by Steve Kirby
“Ha you shitty little man now you fucking hear me and hear me good you tosser if you try and report any of us we will be waiting for you outside where nobody can stop us and we will kick your fucking little head in.” He pressed harder Colin couldn’t breathe the world was going black and spinning. Tony put his forehead against Colin’s.
“Do you hear me? You soft bastard eh?” Colin could barely nod or talk he garbled something and Tony relaxed they stepped back and Colin fell to the floor he put his hand down to stop him hitting his head Tony stepped on the back of Colin’s hand, Colin screamed in pain Tony bent down and grabbed Colin’s lapel.
“Right I’m in charge now you do what I say and starting tomorrow and everyday you can bring me twenty cigs and if your good I may let you buy me my dinner too, wont that be nice we can be buddies, do you want to be my buddy then eh?” he gave Colin a kick.
“Well answer me do you want to be my buddy?” The pain in his hand was unbearable his eyes filled with tears. Tony pressed harder on his hand.
“Well I’m waiting, do you want to be my buddy?” Colin looked up.
“YYYYes” He said through clenched teeth.
“Ok then buddy see you tomorrow.” The three of them walked away laughing.
Colin stayed outside for ten minutes to compose himself, when he went back in the three of them had clocked out and gone home Sam was sweeping round his workstation when Colin came back in he looked up when he saw him, his eyes widened.
“What the hell’s up with you Colin you look upset are you alright?”
“Yes I got some sawdust in my eye I’ve just been to the toilet to wash it out.”
“Do you want me to have a look make sure you got it out?”
“No thanks Sam It’s fine, you get off and I’ll finish off here if you want.”
“Don’t need telling twice Colin cheers mate see you in the morning bye.” Colin went to the toilet he hated himself for being a coward but he was determined to get those three back someday he knew things were going to be bad for him from now on he couldn’t fight them he just had to bide his time.
Sam saw a change in Colin he became very withdrawn, whenever Tony used to come near him he would physically flinch he never made eye contact with him. One day Sam was at Colin’s bench going over some plans when Tony barged between them.
“Oi! Wilson, finish that cupboard off for me I’m off to the pub for dinner!” Colin looked at the ground. “Ok.”
“Hang on! Hang on.” Sam said raising his arm to block Tony’s way.
“Tell him to bollocks Colin, you have enough on without carrying him, go for your dinner after you’ve finished your work.”
“Keep your fucking nose out of this Hawksworth this is between Colin and me right.” Tony said squaring up to Sam.
Sam looked him straight in the eyes.
“You don’t scare me with your bully boy tactics now go back to your bench and do your work.” Tony looked at Sam his lip curling anger sweeping across his face.
“Ho so you think you are a big man then do you!”
“I’m not scared of the likes of you if that’s what you mean.” Colin could see Tony clenching his fist so he pushed between the two of them.
“Look Sam it’s alright I don’t mind we are a team we have to help each other.”
“That’s right Sammy boy.” Tony said patting Sam on the cheek.
“We are a team and if a team member doesn’t play ball then he has to be taken off, so Sam, be careful or you may end up out of the team, understand Sammy boy.”
“So could you Tony boy don’t you forget.” “Be careful Sammy.
” Tony said walking away. Sam turned to Colin.
“Why do you let him get away with that Colin the man’s a bully you have to stand up to him or at least report him, he’s a lazy bastard him and his two mates they should all be sacked.”
“Thanks Sam I know you mean well but I’m ok, don’t say anything to anyone please I’ll sort it out in my own time.”
“Well as long as you do the more you bend down to his kind the stronger they get.”
“Thanks again but I’m fine Sam honest.”
***
It was December now and the busiest time at the pub so Tony asked if Angie would be available to do some extra shift on the run up to Christmas and the New Year.
“I don’t know about that Tony”replied Angie.
“You see Colin looks after Vicky while I’m working and it’s a bit unfair of me to expect him to look after her when he has work in the morning.”
“Would you ask him if you could do Thursday evening please it would really help me out Pleeease Angie I’m sure Colin wouldn’t mind just till the New year then you can go back to two evenings again pleeease” Tony was pretending to pray.
