Adele meant what she said. She’d been intending to visit her grandma for the last couple of weeks but never seemed to find the time. When she wasn’t studying she was doing the bulk of the housework and cooking. Her mother had become increasingly despondent since grandma had taken ill, which meant that more of the responsibility fell to Adele. The last time Adele went to see her grandma, she didn’t stop long as she was in a rush to get back to her studies but it was evident then that her grandma was becoming frailer even if she insisted that there was nothing for Adele to worry about.
Aside from concerns over her grandma, Adele was also worried about Peter whose court case was drawing nearer. She dreaded what might happen to him after that. And now she had to squeeze in time for Gary, which was important to her. She couldn’t wait to see the looks on the faces of some of the local kids when they saw her with him.
Adele quickly got changed and put on some make-up, and she was soon ready to go and meet Gary. Her father and Peter were out so she muttered a quick goodbye to her mother before dashing from the house.
She met Gary outside the Dog and Bone pub. As soon as she arrived he took hold of her hand and guided her inside the pub.
‘What do you want to drink?’ he asked.
‘Half a lager and lime,’ said Adele, feeling all grown-up now she had a boyfriend taking her to the pub and buying her alcohol.
They sat down in a corner of the pub and chatted for a few minutes about what they had been up to since their previous date. Adele made sure she left out all the troubles at home and focused instead on events at school. Gary displayed the same low level of interest as she did to his conversation about his boring job.
Once the conversation had ebbed away, Gary slipped his arm around her and they sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Adele then reached for her drink, loosening his hold on her. She took a large swig and settled back in the seat, noticing that Gary had once again slipped his arm around her.
In the silence that followed, Adele gazed around the pub. It was crowded with groups of people who were sitting or standing and chatting amicably. The sound of Abba blared out from the jukebox, and she noticed Gary tapping his free hand on the table in rhythm to the music.
She turned and looked at him, ready to pass comment about their surroundings, just for the sake of something to say. But before she could speak, Gary moved in for a kiss. She pulled her head quickly away, ‘No, not here,’ she said. ‘There’s too many people about.’
Gary grinned and took a swig of his pint. ‘We’ll go to another pub when you’ve finished your drink,’ he said.
Adele took the hint and they walked from the pub hand in hand. As soon as they were outside Gary began kissing her. His kisses were forceful as well as sloppy and she found herself being nudged into the shadow of the pub building.
She responded to his kisses at first. At least it was one way of passing time on the date. But Gary took this as a sign of encouragement. Within no time his sloppy kisses were accompanied by clumsy fumbles. Adele stiffened and quickly removed his hand from her breast.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you want to?’
‘No, not yet. Not here.’
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
She felt as though Gary was intent on living up to his reputation, as she’d heard that he’d been with lots of girls. But she didn’t want to rush into anything. Adele wanted more from the relationship. He may have been cool, good-looking and up for a laugh, but she was starting to feel that he had little else going for him.
He led her by the hand again in the direction of another pub, which was only a couple of hundred metres away. The rest of the evening followed a similar pattern although they became more talkative once they had a few more drinks. Adele was careful not to get too drunk though. She didn’t want to get carried away. She had enough troubles in her life without being saddled with an unwanted pregnancy.
Chapter 23
It was the day of Peter’s court appearance. As Tommy was unaware of what was happening, it was up to Adele to support her mother. She doubted that her father would have gone anyway, if his reaction to Peter’s previous arrest was anything to go by.
They’d been sitting in the public gallery for hours with a few breaks in between, and Adele was becoming stiff. She had been watching the jury for their reactions while the witnesses were examined. Things didn’t seem to be going too badly until Mrs Burton, the wife of the man killed during the burglary, was called to the stand.
She was a middle-aged woman who bore the face of someone who had aged drastically during the preceding months. Her complexion was sallow and there were deep lines on her forehead and around her eyes, which were red-rimmed. Her hair was streaked with grey.
