by Kitty Neale
‘Oh, me and my big mouth, putting my foot in it again and now I’ve made things worse. I’m so sorry.’
‘No, it’s all right,’ Polly said as she took a juddering breath.
‘I know it’s little consolation now, but I promise you that things will get better. When you’re feeling up to it we’ll go out and about, have some fun together.’
‘I–I’d like that.’
‘Good, now can I get you anything?’
Polly wiped away the last of her tears. ‘Not right now, but tomorrow, could you show me where the shops are? I really need some new clothes. I haven’t been able to face going home, so literally all I have is the clothes I came in and these nightclothes your mum gave me.’
‘Of course! It’s my Saturday off tomorrow so we can make a day of it. Mum said I’m to make sure you take it easy so tomorrow night, instead of going dancing, something I love to do, I thought we could go to the cinema. The Graduate is still showing and I hear it’s ever so naughty,’ giggled Katy.
Polly brightened a little. ‘That sounds perfect. There isn’t one in my village so I’ve never been to the cinema.’
‘Never been to the cinema?’ Katy sounded shocked. ‘My goodness, from your accent you sound a bit like a Londoner but you’re a proper country girl.’
‘My parents came from London,’ Polly told her sadly.
‘That explains it then. Well, I’ve got a feeling that you’re going to be doing lots of things you’ve never done before here – not just the cinema!’
‘Such as?’
‘Dancing for one, ice skating – I’m looking forward to seeing you on skates for the first time,’ Katy said, chuckling.
Katy’s laughter was infectious and Polly found her mood lifting. She had instantly liked Katy and now it was firmly cemented. But, she thought to herself, she still had a lot to learn about Ross, who wasn’t quite as friendly as his sister.
When Polly had first arrived, she’d been quiet, tearful and withdrawn, but Katy had worked miracles in the three months she’d been living with them and now Ross was sick to the back teeth of hearing the two silly girls giggling together, their awful taste in music blaring. It had already been bad enough with Katy and her ‘singing into her hairbrush’ antics but now he had another girl to put up with too.
There was a knock on the front door and it was a welcome relief for Ross to find Toby on his doorstep.
‘Am I glad to see you,’ Ross moaned at his best friend before Toby had even had a chance to step over the threshold. ‘These bloody girls are driving me mad!’
‘From what you told me, you’re a bit outnumbered with females. Three to one and even your cat is female so that makes it four, but, to be honest most blokes would be happy with that. Let’s face it, you get all your washing, cleaning, cooking and ironing done, unlike me in my little bachelor pad. I have to do it all myself,’ Toby pointed out.
‘Yes, but you get plenty of peace and quiet and don’t have to put up with all the hormones, not to mention the undergarments hanging up in the bathroom.’
‘Do you know how to make a hormone?’ Toby asked with a deadpan face.
‘Oh, no, not your chemistry stuff again. No, I don’t know how to make a hormone,’ Ross answered.
‘Don’t pay her,’ said Toby and laughed.
Ross groaned. ‘As much as you are my very good mate, your jokes stink! Now, I must be mad giving up Saturday afternoon to help you put shelves up in your shop, and I suppose we should get a move on, but do you want a quick coffee first?’
‘Yes, please, and a bit of toast – I’ve run out of milk and bread at home,’ Toby answered with a cheeky grin.
‘Come on through, Toby,’ Jackie shouted from the living room, ‘I’ll put the kettle on and what do you want on your toast?’
Ross was pleased his mum was so accommodating to his friend, as he’d witnessed Toby on the receiving end of many an unpleasant jibe on account of his black skin. Toby didn’t call round that often as Ross usually went to meet him at his flat, glad to get out of the house and away from his mother’s fussing, but when Toby did call round she never batted an eyelid. Ross assumed it was because she had fostered all sorts in the past: Jamaican, Irish and even a Chinese baby girl once. But he didn’t like it that she was so accommodating to this new waif and stray, Polly bloody Myers. He’d thought those days of taking in ‘problem’ kids were behind them, so he was none too pleased when she came home from work one evening and announced that Polly was moving in with them. It wasn’t as if she was a child either. Polly was nineteen years old and surely capable of looking after herself, but there’d been no discussions, no opinions asked, his mother just telling them it was going to happen. He had to put up with it, tolerate having Polly here, but it didn’t mean he had to be nice to her.
