by Tony White
‘You mean it T?’ Ruji-Babes aks.
‘Yeah man. I dont care,’ says Foxy-T.
‘OK yeah. We aks him fe leave by like Friday or whatever. Wicked. Then the fool will be gone for good man. I hate him being here now init. Way him a sit in that chair like he king of the castle. And you know he only after what he can get. He think we can support him. Damn fool. I tell you though man I aint gonna support him none. If he was OK he would never of end up in Feltham is it. You have fe tell him that you aint go marry him T. He just gonna make a fool out a you in it. Marry! Fuck sake him just wanna fuck you init. Him too stupid to go and get himself a girl. He couldnt look after hisself let alone a wife and all. He come over like he already catch you and you his wife man it makes me sick I tell you. You is already taken init.’
‘He aint caught me man I aint his wife,’ says Foxy-T.
‘Try telling him that T. He probaly think he can run thing around here. Like he some big boss man at the E-Z Call. I tell you something for nothing man I aint slave and work my fingers to no bone just so that boy can come and take it from you and me. We never should a let him stay man. And believe me once we tell him he have fe go then he can go back over Dagenham where him come from and he forget all about this place. So you better hadnt marry him is it or you be left here like you never met the fool. And like you and me is nothing and we aint worth fighting for. Its you and me man. You and me is in this together.’
‘Well he be gone by Friday Rooj,’ say Foxy-T. ‘So no fret is it. We tell him in the morning yeah.’
‘Damn straight I’m gonna tell him man. I gonna give that boy some advice man,’ says Ruji-Babes. ‘He aint go turn up and run thing round here. I tell you man that little boy would make a fool a you if you let him. He aint after a wife he dont know the meaning of the word is it. Once a thief always a thief. Shit man you know no one get four years just for nick cars is it. I dont even want fe know what him must have done man and why him really up Feltham. You aint stupid T you know what a go happen once that boy a got what him think him want. Man I wouldnt want be you and let him get away with none a that shit I tell you.’
‘He aint so bad as that,’ says Foxy-T. ‘He aint a thief no more.’
‘So he say because him a try impress you init. But thief cant change him spots for real. Dont let the little fool hurt you T. You know I couldnt be dealing with them things.’
‘Its me what would be dealing with it Rooj,’ says Foxy-T. ‘Aint you what would get hurt man.’
‘What you say T?’ aksed Ruji-Babes. ‘Boy hurt me enough already. I dont need that shit man.’
Then Zafar hear Ruji-Babes start to cry, and him hear Foxy-T speaking to her real soft so him cant hear what she is saying. But he knowed she was comforting Ruji-Babes init. He aint that stupid. He crept back down stairs slowly. But when he try and sleep man him head was spinning. He shouldnt have heard what they was talking about but now he had and that was it. He couldnt pretend him never hear it is it. So him just lay there under that duvet on the sofa and stare at the ceiling. He could just about still hear them low voice from upstairs but then they stop and he couldnt hear them no more. But he could remember what they was saying before and them things was just run around in him head and keep him awake. And it wasnt no use him wanking now believe me.
After a hour or so he think, ‘Shit man me never gonna sleep is it.’ And as them voices upstairs had stop completely long time since he figure Ruji-Babes and Foxy-T must asleep now. So him get out of bed and it was good to be standing up in the cool air instead of under that hot duvet what had been getting all tangle round him feet and make him sweat. He reach over and grab him shirt and trouser then his sock and trainers and in a minute he was dress. He crept back out into the landing but he wasnt going upstairs this time. There was nothing more to hear he knowed that. Beside he heard enough already. He crept across to the kitchen and flick on the kettle then quietly make himself a cup of coffee like stirring that sugar real slow and gently lay down the teaspoon on that dishcloth by the sink there. There was enough light coming in the back window that he didnt need fe switch no light on. Out the window he could see the roofs of the Mulberry and then them flats on Bigland and Norton House was catching the moon on all them windows and the floodlights on the roof was all lit up orange and there light was spilling down the sides of the building. Off in the distance he could see the roof a Shadwell station what he knowed is all close up now for the night and even further away he could see the top of Canary Wharf and its one single flashing light what was right on the top of that pyramid thing. He stir that coffee real silent and then he walk over where him jacket was drape over the back of the chair and he reach in the pocket fe check something or other is in there. Then he take the jacket off the chair and put it on. Grabbing him coffee he go out of the kitchen and creep slowly downstairs. Silently he open the door in to the back yard. He put the lock on the catch so it wouldnt completely shut behind him but it fit well snug and it look shut and dont let in that cold night air.
