Tale of a Tooth

by Rogers, Allie;

  We rattled off. Rattling rattling. One stop a station Hassocks. Socks in it! I nearly telled but not. I looked at the Karen hand there squeeze squeeze on my Meemaw’s leg. No talking but looking at each other. Looking.

  Sudden Meemaw maked me jump.

  Hey, Danny! Look! Look up, quick, there’s the windmills!

  I looked up but bang all black in the window.

  Aaaagh! Noooo!

  It’s okay, love, we’re just in a tunnel.

  Nooooo!

  I shutted my eyes. Meemaw came by me I feeled. She putted her arms all around me.

  It’s okay, love. It’s dark because we’re in the tunnel. We’re going through the hill.

  I opened my eyes to peep. In the window Meemaw and Danny. And Karen. All outside tunnel people we were. Looking in.

  Danny, you know what? They dug this tunnel more than a hundred and fifty years ago, before big digging machines. There were lots of men cutting all through with picks and shovels.

  Words bubbled fast out of me.

  Meemaw! Meemaw, did they find fossils when they were digging in the tunnel?

  I wouldn’t be surprised.

  Like Gideon Mantell finded fossils in the digging chalk?

  Yes. Just like that.

  That was a good thing and better. And Meemaw still cuddling me.

  Sudden again we were out in the day and come to a station called Preston Park. Karen getted up taked Meemaw’s bag from the high up shelf.

  Next stop then.

  She looked under her arm at me.

  He really is a professor, isn’t he? Is it always dinosaurs and that he goes on about?

  I looked at the floor my red trainers. Crossed over and mine. Meemaw did me a squeeze.

  You love dinosaurs and fossils, don’t you, Danny?

  I sitted very still for keep safe. No words.

  Karen zipped up her hoody putted Meemaw’s bag on her shoulder. Yawned very wide. She looked out the grey window her spikey hair on the glass.

  I ‘spose he’ll be starting school soon, won’t he, and mixing more with other kids?

  The train was slowly down down. We went by the door waited for the light to come inside press. Beepbeepbeep.

  Press it now, Dan!

  I did. The doors opened clonk.

  ***

  The thing of the pier is it is actual standing in the sea. Metal legs go down down in the water stand on the ground underneath. You walk on the top and the sea under.

  I holded Meemaw’s coat thinked of the climbing frame in the winter. In the park in the winter. The wooden part went to soft. One day a man with waspy tape banged it away. On it growed bright bright yellow blobs called fungus Meemaw telled. Fungus had eated the wood. If the man not banged it someone could have falled down to the ground. Sometimes hard things can go to soft. They can break.

  Under the pier was sea. I didn’t have my arm bands from one day at the swimming pool. So if I falled a disaster. I holded tight on Meemaw’s coat. Sticked my feet still.

  It’s fine, love. It’s safe and strong. Look at all the people.

  I looked at the people. It was still a dangerous thing the pier. They didn’t know it perhaps. Under in the cracks the sea was moving. I saw it move and move.

  Shall I carry him?

  Karen gived the bag to Meemaw reached down like to pick me up. I did a step fast away.

  Noooo!

  Just give him a minute, K. He’ll be all right.

  Not okay not okay.

  Come on, Professor, be a brave boy, eh?

  He just needs a minute.

  Inside me was thump. But I looked I saw a fat man. The man walked along the pier. I looked at his feet shiny black shoes. I smelled him vinegar. He laughed. The man didn’t fall crack and through and splosh in the sea.

  The man went on. I thinked he was a tester of the pier big and heavy. He walked in front of me. To test safe for me and Spiney. I knowed it.

  I hopped on the next plank the next.

  There we go! Crisis averted! All okay, Dan?

  I didn’t say.

  Funny little lad, aren’t you?

  Karen putted her hand out for touching my head. I went low quick. Meemaw rubbed on Karen’s arm.

  After twenty five hops along the planks stopped. They came to a slope instead. Slope to a building. I stopped.

  Karen and Meemaw were linked up in their arms. Karen pulled.

  Come on, Nat! Let’s blow a bit of money!

  Meemaw standed still so their arms stretched. Meemaw did a little laugh.

  No. It’s a waste, K, and I don’t really want him thinking…

  Karen pulled more. Pulling is not nice.

  Oh, come on! Live a bit, Nat, for fuck’s sake!

  Fuck is a swear word we don’t say it because that’s rude. Other people might be upset. I whispered it.

