Current Projects – Clyde Side Story

Clyde Side Story is a cultural, romantic fiction piece of 74,000 words, set in present-day Glasgow. Readers who enjoyed works such as ‘The Young Team’, ‘The Cutting Room’ or Booker Prize-winning ‘Shuggie Bain’ may be the most receptive audience. KERRIE MCINNES, a 15-year-old, capricious Glaswegian, falls for ABDUL HUSSEIN, an introverted refugee from Afghanistan. Their union sparks trouble, not least from Kerrie’s family; her father CHAZ and older brother TONY in particular, who are inherently and irreversibly racist.

Kerrie and Abdul begin their relationship in secret, and both are surprised at how quickly they form a deep attachment to each other. It isn’t long before Tony finds out and he attacks and almost kills Abdul as a result. A retaliation attack by Abdul’s older brothers SAYED and PAZIR eventually brings the two families into direct conflict and there is a battle between the deeply rooted racism lingering in ‘old Glasgow’ culture and the desperation of refugees seeking a better life.

The climax of the battle takes place at a carwash, which is the Hussein family business and their livelihood. When Chaz and Tony burn it down, a tragic death ensues but no-one predicts it to be Kerrie’s younger brother NATHAN, an idealistic youth with exciting prospects and an open hatred towards racism of any kind. The world comes crashing down for his mother JEAN, who has been harbouring a secret about the boy since he was conceived.

With colloquial dialogue and gritty detail, the period of the novel is set around the European migrant crisis in 2015. Abdul and Kerrie are facing an age-old challenge, like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, but even putting their families (or ‘houses’) aside, death and racism seems inevitably interlinked.

AUTUMN 
Nathan
‘Jeanie, come here!’

His dad’s nose was almost touching the window as he peered between the blinds and two distorted circles of condensation appeared on the glass as he exhaled through his nostrils.

‘Wit is it?’

‘Jist, come here!’

His mum entered the living room a few seconds later, holding a pair of straighteners. Her long, dark-blonde hair was picture-perfect on one side, but all frizzy on the other, as she’d clearly been interrupted from her Saturday morning routine.

She walked towards the window and stopped a foot or so away from his dad.

‘Well?’ she asked, impatiently.

‘That’s eleven of them I’ve seen go in there now, eleven. Talk aboot fuckin’ stretchy walls.’

His older brother was also in the living room, sprawled across the couch and staring up at the TV on the adjacent wall. A bunch of empty crisp packets and two cans of coke were lying on the floor next to him.  

Nathan tried not to pay attention to what was going on in the room. Instead, he sat curled up on an armchair reading his book.

‘I told that muppet McKenzie no tae sell his hoose tae a bunch of Paki’s. They’re takin’ over the whole neighbourhood!’

‘I remember yi talkin’ tae him aboot it,’ said his mum, moving beside his dad and pulling one of the blinds further to the side so that she could look too. ‘But he needed the money, Chaz. Linda’s been bleedin’ him dry since the divorce.’

‘That’s no ma problem,’ his dad retorted.

‘It’s a shame it’s no a nice Scottish family movin’ in, I agree with yi oan that. But if some’dy wis offerin’ you ten grand more than anyb’dy else, you’d have probably done the same.’

‘Would I fuck. Unlike McKenzie, I actually give a shit aboot the neighbours I’m leavin’ behind. No that I’ll ever have tae worry aboot it anyway. It doesn’t matter how hard I knock ma pan in, I’ll be stuck in a council hoose till I’m carted ootae it in a fuckin’ box.’

Nathan noticed her giving his dad an understanding smile and he rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what she was thinking: his dad might have had faults, but he worked hard to provide for the family.

‘McKenzie’s a sell oot, an’ that’s all there is tae it,’ he went on. ‘He pisses aff tae the land of luxury and we’re left sharin’ the street with these Paki bastards.’

Nathan couldn’t help releasing an audible snort.

‘I wouldn’t call Clydebank the land of luxury, Chaz,’ said his mum. ‘I’m no sayin’ Yoker’s the best, but at least we know the folk…’

‘Wit’s your problem?’ his dad barked towards him.

He decided to ignore him at first, partially hoping he would let it go.

‘Ho!’ he added, after a few seconds had passed.

Nathan looked up. ‘Sorry?’ he asked, with a feigned look of innocence.

‘I said, wit’s your problem?’

He sighed at first, knowing what he was about to say would be pointless. But there was a defiance in him too, which wasn’t so easily extinguished.

‘How dae yi even know they’re fae Pakistan?’ he said.

‘Wit?’ replied his dad, in a dangerously low voice.

Nathan could see his mum giving him a warning shake of the head, but he just ignored her.

‘I said, I bet they’re no even fae Pakistan.’