Zafar sit down on the step and put that coffee on the concrete beside him gently so it wouldnt make no noise. Reaching in the inside of him pocket he pull out a packet of Silk Cut. Tuck in the back was a pack of slim blue Kingsize Rizla. He slip it out and put it down next to his mug. Then he reach in the pack next to his cigarette with two finger and pull out a big cling film wrap. He put this down then pick up the Rizla and pull out a skin. He pull up his trouser so there was a kind of crease across his leg then he lay the skin along the groove. Picking up the Silk Cut he pull out a tailor and turn it upside down above the paper and just like twist the end like roll it back and forth between him finger and thumb so some little flake a tobacco fall out on the Rizla. He just twist like this till there is a sprinkle of tobacco along the Rizla. Then he twist up the end a whats left and put it back in the packet. Picking up him twist he open it carefully and choose a nice bud what snap off nice and easy. Then with both hand he crumble this bud up over the Rizla too. He never use the whole bud this time since he aint gonna share him spliff with like Shabbaz and you dont need so much weed when you is smoke on your own and what he dont use he put back in the wrap. Then he like rub his finger and thumbs together to get off all that oily dust what stuck to him finger. Then he poke that tobacco and that bud about till it well mix. Using both hand he roll up the spliff using him little finger fe stop any mix spilling out the end then he lick along the paper and stick it and quickly twist one end. Pulling a box of match out his pocket he pick a match and pack the mix down in that open end of the spliff before lay it back down in that fold on his trousers. He quickly tear off half the flap on him Rizla and roll it tight till its well springy then he slide this in the spliff. It open up through being springy and he dont need fe patch it with another Rizla. Skill he think to himself. Pure skill. Him always build a nice neat spliff since time seen. Then he pop the spliff in him mouth and clear up that wrap and his Rizla and cigarette before light the spliff. He strike a match and burn the twist. The end of the spliff start flame for a second so he can see the wall at the end of the yard then he blow the flame out and him take a long toke.
Picking up that coffee he take a drink then pull more smoke. The weed sharpen up him sense and yet relax him at the same time.
Them conversation upstairs was forgotten and he look around the night time yard. It was well cold and them stars was all out in the sky. The moon was high up in the south. He could see the tree tops what lay between the next yard and the back of the Cash and Carry. Beyond that yard was the Mulberry. It seem like every leaf on the trees was pick out by the moonlight. He pull again on his spliff and hold that smoke in for a few second before he exhale in a big cloud of smoke. The weed was crisp and he was well chill as him sat there in the moonlight. It was cold sure enough as he sat there but it didnt vex him one bit. He feel like he could a be anywhere in the world right then. Far away he could hear some car burning up and skidding then burning up and skidding again and a police siren what echoed o
ff the buildings down Commercial Road. Nuff police about init. He watched the lights off a plane what was taking off from probaly City Airport then saw the lights off another plane but this one was much higher and he guess it was like cruising high up on its way from Europe or somewhere to maybe the States. Or maybe from further away like India to the States. Then he hear another siren way down by the river there like it was speeding down the Highway. And for a second he think that England is a well small place. With all them police speeding down the roads to where ever them a go. For a second he think about them pictures he seen of English fields and hedges and how all small and cramp it is and no room for a young Asian man like him like he always go come up against hedge and fence in this little country and it feel like the whole a England is like that map what use to be in Cannon Street Car where every place have is own price and you aint go be there without you have fe pay up that price man. And for a second he wish him on that plane man going off New York or somewhere. The States was massive thats one thing he remember off geography in school. And for a second he feel like England and all them fences and all them police car and all them laws that is just wait fe get broke by anyone who aint right and dont fit in and all a that come crowding in on him like them cell wall up Feltham and for a second he felt trap man. But then he sit back and laugh to himself real soft. He aint trap is it. He just enjoying a spliff and a cup of coffee and the night belong to him man. And Foxy-T a go belong to him and all. Shit man. He pull once more on the spliff and hear a seed popping in there. Man that weed Shabbaz supply was well crisp.