  Fuck fuck fuck.

  Karen grinned big wide. Laughing. Pulling. She slided up close to Meemaw’s ear whispering in. It is better to speak out loud when you’re in company. Meemaw pushed Karen in her chest. Meemaw laughed and laughed.

  Go on then, you wicked woman! Five minutes.

  Victory! Come on, Professor!

  Inside the building was yellow red flashing flashing. Smell like metal. Hot too hot. Chings bings wooooaaaaaoooo! Wild fierce machines. Racing car roar. All very around me. Loud.

  People were mostly all backs but one a man in the low down racing car. It was a pretend the racing car. It didn’t go along. The road in front on the screen. The man twizzled the wheel. Did a crash.

  I closed my eyes put my hands on my ears. Still the loud. Still very too hot.

  A noise came up in me like a racing car too. Louder louder. Meemaw crouched down. I feeled her hand on my wrist. She whispered at my ear her tickle breath.

  You’re all right, sunshine. Danny, listen to me, it’s just for a few minutes then we’ll go outside. Open your eyes, sweetheart. Come on, open your eyes.

  Meemaw unzipped my jacket putted her hand on my chest.

  You’re all right. Open your eyes.

  I opened one eye. Karen was by a window a big girl inside. She was a dolly girl of yellow hair dolly eyes red mouth spotty on her cheeks. She gived Karen a pot like marg in. Karen came bouncy on her trainers.

  It’s only a fiver, Nat. Come on, let’s see how we do!

  She rattled the pot. Inside was the horde of Sinbad. Lots and many. 2ps too many to count of. I never saw such of 2ps. I opened my other eye.

  Watch, Professor! See? We put them in here.

  It was called Copper Falls. Pictures of a waterfall. Inside bright light. All moving.

  Karen pushed one 2p in a hole. It falled down down down inside. Landed plonk flat on a silver shelf moving. Moving moving. 2p pushed and swallowed. More 2ps falled down on the next place. In out the silver shelfs moving. The 2ps falled down again.

  To the edge was such a mountain. I thinked all fall down fall down. But not. All the 2ps squashed up together and none falled. The Karen 2p was losted inside the machine. Gone forever. A disaster.

  Come on! Give it a go!

  Karen jangled the pot by my face close. I shutted my eyes. Losted and gone.

  Meemaw squeezled my hand lots little of squeezes. Like please again please.

  Look, Danny, I’ll have a try. Watch me have a go. Danny, watch!

  I didn’t open my eyes. Meemaw letted go my hand. Wooooaaaaaoooo of the machines! Karen’s voice shouting.

  Bad luck, Nat! They nearly went that time! Come on, Professor! Come on! Your turn! Your turn!

  Again the jingly pot by me. Close very close. I shutted my eyes tighter. Then Meemaw’s voice.

  I don’t think this is a Danny game, really.

  I thinked outside outside outside. I thinked outside and the noise to stop. The smell the hot to stop.

  Sudden came a crashy tumble. Eyes tight shut shut.

  Woohoo! There ya go, Nat! Bonanza! Come on!

  And Meemaw a wildly tumble of laughing.
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  I was all alone in the noisy sea. Too much scared. Too much alone. I opened my eyes.

  Meemaw and Karen pushing pushing in the 2ps. Tumble and tumble inside the bright. Sometimes crash some falled into the holder places. Meemaw and Karen scooped them. Laughing and laughing. Scooped them back into the pot. Meemaw’s hair was all dancey.

  One 2p falled on the swirly carpet by my trainer. I picked it up putted it in my pocket. Curled my fingers round. I telled it in mind words you are safe and saved. Scrunchled it tight. Whispered.

  You are safe and saved.

  Karen holded the pot to Meemaw.

  Last two! Come on, baby, what’s mine is yours! Together, yeah?

  Last 2ps went in. Tumbled down swallowed up. No more falled out. Over and gone. All were lost.

  Come on, let’s go back outside, K.

  Meemaw holded my hand. We went by the edge of the pier.

  A seagull on the fence looked with a yellow eye. Then it flied away. Wide wings. The wind was buffy bump. Better. Smell of cold and outdoors and special of seaside.

  I let go Meemaw’s hand. I holded on the fence. Hard cold. I looked at the sea. All moving waves running. White stripes all along far. I went in the waves with my eyes.

  Right! Fish and chips time, yeah? Shall we go in and get a table?

