best, because he could read the books and be alone in the room. But he’d finished the space book now.