boy A - Jonathan Trigell
PERSONEN
Jack Burridge (in the case as Boy A) → the name he chose himself from a book; The Big
Book of Boys’ Names. Normal but cool, that’s why he likes it.
- the job that Terry got him is with a distribution firm, delivering supplies.
- hasn’t trusted the news since John Craven
Terry → he knows Jack’s birth name. They met when he was called simply A. He’s old
enough to be Jack’s dad. Zeb is his son.
Kelly Whalley → Terry’s nephew. She’s a nurse. She has a cat; Marble.
Chris → driver’s mate of Jack at work. He calls everyone by pet names (Jack is Dodger).
Steve the mechanic → everyone calls him like that because there are four Steves at work so
every Steve is given the full title.
Michelle (White Whale) → from work
- After the Christmas party (held in January → cheaper) a few went back to Claire’s
and somehow they got into a sort of game where everyone had to say what they’d
miss most if they got banged up. And Michelle says: ‘I don’t know… maybe dick.’ And
Claire thought she said Moby Dick. Hence the White Whale - maybe dick.
- She lives in a flat, which she calls town house, but she seems at home in her car.
Driving relaxes her; she drives when she needs to think.
A’s father → an occasional demolition fireman, firmly middle class, he worked on the rig.
- his love changed while she was pregnant and there was a blockage between them.
A’s mother → the daughter of a miner
- A felt the death of his mother like when his father had taken down the hallway miroir.
He had always glanced in it when he went past, but also for weeks when it was gone
and the space always filled him with a yearning dread.
B → had always been an Outlaw. He was a starer and his stares created discomfort.
Everything became much pleasanter when he wasn’t there. His brother was a bread-stealer,
who worked as a co-operative for burglaries and beatings (Anthill Mob).
- in prison they called him Smith-678, Smith Stank as false name
- His brother is known around town as a man not to be messed with.
Personal Officier (PO) → the screw he was supposed to go with his problems.
Angela Milton → a normal girl, ten years old and would never be any older.
- She was molested and murdered on the bank of the Byrne. Under clear skies, in
broad day, she had been trailed, trapped and dragged along a gravel path. She was
slashed, with many strokes and slung into the water.
Dave Vernon → the owner of DV Deliveries
Hacendo → A and his life rhymed; both their fathers were abroad and their mothers dead.
Elizabeth → she had worked in prison when she first qualified. She couldn’t help feeling
jealous of her husband’s success. She was always the clever one, but his hard work had
eclipsed her brilliance.
, SAMENVATTING
A is for Apple. A Bad Apple.
Jack and Terry walk the last few streets to Jack’s new home. It was the day he was released
from prison. Terry has found him a room and a job. In the house is Kelly Whalley. Terry would
stay the night, just in case. The house rules are just common sense and courtesy. Together
they study the Sunday night football round-up. And despite the unfamiliarity of everything
around him, he feels safe, because he knows he is the apple of his uncle’s eye. Each day for
fifteen, Terry is going to pick Jack up at 7:30 am, the time he’ll soon be picked up for work,
and show him another alien angle of life.
B is for Boy. A Boy named B.
Once A was walking home with one shoe, because his other shoe was in a tree. He couldn’t
tell his parents the truth, because of shame, so he told them that he was playing football
with his friends and the ball got caught in a tree and they all threw their shoes to get it
down and his got stuck. But the truth was that he was bullied by a group of such diversity
and size that he seemed to have no moments of freedom. When he met B, he smashed a
bottle through the trees and over the church wall, towards a road. They hide in the church.
When it was safe to leave, B stole a hymn book and at the end of the road stood 3 figures, 3
boys from A’s class. B wouldn’t go another way to avoid them, but it was already too late.
They are trapping them against the wall of the house. B punched one of the boys hard in
the face, then again on the back of the head, like he learned from his brother. The second