  Meemaw standed close to me. I feeled her there but still my eyes away in the waves.

  Well, look, I’ve done sandwiches, K. Let’s not waste them. How about just some takeaway chips to go with? He’ll be better if we don’t have to go indoors again.

  Okey-dokey, sweetheart, your wish is my command. I’ll get them. Don’t go disappearing on me though, eh?

  Still my eyes in the white running waves. I heared Meemaw do a sigh.

  Come on, love, let’s sit on the bench, okay?

  Nooo!

  Danny, come on the bench, love. We’re not going indoors.

  Meemaw and me sitted down on the bench. A roof over. I could see the sea but not so close not so good.

  Are you having a nice day, Dan?

  I getted up again went to the fence to have nothing in the way for my eyes. White stripe waves coming coming in in to the land. I holded the 2p in my pocket. Holded tight of him.

  You come home with me. Come to my house not lost in the machine.

  Meemaw called.

  Danny! Come and eat! Chips!

  I like chips best.

  Karen had bringed three shiny boxes. I sitted down next to Meemaw. Yellow squeaky boxes tucked in closed. My tummy groobled for hungry.

  Karen gived me one big box all to me. The lid popped open. Inside lots and lots of chips and a smell of golden tasty.

  Tomato sauce, Professor?

  In Karen’s fingers was a drippy red sauce packet.

  Yes.

  Yes what, Danny?

  Yes please of sauce.

  Karen dribbled red sauce out. All across my chips. Too much!

  I pulled my chips away. Splat red sauce on the white bench.

  Ooh! Whoops-a-daisy! That’s enough, is it?

  Sorry, K! Danny, just be careful!

  Karen putted some red sauce on her chips. Then she throwed it in the bin, licked all her fingers.

  Meemaw tucked her flying hair behind her ear. Out it squiggled quick for flying away again.

  Keep your chips in close, Dan! There’s nothing those gulls like better than a nice hot box of chips.

  Chewy chewing the red sauce chip was good. Good in my mouth.

  Karen had three cans of fizzy drink. One two three. They were on the bench by her for one each. I taked one. I holded it up at Meemaw for please.

  Go on then!

  That meaned yes.

  Kish crackle she opened it for me. It was red and Coca Cola swirly writing like a wave. Other side Coke. I drinked a big slurp. Woo! Icy icy in my tummy. Sweet and fizz in my mouth. I gulped gulped putted it down on the bench two hands.

  But my hands were gone greasy of chips. They slipped. The bench too curvy and thonk it went down on the wooden pier. Splash out came a wave. Splash on Karen’s foot.

  Karen jumped up.

  Fuck! Fuck it! Jesus!

  She shaked her foot. Shaked it. Meemaw in our bag quick. Meemaw to save the day. But fast words to me.

  Oh God! Oh God, Danny, what have you done?

  Meemaw holded out toilet roll at Karen. It blowed in the wind all long. Karen didn’t take it she shaked and shaked her foot. The Coke gone on it.

  Karen, here! Dry it off with this.

  Karen didn’t take it she shaked her foot more.

  Fuck it! Fuck! I’m gonna go and wash this off in the loo. New fucking trainers! Fuck it!

  She runned away through the people.

  Meemaw picked up the fallen over Coke. She taked it to the bin pushed it in. She sitted back down started eating her chips. Meemaw chips bare of red sauce. Meemaw doesn’t like it. Meemaw posting chips fast fast in her mouth open closed snap.

  Beside Meemaw still a closed Coke can I thinked of it. Bubbles fizz cold.

  Meemaw can I have the other one?

  Meemaw turned round her head fast. She was gone to bright yellow green. Meemaw’s voice like throwing stones.

  I think you’ve caused enough trouble, don’t you? Just eat your chips.

  My tummy went closed full up. No more eating.

  I looked at people walking on the pier. One a man with a baldy bald pink head. One a lady with sunglasses very big. Like bee eyes.

  It was gone to very bad on the pier. My tummy went squeeze pain. Inside was crying coming.

  But Karen came and I didn’t do crying. I watched Karen she sitted by Meemaw. Meemaw stroking.

  Fuck, that’s been an expensive can of Coke. I don’t suppose these’ll ever look the same.

  I’m so sorry, K. I’m so sorry. He didn’t mean to.

  No, I know. Of course he didn’t bloody mean to. I know he just dropped it. I’m not an idiot. He’s just a little kid. I get it.