His brother sprang up and clattered him across the back of the head with one of his shovel-like hands. The sting of the impact was quickly followed by a dull ringing in his ears.

‘Shut it yi wee fanny,’ he said cruelly. ‘Same Paki, different trackie, right da?’

‘Tony!’ exclaimed his mum. ‘Don’t lift yir hawns tae yir wee brother!’

His dad just smiled. ‘He was askin’ fir it, Jean.’

‘Naw, he wisnae,’ she persisted. ‘Are yi awright, Nathan?’

‘Jist leave me alone,’ he replied, fiercely fighting a flood of tears and quickly wiping away an escaped one. Tony had given him many hidings over the years, but he wasn’t a little kid anymore and couldn’t start crying in front of everyone. 

‘Sometimes I wonder where he came fae,’ muttered his dad, resuming his position at the window.

‘Both of yi are too hard oan him,’ said his mum, glowering at them one after the other. She snatched the crisp packets off the floor and just stared at the coke cans, realising she wouldn’t be able to lift them whilst still holding the straighteners. Tony had already flung himself back on the couch, not even noticing her predicament.

‘Wit’s wrang with yi, Nathan?’ came a new voice from the living room doorway.

It belonged to his sister, Kerrie, who was standing confidently, with her hands on her hips. She looked like she’d also been busy styling her long blonde hair, with the way it seemed to be sitting perfectly. A wave of female-smelling products also swept into the room, consisting mostly of peaches and strawberries from what he could tell.

Nathan immediately felt more confident with her presence. He probably would have left the room if she hadn’t come in. She was also older than he was and knew when he was upset, despite him trying to hide it.

‘Jist Tony, usin’ him as a punch bag again,’ said his mum.

‘He better no’ve been,’ Kerrie replied, staring at Tony on the couch and raising one eyebrow. She was also slim, but not to the extent of their mum and him.

Tony sniggered, his eyes fixed on the TV again.

Nathan thought for the millionth time about how similar his couch-potato brother was to his stocky dad at the window. They were like two peas in a pod: same strong build, identical dark-coloured hair; they even had the same gazing expression on their faces, at that moment at least. 

He, on the other hand, looked nothing like them, a fact he was relieved about. He was much thinner, and his hair colour was more closely matched with his mum’s. It was usually ruffled and untidy too, not unlike the unfinished side of hers.

‘Why don’t yi try hittin’ some’dy who’s no afraid tae hit back?’ she spat.

Tony continued smirking but didn’t rise to Kerrie’s challenge. He knew better than anyone that she was no pushover like Nathan. And Nathan himself, would be the first one to agree. 

‘Jist shut it, Kerrie, right?’ said their dad from the window. ‘We’ve got more important things tae be dealin’ with.’

‘Oh, wit is it noo, da?’ she asked dismissively, not taking her eyes off Tony as she passed the couch. ‘Is some’dy parkin’ in yir space again?’

‘I wish that’s all it wis.’

Kerrie peered out the window next to their dad.

‘Wit?’ she asked.

‘Fuckin’ Paki invasion, in Brian McKenzie’s old hoose.’

Kerrie rolled her eyes.

‘So what?’

‘So what?’ he repeated. ‘You’re jist as bad as that wee shit over there.’

Nathan narrowed his eyes at the insult.

‘Whatever,’ she said, turning away from the window and heading towards the living room door, rubbing Nathan on the shoulder as she did. ‘How dae yi put up with him?’ she muttered as she passed their mum.

Her mum gave her a look which seemed to say she often thought the same and then followed her out the room.

His dad resumed staring out the window and beyond the sounds from the TV, the room was silent for a couple of minutes.

Nathan wasn’t about to hang around in the absence of his mum and Kerrie and got up to leave too.

‘I’m tellin’ yi, son, this place is goin’ right tae the dogs,’ his dad muttered.

Nathan decided to linger outside in the hall for a few minutes and listen.

‘What’s that da?’ asked Tony.

He heard him get up from the couch and he peered cautiously into the room.

Standing side by side at the window, they were pretty much the same height, but where Tony’s build was mostly muscle, his dad had obvious bulges of fat in places, especially around his belly which always seemed to enter the room ahead of him. He also wore glasses on his pig-like face which, if genes were anything to go by, were a certainty to come for Tony, probably sooner rather than later given the number of hours he spent staring at screens.

‘That lot,’ he said. ‘It’s jist the fuckin’ start.’

‘I wouldn’t worry aboot it too much da. It’s no like they’re gonnae be made welcome roon aboot here. I’ll give them six months, tops.’

He slapped their dad on the back and returned to the couch, Nathan quickly ducking his head back round the door as he did. ‘I dae worry aboot it though,’ his dad persisted. ‘They don’t fuckin’ belong here. And the sooner they piss off back tae wherever they came fae, the better.’