Tale of a Tooth

by Rogers, Allie;

  Smell of Mick’s house was so sweety smoky. Smell of Mick too.

  Hello hello hello!

  Hi Mick… In you go then, Danny.

  He holded the door wide for come in.

  On the other day Mick was all the time in bed. I only saw for a minute. Now he was getted up in clothes.

  Mick’s trousers were all colours and droopy. His t-shirt colours too and a great mighty one eye in the middle. A eye on his tummy. Mick’s tummy round but all the rest of Mick not round. His arms thin white. Hairy of black hair on them. Mick’s face very red. His nose at the end blue of tiny lines on.

  He bended down. His face close. Too close. But I wanted to look at the face of such strangeness so I didn’t shut my eyes.

  Hello there, son! Haven’t you grown?

  The floppity moustache waggled. Very yellow of teeth. Mouth air of such badness. Such terrible badness.

  Come along in then! It’s grand to have you here.

  Meemaw pushed me gentle push for go on. I did. I holded my nose though for the many smells.

  The front room had the big telly of my remember. All the air was cloudy blue in lines. Things moving in it slow.

  Blimey, Mick! Can you let a bit of air in?

  Sure thing, princess.

  Nat.

  Mick pushed up the window.

  Ugh!

  His arms wobbled. Meemaw stroked my head.

  Danny, sit down, love.

  I couldn’t. The sofa was all filled up of newspapers books fizzy drinks cans jumper blue with a unravelly sleeve. All filled up.

  Meemaw pushed some things together maked a space of green. It was only some little bits gritty. I sitted down there.

  A cup of tea then, is it?

  Mick was puff puff in his words.

  You sit down. I’ll make it.

  Grand.

  All the floor was things over under and heapy up. In the middle were big big boots. Dark and curly. Mick boots.

  I looked at his feet. No socks on. Bare Mick feet. Toenails gone long claws. Black at the ends of each. Toes of hair as a werewolf.

  I’m not a very tidy housekeeper I’m afraid, son.

  I could feel his eyes and still puff puff like running.

  You like dinosaurs, don’t you?

  I nodded.

  Your mother, she liked them too. A sweet wee girl with her big eyes looking at those great beasts in her story book. Ha! Like it was yesterday.

  Not yesterday. On yesterday was Karen breaked our green mug. Crack and broken.

  Mick started making a rolly. All lots of tobacco he pulled out a fluffy green sort. He maked a super-long rolly. Papers sticked together of spit. I watched. Meemaw shouted from a other room.

  Jesus, Mick! Is there milk here somewhere?

  On the top shelf of the fridge, princess.

  He did a cough of horrible phlegm. I hate it phlegm.

  Meemaw came back with two mugs. One of flowers she gived to Mick one of purple stripes for her.

  Cheers!

  Mick lifted his mug up high did a wink. Meemaw sitted on the arm of the sofa by me. Drinked her tea.

  I watched the things the tiny things in the blue air. The spaceships of teeny aliens flied in Mick’s house. I didn’t say of it.

  Aaaah! That’s grand, princess.

  How’ve you been keeping?

  Very well. Very well indeed.

  That kitchen’s a disgrace, you know?

  Ah, you know me, you know me, princess. It’s never been top of my list, the dishes.

  He did another wink. He lighted his rolly. Click and a orange flame.

  Can you at least sit by the window with that?

  Sure thing, sure thing.

  Mick kept on of big smiles. Smiles at Meemaw and at me. All quiet and a car outside. A long time of sitting. Mick did another cough.

  I can’t believe my girl’s come and brought the little man! I’m made up, I am, princess.

  Have you been working?

  He squashed his rolly on the window edge throwed it out.

  I’ve been doing a bit of work for Pete. You remember Pete McNally?

  Yep, I remember Pete. Total bloody chancer.

  Ah, now, he’s a good man. He’s a good man.

  Huh…

  Well, he gets the pieces at boot fairs and such. Nice pieces. He’s a fine eye. He sells them on the internet.

  Yeah?

  Well, I don’t understand all that side of it. But there’s work when I want it. I get my cut. I get a fair cut.