“Ok I’ll ask him but if he say’s no don’t be surprised”
“Well give it a try and let me know when you come in tomorrow night, you know this would be a lot easier if you had a phone, are you ever going to get it connected? Have a word with Colin your Mr Scrooge tell him to treat himself for Christmas Ha Ha.”
“I will but he’ll just say’s it’s too expensive and we need all our money for our own house.”
“Well I can’t fault him for that you do need your own place renting just dead money, so you ask him and let me know tonight eh? I don’t really want to set more staff on if I can help it. Right are you ready I’ll walk you up home”
“Yes I’m all done and I’ll ask Colin when I get in”
Colin was still up when she got in Vicky was teething so she had been a bit of a handful it took ages for her to fall asleep so Colin was a bit stressed, Angie told him about Tony’s suggestion of taking on another shift on Thursday’s and it being a bit unfair asking him to babysit when he had work in the morning.
Colin went absolutely ballistic.
“What the hell did you say that for!” he yelled.
“I don’t understand Colin why are you angry?”
“Why am I angry you stupid cow why am I angry I’ll tell you why you’ve made me out to be a right ogre haven’t you. You’re going to have to work now aren’t you because if you don’t everyone will be looking at me and talking saying he’s a right one keeps his missus on a very short lead he can’t even look after his child because he might get a bit tired. Well thank you very much for making me look like a fool in front of the entire village.”
“It’s you who makes yourself look like a fool Colin nobody has said anything”
Angie knew she shouldn’t have said that, Colin’s eyes widened and he snapped the blow caught her in the chest and sent her reeling back he then kicked her in the stomach.
As she fell to her knees Colin pushed her back onto the floor then the punches rained into her ribs Angie rolled over onto her stomach but he just carried on thumping her back.
Eventually after what seemed like an age Colin stopped he rolled her over and grabbing her face he yelled into it.
“Don’t ever talk about me to anyone like that again right!”
“Ok” Angie sobbed just then she heard Vicky crying. Colin pushed her head down onto the carpet and snarled.
“Right, now go and see to your kid!”
Angie got to her feet the pain in her back and stomach was excruciating but she didn’t let him see she was in pain; she climbed the stairs very gingerly gripping the banister so tight.
Vicky was screaming by the time Angie finally made it to her bedroom she tried to lift her out of the cot but the pain in her stomach was too much and she nearly passed out, she slid slowly down the wall onto the floor, she put her hands through the bars and gently stroked Vicky’s face.
Eventually Vicky fell asleep Colin pocked his head round the door.
“Good she’s asleep right you can get downstairs and make me a cup of tea I haven’t had one all night with having to look after that thing screaming all the time.” He sneered.
Colin went back down, Angie had to crawl to the door
and along the landing the pain was terrible as she pulled herself up using the banister.
Angie cried all the way downstairs; Colin was watching television as she walked slowly through the room.
“Hurry up with that tea bitch I’m Gagged”
Angie went to the kitchen when she came out with the tea Colin was asleep.
“Colin” Angie said tapping his foot with her toe.
“Colin your tea.” Colin opened his eyes.
“What do you want?”He demanded looking at her as if she was something he’d just scraped off his shoe. “Your tea, you asked for a cup of tea”
“Well I don’t want it now you’re too late I’m off to bed.”
“Bastard!” Angie said the pain in her stomach screaming at her.
“You had me making this for you and now you don’t want it.”
“That’s right you have it” he hit bottom of the cup sending the hot tea all down her neck and arms.
Angie was so angry and her stomach hurt so much she never even felt the burning tea she just stood there staring at him her eyes full of hate for this creature.
Colin just laughed at her.
“Now get this lot cleaned up you scruffy bitch, I’m off to bed! And if you ever set me up like that again you’ll get even worse!”
Colin went upstairs laughing sarcastically.
Angie stood there unable to move all that was going through her head was the thought of getting a knife going upstairs and sticking it in him again and again and again, she could taste the blood she could see him squirm and writhe in a bed of blood she wanted to hear him beg for mercy and give him none.
Then the pain in her stomach came back washing over her like a great wave, darkness flooded her eyes, she fell to her knees clutching her stomach then unable to keep it in she was violently sick, again and again until there was nothing left only the bile from the depths of her gut looking down she noticed the traces of blood mixed in.
“I have to get out, me and Vicky have to get away” She said out loud through her tears.
