Teabags & Tears

by Woods, Karen

  A silver X5 BMW pulled up at the side of her. The tunes were pumping inside and Zac sat smiling at her. He’d shagged her in the past but they were just fuck buddies. It was a drunken mistake on both parts, even though they got on like a house on fire. They were still good mates and she scratched his back and he scratched hers. That’s just the way it was.

  Maxine jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door. He smiled as he watched her get comfy. “Where do you wanna go?”

  She thought for a minute and replied. “We can go in the pub if ya want?”

  He shook his head. “Nar lets fuck off from round here. I don’t want people seeing us together you know what they are like, the nosey fuckers.”

  Zac kept looking at her as he drove. He could tell by her body language that something was on her mind. The music played and he drove them to a nearby park. Pulling up he turned the engine off and slid his seat back so he could stretch his legs.

  “Right what’s up with you? I can tell you’re upset.” Maxine positioned herself to face him. Taking a few seconds to get her words right she began.

  “I need a favour love, a big fucking favour. It’s Sandra’s husband Kevin.”

  He knew exactly who she meant and looked angry. “Why what’s up?” Zac had seen the news and read the papers and knew Sandra and Tina were in nick. It was the talk of the town and everyone was gossiping about it.

  Maxine held her head to the side and looked sad. “I need you to get Kevin to drop the charges?”

  Zac rested his head on the steering wheel. Lifting it up after a few seconds he looked confused. “How can I do that? He’s a full-time prick. He’s been all over the news. He’s not gonna say he was lying is he?”

  Maxine grabbed his hand. “Right this is what I was thinking. I know where there is a big grow of weed and if I put you on to it then you can say to Kevin, that if he drops the charges, he won’t have to pay you the money back what he owes you. Do you understand?”

  Zac snapped. “How the fuck, do you know he owes me money?” his teeth were gritted together.

  “Tell you what, he’s gonna get a dig now for talking about my business to people. The big mouth cunt.”

  “No, No, Zac, Sandra told me that’s how I know.” Zac’s nostrils were flaring and his muscles on his arm seemed to be growing. Looking out of the window he lit a cig. He seemed in deep thought as Maxine watched him in anticipation.

  “Right tell me more about this graft? It better be big!”

  Maxine filled him in and told him he would get more then what Kevin owed him. He smiled at her. “You’re a devious bitch you are Maxine, remind me never to get on the wrong side of you.”

  She playfully punched him in the arm. “I want to be there when you get Kevin though. I still want him to get a few digs and feel the pain that his wife is going through.”

  Zac rubbed his hands together. “Right I’ll see what I can do. It shouldn’t be a problem. He’s just a little nob head and I bet he jumps at the chance of wiping his debt clean. The skank.”

  Maxine agreed. Zac now told her that he would ring her later on to let her know the script. He told her he would get hold of Kevin and set a place and time for a meeting and let her know when it was taking place. Maxine sighed with relief.

  “Orr thanks Zac I owe you big time. If I can pay the favour back anytime. I will ya know.” He smiled and looked at her with a cocky face.

  “What about sucking me off then?”

  She loved the way he joked with her and answered him back. “Ay you had your chance, remember our one night of glory?” she was giggling now, “that should be enough to last you a life time.”

  He chuckled and held his head back in his seat. “Yeah you were an alright ride Maxine.” His body folded up as Maxine’s hand, karate chopped him. They both sat pissing themselves. Maxine was serious now. “Nah, I’ll get you some smart clothes. I’m in town later so I’ll sort you out. I’ll do you a good price.”

  Zac coughed as he choked. “Fucking hell I thought you were giving them me for nowt. You tight cow!”

  “Fuck off” she chuckled. “We all have a living to make yanno.” Zac turned the ignition and drove Maxine home. She kept her head dipped as she neared familiar ground. She didn’t want anyone putting two and two together.

