It wasn’t like him to be away for so long, at least not without saying why. I wondered whether something had happened. Maybe he had had to help his brothers with their fishing? Sometimes when they returned with big catches he would stay at home without asking permission. Large cliques sat at the tables in the common room, telling each other what they had done at the weekend. Some lads were playing cards, gin rummy or twenty-one, shouting over each other’s heads and generally whingeing that there were five whole days left until Friday. A couple of Glommen kids disappeared out into the corridor, so it was clear the school bus had arrived. I put my PE bag in my locker, as well as the plastic carrier bag with the Walkman wrapped inside. ‘Did you have a good weekend?’ someone behind me asked. It was Ola. He had snuck up without my noticing. ‘It was okay.’ ‘That’s nice to hear. Hung out with your retarded brother, maybe? Or with Tommy? Or that cripple you’re mates with?’ ‘I was at home.’ ‘Okay.
