The Feud

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘Like what? What you talking about?’ Frankie replied casually.

  Jessica was a bit lost for words. Say Joey hadn’t said anything to Frankie, or she had made a mistake. ‘Has he got a girlfriend?’ Jessica blurted out.

  Aware that her mum was on her brother’s case, Frankie said very little. ‘I dunno. We’re not together all the time, Mum. He ain’t said nothing to me, but if you’re so interested in Joey’s love life, you best ask him yourself.’

  Jessica nodded. The twins were as thick as thieves and, chances were, even if Frankie did know something, she wouldn’t tell anyone. ‘So where does Stacey’s cousin live, then?’ she asked, changing the subject.

  Frankie let out a bored sigh. ‘I don’t know. Stacey never told me. Now, can you leave me alone, Mum? I’m trying to get ready and you’re making me late.’

  With a heart full of worry, Jessica apologised and walked away.

  Frankie checked her appearance, grabbed her purse and ran down the stairs. She wanted to warn Joey about the conversation she had had with her mother, but he was fast asleep and she didn’t have time to arse about. Debating whether to take her phone with her and ring him, she decided against it. The poxy thing was a nuisance to lug around and she had nearly lost it twice the other night.

  Running into the kitchen, Frankie took a large gulp of vodka out of the bottle. ‘No, doggies, no,’ she said, as Buster and Bruno tried to clamber up the leg of her jeans.

  ‘All right, Frank? What you doing?’ Ricky asked.

  Startled, Frankie dropped the vodka bottle and it smashed to smithereens on the stone kitchen floor. ‘You scared me. I didn’t realise you were still here,’ Frankie replied.

  ‘Me and Gal slept in the lounge. Drinking a bit early, ain’t ya, girl?’

  Shooing the dogs out of the kitchen so they didn’t cut their paws, Frankie looked at Ricky with pleading eyes. ‘Look, I’m meeting a boy and I don’t want Mum and Dad to know. Can you clean that mess up for me? I’m running late.’

  ‘What’s going on? Was something smashed?’ Jessica shouted out from upstairs.

  Ricky smiled at Frankie. ‘Sorry, Jess, it was me. I went to make a coffee and knocked a bottle of vodka off the kitchen top. You go back to bed, I’ll clean it up.’

  Frankie hugged her half-brother.

  ‘Do you wanna lift?’ he asked her.

  ‘No, I’m fine. Thanks Ricky, you’ve just saved my life.’

  As Frankie ran down the drive, she nervously glanced back at the house. She usually got cabs wherever she went and prayed that no one was watching her.

  Frankie’s heart leaped as she heard a loud tooting coming from behind her. She was afraid to look around. Surely it wasn’t her dad?

  Aware of a gold four-wheel drive pulling up beside her, she glanced apprehensively at it.

  ‘Get in, Frankie,’ Jed ordered her.

  Frankie did as he asked. ‘Sod you, you frightened the bloody life out of me. Whose car’s this? Where’s your pick-up truck?’

  ‘At home. Can’t take a beautiful girl out in a pick-up truck, can I? This Shogun’s mine as well. Bought it off some old mush me dad knows. Got it for a good price, I did.’

  Frankie was impressed. None of the boys she had ever mixed with could even reach the pedals on a motor like this, let alone own one or drive one. ‘Where are we going?’ Frankie asked, trying to sound relaxed.

  ‘Cambridgeshire,’ Jed replied coolly.

  Frankie looked at him amazement. He had to be joking, surely. She didn’t even know where Cambridgeshire was, but it sounded a long way away. ‘You are having a laugh, aren’t you?’

  Jed stopped at the red traffic light. He leaned towards her and softly kissed her on the lips. ‘No, I’m not having a laugh. It’s where my family comes from. You’ll love it. It’s absolutely beautiful, Frankie, just like you are.’

  As his piercing green eyes gently teased her, Frankie looked away. The effect he had on her was abnormal and she barely knew what day it was.

  ‘I’m just gonna fill up with diesel. You want anything to eat or drink?’ Jed asked her.

  Frankie shook her head. Sod the food and drink, all she wanted was him.

  Eddie, Gary and Ricky did most of the tidying up. ‘You have a break, Jess, we’ll do all the dirty work and you can add your magic touch at the end,’ Eddie insisted.

  With her mind in no-man’s-land, Jessica politely asked her parents if they would mind if they didn’t stay for dinner.