‘Thanks, Mrs Benton, jam, please,’ Toby answered, already licking his lips.
Katy and Polly ran down the stairs, both of them wearing knee-high white patent boots and short mini-dresses with a psychedelic swirl pattern. Ross surreptitiously looked at Polly and thought how different she looked now. When she’d first arrived, she had been quite mousy, but now her brown hair was bleached blonde and she had applied heavy black eye make-up and pale-pink lipstick. He hadn’t noticed before, but she really was quite pretty. But he still didn’t like her living there with his family.
‘Hello, Katy, and you must be Polly. Nice to meet you. I’m Toby,’ Toby said.
Polly seemed nervous, yet she smiled nicely at Toby and shook his hand before the two girls went giggling back up to the bedroom. Ross watched Toby as his eyes followed Polly up the stairs. Oh, no, he thought as he rolled his blue eyes, please don’t say he fancies her!
‘I’ve never touched a coloured person before,’ Polly whispered to Katy. ‘His skin felt so … normal.’
‘Of course it did. What did you expect?’
‘I’m not sure, just different, I suppose. So where is Toby from?’
‘His parents came to England when he was just a baby so he’s lived round here all his life, but I think his mum and dad are from the West Indies, wherever that is. He has a little shop off the high street selling model cars and planes and stuff. Just a big boy’s toy shop if you ask me, though he swears it’s specialised. His dad died a few years back and his mum went to live with her sister up north somewhere and you know what my mum’s like, she sort of took Toby under her wing. He hasn’t been round for a while and Ross said he’s been busy refitting his shop, though if the way he was looking at you is anything to go by, we might see him more of him.’
‘Don’t be daft,’ said Polly, her cheeks reddening. ‘I’m not the sort of girl that fellas like.’
‘Oh, yes, you are. Take a good look at yourself.’ Katy turned the mirror towards Polly.
As Polly looked at her reflection, a small tear leaked from the corner of her eye, leaving a black smudge running down her cheek.
‘Whatever is the matter, Polly?’
‘Nothing really,’ said Polly as she wiped her cheek. ‘It’s just that in such a short time, so much has changed, including me! My mum wouldn’t recognise me if she saw me now and she’d probably be mortified at this dress. And my dad wouldn’t be too happy with me wearing all this make-up.’
‘But, Polly, you look fantastic and I’m sure they would both be very proud of you. Come on, cheer up, there’s a local band playing in my old school hall tonight – how about we go and check them out?’
Polly didn’t want to seem ungrateful for everything that Katy had done for her, so reluctantly nodded, but really all she wanted to do was snuggle up with a good book.
‘Good. Let’s go to my room and try on some outfits for later then,’ said Katy, oblivious to Polly’s real thoughts.
‘Thank you, Mrs Benton, that was lovely toast and, may I say, perfectly prepared,’ Toby said to Jackie, affecting a haughty manner.
‘Go on with you,’ she said, smiling. ‘Anyone can make toast.’
‘Not as
good as yours,’ Toby insisted, back to his normal persona as he rose to his feet. ‘Come on, Ross, we’d best get going, though I think we’re going to have to take the long route. Those Purvis brothers were hanging about on the corner.’
‘We’re not at school now, Toby. They can’t bully us any more. We’re grown men so why are we still worrying about those two idiots?’
Little did Ross know that Alan Purvis and his backward brother Kenny were frequent visitors to Toby’s shop and they still had the power to bully him.
‘At least at school we could hide in the toilets or behind a teacher but we can’t run away from them now – and yeah, we might have grown up but I don’t think they have, especially that Kenny. Though he’s backward, he’s as nasty as his brother,’ Toby said with gusto.
‘Are you talking about the Purvis brothers?’ asked Jackie as she came back into the room from the kitchen.
