by Drew Black
After a few seconds of deliberation, Jack succumbed; "Alright then let me get my coat." Jess motioned to go too, tail wagging. "No, you stay here Jess." Jack said kindly. Jess gave a half whimper, but obediently jumped back on the sofa.
"See you in a bit then." Jack said wearing a nervous smile.
"Okay love, don't be late."
"That's a turn up for the books," Helen said to her mother, "Tom Ford calling for our Jack. I'm really pleased that he's making friends, mind."
"Hmm, I hope he's alright. I do worry about him." Victoria replied going back about her work.
The boys headed out across the fields. "You okay after today, the Jenkins thing I mean?" Tom asked.
"Yes, thanks." Jack replied, head down, kicking at the grass with his feet. Jack felt a little awkward as they walked. What did Tom Ford want with someone like him, he hoped that it wasn’t some kind of trick?
Tom was a tough-locking boy. He had short cropped blonde hair, and a face that although handsome always seemed to carry a scowl upon it. "Come on, I'll race you to the lake." Tom enthused.
"Oh, I’m not supposed to run on account of my--" but Tom was off. Without thinking Jack ran after him, and to his surprise he soon caught up and then even passed him. Jack felt absolutely fantastic with the wind in his face, his heart pounding. He reached the rocks near the lake, stopped and turned to see where Tom was. All of a sudden, Tom rugby tackled him, and the boys rolled over in the grass laughing.
"Christ, you can't half run fast," Tom said panting, "where did you learn to run like that?"
Jack propped himself up on one elbow and dug in his pocket for his inhaler. "I’m not supposed to run on account of my asthma." he replied inhaling deeply on it.
"Let me try it."
Jack cautiously handed it over.
"Oh god." Tom spluttered, "It's awful. How does that make you feel better?"
"I don't know, it just does." Tom returned the inhaler much to Jack's relief.
"Come on see who can do the most skims." Tom said getting to his feet. Jack actually started to enjoy himself, he wasn't very good at skimming stones, but it didn't matter to either of them. The point was they were having fun.
"How come you're not at the reck with the others? Jack asked.
"Oh, I just fancied a change, that's all. Listen, do you fancy coming back to mine, we can play cards, or something."
"I'd better get home, it'll be dark soon, and my mum will only worry."
"Okay, well come over on Saturday then. I'm working at Johnson’s farm in the morning, but I'll be home by two, call by around half-past."
"That would be great, I'd better get going now though." The two boys parted company, and Jack ran most of the way home. It wasn't until he was almost back that he remembered his asthma.
3
Jack awoke on Saturday morning feeling good. It was a lovely day, and the birds were singing outside. John was already up. Jess was nowhere to be seen which was unusual. Jack turned his clock to face him and was amazed to discover that it was eleven o'clock. He threw back the covers, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to clean his teeth. His father and Joe were sleeping, but somehow Jack didn't feel quite as frightened about waking them anymore. He got dressed and ventured downstairs. "Ay-ah mum, any breakfast left?" he asked observing that his sister Helen was sat at the table propping her head up by her hands.
"What would you like, toast?"
"Could I have egg and bacon?" Jack responded tentatively.
"Oh god, give me a break." his sister groaned, "What's got into you anyway, when have you ever eaten egg and bacon for breakfast before?"
Victoria just smiled; "Okay sweetheart, but you'll have to wait a while."
Helen combed her fingers through her long brown hair. Even when she wasn't feeling well, she still looked good Jack thought.
"Jack, go to the shop for me, while your breakfast is cooking, dear." his mother said. The list is there on the table."
"I'll come with you." Helen said getting up, "I could do with the fresh air."
On their return, their mother was serving up Jack's breakfast. Steam rose from the plate as she ladled out an egg and two rashers of bacon. "If you want any bread, you'll have to make it yourself."
"Okay." he replied going into the kitchen to make himself a couple of slices. Jack sat down and tucked into his breakfast. He burst the yoke of his egg with a folded over slice of bread and ate hungrily. When he'd finished, he got up and went and placed the dirty crockery in the kitchen sink.
