Faded Glory

by David Essex

  Danny felt like his world had turned upside-down. From being on top of it all, he was now drowning in a sea of confusion. He had trained so hard and Albert had been his inspiration, but now with success within their reach, Albert wanted out. He couldn’t believe it.

  Albert put his arm around Danny’s shoulder. “You’re moving up, Danny. Those two have contacts and power. You don’t need an old stick-in-the-mud like me.”

  Danny felt choked. Albert was not a man to change his mind when it was made up. His first reaction was to ditch Costa and Cohen, but there was the new house, the baby, Wendy to think of. He needed to think this through. He needed time to defuse the bomb that Albert had tossed in his lap.

  “All right Albert,” he managed to say. “I’ve gotta go, speak to you later.”

  Albert looked into Danny’s eyes. “Goodbye son,” he said.

  At the park gates, Danny looked back to see Albert still sitting on his bench. A cloud of sadness engulfed him as he walked the streets back to the Bristows’.

  *

  Albert stayed where he was, staring at the trees gently swaying in the wind.

  He had tried wrestling with his principles, but couldn’t shake off his misgivings. Costa and Cohen had fixed Danny’s fight to fast-track him into a money-making machine. Albert had too much respect for himself and the noble art of boxing to do anything so shady.

  Costa and Cohen had recognised his honest old-fashioned outlook and saw him as a drag on their scheme of things. As much as he cared for Danny, he could not be a part of something crooked. He could not be party to the dangerous liaison that could eventually lead to Danny’s downfall.

  With a heavy and empty heart, Albert made his way home.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  DANNY was still in a state of shock when he reached the Bristows’. He was relieved that the house was empty. He needed some time to think, to be alone. He made his way through the back door and into the garden, looking up at the clouds in search of answers. None came.

  Deep in troubled thought, he heard the front door open.

  “We’re back, Danny!” Wendy called. “Mum and Dad love the house, it’s going to be so good for Ruby!”

  Danny made his way inside, past a couple of smiling garden gnomes along the path.

  “You know, Danny,” said Mrs Bristow in excitement. “I wouldn’t put curtains up. The modern thing is those Venetian blinds.”

  “Albert’s leaving the team,” Danny blurted out.

  The chatter stopped for a moment.

  “Oh well,” said Wendy. “If that’s what he wants. He’s probably too old for this game now anyway.”

  “Albert’s important,” Danny said angrily.

  “Not so much now you’ve got Tommy and Jack looking after you, eh?” said Mr Bristow.

  Danny felt his anger and frustration begin to boil over.

  “You don’t understand,” he bit out. “None of you understand.”

  Grabbing his coat, he walked out of the house and slammed the door. None of this was the Bristows’ fault, he knew, but it felt like it.

  He walked aimlessly around the streets until it was time for lunch. Arriving at the Chinese restaurant at Limehouse, he felt a mixture of emotions towards Costa and Cohen. It was their fault that Albert was leaving the team, and yet they were his best option if he, Wendy and Ruby were to move forward.

  He looked through the window at a line of nasty-looking orange ducks hanging on a spit. Seeing the ducks so bald and lifeless sent his mind back to Albert and the lively birds that he nurtured and fed. Albert would be disgusted to see this.

  He was just about to go in when a car pulled in at the kerbside.

  “Danny boy!” said Tommy Costa.

  “Hello Danny,” said Jack Cohen.

  The two men greeted Danny with hugs and handshakes and led him into the restaurant, to what was obviously the best table in the house.

  “You’re looking great, Danny,” said Cohen warmly.

  “Like a true champ,” said Costa.

  A Chinese waiter brought over some menus. Costa with his usual grasp of the good life ordered champagne, while Danny, who decided his brain was already pickled enough, ordered a lemonade.

  Most of the dishes on the menu read like gobbledegook.

  “We look after this place,” Cohen said as Danny struggled his way through the choices. “It’s all good stuff, Danny. Have what you want.”

  Danny’s eyes went to the “English Dishes” section. “I’ll have an omelette,” he said, thankful for something he recognised.