‘Yes, Mrs Benton. You remember what a hard time they used to give me and Ross at school?’
‘Yes, I do. The trouble is their parents were just not interested in them, or their education. I know the headmaster sent letters home on many occasions but no one ever saw hide nor hair of either the mother or the father. In fact, the only time I ever saw their dad was when he was at the shop buying alcohol. Such a shame, you’ve got to feel sorry for them really. I think I heard that they were moved here from a very poor area in London and I don’t know how they managed to slip through Social Services after that, but they did.’
‘Feel sorry for them? Are you having a laugh, Mum? Have you forgotten how many pairs of my glasses were broken when I would get my head shoved down the toilet, or my nose punched? Then there were the many times my trousers got ripped when they would trip me up. They’re a pair of thugs and they haven’t improved with age. They’re just bigger and nastier now.’
‘I know, son, but look at the home life they’ve had. They were dragged up, not brought up, and let’s face it, they’re never going to amount to anything. Not like you two, doing something with your lives and working hard. I know they were bullies, but I still can’t help but feel sorry for them.’
‘Huh, they won’t be getting any sympathy from me,’ Ross said. ‘Come on, Toby, let’s go, and I’ll be buggered if I’m going out of my way to avoid the likes of them.’
As they went to leave, Ross noticed Toby give a glance up the stairs, probably looking out for Polly. A tight knot formed in his stomach and he felt irritated. I won’t have it, he thought, I don’t want my best mate to have anything to do with that sorry case my mother took in.
As they turned the corner at the end of the street, Ross and Toby came face to face with the Purvis brothers and, although Ross had been defiant at home, Toby could see the blood drain from his friend’s face and recognised his nervous expression.
‘Well, look who it is,’ said a very thickset Alan, ‘it’s Carrot-top and Sooty.’
Alan and Kenny stood side by side, taking up nearly all of the space on the pavement to prevent Ross and Toby from passing.
Toby could feel sweat breaking out on his brow and though he hated being referred to as sooty, wanting to retaliate by calling them honkies, he kept quiet in fear of what the bullying brothers might do during their visits to his shop. For two months, Alan and Kenny Purvis had been intimidating him, demanding protection money which he’d been reluctantly paying.
‘Excuse me,’ Ross said but Toby could hear his voice was shaking.
‘Why, what ya done?’ Alan laughed and dug his brother in his ribs which made Kenny laugh too.
‘Come on, Toby,’ said Ross as he went to step off the pavement to pass the brothers.
Alan quickly stepped in front of him. ‘Hang on, not so fast, you four-eyed ginger nut. We see your mate here regularly, but we ain’t clapped eyes on you for a while.’
Ross shot a puzzled look at Toby before asking, ‘What do you want, Alan?’
‘Well, now, the thing is, me and Kenny have gone into a new line of business. I’m sure your mate here can tell you all about it, ’cos he’s one of our best customers.’
Toby knew that Ross was looking at him, but he kept his eyes focused on the ground as he realised the embarrassing truth was about to be revealed.
‘What’s he on about, Toby?’
Toby said nothing and it was Alan who answered, ‘We’ve gone into the protection business, ain’t we, Kenny? See, our customers, including Sambo here, pay us to protect them, and as long as they keep up the regular instalments, nothing bad is going to happen to them.’
‘That sounds like extortion to me,’ said Ross.
‘Call it what you want,’ Alan sneered, ‘but it works. Toby is taken care of, and we’re happy that we’re getting paid. Now we want to expand, build the business, so I think it’s about time you signed up and start to pay up – let’s say five quid a week. That should offer you enough protection.’
‘Protection from what?’ Ross asked indignantly.
‘From anyone who might want to give you a hiding.’
‘That would only be you two, so are you threatening that if I don’t give you money you’ll beat me up? I’ll go to the police. You won’t get away with it!’
Suddenly, Alan pushed Ross against a lamppost whilst Kenny stood intimidatingly in front of Toby.
