Broke

by Mandasue Heller

‘What time are you coming back?’ Jenny asked. ‘I’m thinking of getting a takeaway for dinner. Which do you prefer – Indian or Chinese?’

  Mark spun round and gaped back at her in disbelief. ‘Are you for real?’

  ‘There’s no need to be nasty.’ Jenny gave him a hurt look. ‘I’m the one who should be angry after the way you’ve messed me around. All I want to know is what time you’re coming back so I’ll know when to order the food. What’s so bad about that?’

  ‘You seriously think I’m coming back after this?’ Mark was incredulous. ‘You’re not right in the head, you.’

  Aware that she’d gone too far, Jenny ran after him when he started trotting down the stairs.

  ‘Mark, wait! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything about you and Amy, but I just get so jealous when I think about you and her together.’

  ‘She’s my wife,’ spat Mark, tugging his arm free when she grabbed it. ‘The mother of my kids.’

  ‘I know, and I’m sorry,’ Jenny said again, tears of desperation streaming from her eyes. ‘I just love you so much, and I don’t want to lose you. Here, take the money.’ She thrust out the notes that she was holding.

  ‘I don’t want it.’ Mark shoved her hand away. ‘It ain’t worth the hassle.’

  ‘Please,’ Jenny implored. ‘I swear I’ll never mention Amy again. And you need it. Len will kill you if you don’t pay him. Please . . . just take it.’

  Mark wanted out of there so bad, but she was right, he did need the money. So he took a deep breath and, as if he was doing her a favour, said, ‘Okay, I’ll take it. But don’t you ever do anything like that again or we’re finished – for good.’

  ‘I won’t,’ Jenny promised.

  ‘I’ve got to go.’ Mark opened the door.

  Jenny bit her lip and nodded. ‘Will – will you call me?’

  ‘If I can.’ He stepped out and pulled the door shut.

  Jenny went back upstairs and watched through the net curtains as he ran down the road. When he’d disappeared from view, she turned to get a tissue out of the box on the coffee table. Pausing when she caught sight of the urn, she snarled, ‘What are you laughing at? At least mine still wants me. Yours couldn’t wait for you to die.’

  Mark ran all the way to The Beehive, but as he turned the corner he saw the Vectra pulling out of the car park with Yates at the wheel and Keith, the moneylender’s big sidekick, in the passenger seat. He waved and shouted, but they didn’t see him. Guessing they were on their way to his house, he put his head down and legged it home.

  Yates had been okay with him over the last few weeks, and Mark had felt like they were on their way to becoming mates when they bantered about the footie, even though Mark was a diehard red and Yates a committed blue. He hadn’t forgotten the warning that Yates had given him at the start about what would happen if he was late making payments, but he was hoping that the man would be lenient seeing as this was the first time. And at least he had the money, so it wasn’t like he was trying to get out of paying.

  Relieved when he turned onto his road and saw that Yates’s car wasn’t there yet, Mark quickly let himself into the house and ran into the living room.

  Amy was lying on the couch, reading a magazine. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ she asked when she heard how out of breath he was.

  ‘Nothing.’ Mark pressed his nose up against the window.

  ‘Well, who are you looking for?’ Amy wanted to know. ‘Is someone after you? What have you done?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Mark repeated irritably. ‘Where are the kids?’

  ‘Bobby’s asleep, and Cass is playing with her dolls. Why?’

  ‘Take them out.’ Mark reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.

  ‘I can’t wake Bobby up, he’ll have a fit,’ Amy protested. ‘Anyway, I don’t want to go out. I’ll be starting dinner in a minute.’

  ‘Get some chips and go to the park.’ Mark pushed her towards the door.

  ‘Stop it,’ she complained, standing her ground and putting her hands on her hips. ‘What’s going on, Mark? And don’t say nothing, ’cos I can always tell when you’re lying.’ Suspicion in her eyes now, she said, ‘Is it a girl? You haven’t been messing around, have you?’

  ‘What? No!’ Mark reached out and stroked her hair. ‘Course not. Don’t be stupid. I love you.’

  ‘Well, what is it then?’ Amy jerked her head away. ‘You might as well tell me, ’cos I’m not going anywhere till I know.’

  ‘All right, I might be in a bit of trouble,’ Mark admitted, glancing out of the window again. ‘I owe a bloke some money, and I was supposed to pay him at five, but I didn’t make it so I think he’s on his way over.’