Mrs Burton stepped up to the stand looking timid and frail with her shoulders hunched. She avoided eye contact with everyone in the courtroom as though she was having difficulty facing this traumatic event. Adele was disturbed by the woman’s pitiful appearance, which reinforced the enormity of what Peter had been involved in. She glanced across at the jury and could see by their facial expressions that Mrs Burton had gained their sympathy even before she spoke.
After she had sworn on oath, the prosecution barrister said, ‘Mrs Burton, I can see that this is going to be difficult for you but could you please tell the jury what you recall about the events of Saturday night on the 24th of March 1979?’
Mrs Burton cleared her throat. Then she looked up at the prosecution barrister with sad eyes and began speaking, her voice shaky. ‘We’d been in bed a while when I was woken up,’ she began. ‘I could hear noises downstairs.’ She paused and swallowed, her eyes now flitting nervously from the prosecutor to Peter, then back again.
‘It’s all right, Mrs Burton. Take your time,’ said the prosecution barrister in a soothing tone.
After a moment’s pause, Mrs Burton continued. ‘I woke Harry up,’ she said, her voice shaking as she uttered her husband’s name. ‘He could hear the noises as well.’
‘Can you describe those noises for us, Mrs Burton?’
‘Yes, it was like someone was moving around downstairs and I thought I heard faint voices at first, but then the voices stopped. Then I could hear something coming from the dining room; footsteps again and other sounds, like rummaging.’ She paused again before carrying on. ‘Harry went downstairs… and I heard the sound of someone running towards the front of the house and voices; Harry’s and someone else’s. I ran to the bedroom window to try to alert the neighbours.’ She stopped then, her voice breaking.
‘It’s OK, Mrs Burton. Take as long as you need,’ reassured the prosecutor.
‘Then I saw him running away,’ she sobbed, pointing a trembling finger in Peter’s direction.
Adele felt a sinking sensation inside as though her heart had plummeted. There were audible gasps from the jury and public gallery followed by muttering. The judge called for order so Mrs Burton could continue giving her evidence.
‘Yes, it was definitely him,’ she cried. ‘He came out of our front door and ran up the path then out of the gate.’
There was more muttering from the public gallery and Adele noticed one or two members of the jury look at each other and nod their heads. As she listened to the evidence given by Mrs Burton, and watched the jury’s reactions, she could feel her muscles tensing. She gazed across at her mother for the umpteenth time; her expression said it all. Shirley’s brow was furrowed with deep lines etched into her skin; lines that Adele hadn’t noticed prior to Peter’s arrest. The look on Shirley’s face was one of intense concentration, her features strained as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
Then it was time for the defence barrister to cross-examine Mrs Burton, but Adele felt that his cross-examination didn’t really add anything. The jury seemed more interested in the state of Mrs Burton who battled through tears to answer the questions put to her by the defence.
Eventually it was time for the jury to retire
to consider the evidence before they decided on the verdict.
‘Come on, Mam. Let’s go and get a cuppa,’ said Adele but Shirley appeared reluctant. ‘Come on,’ Adele repeated. ‘You won’t miss anything. It’ll take a while yet and they’ll let us know when the jury’s back in.’
But the atmosphere in the court restaurant was just as tense. Adele could sense her mother’s anxiety as she picked at her food, her shoulders hunched. Adele didn’t feel hungry either. Her stomach was unsettled, and it was an effort to digest the meal.
Shirley broke the silence that hung over them. ‘I’m dreading the verdict,’ she said.
‘I know,’ said Adele, covering her mother’s hand with her own. ‘Try not to worry. It might not be too bad.’ But they were empty words; an automatic response. They both knew, deep down, that the outcome wouldn’t be good. Not when Peter had already received a caution. And if he was put inside, how would they face her father?
They were called back into the courtroom sooner than anticipated.
‘That was bloody quick,’ said Shirley, a puzzled look on her face. ‘It’s not taken ’em long. I wonder if that means they’ve found him guilty.’
