The Feud

by Kimberley Chambers

  Jessica took a deep breath. ‘Firstly, I want you to apologise to the people from the party. I think we should both pop round to see Pat Murphy and Dougie and Vicki. You were so loud and argumentative, Ed, you upset everyone. We’ve only just moved into the area and I don’t want people to think we’re the dregs of society. Just tell them you was drunk and how awful you feel about forcing Joey into that boxing ring.’

  Eddie nodded. ‘I’ll do it. I’ll go and apologise first thing tomorrow.’

  Jessica paused, before carrying on. ‘I want to come with you. I don’t want the women down the school making snide comments about us, so I want to show that we’re united as a couple. Another thing I want you to do is knock at that O’Hara bloke’s and shake his hand to show there’s no bad feelings. We only live down the road from him, Ed, and I really don’t want any aggravation. I can’t live my life looking over my shoulder and if you and him have got this feud going on, it’s not safe for me and the kids to live there.’

  Eddie looked away from her. Apologising to Pat and Doug was one thing, making things all right with that cunt O’Hara was another. He turned back to Jess. ‘The feud between my family and the O’Haras has been going on for years, Jess. It’s complicated – you wouldn’t understand.’

  Jessica stood her ground. ‘What’s more important, Ed? Jimmy O’Hara, or me and the children? I’m not coming home until you do as I say, and if you don’t, then I’m leaving you for good.’

  Knowing his wife meant business, Eddie nodded once again. He hated the thought of swallowing his pride, but the thought of life without Jess was far worse. ‘OK, I’ll do it,’ he said.

  ‘I’m coming with you. I want us to go to the O’Haras’ together. I don’t want his wife and family to think that there’s any ill feeling. I’ll probably bump into the woman at some point and I don’t want any awkwardness.’

  Having little choice, Eddie reluctantly agreed. ‘Is that it? When are you moving back – tomorrow?’ he asked Jessica.

  ‘I haven’t finished yet. There’s more,’ Jessica told him, much to his dismay. ‘I don’t want you to stop drinking because I know you’re usually fine, but I want you to promise me that you’ll never get drunk like that in front of me and the children again. It’s the Scotch, Eddie, it doesn’t agree with you. You are a horrible drunk and I can’t live like that. I also want you to lay off Joey. You’re always picking on him because he’s not as rough and ready as Gary and Ricky. He is what he is, Ed, and I love him for that and so should you. You favour Frankie and it shows. It’s not fair, Ed, Joey’s a little darling and he loves you very much.’

  Eddie was shocked by his wife’s comments. ‘I don’t favour Frankie, I love Joey just as much. With boys, Jess, it’s a father’s job to toughen ’em up a bit. My dad brought me and my brothers up that way and I did the same with Gary and Ricky. I mean, you want him to be able to stick up for himself, don’t you? We don’t want him getting picked on at school, do we?’

  Jessica bit back. ‘I just want you to leave him alone, Ed, you’re always on his case. You go mad if he picks up one of Frankie’s dolls or does something that you don’t consider boyish. He’s six years old, for God’s sake. Gary and Ricky never had twin sisters – if they had, they’d have probably played with their toys as well.’

  Eddie shrugged. In his eyes, he hadn’t been doing anything untoward. All he’d been trying to do was teach the boy right from wrong. ‘I’ll promise I’ll never get drunk like that again, and yes, I’ll let Joey grow up in his own time. But Jess, don’t ever say that I love any of my other kids more than him, ’cause it’s untrue. You’ve hurt me saying that; he’s my son and I’d fucking die for him.’

  Realising that Eddie looked a bit choked up, Jessica felt awful. She wanted to say something about how he’d grabbed her round the neck and hurt her head, but perhaps this wasn’t the right time. Maybe she had been too harsh on him, too brutal. ‘So, when shall the kids and I move back home, then?’ she said, squeezing his big, lifeless hand.

  With tears in his eyes, Eddie managed a smile. Jess and the twins were coming home where they belonged and nothing else really mattered. ‘How about tonight? It’s only eight o’clock. Shall we bolt our dinner down, then go and pick the twins up?’

  Jessica nodded. ‘I’d like that very much.’

  Because they were on their school holidays, Joey and Frankie were allowed to stay up later than usual. As the front door opened, they ran to greet their mum and were surprised, but also delighted, to see their dad.

  ‘Cuddles, Daddy, cuddles,’ Frankie demanded.

  Joyce poked her head around the door and beamed at the happy family atmosphere.