Then he hear something what make him sit up. It sound like someone knocking over a pile of milk crate. And he know where it come from because back when he first come out of Feltham he put them crate there himself init. That was how he climb over from the Mulberry into the carpark of the Cash and Carry. He stand up and listen then feel like he best take no chance so he slip inside quick and grab the baseball bat what is kept in the corridor outside the toilet. Then he creep back outside and pull the door to. And just fe be on the safe side him lock that door as quiet as he can. Then he slip them key in his pocket and throw down the roach and grind it out neath him trainer. Then he remember him coffee so he pick that up and put it down beside the step in the shadow there and he listen. And cause a that weed he feel crisp man init. Sharp and tense like nothing a go escape him notice.
Theres nothing for a second or two is it. Then he hear someone stacking them crate back up. One after the other. Then the sound of someone trainer hit the ground. Zafar tense up and slip into the shadow next to the old air raid shelter what is up against the wall on one side of the yard. The moon is light up the rest of the yard but where Zafar stand is well hidden and he just stand there with that baseball bat at the ready and keep him wits about him. After a bit he hear another noise in the back of the Cash and Carry then like the sound of someone climbing over into the next yard. Not the one behind the next house in the street but over the back wall. Because this yard is out the back of some dress place call Razzy Fashion Warehouse what is one a them big type a like sixties warehouse and full of all East European woman what operate them sewing machine. And they always got a notice on the door say ‘Experience Presser Required’ init and they keep all them old empty rolls of fabric out the back seen and while Zafar listen him hear someone like swear under him breath as he pick him way over them big cardboard tube and bin bag full a scraps. For a second Zafar aint sure and he wonder if they is gonna try and broke in Razzy Fashion Warehouse and if he gonna hear a smashing window over there. But he dont. What he does hear is someone going like ‘hup’ as if they suddenly making a big effort and he hear someone trainers scrabbling on the other side of the back wall as they try and get a foot hold so they can climb over. Then he see a pair of arm lay on top the wall like its someone a try fe climb out a swiming pool then he see the outline of a head and some trainer and a leg appears and that person pull themself up and swing there leg over and just before he swing over that other leg Zafar see the guy face pick out in the moonlight and he get a good look at that guy face but he never seen him before so figure well he aint from round here and he aint from Dagenham. Then the thief jump quickly down in to the yard. He only be about six foot from where Zafar is hid in the shadow next to that air raid shelter. And he quickly look up at the windows of the flat and the next door places fe double check no one a watch. Zafar dont look too because him no want take him eyes off the thief now and he dont want fe risk being seen or making no noise at all. So he just watch and wait. That thief get to the top of the stair and try turning the door handle. He so quiet that it dont make no noise but that door dont shift at all is it since Zafar lock it. Then he catch sight of the toilet window next to the back door and Zafar can barely stop himself from swear out loud because him see that the little window in the top of that damn toilet window is open. It aint a big window but some thief dont need no big window is it. A little window like that is well big enough. That thief reach up with him right hand and grab the bottom of that open window then swing himself up so he like kneeling on that stone windowsill at the bottom. With his other hand he undo the catch and open that window right up then begin the business of worm him way through it by reaching one arm right through fe brace himself against the windowsill on the inside. Seeing that the thief attention was elsewhere Zafar step quick and quiet out of the shadow where he been hiding. In three steps him standing so close to the thief that he could reach out and touch him trainer as it scrabbling on the wall and try fe get up on the windowsill.
