Pigeon English Read Online Free PDF Page B

him a suspect except it was the butcher and he was too fat to be the killer. He's just mean with everybody. We had to give up after that because they were bringing the coffin out again. They nearly dropped it, one of the carriers was in his bottle and he nearly fell over. Everybody held their breath but they got themselves straight again just in time. There was nearly a ruckus at the end. Killa came along on his bike. He couldn't get through all the cars in the car park. He went all wobbly trying to get in between them and the funeral car nearly ran him over on its way out. It only stopped at the last minute. Killa slipped in the rain and fell off his bike.
    Funeral man: 'Watch where you're going!'
    I thought there'd be blows or at least Killa would give the man his dirty finger but he just got back on his bike and rode away quick quick. He went wobbly again when he went past the back of the car where the coffin was. The flowers on the coffin said Son and Forever. But it felt like Forever was already finished. It felt like somebody took it away when they killed the dead boy. It's not supposed to happen. Children aren't supposed to die, only old people. It even made me worried for if I was next. I spat out the rest of my Atomic Apple Hubba Bubba for if I swallowed it by mistake and my guts all got stuck together.
    ***
    The steps outside the cafeteria belong to the Dell Farm Crew. Nobody else is allowed to sit there. They're the best spot in the whole school. They're under the roof so you don't get wet when it rains and you can see the whole school from there so your enemy can't sneak up on you. Only Year 11 can even go near there and only if X-Fire invites you.
    If you sit on the steps without permission you'll get dirty blows. Even if there's enough room for everybody, you don't own the steps. The Dell Farm Crew own them. They won them in a war. Now the steps belong to them forever.
    They're called the Dell Farm Crew after Dell Farm Estate. X-Fire is the leader because he's the best at basketball and fighting. Everybody agrees. He has chooked the most people. He stole my bag. I was only walking past. I wasn't even suspecting it.
    Dizzy: 'Chuck it on the roof, man.'
    X-Fire: 'Do you want it?'
    Me: 'Yes.'
    X-Fire: 'What you gonna do for it?'
    Everybody was watching. I stopped trying to get my bag back. I knew I'd never reach it because his arm was too high. I was just going to tell the teachers that an eagle came down and stole it.
    X-Fire: 'What country you from anyway?'
    Me: 'Ghana.'
    Dizzy: 'Do the cops have guns there? They do, innit.'
    Clipz: 'They make their houses out of cowshit, innit. I seen it.'
    X-Fire: 'Don't be a dick, man. He's alright. Tell you what, you can have your bag back if you do a job for me.'
    Me: 'I don't need a job. I just lock the doors and carry the heavy things.'
    Killa: 'What's he on about? You're funny, man.'
    Dizzy: 'If you roll with us we'll show you the times. We'll look out for you, innit.'
    X-fire can throw the basketball miles. He always scores. I can't even score because the basketball's too heavy. I think they put a rock inside it to trick you. I just dribble then pass it to Chevon or Brayden. When I'm Year 11 my muscles will be big like X-Fire's. I'm already the fastest. I could be the strongest as well.
    X-Fire gave me my bag back in the end. It was a mighty relief.
    X-Fire: 'Keep it real, Ghana. You get any shit, you come to me, yeah?'
    I didn't want any shit, I just wanted to get my chop before Manik stole it all. You're not allowed to eat with your fingers, you have to use the fork or the dinner ladies will ban you. I still use my fingers sometimes, just to make the pile on the fork. Nobody can stop you, it's a free country.

    One lady who lives in the never-normal flats drives a chair car. It's just a chair on wheels. You just sit in it and drive it like a car except instead of a steering wheel it has handlebars. I'd love to drive it one time. It only goes slow though.
    She was going