  Eddie put Frankie down and held his arms out to Joey. ‘Come and have a cuddle with your dad, eh?’ he urged him.

  Joey ran into his arms. ‘Do you still love me, Daddy?’ he asked solemnly.

  Eddie held his son tighter than ever before. ‘I love you more than you’ll ever know, Joey,’ he said, stroking his head.

  Jessica ushered her mum back into the lounge and had a brief word with both of her parents. ‘Mum, Dad, thanks ever so much for letting me and the kids stay here. You’ve been brilliant, both of yous have.’

  Joyce hugged her. ‘Everything sorted, love? You going back home?’

  Jessica nodded. She was desperate to get back to her big house and taste her home comforts once more.

  Stanley sat stony-faced staring at the telly. He had nothing to say, nothing at all.

  ‘You don’t mind if we shoot off now, do you, Mum? Our clothes and the kids’ toys we can pick up tomorrow.’

  Joyce smiled as Eddie walked into the room with a twin in each arm.

  ‘I’ll pack all your stuff up for you in the morning. Yous get yourselves home,’ Joyce urged them.

  Eddie grinned. ‘I wouldn’t mind a cup of tea first, Joycie. You make the best brew I’ve ever tasted, and I’m parched.’

  Thrilled by her son-in-law’s compliment, Joyce jumped up and almost ran to the kitchen.

  Unable to take any more of Eddie’s old bollocks, Stanley stormed out of the room.

  ‘You OK, Dad? Where are you going?’ Jessica shouted after him.

  ‘To feed the pigeons. Take care, love,’ Stanley shouted, as he slammed the kitchen door.

  Relieved to be alone, Stanley spoke quietly to his birds. Ernie and Ethel were his pride and joy. They might only be pigeons, but they listened to him, they understood, and that was more than he could say about his family.

  ‘It will all end in tears, Ernie. You mark my words, Ethel, that Eddie’s no good. Jess’ll never be happy with him,’ he told them.

  ‘Coo-coo, coo, coo-coo,’ the pigeons replied. Stanley felt a tear roll down his cheek. Even his pigeons could see through Eddie’s charade. If only his family could do the same.

  SIXTEEN

  Much to Eddie’s dismay, Jessica insisted that the twins sleep in the king-size bed with her, and he sleep in the spare room.

  ‘Please let’s share a bed, Jess. I’ve missed your warmth, I need a cuddle,’ Eddie pleaded.

  Jessica shook her head. By the time they’d got home, both the twins were out for the count and they had had to carry them up the stairs. ‘It’s only for tonight, Ed. I don’t want them waking up wondering where they are. Anyway, they’ve both had a bit of a tummy bug. I want them next to me, so I know they’re all right.’

  The following morning the twins were both full of beans. ‘Can we go and play outside?’ Frankie asked excitedly.

  ‘You can play in the garden later. Firstly, you’ve both got to have a bath and then Daddy’s gonna take us all out for lunch,’ Jessica told them.

  Frankie stuck her bottom lip out. ‘I don’t want to go out for lunch, Mummy. I want to have a picnic in the tree house.’

  Jessica smiled. Trying to keep the kids from getting dirty in the garden could be a real pain sometimes, but she was glad to be back home. ‘How about if we go to that pub that’s got the big play area?�
� Jessica asked hopefully.

  Joey and Frankie jumped up and down on the bed. They liked the pub with the play area, there were lots of other children there. ‘Can we go now, Mummy?’ Joey pleaded.

  Jessica lifted them both off the bed. ‘Bath first and then we can go,’ she laughed.

  Hearing Jess and the kids banging about, Eddie got up himself. ‘Good morning, sexy,’ he said, hugging his wife.

  His touch felt good and Jessica returned the compliment. ‘I’ve told the kids we’ll take them to that Beefeater that’s got the big play area. Get yourself ready, Ed, and we can stop on the way and deliver our apologies.’

  ‘Can’t we do that tomorrow? We can’t take the kids with us, can we?’

  Annoyed that he was trying to go back on his word, Jessica pulled away from him. ‘Don’t start breaking promises, Ed. We said we were gonna do it today and we will. The kids’ll be fine – we’ll only be a minute and they can sit in the car.’

  Knowing he was still on a trial run, Eddie unwillingly agreed. He was dreading being marched up to people’s houses like a naughty schoolboy. Him – Eddie Mitchell? Talk about making him look a cunt but, unfortunately, he didn’t have much choice. He wanted his life with Jess to get back to normal and if a few apologies allowed that to happen, it was worth it.

