Zehrunisa I’ve made mistakes. I know that. I’ve made mistakes from the start. You’re looking for the right person. They’re out there somewhere. Waiting to be bribed. Money! Money, yes, of course, money of course, but in whose hand? I spend the whole day visiting relatives. I tell them, I’ve sold our back room, now I’m selling the store room, I say. I keep telling them: we need money for lawyers, we need money for bail. They look at me, pitiless. I know what they’re thinking. ‘You should have paid the first bribe. On the first day. The very first one. If you’d paid the first bribe none of this would have happened.’

Zehrunisa Officer, I’m sorry …

Fish-Lips What the hell happened?

Zehrunisa I can explain. Forgive me.

Fish-Lips Where the fuck have you been? We had an arrangement, remember?

Zehrunisa Of course I remember. I’m very grateful, officer.

Fish-Lips It’s up to you. If Abdul isn’t a juvenile, then he’s in trouble. If he’s an adult, he goes to Arthur Road Jail. If you want to say goodbye to your son, or if you want him to come out a cripple. It happens.

To me, he looks like a grown-up.

Zehrunisa I really don’t think he is. He’s worked his whole life. He never went to school.

Fish-Lips You really don’t know how old he is?

Zehrunisa I do remember one thing about his birth. It was about the time Saddam Hussein was killing people. I remember Saddam Hussein was doing bad things.

Fish-Lips Well that narrows it down.

Zehrunisa Thank you.

Fish-Lips That really helps.

Zehrunisa I stopped in the road. He was born outside the Inter-Continental Hotel. He didn’t look like a baby. I looked down, he was in a pile of dirt, he looked like a rat.

Fish-Lips That’s a nice hotel.

Zehrunisa It is.

Fish-Lips I’ll tell you what I’m going to do for you.

Zehrunisa Thank you.

Fish-Lips I’m going to find you a school certificate. Do you know what that is? Saying he attended this school or that. Saying which class he was in.

Zehrunisa How old are you going to make him?

Fish-Lips I was thinking sixteen. Shall we? Sixteen seems right.

Zehrunisa It may even be true.

Fish-Lips He can avoid prison. He can go to Dongri. The Youth Detention Centre.

Zehrunisa How’s that?

Fish-Lips It isn’t too bad. Considering.

Zehrunisa He’ll be pleased. For the first time in his life, Abdul’ll know his age.

Guard All right, everyone, time to get up. Get to it. Let’s get going. Come on.

Husain, are you going to wash? Are you refusing to wash?

If you don’t wash, you don’t get breakfast.

Abdul I don’t wash every day.

Guard Why not?

Abdul Because there’s no point. I work in rubbish. I just get dirty again.

Guard What is it? Some kind of protest?

Abdul No.

Guard We don’t have protests.

This one gets nothing.

First Boy You’re being stupid. It’s the first rule.

Abdul What is?

First Boy In Dongri. Don’t do anything stupid. Why aren’t you washing? Everyone washes.

Abdul And what’s the second?

First Boy What?

Abdul If there’s more than one rule?

First Boy The second is that you’re guilty.

Abdul Guilty?

First Boy Yeah. Whatever you did. Doesn’t matter. Just say you did it. It’s easier. It’s just much easier. ‘Did you do it?’ ‘I did.’ ‘I did.’

‘Did you steal that saucepan?’

All I did. I did.

First Boy ‘Did you steal that radio?’

All We did. We did.

First Boy ‘Did you steal that bicycle?’ ‘Did you kill your father?’ ‘Did you strangle your mother?’ ‘Did you rape your sister?’

All Guilty. Guilty.

First Boy You see, there you are. If anyone asks you, just own up.

Abdul Why?

First Boy Because, it’s obvious, that’s what they want. Give them what they want! Why not? It’s a waste of time claiming you’re innocent.

Guard All right, everyone, this morning you have a teacher.

No, really, every day you’re meant to have a class. Well, today for once you do.

Second Boy Who is he?

Guard He’s called the Master. Face this way.

All right, sit and wait here. He’s coming.

First Boy I don’t believe it. What a fucking waste of time.