  Meemaw looked at me. Her colours all hidden. I thinked all too smoky for seeing colours.

  Mick mends clocks and watches, Danny, when the insides are broken. He makes them go again.

  Do you want to see, son?

  He standed up. Holded out his hand at me for come on. I looked at his werewolf feet. I looked at Meemaw.

  Go on. I’m right behind you.

  Mick’s bedroom was the same of things on the floor. Clothes drinks cans scrunkle white paper of chip shop. My tummy did a grooble of hungry.

  Mick scooped all everything sideways with his feet. He maked a path through. The underneath carpet was swirly orange and dark dark red. Swirly like space.

  By the window was a big table of no stuff except a rectangle clock of metal. It was lied down dead. Its insides showing. Insides of golden spiky wheels and little silver twists. Many and much of wheels and twists. Small as small.

  I take it all apart and when I put it together again it works.

  I looked close close at the spikey wheels and teeth very sharp. I touched with one finger a tiny twist.

  I know where to put all the pieces. And then it works.

  I think Mick maked the dead clocks be alive again. I wanted some in my pocket of the wheels and twists. Wanted.

  Meemaw’s voice was behind me loud.

  Christ almighty, Mick! It’s disgusting in here!

  Ah come on now, princess! When a man’s alone…

  I was just looking looking at the shiny insides of the clock. All lied in the sun and I wanted.

  You get yourself some bin bags and you clear the rubbish. Get the washing to the laundrette. It’s not beyond you.

  I never was the domestic type, was I?

  Well, there’s no denying that.

  Mick did another cough of phlegm.

  How’s your health, Mick? Really?

  I touched one again. A golden wheel. The tippy tip of my finger on it.

  I’m fighting fit now, fighting fit.

  Right. And are you eating?

  Oh I am. I’m grand, grand… Shall we go back to the front room? Does the lad wants to see some TV?

  I didn’t take any the wheels and twists and the lovely pieces. I was good.

  In the front room Meemaw gived me the telly thing. I pressed red it was a man doing news. I didn’t want it. So much buttons. I was confused.

  Have you eaten today, Mick?

  Not just yet I haven’t, princess.

  How about I make us something?

  Ah, ah, well, I’ve not got a lot in just now.

  Meemaw getted up.

  I’ll go to the corner shop.

  She holded out her hand. Mick gived her a blue fiver.

  You stay here, Danny.

  I’m coming too!

  You stay with Mick. I won’t be a minute.

  Meemaw gone. Bang the door. Tears came in my eyes. I blinked them down looked at the telly man. Big pink loud.

  Mick maked a new rolly.

  Your ma’s a grand sweet girl, a sweet girl, Danny.

  His tongue was a butterfly on the papers. Eyes Meemaw colour. Green golden flash.

  I see her mother in her. Oh, I do.

  He getted up went walking all through the floor things. Stopped by a drawer.

  Look! Look, son!

  He pulled. Tug tug of too much stuff in the drawer.

  Here, look at this…

  A glass hard photo of a lady face. He holded it to me for take. I take
d it. I looked. The lady was in black and white. Her hair a big tumble of fat curly dark. Her face white. Eyes big big and dark as blackness.

  That’s my Isabel there. Did you see her before, did you?

  I shaked my head.

  I see her in your ma, son. God knows I do. Just as she was in London that first summer. A Spanish princess sitting there in a pub on the Euston Road.

  A princess. Mick is all the time saying of a princess.

  I never knew a woman like her. Not a day goes by I don’t think of her still. Did you see her before, did you?

  I shaked my head again.

  Ten years of my life. Ten years and I never once regretted it. People said she was a handful. You’ve got yourself saddled there, Mick.

  Another cough of the most horrible of phlegm.

  But she was a grafter though. She was. When she was well she was a grafter. And then when your ma came along, well… Oh, I never once regretted it… I never… Even after… And people had said. They said you’ve got yourself saddled there. But they couldn’t see her heart, wee man. They could not one of them see her heart.

  I looked more at the photo lady. You can’t see of people’s hearts because they are inside. Inside the rib cage is the heart a tireless pump. We had it in a book of human body.

  Click then bang the door. Meemaw suddenly back and all panting of running.