  ‘Of course not. We know you’re not yourself, love,’ Stanley said kindly.

  Joyce wasn’t so understanding. She loved being in this nice big house and was in no rush to head back to her own rabbit hutch. ‘Me and your dad will stay here, Jess. You have a lie down. I’ll cook the dinner today.’

  Jessica blatantly refused. She had enough problems without having her mother driving her bloody mad. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Mum, but go home, please. I’m really not up to it today. You can come over again next week, and I’ll do you dinner then.’

  Annoyed, Joyce stomped upstairs to pack her overnight bag. ‘I’ve got no meat out the freezer, so me and you will have to starve, Stanley,’ she shouted loudly.

  Stanley hugged his daughter. ‘Take no notice. You know what she’s like.’

  The drive to Cambridgeshire didn’t take as long as Frankie thought it would. Jed took her down by the Fens and showed her where his dad and grandfather had both been brought up.

  ‘I really miss my grandad. He was a good old boy,’ Jed said, urging Frankie to sit down next to him. He wondered if she knew that her grandad had shot his grandad, but he said nothing. He didn’t want to pry, unsettle her; it wasn’t the done thing.

  Frankie sat with her back against the bark of the tree and smiled. ‘It is lovely here. It’s so peaceful,’ she said.

  Telling Frankie to lie across his knees, Jed ran his fingers through her hair. ‘We can live here one day. Imagine, me, you and our chavvies. It would be proper, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘What’s a chavvie?’ Frankie asked him.

  ‘Kiddies. Our babies,’ Jed said, laughing.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, Frankie pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately.

  ‘No trying it on with me and don’t you dare touch me cory. I’m not that type of boy, you know,’ Jed said teasing her.

  Frankie giggled. ‘Is your cory what I think it is?’

  Jed pointed at his erection. ‘It’s a big cory, ain’t it? Ere cacker, I’m sorry about trying it on with you the other night. Them Es make me horny, I shouldn’t have done that. I was out of order.’

  As Jed took her in his arms, Frankie clung to him for dear life. He had a wonderful smell, a manly aroma, and she couldn’t get enough of him.

  Jed stood up and grabbed her by the hand. ‘Come on, before I get overexcited. Let’s go to a pub, I’ll buy you a roast dinner.’

  Joey was still in bed and Jessica was desperate for time alone with him. ‘Ed, you and the boys have worked so hard this morning. Take Gary and Ricky to the pub and buy them a few beers. Go on, I insist.’

  Eddie put an arm around Jessica’s shoulder. ‘This is the type of woman you wanna end up with, lads. She’s one in a million,’ he said proudly.

  Gary laughed. ‘Come on Dad, quick, before she changes her mind.’

  As soon as the men had left the house, Jessica took a deep breath and went upstairs. ‘Joey, wake up love,’ she said, as she knocked and then entered her son’s bedroom.

  ‘All right, Mum? What’s the time?’ Joey mumbled, his eyes still half shut.

  ‘It’s gone one. Can I have a little chat with you, darling?’

  The seriousness of his mum’s voice made Joey’s eyes open wide. ‘What’s the matter? Has something happened? Where’s Frankie?’

  Jessica sat on his bed and clutched his hand. ‘Nothing’s wrong. Frankie’s gone out with her friends. You dad’s not in, he’s up the pub and Nanny and Grandad have gone home. It’s just me and you, Jo
ey, and we need to have a little talk, love.’

  Joey wasn’t silly. He sat himself up. She knew; he knew that she knew. ‘What about, Mum?’ he asked nervously.

  Jessica smiled. ‘About you and Dominic. About what’s going on.’

  Joey tore his eyes away from her. What was he meant to say. It was embarrassing. He could talk to Frankie about his sexuality, but not his mum.

  Understanding his dilemma, Jessica spoke softly to him. ‘It’s OK. I’m not annoyed. Whatever you are, or might be, is fine by me. I love you, Joey, you’re my son, and I’ll always love you, no matter what.’

  Shocked by his mum’s understanding attitude, Joey’s lip wobbled, then the tears came. ‘I’m really sorry, Mum. I’ve tried to like girls, but I can’t. I’ve always known I liked boys, ever since I was little. Even when I was about nine or ten, I remember fancying that bloke out of The Dukes of Hazzard,’ he admitted.

  ‘Sssh, it’s all right, baby. Don’t cry, Joey, please, or you’ll make me cry, too.’ Jessica handed him a tissue. ‘So how long have you been seeing this Dominic? Is it serious between you? Or it is just casual?’