  *

  Kevin was back in his house. Tracy was all over him like a rash. Baby this, baby that was all she talked about. He’d made a rod for his back without any doubt. Tracy was making plans for their future and she wanted them to be a couple. A proper couple she said. Making himself a drink he remembered John, locked upstairs in his bedroom. There were no moans coming from upstairs, it was silent. Slowly he poured his milkshake into the glass. Sipping at it he walked to the bottom of the stairs. He looked worried and went to investigate

  Once at the top stair he held his ear to the door. No music played, no nothing. “John” he shouted. Still no reply. “John answer me now otherwise I’ll come in there and give you another beating.” His chest could be seen moving rapidly. Quickly running down the stairs he located the hammer. Jumping two stairs at a time he started yanking the nails from the wooden door. Once he’d pulled enough out to gain entry he barged the door open with his shoulder. His eyes frantically moved about the bedroom. “Where is the little bastard?” he mumbled. The white net curtain was flying around the window. Running over to it he screamed. “Little prick.” John had smashed the window right out and escaped.

  Glass was all over the bedroom floor and a few jagged pieces were still in the frame. His head peeped through the broken window with caution. He couldn’t see him anywhere. “For fucks sake!” he screamed. Bending to the floor he started to pick the broken glass up from the beige carpet. He now found a football trophy wrapped in a jumper nearby. John must have used it to break the window. Slowly peeling the jumper from the trophy his eyes focused on the engraved message. The award had been given to his son for football when he was twelve years old at St Patrick’s junior school for man of the match. His fingers touched the name of his son. He’d had so much hope for his lads when they were kids but now they were older he knew they wouldn’t amount to much. Paul was just happy getting along on his job seekers allowance and didn’t care that he was always penniless. Even from an early age he knew John was nothing but trouble. Tears ran down his cheeks as he cleared the mess. His body was weak and he felt as if he was at breaking point. He’d failed as a father.

  The mobile phone in his pocket started to ring. As he dug his hands deeper into his jeans the ring tone stopped. Looking at the screen he saw the missed call from Zac.

  “Fucking hell, can this day get any worse!”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Sandra and Tina were on bang up. They were locked up for most of the day. Prison life was hard and you could see the signs on both their faces that it was hitting home where they were. Steven had been to see Tina weeks before and told her he’d moved out of her home. As you can imagine she was devastated. Every night for weeks she’d cried herself to sleep and promised herself she would never fall in love again. He’d told her it was all too much to take in. He just wanted to live a normal life. Tina told him she wouldn’t be in prison forever but he told her point blank that he was a man and he had needs. He wasn’t willing to wait for her.

  Sandra sat on her bed she looked in a world of her own. The prison mail was due soon and she prayed she would have a letter from James. He’d been to see her a few times over the last few weeks but she wasn’t sure he was going to stand by her although he’d told her a hundred and one times that he would. Tina had now declared she would never fall in love again. She’d told Sandra in more ways than one that she was thinking of becoming a lesbian. She said it would be a lot easier and wouldn’t end in heartbreak all the time. Sandra just listened to her waffling on and knew she loved men too much to become a lesbian.

  The screw stood at the cell door with a load of letters in her hand. Passing them to the girls she smiled. “Looks like you tw
o have a big fan club outside these four walls doesn’t it?” Sandra stood from her bed and took the pile of letters from her hands. They were addressed to the both of them.

  Tina looked up from her bed. “Are they all for us?”

  Sandra nodded. Tina now sat up and looked like she had a burst of energy. “Pass me some then.” Sandra split the pile of around twenty-six letters and sat on her bed. The first envelope she opened was pink and looked pretty.

  Tina ripped her first letter and started to read the words inside. After a few minutes she screamed out, “We’re fucking famous love! This lady has told me her life story and says good on us for not taking any shit from men.” She now waved her hands in front of her face. Her eyes were welling up as she continued. “This woman has just been out and had a tattoo done the same as ours on her foot saying ‘Carpe Diem’. Fucking hell Sandra we have a following.”

