Scab

Their words stung like ice in the wounds of a dead man. Go on, admit you're a scab. There was 5 of them stood there. They were meant to be my mates. In that moment it changed forever.

Scab.

Do you know what that word means? I do. I remember the 1983/4 miners strike. You were mostly older than me so you will to. You got the meaning wrong; I never crossed a picket line. No. I did overtime to pay to get married. It was August 95. I was de-boxing fat on the mixing deck in the bakery. Normally I was a storeman or stacker driver. Years before I worked in both depts. Guess the lads didn't want me there. I never talked to them after that incident. It wasn't a joke, not funny.

Scab.

People were killed over that word 30 or so years ago. It still divides communities today - who passed the picket line, who didn't. If someone called you a scab, what would you do? Maybe I should of reported it, given them a history lesson on what a cunt Thatcher was or stabbed them up with the butter knife.

Scab.

I was called it. A nasty word like cunt. Would they remember doing it? Admit or deny? It doesn't matter now. Jimmy forgives and moves on in life but he won't forget. He says don't ever let anyone call you scab. Fuck them up if they do.