"Okay," Frankie said, "so it's cheese sandwiches and crisps. But you know what they say? Location, location, location."
Still laughing, Marie reached over and picked up one of the sandwiches. "They look like the best cheese sandwiches I've ever seen." After biting into one, the perfect combination of butter and salty cheese mixing in her mouth, she nodded. "Mmm. And they taste like the best cheese sandwiches I've ever tasted. Seriously!"
Frankie snorted a laugh. "The food may not be much, but it's a beautiful place, isn't it?"
"It's perfect."
Frankie then lay on his back and stared up at the sky. "This must be what freedom feels like."
***
They didn't talk much as they enjoyed their picnic. They didn't need to; the setting and the time together was enough—more than enough—it was a damn sight better than any time they'd spent together lately. Conversation had a way of bringing anxiety to the surface. Today needed to be a break from all the worries.
It was Frankie who finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry about the way I've been lately."
Although she glanced at him as he lay on his back, Marie didn't respond.
"I've been feeling really stressed, and I know I've been horrible to live with."
While he spoke, she crunched on salty crisps.
"I've been so worried about everything, that our relationship's suffering because I can't get a grip."
"We've both been stressed," Marie said. "It's fine. Let's just try and move forwards together and make everything work out, yeah?"
"I really love you, Marie."
"I love you too." A deep breath did little to ease the pain in her chest. "So much."
Frankie pushed himself up on one arm and used his free hand to gather up their plates and shove them towards his bag. "I also really appreciate what you're doing for the future of this family. You work so hard in really shit conditions, and I'm so grateful to you for doing it."
"Thank you for saying."
When he took her hand, Frankie expressed himself in what seemed like the only way he knew how to. Words didn't seem to come easily for him. There seemed to be too much emotion for him to let it out. All he had left was the gentle squeeze of his grip.
It wasn't uncommon for the warmth of his touch to melt some of the ice that often formed between them, and today was no different. Was she being ungrateful? She had such an amazing man and still wanted more from him. Was it unreasonable to want to be made to feel like a lover, an object of his lustful desires?
***
After packing up the picnic, Frankie lay back down again.
Marie stared at Frankie's dark features. Why wasn’t his skin red like others from the estate? Especially since he was born and bred there. Now wasn’t the time to discuss it. Conversations about the estate never went well.
As Marie lay down next to him, she focused on her breathing. In, out. In, out. With her body sinking into the soft carpet of pine needles, Marie's eyes grew heavy. Unable to fight the lure of sleep, she closed them.
***
After her nap, Marie and Frankie continued walking through the woods. It was impossible to know the time, but Marie looked up at the sky anyway as if it would give her the answer. God knows why; it wasn't like she could tell the time by the position of the sun. And it wasn't like she could see the sun anyway. But they couldn't stay in here too long because it got quiet after dark. Trying to get out of the bushes unnoticed, when they were the only two people for the cameras to see, would be a big risk—football or not.
When they came to a point where the trees thinned out, Marie shielded her eyes against the low sun. From where they were, they could see most of the city.
Frankie pointed at a fallen tree and said, "Let's sit down over there."
Once sitting, Marie studied the city below. The tall buildings' windows glistened in the sunlight. Planes all followed the same line into and out of the international airport. The busy streets were jammed with taxis.
Over to the left was the estate. The grey masses of tower blocks were shoved in together; the spaces between the buildings were so tight, not even the sunlight passed through them. It was a dark stain in a glistening field of wealth and commerce. When she glanced across at Frankie, she saw he was looking there too.
Frankie sighed. "It feels like a lifetime ago when I left that damn place. I dread to think what things would be like if I hadn't got out. Have I ever told you about my parents?"
Marie put her hand on Frankie's leg and he flinched at her touch. Another sting of rejection and she removed it. "No, you haven't. You never talk about your old life."
"It's a pretty depressing tale. They were both alcoholics. Without drink they were okay, but when they were pissed, they turned into monsters, especially Dad."
Despite the heat, Frankie was shivering.
"He would drink gallons of cheap booze and become progressively more abusive. It would start with banter. A lot of it was quite funny. It was cutting, but funny if you took it in good humour. As the evening progressed, the banter would get darker and descend into name-calling, and then really personal comments. Every beer would add more acidity to his words."
Years of questions rushed forwards, tripping over one another as they raced to the tip of her tongue, but Marie let him talk.
"By the end of the night, he had usually punched someone. Often Mum." There was a slight quiver in his words. "I used to believe Mum was the slut he was telling her she was. I used to think she deserved the beatings."
"You were young, Frank, how were you to know what was right or wrong?"
While rubbing his face, he let out a tired groan. "I suppose it's the fact that I never had the chance to tell her I was sorry. She was dead by the time I was fifteen, and it was only then I realised she was the victim in the relationship. I told you that Dad killed her, right?"
There weren't many things he'd told her, but that was one of them. Marie nodded.
"I just wish I'd had the chance to make it right with her. To tell her than none of it was her fault. To help get her off the booze."