  Sandra’s eyes were still reading her letter. As she finished it she held the letter to her heart and spoke. “It’s so sad Tina. All these women have been hurt and betrayed by the men they’ve loved. This woman says...” she sat back on the bed and placed a pillow behind her head, “where was I? Oh yeah, she says her husband beat her for years and slept with her best mate. She thinks we’ve made a stand against men and wishes she had paid her husband back for the way he treated her in the past.” Tina was ripping another letter open. “Sandra I think we’ve got lots of support from women out there. I mean why on earth would they write to us otherwise?” The room was silent. You could have heard a pin drop as they read the letters. They both read their own piles and swapped letters.

  Tina now lay on her stomach and kicked her legs up behind her as she held the letter in front of her. The cell door was now opened and a few inmates stood at the door. “Fuck me where’s all the letters from?” The butch prisoner snarled.

  Tina turned over and looked at her as she smiled from cheek to cheek. “They’re from our fans. Apparently me and Sandra are icons for a lot of women. Here have a read of this.” She held the letter out to the convict and watched as she trudged towards her. Her face was green with envy. The woman was now holding the letter in her hand and it was quite obvious that she couldn’t read very well.

  Another inmate joined her, “give it here you thick cunt. We’ll be waiting all day for you to read that, I’ll read it for you.” The jailbird started to read the letter out aloud as Tina and Sandra looked at her. The other woman gritted her teeth and you could tell she was upset at her friend’s comment.

  Once she’d finished the letter she cheered at the top of her voice. “Get in there girls, it’s about time these men learnt, that we’re not no fucking doormats.” Sandra smiled, she was still holding a letter in her hand that she’d kept back from Tina. The letter was from someone called Jenny from “The Sun” newspaper. Once the other inmates had left the room Sandra pulled herself up from the bed and closed the door. Tina was still reading the letters and wasn’t interested in what Sandra was doing. Walking to the window Sandra sighed. “Fucking hell Tina, I’ve got a letter from a journalist from a national newspaper.”

  Tina stopped what she was doing and looked at her. “Which one? I haven’t read it.”

  Sandra looked at her as if she was daft. “I know you haven’t read it you fucking idiot, because I didn’t pass it to you,” she giggled.

  Tina stood up and tried getting the letter from her grip. ”What does it say? Come on you know I don’t like secrets?”

  Sandra sat back on her bed. Jenny wanted to help the two of them and was investigating their story. She told them that she would help them all she could and try and get them some support from “Women’s Aid” and other groups against Domestic violence. Her letter was three pages long. Jenny had said she wanted to see if she could arrange a visit to come and see them both before their trial. Tina was jumping up and down on her bed now. She sprung from it jumping right onto Sandra’s body. “We might get out of here after all. Orr fingers crossed she’s not a bullshitter and she really means what she says. Fucking result.” Sandra agreed. They both danced about the cell in excitement.

  Sandra dragged some writing paper from the wooden drawer. Searching for a pen she looked frantic. Once she’d found one she sat on her bed chewing the lid from it in her teeth. “What the fuck do I write back?”

  Tina joined her as they both stared at the blank piece of paper. “Erm, just say thanks for her letter and we would love any help she could give us. Don’t lick arse in it though. Just tell her about how Kevin has treated you over the years.”

  Sandra sat thinking for a moment. “Do you think I should tell her about when he put the hot iron on my leg and when he raped me?”

  Tina rubbed her arms. You could see small goose bumps appearing on them. Slowly she rubbed her best friend’s shoulder. “Sandra, tell her everything. That bastard deserves everything that’s coming to him. Why should people think he’s the victim? You’re the fucking victim not him!”

  Sandra smiled. You could see she was remembering her past and placed the paper on the bed. “Do you know what Tina? When I look back at all the shit that worthless dickhead has put me through I feel sick inside. Was I that much of a knob-head that I let him treat me like that?”

  Tina held her head back against the wall. Her face looked serious as she rolled them both a cig. “Sandra, I did tell you but you were in love and didn’t see it. I mean he was always a womaniser wasn’t he? Everyone knew it except you. I mean…” she took a long drag from her cig, “he’s been shagging your sister for years and you must have known it because everyone else did.”

  Sandra threw her legs off the bed and turned her body to face her. “No I fucking didn’t. Did you know?”