  Telly man saying now over to Thomas with the weather. Meemaw puffy in her words.

  I’ll make us all an omelette, okay? What have you got there, love?

  I showed Meemaw the lady of a princess and a heart. Meemaw went still. Thomas on telly said a weather front sweeping across from the south-west.

  I was showing the lad your beautiful ma, princess.

  Meemaw turned. She went to the kitchen calling.

  Can you come and find some plates from that great heap then, if we’re actually going to eat?

  Meemaw and Mick gone I tried to make it CBeebies. But I getted more news people. Mans ladies different colours but all saying of news in the world. Sometimes a car bomb.

  I pressed red button for blackness. Big telly closed its eye. Quiet.

  I looked at the lady again. A princess and a heart. She didn’t look of a mummy for Meemaw. No colours in her. Too smooth face. I thinked it was most probably not and was a mistake. I putted her back on top of the drawer stuck open. All so many things.

  I tippytoed in the things. I looked. Four different of fizzy drinks cans smelled stinky yuck some had little dribbles in. I didn’t drink because horrible. Sometimes rolly ends in clonk I heared them knocking inside and smelled them.

  Danny, come and get some food!

  I went in the kitchen.

  It was nice omelette Meemaw maked of fat soft yellow warm. Mick had fizzy drink a big can. He did a burp.

  Pardon me! How are you keeping, princess? Are you managing? Oh, we’re okay.

  I wish I could do more for you, you know I do.

  Mick cutted a big bit of omelette pushed in under the droopy moustache. Wobble wobble of chewing. He eated five bites. I watched. Some omelette left he pushed his plate away. Leaned back in his chair. Meemaw putted down her fork.

  Actually, I’ve met someone, Mick. It’s early days though.

  Oh! A lucky man, a lucky man!

  Erm, it’s a woman actually.

  Oh! Well, that’s all the same to me, princess, all the same to me. I’m never one to judge, am I? Never one to judge.

  He drinked a long drink.

  Just so long as she treats my princess well. That’s my only concern.

  I spiked my last omelette bit. Devoured it. A great allosaur. But still hungry.

  She’s called Karen. I don’t quite know… I’m not sure but…

  Mick did another burp.

  Well you take it easy, princess. Take it easy.

  Mick getted another fizzy drink from the fridge. I pulled on Meemaw’s sleeve. Whispered.

  Can I have a fizzy drink?

  No, that’s for grown-ups, Danny.

  What’s that? Is the boy after a beer now? Ha!

  Of course he’s not. He doesn’t even know what it is!

  Meemaw was flash to sudden purple. Snatch snatch the plates. I looked at the leftover Mick omelette. I grabbed Meemaw’s sleeve.

  Can I have that?

  Meemaw did a sigh. Flop the omelette down on my plate she took the others to the sink. Running taps she speaked to me louder for hearing.

  When you’ve finished that you can go and watch telly.

  Mick and me went in the front room. Mick finded a programme of Doctor Who.

  I think this’ll be right up your street.

  It wasn’t in our street. It was of a spaceship of the Tardis. Meemaw likes it space.

  Mick falled fast asleep. He did snores that were such loud I couldn’t hear of what the tv people were saying. Just the snores. I waited for Meemaw to come and it be time for home.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Right, so we change trains again, Danny, remember?

  The high station was gone no room for running. It was all legs and wheely bags of handles. I stopped still and Meemaw picked me up. A loud voice of a bing bong hurted.

  Oh, great!

  I pressed hard on my ears but the bing bong voice still loud.

  Meemaw pulled one hand for a crack. Speaked in.

  The trains are up the creek!

  I didn’t know of it. Creaky door in the haunted house. I didn’t know. All was loud and too much of people.

  We went to a edge. There was a bench we sitted on it. No other person. The bing bong voice stopped. I letted go my ears.

  Let’s just sit here a minute.

  What the creek, Meemaw?

  There’s a problem. A signal failure and everything’s gone wrong.

  Oh.

  The signals are like the traffic lights for the trains. They say when it’s safe to go, and one has broken.

  Broken.

  Bang! Crack in two bits sharp sharp on the floor. Green mug killed.