Marie shifted over, closing the gap between them. She then put her arm around him.
There was no flinch this time. Instead, Frankie wiped his eyes and sniffed as he continued staring out at the city. "Did I tell you about the times we went out stealing?"
"You've not told me much, Frank."
"Dad wouldn't give us any money as kids. All of his cash went on booze. We had to steal or else we'd starve to death. It was the way of life for a lot of kids on the estate. We'd band together and go out on raids in the city. There used to be one boy that came out with us, Mike Osbun. Of all the kids I knew when I was little, he was the only one who was fat. I don't know why; he seemed as poor as the rest of us. He said it was glandular, so we believed him. How else did he get fat? Although, he was a devious little fucker, I wouldn't be surprised if he stole food from his own family. The kid had no fucking morals."
It was a challenge to still keep the questions back, but Marie did just that and let him talk.
"We were out stealing one time from a local shop. One of us would get the shop owner's attention and the others would take as much as they could. We'd split what we'd managed to steal afterwards. There was this one time when it was Mike's turn to distract the shopkeeper. We shouldn't have made him do it. The guy was incompetent at almost everything he did, but everyone had to take a turn, right?"
Marie nodded.
"So Mike was doing his best to distract the shop owner. We'd use different tactics, from asking directions to being abusive. It all depended on what mood you were in at the time and how much you wanted to impress your mates. Going for a safe tactic, Mike started small talk with the shopkeeper as he manhandled the produce. Those from the estate weren't supposed to talk to other people in society, but kids always got treated with a little more leniency."
"It's not like that so much now, eh? I'm not sure the police force even knows what leniency means," Marie sa
id.
Frankie shook his head. "Everything was going fine with the job. Mike was pulling off quite a good conversation while Jackson Prost and I snuck into the shop. As we filled our bags, I dropped a jar of honey and it smashed on the floor. Of course, our cover was blown and we ran like the wind. Running wasn't Mike's strong point, so he couldn't keep up with the rest of us."
"What happened to him?" Marie asked.
A shake ran through Frankie and he winced. "The police got him. We hid in the bushes and watched seven grown men beat the fuck out of him with batons. By the time they'd finished, he was dead on the pavement with blood pouring from his skull."
"Dead?"
"I think so. To go and check if he was okay would have exposed us to the police. We certainly never saw him again, and no one spoke to his family after that day."
Dampness covered Frankie's eyes when he looked at Marie. "What I'm telling you isn't news on the estate; it's life. Can you see why I get so worried about having to raise a family in that godforsaken place?"
The freedom Marie had felt from her day in the woods vanished and the walls closed in again. How could they possibly avoid the estate? She then pulled her arm away from Frankie and stood up. "We'd best go home, it's getting late."
Chapter Thirty-Three
After her weekend outing with Frankie, Wednesday couldn't come quickly enough for Marie. It was wonderful to have someone else to share her life with, and she couldn't wait to tell GG all about her trip to the woods. When she stepped into the cafe, folding her umbrella as she entered, she inhaled the familiar tang of coffee.
The heat and the downpour had turned the air thick with condensation and Marie's shirt stuck to her back. It was hard to tell if it was from sweat or rain.
The door was open to their usual booth, and a slender leg was in view. It had to be GG. Although Frankie mocked her for saying it, Marie believed people's paths crossed when they needed to. GG was in her life now for a reason and it was when she needed her most.
Marie slid onto the creaking leather seat, her corset looser than usual because the workday was over. With a watering mouth, she picked up the menu. "What are you having to drink?"
"Nothing."
Marie looked up to see GG's bright smile. "Nothing?"
"No, I think we should go out somewhere."
"Quite the week for outings."
When GG returned a blank expression, Marie said, "Frankie took me out on Sunday. It was a real treat. So where do you want to go?"
"Dunno." A sparkle lit up GG's green eyes. "Let's go and find something to do."
After closing the door to the booth, Marie spoke in a low voice. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Why?"
"Well, I'm hardly getting any smaller, now am I?"
"You're pregnant, so what? No one knows your situation, so it doesn't matter if they see you're with child. It's not a crime to be pregnant, you know. Maybe you should spend a day being proud of your bump."
Marie's mouth twitched once or twice before giddiness turned it into a full smile. "You're right." She sat up straight and nodded. "Fuck it."
A press of the button opened the door again, Whoosh!
GG stood up and held her hand out to Marie. "Come on, darling, let's get out of here."
***
When they stepped out of the cafe, Marie tried to open her umbrella, but GG grabbed her arm. "When was the last time you walked in the rain?"
"Years ago. Why would I get wet when I don't have to?"
GG's face lit up with impish glee. "Wow! You need to let go a little, girlfriend."
"If I let go too much, I'm bound to end up on the estate much sooner. I have to keep my guard raised to survive."
GG's playful grin endured.
There was no arguing with that face. Marie lowered the umbrella and the heavy raindrops crashed down on her head. Her shoulders clamped to her ears and she stood tense as the rain smothered her.