  Lunch was ordered and quickly served. After some small talk and enquiries about Danny’s family, Cohen kicked off a more meaningful conversation.

  “Things are going even better than we hoped, Danny.”

  “Like a dream,” said Costa.

  “And this is just the beginning,” said Cohen through a mouthful of chicken chow mein. “The world’s at your feet, son.”

  “I suppose you wanna know what the plan is,” said Costa, building a pancake of duck and plum sauce.

  “We have lined up a fight with another real contender,” said Cohen. “If you win, you could be on your way for a shot at the British title.”

  “What d’ya mean, if he wins?” chimed Costa, winking at Danny and raising a glass of bubbly at him.

  “Albert’s leaving the team,” Danny said, unable to hold it in any longer.

  Costa and Cohen looked at each other.

  “That’s a shame,” said Cohen unconvincingly.

  “Probably his health or his age. Don’t worry about it, you got us,” Costa said and put his hand on Danny’s knee. “That’s all you need, Danny.”

  Danny felt a little uncomfortable. The hand on the knee was not good.

  He decided to remove himself.

  “Where are the gents?”

  He got back at the table to see Costa and Cohen clinking glasses. The banana fritters had arrived.

  “I bet you wanna know about the fight we’ve lined up,” said Cohen.

  “It’s a cracker,” enthused Costa.

  “We have got you a fight with Billy Livermore, a big contender for the British title,” said Cohen.

  Costa jumped in. “A match made in heaven. You have just got to outbox him and we reckon you’ll be on your way to a shot at the title.”

  Danny had heard of Livermore: a bruiser from Manchester with a knock-out punch to match. He started to feel a little easier about Albert jumping ship. The charm and positive plans from Costa and Cohen reassured him that he was on course, with or without his old mentor.

  “When is it gonna be?” he asked eagerly. “Sounds good.”

  “There are a few things we still need to finalise,” said Cohen. “It could take six months to a year, but we know it will be in Manchester.”

  “Sounds a way off,” said Costa, “but you need to be ready, Danny.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” said Danny confidently. “I’ll be ready.”

  “Do you still think Irish Patsy is the right man for the job?” asked Costa. “You know, with Albert gone and everything?”

  This question took Danny aback. Now that Albert had jumped ship, he was not going to lose Patsy too.

  “Yeah I do,” he said firmly.

  Costa shrugged. “Fair enough. See how it goes.”

  Lunch seemed to be on the house. Danny asked if he could pay his way, but Cohen shrugged away the suggestion.

  “Don’t you worry about that,” he said as the waiter fetched their coats. “We have an arrangement with the owner. We look after him and he looks after us.”

  The thought of protection money came into Danny’s head. He pushed it away.

  “I’m buying a house,” he said as the three men walked to the door.

  “Nice,” said Costa. “Whereabouts?”

  “In Chigwell,” Danny answered proudly.

  “Stick with us, Danny boy, and you’ll soon be able to buy the whole of Chigwell!” said Cohen.


  Handshakes and hugs followed. Danny stood on the pavement and watched their white Jaguar drive off. Six months to a year? He’d be ready, with or without Albert.

  Now that the dust had settled and Costa and Cohen had delivered their charm offensive, Danny started feeling resentful towards Albert. Clearly Albert didn’t have the same belief in him that Costa and Cohen had. Danny wanted to tell Albert what the plan was, to talk about Livermore and the fight ahead, but he couldn’t. Albert had let him down.

  He headed for the gym to tell Patsy about the forthcoming fight. The Live and Let Live bar was quiet, and there was no sign of Albert. Danny felt relieved. Bumping into Albert might be a little awkward. Danny was not sure how he would react.

  The light was on in Patsy’s office and the sound of light snoring could be heard. Danny knocked.

  “Patsy?”

  Patsy jerked awake. “Sorry, just having one of those power naps. What’s happening?”

  “We’ve got a fight with Billy Livermore in about six months’ time,” said Danny.

  Patsy went pale. “Christ!” he exclaimed. “That’s a bit of a jump. Have you told Albert?”

  Danny sat down opposite Patsy. “Albert’s decided he don’t want to be involved any more.”