  Yes.

  Up above was a number seven sign. I like number seven. I saw it all along number seven number seven and good.

  Then came a man on our bench. The man was too much shiny things. Shoes black tie blue. Hair very of sticky shine. He eated a sandwich with green bits coming out ticky tacky chew chew in his mouth. I watched.

  Danny, look at that seagull with his crisps!

  Meemaw pointed. Seagull with Doritos blue ones packet. Its head gone inside.

  Haha! Isn’t he a cheeky one?

  I looked back at the man. Ticky tacky chew chew. Huff. Egg falled plop on his trousers. I watched. He getted up and went away.

  Outside the blue fence was a place of lots lots of flowers big in buckets. All colours. Names I don’t know what.

  Meemaw all the flowers are they flowers of the park?

  Oh, Danny, you wouldn’t believe it, sunshine. They fly them all around the world in planes. Some of those roses probably come from Africa.

  I believed because Meemaw said it. They flied in planes. Planes all filled up of the flowers.

  I wanted to look close of the flowers. I slided all along the bench to the end. Meemaw was gone grey blue grey. Meemaw was gone still. She talked quiet. Words came floaty along the bench to me.

  They are all dying, those flowers there. In fact they’re dead already. All you’re waiting for is the colours to fade.

  Can I look at the dead flowers Meemaw?

  Ha! I suppose so. Just by the fence there, Danny. Go in a straight line to there and a straight line back. Okay?

  Yes.

  It was a blue fence of tiny teeny squares. I looked through one hole one eye. A lady had a dress of green and buttons. Words on her booby too small to read. Flowers lady was rolling up flowers in a parcel maked of paper. Paper round the drippy ends but not good not waterproof. She sticked sticky tape. Scree it went. I liked it. I wanted to pull screeeee.

  There was a good smell of them of
the flowers. Green. Wet. A all around smell. Meemaw said dead. I thinked of was it the smell of dead? Flowers lady rubbed her hand on her back and looked at the big clock of the high up station. I can’t read it round face clocks. Mick mends them back to life but you can’t of flowers. I don’t think you can.

  At the last a train was for us. We getted on it. Already no seats for Meemaw and me. I standed my face on Meemaw’s legs. She holded my shoulder for joggles of the train. Joggle this way that way the window just a slice because a fat man there. I saw green bushes and trees gone smeary fast. I feeled a strangeness of wobbly sick. I maked a noise of it the wobbly sick. To keep it away.

  Nerrrrnerrrrnerrrrnerrrr.

  Meemaw stroked my hair.

  Hang on, sunshine, not much longer now.

  Spiney was in the bag. I needed him for the wobbly sick.

  Spiney!

  I can’t get to him just now, love. You can have him when we get off.

  I maked the noise of the wobbly sick louder.

  NEERRRRRNERRRRNERRR!

  I pushed my face in Meemaw’s leg. Then the train went to our station called Burgess Hill. Meemaw had to touch people on their backs but it was okay because of excuse me.

  Off the train all the air was gone to cleanness and better.

  Let’s just stop a minute, Danny, and get sorted.

  Wobbly sick inside me still but not so much. All the air cool and moving. The sky white bright.

  Take some good deep breaths.

  Meemaw finded Spiney then right away. I holded him of great love and of Meemaw too because she gived him. We sitted still and all was better at our station of Burgess Hill.

  Then it was walking home. Me and Spiney. Treading on only lines of pavement.

  Come on! It’d be nice to get home before midnight.

  But not cross not grey blue grey now neither. Some paler of yellow. The softness in her now. Me and Meemaw.

  By the Kasbah shop sudden there was no more wobbly sick. All gone and I was very hungry. Men were there. Four men of bronze colour hair black laughing loud. One pushed the other one. More of laughing. Smell of dinners.

  Meemaw can I have chips red sauce Meemaw?

  I wanted it chips red sauce.

  Not today, love. No money for that.

  Chips!

  I standed still.

  Danny…

  Chips chips chips chips.

  I was crying then. I was hungry for chips. Meemaw did a sigh picked me up. I did push Meemaw one on her booby. Just one push.