  Tina looked edgy, she sighed, the secret she’d hid had been held on her lips for years but now her friend was in her face, asking her the truth, she couldn’t lie to her. “I’d heard he was shagging her, yes, but I didn’t know for sure. It was just rumours on the estate. You know what it’s like on Monsall for gossip?”

  “No I fucking don’t know what it’s like, tell me Tina.”

  Sandra was angry and her face was going red. Tina blew a laboured breath and shook her head. Sandra now stood up from the bed and bent her face down towards Tina’s screaming. “You’re my fucking mate, even if it was only people chatting shit, you still should have told me.” She turned and walked to the window gasping for breath. “What else do you fucking know about? You snidey bitch?” Sandra shook her head from side to side. “Fucking best mate my arse, best friends don’t keep secrets.” Tina held her head down low, Sandra was right she should have told her.

  Sandra stayed at the cell window until she’d finished her cig. Flicking the butt through the bars, she turned back round.

  “Come on Sandra don’t be like this,” Tina pleaded “I kept it from you for the right reasons. You wouldn’t have believed me anyway. Kevin’s word was gospel and you would have just brushed it off as per usual.”

  Sandra snapped. “What are you saying that he’s cheated on me lots of times?”

  Tina stood up and they both faced each other. “Yeah, if you want to know the truth I’ll give you the fucking truth. He’s shagged fucking loads of women. Remember Lilo Lil? Lesley fucking Ward? Well he was shagging her for ages. I saw him loads of times coming out of her house in the early hours.” Tina was on a roll now and didn’t stop for breath. “Gemma Cocks, Lindsay Fulham, the list is endless. There, are you happy now?” Tina flung herself on the bed.

  A screw walked into the cell after hearing the commotion from outside. “Is everything alright in here ladies?” Sandra collapsed onto the bed as Tina spoke and she got up to leave the cell. “Yeah Miss. Just a bit of misunderstanding that’s all.” Tina pushed past the warden. When Tina had left she asked Sandra again. “Are you okay?” Sandra was ready for bursting. She quickly nodded to the officer and watched her leave.

  Heartbroken, Sandra jumped up from her bed and slammed the door behind her. “Dirty cheati
ng bastard Kevin. I’ll show you now you low life fucker.” Her face looked white. She was grabbing at her neck as her temperature rose. Finding the pen on the bed she gripped it tightly. Her hand was still shaking as she began to write the reply to Jenny.

  Tina sat down at the bottom of the landing. She looked distressed as she held her head in her hands. One of the inmates was now at her side. “What’s up love? Are you okay?” Tina lifted her head up and saw a smiling face. The woman was around forty-five and had long dark hair tied back in a ponytail.

  “Yeah women troubles that’s all,” Tina huffed. The woman introduced herself as Penny and sat next to Tina nudging her in the waist. “Come on cheer up, things can only get better.” Tina smiled and replied. “I’ve just had a raging argument with my best mate. I’ve never fallen out with her before; I mean we’ve known each other since being kids.” Penny just listened as Tina told her all about her problems. Once she’d finished Penny asked her for a game of pool. Tina joked. “Fucking pool? I’ve never played it before. I’ll be shit.”

  Penny grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the staircase. “I’ll learn you, how long you in for anyway?” Tina now explained that she was on remand and told her a bit about her case. Penny laughed out loud. “Oh right, so you’re one of the women that everyone’s talking about. Your mate stuck glue down her other half’s willy didn’t she?”

  Tina giggled, “She sure did and lots of other stuff.” Walking to the games room they both giggled at the things Sandra had done to her husband.

  Penny now froze and looked at Tina. “So you got a man on the out or what?”

  Tina shrugged her shoulders. “Nope. I did have but he binned me when I got put in here the tosser, I’m fucking sick to the high teeth of men. I never have any luck with them. I’m just gonna turn lesbian and have done with men forever.” Penny smiled. She looked at Tina with endearing eyes and you could tell she had the hots for her. The two of them played pool and Penny was all over Tina. She was teaching her the game of pool and every time she took a shot she was behind her holding her body in the correct position.