Adele shrugged but she knew that the evidence against Peter was overwhelming. They filed back into the courtroom and Adele could feel her muscles tense once more as they awaited the verdict.
When the guilty verdict came in, Adele heard her mother’s pronounced intake of breath amidst the mutterings of the people around them. Then a strange feeling came over her; a light-headedness, as though the room had shifted. It took her a while to steady herself so she could focus on the judge who was about to pronounce the sentence.
His preamble went on and on, and Adele wished he would get to the point. She was still feeling disorientated. His words seemed to hover in the air. Sounds without meaning. But when he gave the sentence, she snapped to.
Six months’ detention.
Adele and her mother exchanged anguished looks. Even though they had half expected a custodial sentence, it still didn’t lessen the blow. ‘Six months,’ Shirley muttered as though she hadn’t heard the judge correctly.
Adele caught sight of her brother being led away, a scowl on his face. She and her mother watched as he left the courtroom. But Peter didn’t meet their eyes; instead he kept his gaze fixed straight ahead.
For several seconds they remained seated, neither of them knowing what to do or say. Then the people around them began to leave their chairs. The woman next to them stood up and tutted as she waited to pass them.
‘Come on, Mam. We’d better go,’ said Adele.
Adele left the courtroom in a daze, her mother following reluctantly behind. Shirley’s tears were already beginning to flow but Adele couldn’t say anything to comfort her. She was too busy dealing with her own sorrow at the news, and soon her own eyes had misted over. She let her tears flow, releasing the pent-up tension that had gripped her during the court proceedings.
As they walked from Deansgate, through the Royal Exchange with its exclusive shops, then turned into Market Street and onto Piccadilly to catch their bus home, neither of them spoke. By now the initial shock had worn off and they had both stopped crying.
Adele voiced what was on both of their minds. ‘My dad will go mad when he finds out,’ she said.
Shirley sniffed and pulled her shoulders back, a resolute expression painted on her face. ‘Leave him to me,’ she said, surprising Adele. ‘I’ll tell him when you’re in bed. He doesn’t have to know it was your idea to keep it from him.’
‘You sure?’ asked Adele who was flabbergasted by her mother’s uncharacteristic show of strength. She wondered fleetingly whether her mother still felt guilty, recalling the hiding that Tommy had dished out last time Peter was in trouble.
When they arrived home, Tommy was out. Adele surmised, with dread, that he had gone to the pub. As she and her mother waited for him to come home there was an air of anxious expectation between them.
Adele noticed her mother looking at the clock repeatedly while pretending to watch the TV. Despite her act of nonchalance, Shirley couldn’t hide her true feelings from her daughter. Adele knew the signs; her mother’s muscles were strained, her movements jittery and her speech flurried.
Eventually Shirley sent Adele up to bed.
‘Are you sure you’ll be all right, Mam?’ asked Adele.
‘Yes, don’t worry,’ Shirley said, although her facial expression said something else. ‘Besides,’ she sniffed, ‘there’s no point in him having a go at both of us, is there? Just remember, if he asks you tomorrow, I told you to keep it a secret and it was my idea.’
‘OK,’ said Adele.
Before she left the room, she glanced at the clock herself: 10.40 p.m. It wouldn’t be long now till he was home. She got into bed and waited. But she soon fell asleep; the strain of the day had taken its toll and left her exhausted.
*
Shirley was glad when Adele went to bed. It was difficult to hide her true feelings from her daughter. Despite reassuring her that everything would be all right, she was dreading Tommy’s return.
She continued to watch the clock, her mind unable to settle on anything else, until she heard him stumbling through the front door. She braced herself as he walked down the hall and flung open the living room door.
‘You still up?’ he said, his eyes gazing unsteadily at her. He’d obviously had a bit to drink.
‘Yeah, I need to have a word with you,’ she began, her voice trembling.
Tommy sniffed then flung off his coat and sat down. ‘What about?’ he asked.
‘Our Peter.’
‘Oh, fuckin’ hell! What’s he been up to now?’