  Karen wriggled all her shoulders for get off and Meemaw stopped stroking. Karen’s trainer was gone dark of wet. It didn’t match the other one that was bright bright of turquoise and white of soft stuff.

  I knowed I had to say it too of sorry. Meemaw would want it. I tried it to make it come out. Then it came sudden on its own. Loud.

  Sorry.

  I didn’t look. Feeled her eyes on me.

  Oh well, it’s done now, Professor, isn’t it? I could do with a drink.

  Meemaw leaned put her arm round Karen’s shoulder for feel better about the trainer that was all my fault. She kissed Karen’s face two times.

  How about we go down on the beach for a bit?

  Karen standed up.

  No, I’m fucking freezing. Let’s find a pub where they won’t mind him.

  Meemaw started closing up the squeaky boxes putting them in the bag.

  Oh for Christ’s sake, we’re not gonna want them cold and greasy are we?

  Karen throwed all the boxes in the bin. All the chips gone.

  ***

  Meemaw doesn’t like pubs. Sometimes dark brown days we come past the pub on the corner and Meemaw is Look look at them, Danny, all pissing their lives away.

  Men do shouts by the pub after bedtime. Sometimes it’s fighting sometimes a joke. Meemaw says beer turns jokes to fighting. Beer is a potion of a witch I won’t ever drink.

  We walked long on pavements of all people. Meemaw maked me hold hands. Sticky hot hands.

  How about this one, Nat? It’s a Wetherspoon’s, it’ll be fine for kids.

  It’s so busy though, K. Can’t we find something a bit smaller?

  I did pulling. Pulling by the step.

  Okay, whatever. Let’s go along here…

  Karen was going fast wiggling in out of all the people. Lots of people now and all in the roads. No cars.

  K! Karen! How about in here. It looks nice.

  Is it a pub?

  Yeah, yeah, look.

  Okay, whatever. I
just need a bloody drink.

  The pub wasn’t like the corner one at home. This pub was big clear windows flowers on each every table. Little white soft of flowers in blue pots. Wispy of green bits too. I touched gently. Meemaw moved it away.

  Leave it, Dan.

  There was a lady near of yellow hair piled up like fat strings. She had a teeny dog I liked. It sniffed my leg. The lady smiled.

  She likes you. Do you want to stroke her?

  Meemaw nodded for yes I could.

  I bended down close of the dog. Eyes round and wet. All dark. All dark nose and pointy of a fox. I stroked. Gentle to be kind. Teeny dog had a head silky smooth and hardness of skull inside. It squiggled all about.

  What do you want, babe?

  Just a juice, thanks.

  Oh, have a proper drink! Don’t make me drink alone.

  I’m feeling a bit headachey, K. Just a juice would be lovely. Orange. Thanks.

  What about him?

  No, he doesn’t need anything. He’ll be fine. Thanks, though. Thanks, Karen…

  We sitted by the window and Meemaw undid my coat and taked it off.

  You be a patient boy now, Dan, okay? Sit quietly.

  Karen had a big yellow drink of tall and wet on the outside. The top was white frothy like the sea waves. Meemaw had orange juice. Her glass was round like a Christmas ball. Karen bringed crisps too.

  I didn’t know for me or not the crisps. Strange and strong. A bad smell. Karen opened them teared the packet down all the smell came out.

  Karen did a big drink gulp. She taked a crisp putted it in her wide wide mouth. Smiled at Meemaw rubbed on my head. I sitted very still.

  Let’s forget it and get back to the fun, eh?

  Meemaw was hiding her colour. It isn’t a often thing she does. Just sometimes. I looked at Meemaw counted to sixty. Still hidden colour. Karen standed up.

  ‘Scuse me a minute, gotta have a wazz.

  I flatted my hair she’d rubbed.

  Can I have the water please Meemaw?

  Meemaw gived our water to me from the bag. I gulped seven gulps gived it to her back. Meemaw wasn’t looking at me. Meemaw was gone away hiding. She looked out the door in the street.

  All the time of waiting Meemaw’s eyes were wanting to go in the street. I hoped it meaned go home soon. I thinked of it and hoped.

  We stayed in the pub a long long time. Karen had three yellow drinks Meemaw two of the round drinks of orange. I kneeled on the seat looked out the window. A big brown dog was there playing the piano. He taked off his head sometimes. Inside he was brown beard red face man. There were people people people. I thinked of go home.