"Don't forget to wash that up." his mum called out.
When the chore was completed, Jack went and fetched Jess's lead. Jess leapt off the sofa and bounded over to him.
"Don't run after Jess, Jack you know it will bring on your asthma."
"Okay mum."
"And don't forget your coat, you need to wrap up …"
Out in the fields Jack and Jess were running around, Jack throwing a spongy ball and Jess retrieving it enthusiastically. After about thirty minutes of exercise Jess was tired out. When they returned home, she just about managed the energy to jump back up onto the sofa and in a matter of seconds she was sound asleep.
Jack arrived at Tom Ford's at two thirty on the dot. It was a big old house in need of repair. It stood alone at the bottom of a country lane. Jack knocked on the front door and stood back. He heard the latch being drawn from the inside, and the door opened. He was met by Mrs Ford. "Hello Jack, Tom's not home yet, would you like to come in and wait for him?” she asked heartily.
"Yes thanks."
She directed him into a large sitting room which was nice and bright where he was met by Tom's two sisters: Sally and Jane. "Would you like some lemonade?" Elizabeth called back to him from the kitchen.
"Yes please, Mrs Ford."
Sally was quite a bit younger than him and was presently half lying, half sitting on the settee. Jane was a couple of years older than him and had long dark hair. She was sat on the opposite side of the room in a high-backed chair doing crochet. She looked up at him with her pale blue eyes, "Hello Jack," she said, "Please, take a seat." Jack went and sat on the settee, a good distance away from Sally mind. Sally giggled at him. Her blonde hair was scraped back into pigtails, and Jack noticed that her two front teeth were missing.
Tom's mother came in with the lemonade; "Here you are Jack." she said giving him a broad smile, "I don't think he'll be long now." Jack thanked her, and she returned to the kitchen.
"People bully you and call you specky, don't they?" Sally said giving him a mischievous grin.
"Sally!" Jane said indignantly. "Don't be so rude, Jack's a guest in our house."
"No, it's okay Jane, people do tease me, but one day I'm going to be a lawyer in the city, and then I'll be laughing at them." Jack was amazed at how calm his words sounded because inside his heart was pounding.
Jane said nothing but looked up at him again from her needlework and gave him a warm smile. God, she was beautiful.
"Ay-ah buddy." Jack heard Tom's voice say as a large hand came down on his shoulder. "Sorry I'm late, I got held up at the farm. I hope my sisters have been making you feel welcome."
"No problem. Yes, they have."
"Tom, Tom," Sally enthused. "Jack says that when he grows up, he's going to be a lawyer, and we are going to get married, and go and live in the city."
At this Jack blushed profusely. He could feel himself burning up with embarrassment.
"That girl's unreal." Jane said shaking her head, to which they all burst out laughing.
"Come on hotshot," Tom said. "Let me show you my football cards. You can bring your lemonade." As they started up the stairs he called back; "Get me a glass Sal and bring it up to my room."
Sally got up from the sofa and skipped out to the kitchen.
Upstairs, Tom proudly showed Jack his football card collection. His room was large and cool. It was quite sparse, but very clean and tidy.
A knock came to the door. "It's me Tom." Sall
y said.
"Okay Sal, come in."
Even Sally with all her cheek knew better than to walk into Tom's room unannounced. She'd brought the drink up on a tray, and as Tom took it, she mock curtseyed. "Can I get you anything Jack?" she asked coyly.
"No thanks, Sally."
"Okay Sally, you can go now." Tom said.
"Okay." she replied sheepishly before retreating from the room.
"And close the door behind you, Sal." Tom added. "I think you've got an admirer there." he said to Jack who just laughed hoping that he'd managed to disguise the self-consciousness that he felt. In an attempt to change the subject; Jack said the first thing that came into his head; "It must be hard not having a dad." And as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted saying them.
A look of hurt came over Tom's face fleetingly but then vanished. He shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, it is, but like my mum says; we just have to get on with it." Tom's father had been killed in a mining accident, five years previously in nineteen-forty-eight. "Come on, let's drink up and go outside, I'll show you around the place."