Shirley could see that he was already getting annoyed and she wished she had left it until tomorrow when he had sobered up. But then he might have been more annoyed that she had left it even longer. Besides, she’d already started telling him so now she’d have to finish.
As she briefly outlined what had happened, she could see Tommy becoming more irate. His hands were bunched into fists and his nostrils flared.
Before she could finish, he cut in. ‘You mean to tell me all this has been going on behind my fuckin’ back?’ he demanded.
‘I didn’t want to upset you,’ Shirley muttered.
‘You what? Are you fuckin’ serious, woman?’ he shouted as he got up from his chair and stepped towards her.
Knowing what was to come, Shirley bowed her head and put her hands in front to protect herself. Tommy grabbed her by the tops of her arms and dragged her out of her seat.
‘Don’t you think I’m upset now, you stupid fuckin’ bitch?’ he spat, pulling Shirley’s hands away from her face.
She felt a sharp blow as he slapped her hard across the cheek.
‘Don’t Tommy, please. I can explain,’ she begged.
‘I’ve fuckin’ heard enough!’ he yelled, thumping her hard in the face.
Shirley raised her hands once more and stepped out of his reach. ‘I was only trying to help,’ she cried. ‘You already had enough on your plate with you being out of work.’
‘What the fuck would you know about work? You good for nothing, lazy bitch!’ he shouted, stepping towards her again and pushing her to the floor. ‘Get out of my fuckin’ sight,’ he said as he kicked her in the stomach then crossed the room again and plonked himself back into his armchair.
‘Go on, fuck off out of it before I really lose my temper!’ he shouted.
Shirley crawled to the living room door. Relieved that it was over with for now, she pushed herself to her feet and crept upstairs to bed, her flesh already feeling tender and sore.
*
Adele’s sleep was sporadic and strange thoughts raced around in her head. She pictured the faces of the judge and members of the jury. Then they would fade and be replaced by others; her school teacher speaking to her. ‘I want that essay handed in in six months. Six months, Adele. You’ve got six months,’ he kept repeating. And
her classmates sat around her and gasped.
Then a disturbance broke her sleep. In her semi-conscious state she heard the sound of raised voices. Her heart was racing. She sat bolt upright listening for other sounds. Her father yelling. Her mother pleading. Then nothing. Still semi-conscious, she drifted back off to sleep. Back to the nightmares. Prisons. People scowling at her. And her mother in tears.
When Adele got up the following morning she felt drained. After getting herself ready for school, she went into the kitchen where her mother was seated at the dining table with her back to her, nursing a cup of tea, her shoulders hunched. To Adele’s relief her father had already left the house on his way to the employment offices. It was his signing on day.
Adele walked over to the kitchen cabinet and turned to look at her mother. She was about to ask how her father had taken the news of Peter’s incarceration but something about her mother’s body language stopped her. Shirley had her head sunk low facing the table and her hands grasping a mug so tightly that her fingers were white. Her hair was luggy as though she hadn’t bothered brushing it that morning.
‘Mam?’ said Adele, approaching her mother, but Shirley didn’t look up. ‘Mam, are you OK?’
When Shirley slowly raised her head, displaying a black eye and moist cheeks, Adele instinctively raised her hand to her mouth in alarm, drawing in a sharp breath.
‘It’s OK, it’s done now,’ said Shirley as a swollen tear rolled down her face and tumbled off her chin.
‘Oh, Mam,’ said Adele, striding over to her mother. She felt awkward at first, unsure what to do, but when she saw the pain in her mother’s eyes, she took her in her arms.
Her pity intensified her mother’s distress and Adele felt her crumble beneath her. Then Shirley’s shoulders juddered as sorrow overwhelmed her. For a few seconds Adele stood stroking her mother’s back while Shirley sobbed uncontrollably.
Once her mother had regained control of her emotions, she muttered, ‘It’s OK, Adele. You go and get ready for school, love. I’ll be all right.’
Born Bad Page 13