  ‘We haven’t been seeing one another long. I really like him, though, Mum. It’s the first proper relationship I’ve had. I’m not going through a phase, I know I’m not.’

  Jessica smiled. ‘And Dominic likes you, too. That’s how I found out, I saw the way you were with one another yesterday. It reminded me of how me and your dad were when we first got together.’

  Joey gave a half-smile. ‘You and Dad are still like that now. So, Frankie never told you, then?’ he asked.

  ‘No. I did ask her earlier, but she denied all knowledge. I take it that she knows?’

  Joey smiled. ‘She’s the only one who does know. I haven’t told anyone else, I swear I haven’t.’

  Tilting Joey’s chin towards her, Jessica stared into his eyes. ‘Now listen, my darling, and listen carefully. You must never bring Dominic to the house again and you must never go out with him around this area. If anyone finds out, Dad will lose the plot. Where does Dominic live?’

  ‘The Angel, Islington,’

  ‘Well, from now on, you’ll have to meet him where he lives or somewhere miles away from here.’

  Joey nodded. ‘What will happen in the long run, though, Mum? I mean, if we stay together, I can’t keep Dominic a secret for ever, can I?’

  ‘You can and you will, Joey. You have to, you have no choice. Believe me, son, if your dad finds out, he will not accept it, not in a million years.’

  Feeling anxious, Joey squeezed his mother’s hand. ‘Be truthful with me, Mum. Please don’t lie. If Dad did find out, what do you think he would do to me?’

  Jessica felt her eyes well up. ‘My guess would be, he’d disown you. As for Dominic – remember, your dad’s got a temper. Who knows that he might do to him? Your guess is as good as mine, Joey.’

  THIRTY-ONE

  The following morning, Jessica felt under the weather, so Eddie offered to run the kids to school.

  ‘You look peaky. Stay in bed. I’ve gotta go out anyway. Dad’s solicitor rang me, he wants to see me urgently and I promised Auntie Joan I’d take her shopping. Her old legs are playing her up a bit, bless her heart.’

  ‘Thanks, Ed,’ Jessica mumbled, as she ran to the toilet to be sick.

  Joey poked his head around Frankie’s bedroom door. His sister had got in late the previous evening and she knew nothing about the conversation with his mum. ‘Take some normal clothes in your bag. I need to talk to you. Let’s bin school today and go to the pub instead. We’ll just tell Mum we got our days mixed up and thought we didn’t have to go in,’ he whispered.

  Frankie smiled as she stuffed her jeans and T-shirt into her school bag. Thinking of Jed, she tucked her mobile phone in as well. She would ring him later and, if he wasn’t busy, maybe they could meet up again.

  Eddie dropped the twins off at school and headed straight towards Whitechapel. He had arranged to meet his dad’s solicitor at two o’clock, so had plenty of time to take Joan shopping beforehand.

  ‘Eddie! Come in, boy. I’ve made you a nice bread pudding, your favourite.’

  Eddie kissed her. Joan was looking ever so old and frail these days. Making a mental note to visit her more often, he followed his aunt into the kitchen. ‘So how’s tricks? What you been up to?’ he asked.

  ‘Not a lot, love. Don’t get out much now, to be honest. So many muggings and stuff round here now. Old Maisy Miller got followed into the post office and had her pension snatched last week. Three blacks it was. Wicked bastards they are. We should never have let ’em into the country, you know.’

  Realising she was about to get on to the famous Enoch Powell speech, Eddie cleverly changed the subject. ‘How’s that mate of yours doing now, Auntie? Molly something or other. You know, the one whose son was giving her grief?’

  ‘Molly Jenkins, you mean. Yeah, she’s fine. Keeps well away from her now, her Michael. Had an unfortunate accident, he did. Rumour has it, he got beaten up and lost his thumb in the process. Makes you wonder if someone knew what he was doing to his poor old mum, doesn’t it?’ Joan said, with a twinkle in her eye. She wasn’t stupid. She had known when she told Eddie about Molly that Michael would soon experience a nasty little accident of some kind.

  As the kettle on the stove began to whistle, Eddie smiled. ‘When I take you shopping, I’ll buy you a new kettle, Auntie, something a bit more modern.’

  ‘No, you won’t. Nothing wrong with this one. The tea don’t taste the same when the water’s boiled by them bleeding electric things. Tastes like fucking rat’s piss, it does.’