  ‘You’ve been borrowing money?’ Amy was shocked.

  ‘It was before the dole got sorted,’ Mark told her. ‘When you left me and took the kids to your mum’s. I didn’t tell you ’cos I didn’t want you to worry. I’ll explain later, but you’ve got to take the kids out before he gets here.’

  ‘Why?’ Amy was struggling to take it all in. ‘What’s going to happen?’

  ‘Hopefully nothing,’ said Mark. ‘But he said he’d come and break something if I didn’t pay on time, and I was late today.’

  ‘You’re telling me some bloke thinks he’s coming into my house, and I’m just supposed to stand here and let him smash it up?’ Amy’s confusion changed to indignation. ‘I don’t think so!’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Mark asked when she pushed past him and reached for the phone.

  ‘Calling the police.’

  ‘No!’ He lurched towards her and snatched the receiver out of her hand. ‘You’ll make everything ten times worse.’

  Yates’s car pulled up outside. Mark spotted it and groaned.

  ‘Is that him?’ Amy demanded, glaring out at Yates when he stepped out of the car. ‘Right, I’ll soon set him straight.’

  ‘Stay here!’ Mark ordered, his legs starting to shake when Keith got out as well. ‘I’ll deal with this.’

  ‘No way,’ Amy said huffily. ‘I’m gonna tell him to get lost.’

  Mark physically blocked her path and shoved her back into the room. ‘I said I’ll deal with it. Now stay there.’

  Yates rapped on the front door. Mark took a deep breath and pulled the money out of his pocket. Then, smiling, he opened up.

  ‘All right, mate? Bet you’ve been cursing me, haven’t you? I’ve got your money, but you were leaving when I got to the pub and you didn’t hear me shouting after you so I had to run all the way back.’

  ‘Tough.’ Yates barged past him. ‘I told you what’d happen if you made me come round for it.’

  Flattened against the wall when Keith squeezed past, Mark followed as they strolled into the living room.

  ‘Just let me explain, Len. It’s not my fault I was late. One of the kids was sick, and Amy was at her mum’s, so I had to wait for her to get back before I could come out.’

  Yates turned and grabbed his face, digging his fingernails hard into his cheeks. ‘You were warned, and you took the piss, so now you’re gonna be punished.’

  ‘Get your hands off him!’ Amy yelled. ‘And get out of my house or I’m going to call the police.’

  Before she could move to carry out her threat, Keith spotted the phone on the table beside the window and yanked the lead out of the socket.

  ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Amy demanded. ‘How dare you!’

  ‘Feisty, your missus, ain’t she?’ Yates grinned at Mark.

  ‘Amy, shut up,’ Mark spluttered, his lips puckering from the pressure of Yates’s grip. ‘I told you I’d deal with this. Go upstairs.’

  Scared now, Amy began to edge towards the door. But Keith grabbed her and pulled her back.

  ‘Not so fast, sweetheart. We want you where we can see you.’

  ‘Please don’t do this,’ Mark croaked. ‘I’ve got your money, and I swear I’ll never be late again. But this has got nothing to do with Amy, so ple
ase don’t hurt her.’

  ‘Who said I was going to hurt her?’ Yates snatched the money and slotted it into his back pocket. Then, smirking, he drew his head back and butted Mark.

  ‘Stop it!’ Amy screamed when a horrible cracking sound rang out and blood spurted from Mark’s nose. ‘Leave him alone!’

  Mark’s knees buckled and he sank to the floor with his face in his hands. Amy struggled like a wildcat to get to him, but Keith was too strong and she could only watch as Yates set about Mark. Tears already streaming down her face, she cried out when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

  ‘Cassie, don’t come in! Go back to your room!’

  It was too late – Cassie had already opened the door. And when she saw her father on the floor with blood all over his face she started screaming.

  Yates immediately stopped what he was doing and, thin chest heaving, smiled down at the little girl. ‘It’s all right, sweetheart, no need to be frightened. Daddy’s been a naughty boy so I’m just telling him off, that’s all.’

  ‘Don’t you dare talk to her,’ Amy hissed, wriggling free and rushing to Cassie. She shoved her back out into the hall, and glared at Yates. ‘She’s only five, you sick bastard!’

