The Feud

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘Joey,’ Frankie cried, throwing her arms around her brother’s neck.

  Stanley hugged Jessica. He’d always known that one day that bastard she’d married would show his true colours and he just hoped that his daughter had the courage to leave him now.

  ‘I’m gonna have a lie-down on the sofa,’ Jessica said.

  ‘Let Mummy have a rest. Nanny’s going to cook some of her special crinkled chips,’ Joyce said, leading the kids into the kitchen.

  Stanley sat in his armchair. He needed to have a chat with Jessica in private. ‘You’ve got to leave him, Jess. I mean, if he’s done what he’s done to his son, it proves that he’s capable of anything. It’s not like it’s a one-off. He nearly strangled you the other night, love. The man’s a fucking monster.’

  Jessica looked down at her hands and said nothing. Punishing her husband was one thing; leaving him was another.

  Her dad carried on talking. ‘You’ve got to put the kids first, Jess, and if their safety is at risk, you’ve no option but to leave him.’

  Jessica felt her eyes welling up. ‘I need to make this decision myself, Dad. I’ll stay here for a few days, get me head straight and then I’ll decide what to do.’

  Stanley shook his head. ‘If you stay with Eddie, you’re a fool, Jess. He’s obviously an animal and you’d be far better off without him in your life.’

  Pleased that the twins had run back into the room and ended such an awkward conversation, Jessica went outside to talk to her mum. ‘Dad reckons Eddie’s dangerous. He said I’ve got no choice other than to leave him.’

  ‘Don’t take no notice of that silly old bastard. What does he know, eh? Look, what Eddie did this weekend was wrong, very wrong, but you can’t just walk away from an otherwise happy marriage because of two stupid mistakes. You said yourself, he was drunk both times. Lay the law down to him. The ball’s in your court, Jess. Tell him you’ll only come home if he promises not to drink Scotch in front of you and the kids any more.’

  Jessica sighed. She had so much on her mind, she felt as if her head was about to burst. ‘I really don’t know what came over him, Mum. He’s usually such a good husband and father, and I’ve never seen him as drunk as he was yesterday. There was some bloke at the party that he’s had this feud with over the years. Eddie hates this O’Hara fella. I think he was the one that scarred his face and I just don’t think Eddie could handle seeing him again.’

  Joyce smiled. ‘There’s your answer, then. It was a oneoff, Jess. Play hard to get, make him sweat for a few days before you go back home, but you must go back, dear. Look at your lovely house, you don’t want to lose that and your nice lifestyle, do you now?’

  Jessica nodded. The house and her lifestyle were the last of her bloody problems, but sometimes it was easier just to agree with her mum than to argue her point.

  Eddie paced up and down the living-room carpet. He was desperate to speak to Jessica, but too nervous to ring her. Debating whether to call his dad and ask for advice, he decided against it. His dad had got the pox of him the other night, so how could he admit he’d now allowed his six-year-old son to be knocked out cold?

  Furious with himself, Eddie punched the wall. He was probably the laughing stock of Rainham. Gossip tended to travel at a hundred miles an hour in the circles he mixed in. Noticing one of Jessica’s sweatshirts lying on the chair, Eddie picked it up and held it to his nose. As he took in her scent, he felt a comfort within.

  ‘Forgive me, Jess. I love you so much,’ he whispered.

  Looking around the house he’d been so proud to have built, Ed decided that he now hated it. Without Jessica’s constant chattering and the twins’ happy laughter, it wasn’t homely at all. He’d dropped Gary and Ricky home earlier and the silence was killing him. Desperate to make things right again, Eddie picked up his car keys. A phone call wasn’t the answer. He needed to see his beautiful wife face to face, tell her how sorry he was. Even if he had to go down on his bended knee to get her back, so be it.

  Jessica was upstairs freshening up when she heard the doorbell go.

  ‘Mummy, Daddy’s here,’ Frankie shouted.

  Feeling her body go rigid, Jessica stood rooted to the spot. She wasn’t ready to face him yet – she couldn’t.

  ‘You’re not going to answer the door, are you?’ Stanley said to Joyce.

  ‘Of course I’m going to answer it. You stay there, and mind your own business. I’ll speak to Eddie in the kitchen.’