‘No, you won’t,’ Alan growled into Ross’s face. ‘You won’t go to the gavvers ’cos I know where you live, along with your fat old cow of a mother and tarty sister. You wouldn’t want a fire to break out in your house in the middle of the night now, would you? Or your glasses smashed into your eyes?’
When Ross didn’t answer, Alan continued, ‘No, I didn’t think so, and anyway, if you go to the Old Bill you can’t prove anything. It would be your word against mine so best you keep your mouth shut and just pay us. If you don’t, you’ll be fucking sorry. Ain’t that right, Sooty?’
When Ross looked at him, Toby only nodded, and then Alan said, ‘See, Sambo can tell you that I ain’t messing about. When he tried to skip a payment, we had to show him that we meant business so we trashed his shop. Serves him right and it’s ended up costing him twice as much to repair the damage. Love the sign in the window by the way – “closed for refurbishment”, ha, that’s one way of putting it.’
Kenny sniggered and pushed Toby slightly. ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘that was a right laugh when we smashed up your shop.’
Toby looked at Ross again to see him shaking his head in disbelief. So, his secret was out, he was being blackmailed by the Purvis brothers and that was why the shop was being refitted. But Alan had demanded a lot more than five pounds a week from him, and since the non-payment the weekly amount had increased to twenty pounds, which was far more than he could afford to lose. In order to keep the brothers happy he had forfeited his rent for the last week and feared that, if it continued, it wouldn’t be long before he would be evicted.
‘So, have we got a deal or what?’ Alan asked Ross.
Toby watched as his friend reluctantly pulled his wallet from his denim jacket pocket and handed Alan a five-pound note.
‘Good decision,’ Alan said, smiling. ‘I’ll meet you every Saturday at noon outside the Plough. Pleasure doing business with you.’
Toby saw Ross’s shoulders slump as Alan and Kenny sauntered off, both obviously revelling in their newly found wealth.
‘Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?’ Ross asked Toby.
‘I wanted to, but I was too ashamed,’ Toby admitted.
‘They can’t be allowed to get away with this. There must be something we can do.’
‘Like what? Just as Alan said, the police won’t do anything without proof and, to be honest, do you really want to risk giving them an excuse to come after us?’
‘I suppose not, but I resent giving them five pounds out of my wages. Christ, that’s more than I pay my mother and it’s going to leave me nearly broke,’ Ross complained.
If only Ross knew the rest of it, thought Toby. Five pounds was
nothing compared to what he was shelling out each week and he inwardly cursed the Purvis brothers, wishing that he never had to set eyes on them again.
Chapter 22
‘Easy money,’ Alan Purvis said to his younger brother. ‘Told you them two would be pushovers. Let’s go and get some Double Diamond and sit in the park. I don’t fancy going home with this money in my pocket.’
Kenny nodded, as Alan knew he would. His brother always agreed with anything that he said, and if for some reason he didn’t, Alan would hit him until he did.
As they sat in the park swigging from the recently purchased bottles of beer, Alan could see happy families around him enjoying the sunshine. A father was kicking a ball around with his two young boys and Alan looked on with a touch of envy. He questioned why his own father had never done anything like that with him and Kenny, but rather than take them to the park, David Purvis would get drunk and then beat them. Alan took another glug of beer and scoffed; it wasn’t as if his mother was any better. She was more of a drunk than his father and had always made it quite clear that both her children were mistakes she deeply regretted.
‘Al, I’m hungry, can we go and get some chips?’ Kenny timidly asked.
‘Yeah, in a bit,’ Alan answered, though he was disinclined to leave the bench.
‘Can we take some home for Mum and Dad too?’
‘Sod them!’ said Alan angrily. ‘Why should we?’
‘I don’t know, Alan. I just thought it might be a nice thing to do ’cos I don’t think they’ve got anything to eat.’
Alan looked at his younger brother’s sad face. He might be a big grown man, he thought, but he will always have the mind of a child. He gave in. ‘Yeah, all right, if it makes you happy, but they don’t bloody deserve it.’
‘Thanks, Alan. It might make Mum happy though. She’s always sad or angry, and I know when I’m sad a bag of chips makes me happy.’