  Yates chuckled softly, and squatted down beside Mark. He grabbed him by the hair and turned his head around. ‘I’m going. But I’ll be back tomorrow, so make sure you’ve got my money.’

  ‘He’s just given you your money,’ Amy reminded him angrily. ‘Now get out, and don’t come back.’

  Yates straightened up and patted his pocket. ‘This is interest for making me come for it, darlin’. And if you don’t want me coming back every day, I suggest you make sure he’s got the rest when I get here tomorrow.’

  When he and the other man walked out, Amy pulled Cassie into her arms and hugged her. ‘Please stop crying, baby. The nasty men have gone, and they won’t be coming back. Just go back to your room and make sure Bobby’s all right while I see to Daddy. Okay?’

  Calmed by her mum’s soothing tone, Cassie gulped back her tears and ran up the stairs. Shaking all over, Amy bolted the front door and rushed to Mark.

  ‘Are you all right? Let me see your face.’

  ‘Don’t touch it,’ Mark cried, still cradling his nose. ‘I think it’s broke.’

  ‘I’ll call an ambulance.’ Amy reached for the phone but, when she heard no dial tone, remembered that the wire had been ripped out and looked for her mobile instead.

  ‘Leave it,’ Mark croaked, using the couch to pull himself up. ‘They’ll only fetch the police.’

  ‘Good!’ Amy tossed cushions aside as she searched for her phone. ‘He’s an animal, and he can’t be allowed to get away with what he’s just done.’

  ‘I said leave it,’ Mark yelled, his face contorting with pain. ‘He’ll only come back and do worse if we grass him up.’

  ‘He’s coming back anyway,’ said Amy. ‘And what’s to stop him having another go at you?’

  ‘He won’t,’ Mark insisted. ‘I’ll give him his money, and he’ll be cool.’

  ‘We haven’t got any money till the child benefit goes in on Wednesday,’ Amy reminded him. ‘And while we’re on the subject, I thought we were skint, so where did you get the money you just gave him?’

  ‘Not now,’ Mark moaned, clutching at his ribs as he hobbled into the kitchen. ‘I feel bad enough without you quizzing me like I’m some kind of fucking criminal.’

  ‘I’ve got a right to know what’s going on in my own house,’ Amy argued as she followed. ‘You’ve already lied about borrowing the money in the first place, so now I want to know what else you’ve been hiding.’

  ‘Nothing.’

  Mark turned on the tap, and Amy watched as he gingerly washed the blood off his face. Lumps and bruises were springing up all over, and she could tell from the hunched way he was standing that he was hurting. But she was too angry to care. He’d brought danger into their home, threatening the safety of their children.

  ‘I know you’re hiding something, and I want the truth. Where did you get the money you just gave to that thug?’

  ‘Off Steve.’

  ‘So you borrowed money off that animal, and now you’ve borrowed off Steve to pay it back? How stupid are you?’

  ‘Stop fucking blaming me.’ Mark turned on her angrily. ‘This is all your fault, so if you want to call anyone stupid you’d best take a look in the mirror!’

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ Amy’s mouth dropped open in shock. ‘How dare you try and blame me for this! I didn’t even know about the money.’

  ‘Didn’t mind spending it, though, did you?’ Mark said accusingly. ‘And I wouldn’t have even needed it if you hadn’t fucked off and left me with no food or electric.’

  ‘And why didn’t we have food and electric?’ Amy shot back furiously. ‘Because you’re a loser who can’t keep a job for more than five minutes – that’s why!’

  Mark snatched a cup off the draining board.

  ‘Go on, I dare you!’ Amy challenged, guessing from the look on his face that he wanted to throw it at her. ‘But if you do, it’ll be the last thing you ever do.’

  ‘Oh, ’cos you’re so hard, you’re gonna do what?’ spat Mark.

  ‘Get out,’ Amy hissed, a cold calmness settling over her. ‘I mean it, Mark, just get the fuck out! I’ve given you chance after chance, and you always say you’re gonna change. But you won’t, ’cos you’re a born liar.’

  ‘And you’re perfect,’ Mark retorted nastily. ‘Little Miss fucking Perfect, always looking down her fucking nose at everyone. Well, you want to take a good look at yourself, ’cos you’re no better than that skank of a mate of yours.’ He jerked his thumb towards the wall that separated their house from Marnie’s. ‘Only difference is, you’ve got a mug of a husband to sponge off, while she just shags every random bloke she meets and bleeds the fuckers dry.’