  Joyce ushered the twins out of the room. ‘Frankie, Joey, go upstairs with Mummy. Nanny needs to have a little chat with your dad.’

  ‘Is Daddy angry with me because I lost at boxing?’ Joey asked innocently.

  Joyce stroked his head. ‘Of course not, darling. Just go upstairs until Nanny calls you, then you can come down and say hello to your dad.’

  As Joyce opened the front door, Eddie was standing there holding a massive bouquet. ‘I am so sorry for what happened, Joyce. Where’s Jess? I desperately need to talk to her.’

  Joyce led him into the kitchen. ‘She’s very upset, Ed. I don’t know if she’s ready to have it out with you yet. Let me make us a brew and then I’ll go upstairs and try and persuade her to talk to you.’

  Eddie sat on a stool. ‘I ain’t slept all night. How’s Joey? I take it he’s here?’

  Joyce nodded. ‘The twins are both upstairs. Joey seems OK now, he’s just eaten a big plate of chips, bless him.’

  Eddie put his head in his hands. ‘I feel so guilty, Joyce. I’ll make it up to Joey, I promise I will. If Jess can find it in her heart to forgive me, I’ll book us all a holiday. We can spend some proper time together as a family, it will do us all good.’

  Joyce handed him his cup of tea.

  ‘What do you want?’ she asked, as Stanley peered around the door.

  Ignoring Eddie, Stanley walked in. ‘The pigeons need feeding,’ he said curtly.

  As Stanley shut the back door, Joyce locked it. The crafty old sod had only come out to be nosy. She smiled at Eddie. ‘Stands out there for hours with his cock in his hand,’ she joked.

  Eddie did his best to force a smile. He wasn’t in the mood for jokes, no matter how funny they were.

  ‘Go upstairs and speak to Jess for me, Joyce. Ask her if I can go up and talk to her.’

  Jessica was sitting on the bed with the twins either side of her.

  ‘Are you angry with Daddy?’ Frankie asked her.

  ‘Can we go and see him now?’ Joey pleaded.

  Joyce opened the bedroom door. ‘Ed wants to talk to you, Jess. I’ll take the kids downstairs and send him up, shall I?’

  Jessica shook her head. ‘I don’t want to see him, Mum. I’m not ready to go through all this yet.’

  Joyce put her hands on her hips. ‘Look dear, he’s your husband, you have to talk to him and there’s no time like the present.’

  Jessica sighed. ‘OK, but let the twins stay here for a minute. I’ll send them down when he comes up. I’m not leaving them on their own with him.’

  Joyce nodded and left the room.

  ‘Go up, Eddie. She’s in her old bedroom.’

  Eddie felt his heart rate quicken as he carried the flowers up the stairs. He took a deep breath and walked into the room.

  ‘Daddy!’ Frankie and Joey exclaimed.

  ‘Hello, kids. Can Daddy have a cuddle?’ he said, with tears in his eyes.

  Hugging them both tightly, Eddie crouched down and kissed them. ‘You go downstairs and see your nan for a minute,’ he told them.

  They both nodded. ‘Will you come and see Grandad’s pigeons with me?’ Joey asked him.

  ‘Another time, son,’ Eddie said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

  As the twins left the room, Eddie handed the flowers to Jess. ‘Peace offering,’ he said.

  Without looking at them, Jessica put them on the floor. ‘It’s gonna take a bit more than a bunch of flowers, Eddie.’

  Eddie knelt down in front of her and tried to take her
hands in his, but Jessica quickly snatched hers away.

  ‘Jess, I’m so sorry for what happened. I was bang out of order and I promise you faithfully that nothing like that will ever happen again. Please, Jess, look at me. You and the twins mean the world to me, just give me another chance, let me make it up to you.’

  Aware that Ed was crying, Jessica averted her eyes. If she looked at him she’d melt and she was desperate not to thaw that easily. ‘What you did to Lee the other night was bad enough, but what you did to your own son was despicable, Eddie. How am I ever meant to trust you again? How can I live with a man who I’m frightened to leave alone with his own children?’

  ‘Don’t say that, please don’t say that. You make me sound like a monster, Jess. I love my kids, you know I do. I made a mistake, one stupid mistake, that’s all. Just give me another chance. I’ll do anything you say, anything,’ Eddie begged.