  An hour later, Eddie stood at Pat Murphy’s front door and rang the musical bell. Hearing it play, ‘When Irish Eyes are Smiling’, Eddie couldn’t help but laugh.

  ‘Trust Patrick! Fuck knows where he got that from,’ he said to Jessica.

  Patrick immediately opened the door. ‘My auntie who lives in Limerick got hold of it for me. Good, isn’t it?’ he said chuckling.

  Eddie held out his right hand. ‘Patrick, I’ve just popped round to apologise for my drunken behaviour at your party. I was well sloshed and I probably upset a few people other than my wife.’

  Patrick Murphy laughed loudly. ‘Bejesus, Eddie, you were fine. I’ve had a lot worse than you here over the years, that I have, for sure.’

  Spotting the twins waving at him from the car, Patrick nodded towards them. ‘How’s your son now?’

  Eddie smiled at Jessica and squeezed her hand. ‘He’s absolutely fine. No thanks to his dad though, eh, babe?’

  Jessica nodded. ‘Well, we’d best be going now, Patrick, and once again, we’re sorry for spoiling your party.’

  Patrick waved them goodbye. ‘I’ll see you both soon,’ he shouted.

  The next stop was Dougie and Vicki’s house. ‘Hello yous two,’ Vicki said, as she opened the front door.

  ‘Is Dougie about?’ Eddie asked her.

  ‘He’s in his office. Spends half his life in there, he does. Come in, I’ll tell him you’re here.’

  Jessica gesticulated to the twins to tell them that they would only be a minute. ‘Stay in the car, you’re not to get out,’ she shouted.

  As Eddie stood apologising to an unfazed Doug, Vicki and Jessica swapped phone numbers. ‘How about you and Doug come over to ours for dinner next week?’ Jessica asked her.

  ‘We’d love to, wouldn’t we, Doug?’ Vicki replied.

  Dougie smiled. ‘I’ve told Ed, the party’s long forgotten. Christ, if I had a pound for every time I’ve got pissed and made a prick of meself, I’d be a very rich man, and yes, dinner sounds great,’ he added.

  Jessica and Eddie said their goodbyes and left. Driving towards Jimmy O’Hara’s house, Eddie felt his stomach start to churn. Two down and one to go and this was the bastard he was dreading.

  Pulling onto O’Hara’s drive, Eddie was surprised to see that the beautiful grounds of the house he’d once been so keen to buy now resembled a shit-hole. There were two big, tatty mobile homes either side of the house, six lurchers, three Jack Russells and dog shit everywhere. There were a load of horses standing behind a wire fence and there was even a fucking goat staring at him.

  ‘Typical fucking pikeys,’ Eddie muttered as he got out of the car.

  ‘Can we go and see the horses?’ Frankie squealed with delight.

  ‘Can we stroke them? Joey asked.

  With dogs leaping up at him from all angles, Eddie did his best to stay calm. ‘Yous two stay in that car and don’t move,’ he ordered the twins.

  ‘Please, Daddy, let us see the horses,’ Frankie whinged.

  ‘No, Frankie, and I mean no. Do you wanna stay in the car with the kids, Jess? There’s more animals running around than there is in a fucking circus.’

  Jessica opened the car door. She needed to know that Eddie had said the right things to Mr O’Hara. ‘I’m coming with you,’ she insisted.

  With a Jack Russell trying to shag his right leg, Eddie made his way towards the house. Seeing a miniature tractor drive past, he took little notice. Goats, horses, dogs, tractors – they all seemed to blend in with the territory.

  With a heavy heart, he knocked on Jimmy O’Hara’s front door.

  Frankie looked in amazement as the tractor stopped by the car and Jed, whom she’d met at the party, leaped off it.

  ‘Frankie!’ he exclaimed. He opened the door of the car and urged her to move over.

  Unusually for Frankie, she came over all shy. ‘Do you live here?’ she mumbled, averting her eyes from the grinning Jed.

  Joey could feel his heart pumping though his T-shirt. This was the boy who had hit him in the boxing ring and he was petrified of a repeat performance.

  Aware of Joey’s anxiety, Jed held his hand out to him. ‘I’m really sorry for hitting you so hard. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I had to do it, else my dad would have beat me.’

  ‘Shake his hand then, like Daddy does,’ Frankie urged her brother.

  Joey did as he was told and sat quietly as Jed spoke to Frankie.

  ‘Come for a ride on my tractor,’ Jed urged her.