On their way out, Tom handed over his wages to his mother, who looked distinctively embarrassed taking money from her son in front of Jack. Jack felt for her but realised in that moment that Tom and his family were going to be a major influence on him for the rest of his life.
4
Tom had been invited to his new friend Jack's for tea, and as the row of cottages, of which Jack's house was a part of, came into view, he recounted how many times he had gazed up at them, on his way up to the reck, observing all the different coloured doors and windows which marked one out from the other, and wondered what went on behind all those sets of curtains.
As Tom approached Jack's door the thought occurred to him that he had never liked Jack's father, Joe Davies Senior. In fact, he'd go further than that, he'd always thought he was a complete arsehole, but then he supposed having an arsehole for a father was better than having no father at all.
"Come in Tom, we're just about to eat." Jack said greeting his friend. In the couple of weeks that they had been friends, Jack's school-life had certainly taken a turn for the better. Being mates with one of the toughest lads in the school certainly had its advantages. For one the bullying, that Jack had experienced on virtually a daily basis, had ceased completely. Although Jack appreciated this fact, it was not the main reason why he liked Tom. No, the thing he liked most about him was that he realised behind Tom's tough-guy image there lay a boy of honour and character.
As everyone began to take their seats at the dining table, Father Joe, struggled to hide his annoyance. He was nursing the mother of all hangovers, and the last thing he needed was to have to put on hairs and graces for some snotty-nosed friend of Jack's. Why did she have to go inviting other people's kids round for tea, anyway?
"Tom, you sit there." Victoria instructed, pulling a chair out. "Jack, you sit here."
Tom felt a little uncomfortable, Jack's family seemed to have two distinctly different energies to it, one positive, and the other negative, and unfortunately the negativity of Joe Senior and his two eldest sons overshadowed the positivity of the rest of the family.
"So, what have you been up to today?" Helen asked addressing Jack and Tom.
"Oh, we've had a great day, thanks Helen," Tom replied. "Playing football up at the reck."
Jack winced. He threw Tom a stern glance, he wasn't allowed to play football on account of his asthma.
Tom realised his mistake, and instead of going into further detail simply returned Helen’s question; "How about you Helen, have you had a good day at work?"
"Yes thanks, Tom." She replied with a laugh, looking up at him from her meal. she liked Tom, there was something good and honest about him. She could tell he was going to grow up to be a handsome man, she could also tell that he had a crush on her.
Jack's mum was talking to Joe Junior, something about the house, when Joe Senior interrupted; "Stop talking like that will you." he snarled. "Who are you trying to impress, the kid, it's pathetic?"
Victoria went bright red, and Tom felt embarrassed for her. Tom suddenly felt pure hatred for this excuse of a man who was sat in front of him.
Helen broke the awkward silence that ensued by directing a question to her brother Joe, something about someone she'd seen in town. She seemed oblivious to the situation, or perhaps she'd just got used to it over the years. Tom was only catching snatches of conversation now, his thoughts taken up by Jack's father. The way he ate, his unkept appearance, the way he stared at you with vaguely disguised malice. What makes a person become like that he thought, but his young mind had no answer.
"Would you like some more?" Victoria asked him.
"No thanks, Mrs Davies, I'm full that was great." All of a sudden, he'd lost his appetite. In fact, he just wanted to get the meal over with, and get the hell out of here as quickly as possible.
"Dave Jenkins was mouthing off about you the other day Tom," John said through a mouthful of food. "Saying you weren't as tough as people made you out to be." John left the statement hanging in the air, and eagerly awaited Tom's response.
"He can think what he wants John, I'm not interested in what people like Jenkins say about me."
Tom's refusal to take the bait put John on the back foot; "Oh, yeah, he's all talk anyway." was the only thing he could think of saying in reply.
Victoria placed a bowl of fruit salad in front of Tom. "Thanks Mrs Davies." he said picking up his spoon. Yes, there were definitely two sides to this family alright. He found himself feeling surprised that they had not killed one another by now. He quickly pushed this thought to the back of his mind.