With her blonde hair already plastered to her face, GG reached forwards and put a hand on Marie's forearm. "Relax, honey. Turn yourself over to Mother Nature."
Although she nodded, Marie didn't take GG's advice and followed her down the road like a robot with her back locked tight.
After a few paces, Marie's clothes started sticking to her body. The sensation made her skin crawl. As she walked, she twisted as if to wriggle free of the material's clinginess, but it did little to help.
Before long, Marie was drenched, her clothes hugging her curvy body like a catsuit. Although her bump was small, it was more on display than it had ever been beneath the loosened corset. Every few seconds she looked down at it.
The wind picked up and the rain came down so hard it stung. At that moment, GG skipped out in front of Marie and spun with her arms thrust out to the sides. The other pedestrians on the pavement all moved aside, some of them smiling while others were glaring at the joyful woman.
It was impossible for Marie not to laugh. "You're nuts!"
GG whooped.
After several spins, GG stopped, wobbling where she stood. She then pointed across the road. "What about over there?"
"Where?"
"The bowling alley."
"What's a bowling alley?"
"What's a bowling alley? Oh my, we have to go there now."
"But that's on the other side of the road."
When GG didn't respond, Marie added, "The side for the people from the estate."
"Even better."
Interpreting Marie's frown, GG said, "There's no chance of us seeing someone we know over there, so it won't matter that you're pregnant."
A check around confirmed that no one seemed to care about what they were doing; not even the security cameras were watching them. "Aren't we putting ourselves in danger?"
"Really, Marie? Do you really buy into that government bullshit? Just because they're from the estate, it doesn't make them dangerous."
Heat rushed to Marie's cheeks and she looked down. "You're right, I'm an idiot."
GG skipped towards Marie and lifted her chin. A childish joy radiated from her. "I didn't say you were an idiot. It's easy to be scared by the shit they peddle, but we need to remind ourselves that that's exactly what they want. We need to rise above the lies. Besides, we're allowed on both sides of the road, it's the people from the estate that aren't allowed to come over here."
While chewing the inside of her mouth, Marie stared at the building. Huge blue neon letters ran across the top of it. BOWLPLEX.
Before Marie could make a decision, GG had grabbed her hand and was pulling her across the road.
***
The thick smell of wood polish and fried food assaulted Marie's senses when they walked into the Bowlplex. It made her push the back of her hand to her nose and breathe through her mouth.
Concern creased GG's brow when she looked at Marie. "Are you all right?"
After a few deep breaths, Marie nodded and lowered her hand. "It's my sense of smell; since I became pregnant it's become hypersensitive."
GG sniffed the air and screwed her button nose up before her face returned to normal. The smell clearly wasn't so bad.
Marie looked around. Along one side was a row of polished lanes, many of which already had groups of people playing. Every time a heavy ball hit the wooden pins, there was a crash so sharp it made Marie flinch.
Of all the people in there, GG and Marie were the only ones not from the estate. Were they being watched because of that, or was it the fact that they were sopping wet? Either way, Marie sidled over to GG, grabbed her arm, and dragged her towards the toilets.
Once inside, Marie stood over the sink and wrung her hair out. "We stand out enough as it is in here; I want to at least be dry before we go back out again."
"No worries, darling." GG crouched down so she was low enough to stand beneath the hand drier. The hot air rushed out with a whoosh and GG danced beneath it.
The woman was a loon—and exactly what Marie needed in her life.
<
br /> ***
After about twenty minutes, Marie pinched her shirt and rubbed it between her fingers. It was still slightly damp, but it would do. They'd been in there far too long already.
Marie opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. It was hard to be inconspicuous after their entrance. Every pair of eyes turned to them again. They probably would have anyway. Two privileged women in a place like this? What were they doing here?
Although Marie opened her mouth to speak, she managed to stop herself before the words came out. It was hardly appropriate to explain to strangers why she'd spent so long in the bathroom, no matter how odd it may have seemed. Instead, she leaned close to GG and spoke in a whisper. "I don't think we should be here."
Without looking at her friend, GG smiled. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
"It doesn't look like it will."
"It'll be fine. Come on."
When they got to the main desk, GG beamed at the woman serving them.
Without looking up, the woman slid a sign over that read, 'How can I help you?' It was the same sign that all estate workers had on hand when a ‘good, hardworking citizen’ approached them. It was considered rude for estate rats to speak directly to them.
"One game for two people, please."
A curt nod and the woman tapped the details into the till. She then turned the register around so Marie and GG could see the price.
When Marie went to open her bag, GG gave the back of her hand a light smack. "It's my treat."
Although GG slid her card across the counter, she kept it pressed down so the woman couldn't take it. When she looked up, GG smiled again. "That's better! Such beautiful eyes. You were depriving us of the chance to see them."
Despite her clay-red skin, it was clear to see the woman blushing.
"What's your name, darling?"
The woman stared at GG but didn't respond.
"I'm being serious; I want you to talk to me. What are you called?"
The woman looked down at the counter again. "Aarya."
New Reality 2: Justice Page 16