  “Is that so?” Patsy sounded concerned. “Why’s that then?”

  “Costa and Cohen,” Danny said bleakly.

  Patsy shook his head. “That’s sad,” he said. “What do we do now then?”

  “We train hard, Patsy,” said Danny in determination. “You and me.”

  Patsy played with a well-chewed pencil on his desk. “So they want me involved, do they?”

  “Of course they do,” Danny said. “And I do too.”

  Patsy nodded. “This Livermore is a tough nut to crack,” he warned. “You’ll need to be at your best.”

  “I will be with you beside me.”

  “So you will,” said Patsy in agreement. “So you will. Eleven o’clock after your morning run tomorrow? See you then.”

  Leaving the gym, Danny was relieved that at least Patsy was still in his boxing family. He’d thought for a moment, because of Albert’s withdrawal, that Patsy might pull out too. But now confident that Patsy was still up for it, he made his way home to tell Wendy the news and give Ruby a cuddle.

  Everything was going to be fine.

  *

  Patsy needed time to think.

  He knew that Albert had misgivings about the dangerous liaison with Cohen and Costa. Patsy knew they were shady, but being the trainer to a top professional fighter had always been his dream. Maybe the fight with the Dragon had been a fix, but it had put Danny on the map. And it had put Patsy on the map too.

  Patsy had known Albert since he’d first come over from Ireland. He’d seen Albert fight towards the end of a talented and illustrious career. Albert had strong principles. The word “cheat” was not in Albert’s vocabulary. But sometimes in life, Patsy thought, you had to compromise. And if to compromise meant that he would be respected as a top trainer, then compromise he would.

  *

  After feeding Rocky the budgie and washing up later that afternoon, Albert sat down on his well-worn and friendly armchair. It felt cold. He would have fed the gas meter and lit it for warmth, but until he got paid he couldn’t afford to.

  The money from Danny still lay on the sideboard. It was as much as Albert could do to touch it, let alone spend it. It represented everything he hated about the dark and criminal underbelly of boxing.

  He felt more alone today than he had in a while. Rocky was doing her best to cheer him up, but her perch dancing wasn’t really helping. Albert knew he had done the right thing by cutting ties with Danny; he couldn’t be a party to the shady world of Cohen and Costa. But still, he worried about the boy and where they would lead him.

  He thought back to the day they’d first met, when something in the boy’s eyes had reminded him of his own lost son.

  “How far you’ve come, Danny,” he said to himself. “How far you’ve come.”

  Not one to wallow in self-pity for long, he decided to get out of the flat and pay Lenny a visit.

  True to form, Lenny was washing a car.

  “Albert man,” he said, squinting up at his visitor. “You look like you’re running out of petrol. Cup of tea? I’m just finishing.”

  “Yeah,” said Albert gratefully. “Cup of tea.”

  He followed Lenny to his sitting room at the back of the workshop and took his usual seat.

  “How’s the boy?” said Lenny, boiling the kettle.

  “Fine, I think,” said Albert. “He’s got another fight coming soon.”

  “Who’s he fighting?” asked Lenny as he handed Albert a mug.

  “I don’t know, Len,” Albert admitted.

  “What, his managers ain’t told you?”

  “I’m not involved any more,” said Albert, taking a welcome sip of his tea.

  Lenny frowned. “Those bastards got rid of you?”

  “Not directly. It was my choice, Len. I think it’s best.”

  Lenny set his own tea down on the worktop. “What are you saying, Albert?” he demanded. “You threw away a chance for glory, a chance to have money? Why, man? Why?”

  “My glory may have faded, but money and glory ain’t everything,” said Albert with dignity. “Honesty, fair play and truth in the sport I love makes money worthless.”

  Lenny sipped his tea, then made his familiar hissing sound. He shook his head. “Principles, principles,” he said. “You know, boy, people go to war on principles. What good does that do, eh?”

  “It’s just the way I am,” said Albert. “I can’t change.”

  “You’re a fool to yourself,” said Lenny, angry now. “How can you watch Danny’s back if you’re not around?”