Zafar swing that bat round behind his head init and bide him time for a second before bring it down with full force on the guy ankle. Theres a howl of pain in the toilet and that guy head crash up against the top of the window as he start try fe pull himself out. Zafar dont give him no time to do this and bring the bat down on the guy other knee what is still kneeling on the windowsill. As Zafar done this the thief lose him balance init and crash out through the window and down on the floor. Him holding his ankle and Zafar reach down with one hand and grab the collar of him jacket. That thief turn round like he cant believe what a go on and him look at Zafar what is stand there with the bat above him head and that thief go, ‘No man dont hit me man.’ And Zafar try fe pull him up by him collar but when he does this he step back and crash into a old Calor Gas cylinder what was left up against the wall there and he begin to fall back. That thief just take the advantage and spring up and end up knocking Zafar back. Zafar got hold of the man collar still but he wriggle out him jacket and run for the back wall and before Zafar can get him balance again fe like turn and chase him that man tumbling over the wall into the next yard and crashing through them cardboard tube and bag of scrap and cussing and swearing and then few second later Zafar hear them crate again and he know that the thief him got away. He just stand there with that jacket in one hand and the bat in the other and he take a deep breath and then he hear the window opening upstairs and Foxy-T is leaning out and she going, ‘Whose there?’
And Zafar step out into the light and go, ‘Is me man.’ And he hold up the thief coat and say, ‘I just catch a thief but him got away. Him was trying a broke in the shop man. But I catch the fucker init.’
‘Thank fuck for that man,’ says Foxy-T. ‘We was shitting ourselves.’
‘Sorry,’ says Zafar.
‘Why was you up anyway?’ Foxy-T aksed him.
‘I dunno man I couldnt sleep is it and then I heard some noise over the Cash and Carry so I hid down there and wait.’
Zafar lift up the coat. ‘Man left him coat init. Him wriggle out of it and run because him know I would a bust him up. He gonna be limping for a week now man believe me. I catch him good with this here bat a yours I tell you man.’
Zafar held up the leather jacket like a trophy.
‘Is a good coat man,’ he say. ‘Look. Fit you I reckon.’
‘You never catch me wear that,’ says Foxy-T. ‘I think we have fe burn it tomorrow man.’
‘
Seen,’ says Zafar.
‘You coming back in now then,’ says Foxy-T.
‘Yeah me soon come,’ says Zafar. ‘Go back to bed him gone now. He aint coming back. I give him the fright of him life believe me. Hey what time you got there T?’
Foxy-T leaned back in the bedroom for a second then say, ‘About four man.’
‘Yeah me come in in a minute man. Go back to sleep yeah. You safe init.’
And Zafar fetch him coffee what is well cold now and him sit back on the step with that bat across him lap. He take a sip of coffee and then reach in him pocket for that pack a cigarette. Taking it out him build another spliff. Strong one this time because him buzzing now init and he realise otherwise him never gonna sleep now. Then he just sit there and smoke and him get well mash up on that crisp weed init but just sit there with that baseball bat on him lap as if to say, ‘Come on then all you thief what think you hard. You aint no match for me man.’
And he keep guard for a while and relive that moment when him brung the bat and dash it down on that thief knee and the fool come crash out the window. Zafar start fe think about that thief damn lucky that Calor Gas cylinder was there. Fuck sake that man would a been dead if him no fell over init. Then he just gaze up at them star and watch a couple of plane fly over on there way to wherever. When he finish smoke the spliff and sit a while him start feel the cold init so he drain him cup and stand up then let himself in the back door and once him a lock up and check the window no broke him go straight to bed. Him well mash now and sleep come quick once he laying upon that sofa. He go out like a light believe me.
Foxy-T no sleep so good though is it. What with the thief and thing she well tense believe me even though Zafar catch him. And even when she did sleep she have a well bad dream she dream that Ruji-Babes dead init. Foxy-T was like cry in her dream and she have fe bury Ruji-Babes in some coffin. Only it aint no ordinary coffin because for some reason it make out of fruit box. Like them mango box down outside the Mohamedia grocer. All nail together fe make some kind of cheap coffin what still fill with crumple tissue and polystyrene like fe protect them mango. And Ruji-Babes body just cold and lay in that coffin made out of mango box and Foxy-T was look everywhere init for some lid only she couldnt find one and there was no more mango box even what she could a make one with and the only thing she can find was that thief coat. And she have fe tuck Ruji-Babes body up with this coat what is too small fe cover and in her dream Foxy-T was just cry her eyes out and try fe cover Ruji-Babes with just this thief coat. Then she woke up and was crying still.