  Jessica shook her head. ‘It’s not that easy, Eddie. I thought Joey was dead, I really did. How do you think that made me feel?’

  ‘I’m sorry babe, I really am. Let’s go home, we can talk indoors,’ Eddie pleaded.

  Jessica stood up and opened the bedroom door. ‘I want you to leave now, Eddie. I need to think things through, decide what I want to do. I need you to bring some clothes here for me and the kids. Bring their school bags as well and Milky the Cow and some other toys.’

  Shell-shocked, Eddie stood up. ‘How much stuff shall I bring? Do you think you’ll be back home by next weekend?’

  Jessica kept her cool. She was damned if she was going to make this easy for him.

  ‘Who says I’m coming home at all? I’ve got a massive bump on my head and my son nearly died. The way that I feel at this moment, Eddie, I never want to see you or that bloody house ever again.’

  FIFTEEN

  Many visits, phone calls and apologies later, Jessica agreed to go out alone for a meal with Eddie to discuss their future.

  Her mother had done her head in and just wouldn’t let sleeping dogs lie. ‘You can’t keep messing your husband around, Jess. Two mistakes he’s made and even though they were big mistakes, you can’t keep punishing the man forever. There’ll be women out there who will be waiting in the wings as we speak. I’d make things right with him, if I was you, before it’s too late and some little dolly bird gets her claws into him.’

  Not wanting the kids to see her going out with their father, Jessica had asked her dad to take them to the pictures. ‘I don’t want Frankie and Joey to see Ed. They’re missing him and it might upset them. He’s picking me up at seven, so don’t bring them back until at least half past,’ she told her father.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take them for a pizza after the film, but I’ll tell you something, if you get back with that arsehole, you want your bloody head tested,’ her dad said bluntly.

  Jessica ignored his comments. It had been just over a week now since she’d moved back in with her parents and between them they’d driven her up the bloody wall. She did appreciate them both caring, but they wouldn’t leave the subject of her marriage alone and the fact that their opinions differed so much made it all the worse.

  Sighing, Jessica fished through her temporary wardrobe. She had very little to choose from because most of her clothes were still in Rainham. Not wanting Eddie to think she’d made too much of an effort, she decided to wear her faded jeans. Matched with her red bag, T-shirt and stilettos, she could still look nice without going over the top.

  Pleased with her overall appearance, Jessica carefully applied her mascara and lipgloss. Knowing that Eddie hated her wearing too much make-up, she deliberately added some blusher and eyeliner. Sod him, Ed wouldn’t have the guts to say anything about her appearance tonight, the bastard would be far too busy grovelling.

  Jessica felt slightly apprehensive as she walked down the stairs. She had already decided where she wanted her future to lie, but there was a lot that needed ironing out first.

  As Jessica walked into the kitchen, Joyce looked at her in horror. ‘Christ, you could have made more of an effort. I thought you was going out for a nice meal. You can’t sit in a posh restaurant in those old-looking denim jeans. You look like a bloody workman.’

  ‘Mum, please don’t start, I’m not in the mood. I feel a bundle of nerves as it is. Is there any of that wine left in the fridge?’

  Joyce tutted as she poured her daughter a small glass. Every night this week Jessica had insisted on having some wine with her evening meal and Joyce was beginning to think she was turning into an alcoholic.

  ‘Don’t drink too much while you’re out with Eddie tonight. You need a clear head on you – you don’t want to act like an old lush. Men hate to see their women drunk, especially men like Eddie.’

  Jessica snatched the glass and stomped out of the kitchen. The quicker she got out of this lunatic asylum, the better.

  Eddie sat upstairs in his Auntie Joan’s house. His father had called an urgent meeting and Ed knew by the look on his face that whatever news he had was good news.

  ‘I heard what happened at the party last week, Gavin Smith told me. How’s Joey? Recovered, has he?’ Ronny said, laughing.

  ‘Joey! What’s a matter with the boy?’ Harry Mitchell asked.

  Eddie shot his brother a look of pure hatred. His dad knew nothing about what had gone on at the party and if anyone was going to tell him, he’d rather do it himself. ‘I’ll tell you later, Dad. Tell us your news first,’ Eddie said, embarrassed.

  Ronny was such a loudmouth prick. Now he knew, there was little point in hiding the truth from anyone else.