  Albert bent his head over his tea. “I know, Len,” he answered. “I’m sorry. Now, subject closed.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  LIFE without Albert watching and advising was difficult for Danny at first. But Albert had made his decision, and Danny had to move on.

  Danny had been promising his mum that he would bring Ruby round and visit for weeks. It was always a point of friction between Wendy and Danny, with Rosie complaining that she wasn’t seeing Ruby or her son nearly enough. The truth was, Wendy thought Rosie was a bad influence. So, the Bristows’ house was definitely out of bounds for Rosie Watson, and Danny’s visits to his mum’s were limited.

  Danny pushed Ruby through the streets to Rosie’s house for a rare visit. Keeping the peace between his mother and Wendy was tricky, and he had often been stuck in the middle since moving out. It was true that Rosie’s lifestyle of partying, drink and fags probably wasn’t ideal, but she was still his mother, and through all her failings, there was indeed love.

  Danny rang his mother’s doorbell. The door opened so quickly that it was clear Rosie had been waiting in the hall.

  “Danny darling!” she gasped, grabbing Ruby. “Oh look at her, look at her! Come to Nanny!”

  Rosie seemed sober and unlikely to drop her grandchild today, Danny decided.

  “Ain’t she got big?” cooed Rosie. “She’ll be walking soon. Oh Danny, she’s lovely!”

  To Danny’s surprise, the house was spick and span. There were no empty bottles, no over-full ashtrays. The kitchen was cleaner than Danny had ever seen it. A cake sat on the kitchen table, next to the best china tea set that usually only came out at Christmas.

  Danny was touched by Rosie’s efforts. “The place looks nice,” he said.

  “Well it’s not often I get to see you and Ruby,” said Rosie, with just a touch of venom. “So I wanted to make it nice.”

  “I know,” said Danny. “It’s just been so busy. Where’s Ricky?”

  “He’s gone to Stratford,” Rosie replied. “He’s doing his Elvis thing in a pub or something called the Two Puddings. How about a nice cuppa? Look, I bought a cake too, your favourite. Angel cake.”

  “Thanks Mum,” said D
anny, whose last taste of angel cake had been when he was about nine.

  “Oh, and I bought some rusks for Ruby.”

  With Ruby happily on Rosie’s lap, they sat down for cake and tea.

  “Lots of good things happening, Mum,” said Danny, angel cake in hand. “I told you about the new house?”

  “Yes you did Danny, I’m pleased for you. Only I probably won’t get to see you at all when you move away,” said Rosie, suddenly crestfallen.

  “Of course you will,” said Danny, knowing in his heart that his mum was probably right. With Wendy’s attitude towards Rosie’s lifestyle, the visits would be rare, if at all.

  He drank his tea and watched his mother playing with Ruby. Ruby seemed so happy bouncing on her nan’s lap. Danny wished he could change Wendy’s attitude, although he knew that Rosie’s performance as the perfect nan and mother was very unusual. After all, she was never a great mum to Danny, putting him a firm second to her well-known gallivanting. But still, it was good to see Ruby happy in her nan’s presence.

  Rosie did all the things that grandparents tend to do. There was “Walkie round the garden!” and “Tickle under there!” – a firm favourite with the sweetly chuckling Ruby. “Peek a boo!” went down a treat too. It was clear that Rosie was loving having Ruby all to herself for once, and Danny was happy for Rosie to have this special time with the granddaughter she hardly knew.

  “Ooh look at the time,” Rosie said at last, briskly handing Ruby back to Danny. “I better get going. I’ve got to get to that pub to see Ricky do his thing. Silly sod forgot his Elvis wig.”

  The saying “Leopards never change their spots” floated through Danny’s mind. “Yeah, Mum,” he said, trying to paper over the cracks. “We better get going too. It was good to see you.”

  Rosie more or less bundled them out the door.

  Danny made his way back home, taking the scenic route through the park. He wheeled the pram with the sleeping Ruby to the duck pond and sat down on Albert’s bench.

  There was something about this familiar spot that helped him think. Danny looked around at the budding trees and early flowers heralding the beginning of spring, and watched ducklings following their mother with relentless energy. The loss of Albert was the only grey cloud on this beautiful day.