  Frankie shook her head. ‘My dad said I had to stay in the car. He’ll tell me off if I get out.’

  Jed laughed. ‘You’re a scaredy cat. Go on admit it, you’re frit to death. You think I can’t drive, but I can. I can even drive my dad’s car – I can, honest I can,’ Jed bragged.

  Jimmy O’Hara smiled as he locked eyes with Eddie Mitchell. ‘Well, well, well, this is a nice surprise,’ he said, with a hint of sarcasm.

  Embarrassed that the Jack Russell was still trying to mount him, Eddie gently pushed it away.

  Jimmy O’Hara laughed as he picked the dog up. ‘His name’s Rocky; I named him after me cousin. He likes you, look. Got his cory out, for you, he has.’

  Eddie ignored Jimmy’s crude comment and held out his right hand. ‘My wife and I were just passing and we thought it could be a good idea to stop by, just to say no hard feelings about last week. As you said at the party, we’re neighbours now and all of us want a quiet life.’

  Jimmy shook Eddie’s hand and nodded towards his car. ‘My little Jed’s chatting up your daughter again. Ain’t stopped talking about her since that party last week. I’d definitely say we’re gonna be in-laws one day,’ Jimmy said, chuckling.

  Eddie glanced at the car in horror. ‘We’d best be going now. Come on, Jess,’ he urged.

  ‘I appreciate you dropping by, Eddie. Goodbye, Mrs Mitchell,’ Jimmy said, as he shut the front door.

  ‘Who was that?’ his wife Alice asked. ‘Eddie dinlo fucking Mitchell,’ Jimmy said, laughing his head off.

  Breaking into a run, Eddie reached the car before Jess. ‘What are you doing in there?’ he shouted at Frankie.

  ‘Nothing, Daddy. You said we wasn’t allowed to get out of the car, so Jed got in to talk to us.’

  ‘We’re going now, so time for you to get out, boy,’ Eddie told Jed.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Jed leaned towards Frankie and pecked her full on the lips. ‘I’m your boyfriend now, Frankie, and I’ll come and see you soon,’ he yelled, as he climbed back on his tractor.

  Eddie waited for Jess to get in. Furious, he started the engine and put his foot down.

  ‘Frankie’s got a boyfriend, Frankie’s got a bo
yfriend,’ Joey sang to his sister.

  Frankie felt herself go all weird again. ‘No, I haven’t,’ she said shyly.

  ‘Yes, you have and you kissed him,’ Joey giggled.

  Annoyed that some old dodderer was driving too slow, Eddie held his hand on the hooter and cursed as he overtook him.

  ‘You stay away from that boy, Frankie, do you hear me?’ Eddie demanded.

  Aware that Jed was the boy who had knocked Joey down in the boxing ring, Jessica was more worried about her son. ‘Are you OK, Joey? Did that boy frighten you, love?’

  Joey shook his head. ‘He said sorry, Mummy. He said that his dad made him hit me.’

  ‘Sounds a bit like you, dear,’ Jessica said, nudging her husband.

  Eddie drove in stony silence. Shaking hands with Jimmy O’Hara had made him feel physically sick, and as for that cheeky fucking kid of his, he’d kill that little bastard if he ever came anywhere near his daughter again.

  Seeing the expression on Eddie’s face, Jessica guessed today had been hard for him. ‘Thanks Ed, for doing that for me,’ she said, stroking his arm.

  ‘Are we going to the pub now, Daddy?’ Joey asked.

  Still in a foul mood, Eddie tried his hardest not to show it. ‘Yep, we’re going there now, son,’ he replied, as cheerfully as he could.

  An hour and a couple of pints later, Ed had finally calmed himself down. Sitting opposite Jessica on a wooden bench in the beer garden, he gently held her hand. ‘This is what life’s all about, eh? Me, you and the kids,’ he said, nodding towards the twins, who were playing happily on the apparatus.

  Jessica smiled as Frankie waved at her.

  ‘Watch me, Mummy,’ she yelled as she hurtled down the big slide.

  Jessica turned her attention back to her husband. ‘I know we’ve had our ups and downs recently, but I do love you, Eddie Mitchell.’

  Eddie winked at her. ‘Does that mean we’re gonna sleep in the same bed tonight and you’re gonna let me have my wicked way with you?’

  Jessica felt her cheeks redden. Even after all these years, Eddie still had the ability to make her blush. ‘Yes, we will sleep in the same bed tonight and, if you behave yourself, I just might let you have your wicked way with me,’ she told him shyly.