  ‘Get out,’ Amy said again, her teeth gritted, her eyes flashing with fury.

  ‘You know what, I think I will,’ Mark agreed, adrenalin making him temporarily forget the pain. ‘At least then I won’t have to look at your ugly fucking face.’

  He hurled the cup at the wall and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

  ‘Mummy?’ Cassie’s scared little voice floated down the stairs. ‘Mummy?’

  Amy inhaled deeply through her nose to calm the storm that was raging inside, and said, ‘It’s all right, baby, I’m here. I’m just going to clean up this broken cup and then I’ll put dinner on. You can come down and watch telly, if you want.’

  ‘Bobby’s wet his bed,’ Cassie told her.

  ‘Bring him down,’ said Amy, sighing as she reached for the dustpan and brush.

  This was all Mark’s fault, and it was typical of him to walk out and leave her to deal with his traumatised children. Well, fine, she’d do what she had to do. But if he thought he was going to stroll back in when he felt like it and everything was going to be all right, he was in for a shock, because he wasn’t setting one foot in here until he’d sorted things out with that horrible man.

  Mark was halfway to Steve’s before he remembered that his friend had said he was staying at his girlfriend’s house. Doing an abrupt about-turn, he went to his mum’s instead. After he’d knocked several times and shouted through the letter box, she finally answered. She was wearing a dressing gown and looked a little flustered, but Mark was too interested in his own woes to notice.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked. ‘You should have rung first.’

  ‘I didn’t have time,’ he said, edging past her when she seemed in no hurry to move out of his way. ‘I need somewhere to kip for a few nights.’

  ‘Oh, my God!’ Jane exclaimed when he stepped under the hall light and she saw the state of his face. ‘What the hell happened? Have you had an accident? Are Amy and the children okay?’

  ‘They’re fine,’ Mark grunted, shrugging her off when she pulled him round to get a better look. ‘I just need to sit d
own and have a cup of tea. And a fag, if you’ve got any going spare.’

  ‘You can’t go in there,’ Jane yelped when he headed for the living room. ‘I’ve got company.’

  Mark had already opened the door.

  A fat, bald, very naked man was lying on the rug in front of the fire.

  ‘What the fuck . . .?’ Mark turned and gaped at his mum.

  ‘It’s not what it looks like,’ Jane spluttered, blushing guiltily. ‘Alan – Mr Dobbs – is from the am-dram, and we’re rehearsing for a play we’re thinking of putting on.’

  ‘What, Emmanuelle?’ Mark snorted. ‘Do me a favour, Mam, I wasn’t born yesterday.’

  Jane recovered her composure and raised her chin. ‘Yes, well, neither was I,’ she replied defiantly. ‘I’m old enough and ugly enough to do what I want, and if you don’t like it, go home.’

  ‘And leave you and Free Willy to do God only knows what?’ Mark sneered, tossing the man a contemptuous look. ‘Oi, fatso, shift it.’

  ‘Don’t you move!’ Jane ordered when Alan Dobbs started to get up.

  He stayed put, his hands covering his genitals, a look of mortification on his face.

  Jane turned back to Mark. ‘How dare you come in here and push my friends around. And why are you here, anyway? I don’t see hide nor hair of you for months on end, and you only ever call me when you want something. So what is it this time? Hmmm?’

  ‘I just told you, I need somewhere to stay,’ Mark reminded her, angry that she was talking to him like this in front of a stranger. ‘Me and Amy have had a row.’

  ‘Oh, don’t tell me,’ Jane said knowingly. ‘She’s caught you messing around with another girl, hasn’t she? Well, like I told you last time, you make your bed, you bloody well lie in it.’

  Mark flicked the man on the floor a hooded glance and, lowering his voice, said, ‘It’s got nothing to do with birds. I owe a bloke some money, and he’s just been round to the house.’

  ‘And did that to you?’ Jane eyed his battered face. ‘In your house, in front of Amy? And then she kicked you out?’

  Mark nodded and looked sorrowfully down at his feet, waiting for his mother to say that his wife was a bitch, and of course he could stay. But Jane just shook her head, and pursed her lips disapprovingly.