After everyone had finished Tom said his thankyous to them all and stepped out of the Davies's house into the fresh air. He took a deep breath and felt utter relief. There was a chill in the air now, so he decided to jog to get himself warmed up. After a while, he slowed to a walk, and his thoughts returned to the events of the day. They really had had a good day at the reck, and even Jack's stupid father couldn't take that away from them.
Back at the Davies's house the mood was somewhat subdued. Victoria was busy clearing the table, Helen had gone to her room to start getting ready to go out for the evening, whilst Joe Senior sat reading the newspaper.
Jack felt resentment towards his father for how he had behaved in front of Tom. It's not as though he had friends round for tea all the time, he thought, but if it was one off his boozy friends, they'd all have to make an effort. He felt anger growing within him. "Dad, why did you have to make Tom feel so unwelcome?" he managed to blurt out.
There was a slow crumpling sound as his father lowered his newspaper; "What did you say?" This wasn't their Jack speaking, Joe thought. How could it be, Jack was a wimp of a boy, who in all honesty embarrassed him. And he must admit he had, on occasion, wondered if he was actually his child in the first place. No, he thought, shaking his head, he must've mis-heard him. Besides which no-one questioned Joe Davies in that manner especially not in his own house, but sure enough Jack repeated the question, as calm as you like. "Don't be stupid, you little runt, we did not make him feel unwelcome, on the contrary, we did quite the opposite. Oh, apart from laying out the red carpet for him. Silly me, I knew we'd forgotten something. Maybe the next time he comes around we can hire a butler for the day. Yes, that's what we'll do, I'll sign on for extra shifts at work in order to pay for it all. Joe remind me tomorrow to have a word with the boss." he said tapping his eldest son on the head with the now folded newspaper.
"Yes, dad." Joe Junior said grinning at his father who, by this time, also had a broad grin etched across his face.
Weak sarcasm was the closest his dad came to having a sense of humour, Jack thought, why couldn't his dad be dead like Tom's? He felt sure they'd all be far better off without him. Joe Junior would soon come around if it wasn't for his father's influence. He wondered if his mother had ever wished him dead. Probably many times he concluded. Although
she was naturally cheerful, she was somehow a different person when their father wasn't around. God, I hate you Jack thought looking sullenly at his father.
"What are you staring at?" Joe Senior asked Jack in a threatening tone. No, this pipsqueak was no son of his. How could he be, he was just so different from the others, even Helen had more gumption than Jack. Joe also considered the fact why he so often felt like beating the living daylights out of him for no apparent reason, well apart from being a little sissy mummy's boy that was, of course. Don't pick on him Joe, he could hear his wife's voice saying, he's only small, don't do this, you know he's got asthma, don't do that, you'll break his glasses. God, you could have more rough and tumble with a new-born baby.
"You didn't even speak to him once." Jack replied defiantly. What was happening to him? A few weeks ago, he would never have dared answer his father back, let alone do to him what he was now contemplating. Somehow his father did not seem quite so big or fearsome anymore. Jack, for the first time in his young life was seeing his father in a totally different light. The person he saw in front of him was a bully and a coward. A man who could only pick on his own wife and children. If he encountered someone his own size, he'd probably run a mile.
Jack was now on his feet, fists clenched, cheeks flushed, eyes raging.
Joe considered Jack with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. The boy had definitely flipped. He was probably ill again. What would it be this time; whooping cough, berry-berry, scarlet fever? He was just about to convey Jack's symptoms back to his mother, who was still busy in the kitchen, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack rushing towards him.
Crack! Jack laid the toe end of his shoe squarely into his father's shin. "I hate you; you pig." he screamed.
Joe Junior had observed the whole incident in slow motion. His brain just couldn't take in what his eyes were telling it. His mouth gaped open like a goldfish caught in mid-breath. He must be dreaming, he concluded. Yes, that was it. Any second now he would wake up and laugh to himself that for one split second he had actually believed the scene that had just unfolded in front of him. However, this was not the case because his father's screaming broke his paralysis.