  As Auntie Joan tapped on the door, Eddie jumped up to let her in. ‘There’s chicken and beef in the sandwiches. Now, are you sure you don’t want me to make you a nice brew, Harry?’

  Smiling, Harry shook his head. ‘We’ve good news today, Joanie, so we’ll be having a little celebratory tipple instead,’ he told her.

  Joan nodded and shut the door. The men had important business to discuss and they didn’t need her hanging about like a mother hen.

  Harry opened a bottle of expensive Scotch and urged Paulie to do the honours. Sipping his own, he smiled at Raymond. ‘Well, Raymondo, I have some very good news that is of particular interest to you. The police yesterday arrested a lad in connection with the murder of Mad Dave. I’ve since heard they’ve formally charged him. They’d been looking for two black boys who were already well known to them. One of them is called Rowan, I don’t know his surname, but they found his fingerprints in the Portakabin. Apparently, Mad Dave reported a burglary down his yard a few weeks back, so chances are it was this Rowan kid and his mate, who are well-known thieves. I suppose the Old Bill have found the kids’ prints and surmised it was him that came back and killed him. What a fucking result, eh? Leaves the rest of us in the clear.’

  Raymond lifted his glass. ‘To Rowan,’ he chirped.

  ‘To Rowan,’ everybody else said, laughing.

  Looking at his watch, Eddie realised it was gone half-six. ‘Listen, I’m sorry to have to leave so quickly, but I’ve gotta be somewhere.’

  ‘You ain’t even drunk your drink yet, at least have that first,’ Paulie told Eddie.

  Eddie stood up. Fuck the drink – the last thing he needed was to turn up round Jessica’s mum’s smelling like a brewery.

  ‘She’s got you right where she wants you, that old woman of yours,’ Ronny goaded.

  Eddie chose not to rise to the bait. ‘I’ll catch up properly with you all next week or something.’

  ‘What was you gonna tell us about Joey?’ Harry enquired.

  Shaking his head, Eddie walked towards the door. ‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow, Dad, and don’t listen to what anybody else says. Ronny’s heard what happened through the rumour mill. At least if you hear it from me, you know it’s kosher.’

  Harry Mitchell nodded. ‘Take care, son.’

  * * *

  Jessica was annoyed as she lifted back the curtain and peered out of the up
stairs window. Eddie was already a quarter of an hour late and if he didn’t arrive before the kids got back, she would tell him to go and take a running jump. Furious with herself for having agreed to go out with her husband in the first place, Jessica lay down on the bed. Her mum’s voice quickly made her stand up again.

  ‘Jess, Eddie’s here, love.’

  Glancing in the mirror, Jessica ran down the stairs. ‘I won’t be late, Mum, and don’t forget, if the kids ask, I’m out with Mary.’

  ‘Aren’t you going to invite him in?’ asked a disappointed Joyce.

  ‘No, I’m not,’ Jessica said, as she opened the front door.

  Eddie smiled as he saw his stunning wife walk towards him. ‘I’d better say a quick hello to your mum,’ he said.

  ‘No, let’s just go,’ Jessica told him.

  The conversation in the car was awkward, but polite.

  ‘I haven’t booked us anywhere yet. I thought I’d let you decide where you wanted to eat. How do you fancy that nice Italian we took me dad to on his birthday that time?’ Eddie asked.

  Jessica nodded. ‘That’ll do fine. I liked it there, the food was lovely.’

  The restaurant was about ten minutes’ drive away and, as Eddie led Jessica inside, he was relieved to find that it wasn’t too busy. He pulled the waiter to one side. ‘Can we have a table right at the back, we need a bit of privacy,’ he told him.

  Jessica chose a seafood dish and Eddie opted for the mouth-watering lasagne.

  As the waiter topped their glasses up with wine, Eddie leaned across the table and held Jessica’s hand. ‘I’ve missed you and the twins so much,’ he told her.

  Jessica nodded and averted her eyes. Eddie still gave her butterflies after all these years and the way that her heart was pounding reminded her of when they’d first got together. ‘I have missed you too, Ed, but after what happened, if we do make another go of it, there have to be some changes.’

  Relieved that she was softening towards him, Eddie smiled at her. ‘Your wish is my command, Jess. I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back. What is it you want me to do?’