  Eddie chuckled. Joan might be looking old and frail, but she certainly hadn’t lost her spirit.

  * * *

  Frankie and Joey sat at a corner table in the Albion. ‘So, is that it? Didn’t she say anything else?’ Frankie asked, amazed.

  Joey shook his head. He had just been telling his sister about the chat he’d had with his mum the previous day. ‘She just said that Dom must never come to the house again and not to meet him in Rainham any more. She said I’d be better seeing him in Islington.’

  Frankie smiled. ‘Well at least you ain’t gotta worry about Mum finding out any more. One down, one to go, eh? When you gonna tell Dad?’

  ‘Don’t take the piss, Frankie, it’s not a bloody joke,’ Joey said, annoyed.

  Frankie went up to the bar to get some more drinks. As she returned, Joey turned the tables.

  ‘Well, what about you then? Where was you all day yesterday? Sucking Johnny-Wonny’s cock, was we?’ he asked her.

  Desperate to unload the burden of who she was really seeing, Frankie leaned towards him. ‘If I tell you something, Joey, you must promise me that you’ll never breathe a word to anyone. Not even Mum must know this.’

  Joey was intrigued. ‘Go on,’ he urged his sister.

  ‘John ain’t who I said he is. His name’s Jed and I didn’t wanna tell you because he’s Jimmy O’Hara’s son.’

  Astonished, Joey stared at her and waited for her to laugh. It was a joke, surely – it had to be.

  ‘Well, say something then,’ Frankie urged.

  Realising Frankie wasn’t mucking about, Joey shook his head. ‘Ain’t that the boy who beat me up when I was little?’

  ‘Don’t be a drama queen, Joey. He didn’t beat you up. I’m sure Nan or Grandad told me once that Dad forced you get into a boxing ring with him. It wasn’t Jed’s fault, you were both little kids. It was Dad’s fault if it was anyone’s.’

  Joey didn’t know an awful lot about his father’s business, but one thing he did know was there was a long-running feud between the O’Haras and his family. ‘Frankie, you’ve gotta stop seeing him. Dad will go mental – he’ll kill you if he finds out.’

  Frankie shrugged. ‘Well, he’ll kill you if he finds out about Dominic, won’t he? At least we’ll both be dead, eh?’

  Joey sipped his drink. ‘It can’t be serious, you
only met Jed on Friday. Why don’t you just nip it in the bud while you still can. You’re a pretty girl, Frankie, there’s plenty of other boys to choose from.’

  Frankie shook her head vehemently. ‘I don’t want any other boy, I want Jed. I spent the whole day with him yesterday and it was fantastic. I know I ain’t known him long, but I love him, Joey, I know I do.’

  Knowing how strong-minded Frankie was, Joey nodded dumbly. She had always stuck by him. She had accepted his sexuality and accepted Dominic. ‘Look, Frankie, I’m your brother and I love you. If this Jed makes you happy, then I’m happy for you.’

  Frankie pulled her phone out of her bag. ‘If I ring him and tell him to come down here, will you mind? I really want yous two to get on. Jed’s brilliant, honest, he’s a scream and I know you’ll just love him, Joey.’

  Joey nodded. ‘Love him’ was a bit strong. He had already met Jed on Friday night and wasn’t over impressed by what he saw. ‘Was it him that gave you that E, Frankie?’ Joey asked.

  ‘No. I got it off someone in the Berwick. Please don’t start with all the questions, Joey. You won’t get on with him if you start accusing him of things he hasn’t done.’

  Frankie put the phone to her ear. ‘Jed, it’s me. What you up to? I’m in the Albion.’

  Joey guessed by the big grin that spread across his sister’s face that Jed was coming to meet them.

  After being dragged around the supermarket by his aunt, Eddie dropped her off and headed to Wanstead. His dad’s solicitor, Larry, had been a friend of the family for years. As bent as a nine-bob note, Larry knew every trick in the book and was the perfect brief for anybody not quite legit.

  Walking into the restaurant, Eddie asked the waiter if Larry had arrived yet. ‘No sir, but your table’s ready. Would you like to sit down or have a drink at the bar?’

  Eddie ordered a drink and sat at the table. Larry had attended his dad’s funeral, but had then sodded off on a three-month cruise. ‘Look, there’s no rush. We’ll sort me old man’s estate out when you get back,’ Eddie had told him.