Chapter 3
After cleaning the carpet of sick and tea she took two pain killers and went gingerly up to bed, the pain subsided enough eventually for her to get a few hours sleep.
The alarm went off at 7-30am Colin got up turned the bedroom light on and got dressed, Angie kept her eyes closed so she wouldn’t have to look at him.
“Right I’m off darling see you at tea-time” He said it as though nothing had happened Angie couldn’t believe it she hated him so much.
She heard Vicky stirring so she decided to get up, the pain in her stomach was bearable but still bad she went to the bathroom and ran herself a bath, taking off her nightie she looked in the mirror staring wide-eyed at the redness where the hot tea had gone down her neck onto her chest, there were blisters on her arms, her ribs were sore and bruised, her cheek was swollen where he had pushed her face into the floor but thankfully her eye wasn’t black, turning round she looked at her back it was a mass of bruises, she stood there looking tears rolling down her cheeks, silently she wished him dead she hated Colin so much she wanted him to fall in one of the machines at work never to come home again never to be able to hurt her again.
She opened the bathroom cabinet and got out some painkillers, opening the packet she pulled out the two sachets holding them in her hand she wondered if there would be enough to make ALL the hurt go away.
Then she heard Vicky giggling in her cot, she took two tablets and put the rest back in the cabinet, closing the door and looking at herself in the mirror she decided to make plans to get out.
***
Lowering herself into the bath and feeling the warm water over her body she started to feel a little bit better ideas were rushing through her head of how to get out but she had to be very careful no one has to know or suspect anything until it was all in place she didn’t want Colin to suspect a thing till it was too late Angie couldn’t resist a smile.
When she had finished her bath and went in to fetch Vicky, walking gingerly down the stairs, her stomach still hurting.
She took her through to the kitchen and started to make her breakfast, Vicky was in a really good mood today her teeth must have come through.
Angie gave her a huge smile and kissed her on the forehead, she turned and flicked on the radio, she did a little dance to the music which made Vicky giggle.
After breakfast Angie put Vicky in her buggy and they went for a walk round the village making a mental note to remember to call in and tell Tony she was alright for the extra shift.
Tony was just cleaning the pumps when Angie walked into the bar through the kitchen entrance.
“Hiya Angie” Tony said looking very pleased to see her.
“Hi tony, just called in to let you know I’ll be alright to do the Thursday shift for you.”
“That’s great Angie, was Colin alright with it?”
“Oh yes he was fine no problem.” Angie couldn’t believe herself Colin had beaten her to a pulp and she was saying he was ok with everything.
The painkillers were wearing off and the pain in her stomach was getting worse again.
“Can I nip to the toilet please Tony?” she asked the pain making her bend forward slightly.
“Yes sure you can Angie is everything alright you look a bit pale?”
“Yes I’m fine just got a bit of an upset tummy that’s all nothing serious; will you keep an eye on Vicky for me please Tony?”
“Sure no problems can she have a Gin while she’s waiting? Ha Ha”
“Not a bad idea Tony it might help her sleep a bit until the rest of her teeth come through. Won’t be a second Tony “Said Angie as she went into the ladies.
The pain was excruciating as she tried to urinate eventually she managed then when she stood up and looked in the bowl to her horror she saw blood.
“Oh shit what has that bastard done to me this time” she cursed him. Angie was terrified but she knew she had to get it checked out by her Doctor.
Angie left the pub and walked past the post office to the Doctors surgery, it was one of the old fashioned surgeries where you didn’t have to make an appointment you just walked in and took the next free spot.
“Good morning Mrs Wilson” Said Jane Doyle the receptionist.
“How’s that beautiful baby of yours? Not poorly I hope?” She said leaning over the desk to look into the buggy.
“No not really just a bit of teething, I would like to see Dr Parker when he’s free please”
“Shouldn’t be long now he’s just seeing to old Mrs Williams if you wouldn’t mind taking a seat and I’ll let him know your waiting”
Just then the Doctors door opened and Mrs Williams came out, Jane looked up from the filing cabinet,
“Are you done now Mrs Williams? Ok then see you soon love “Mrs Williams just nodded and carried on out the door.
“Bless her deaf as a post you know, well your next Mrs Wilson would you like me to look after your baby while you see the Doctor?”
“That would be very kind of you Jane yes please thank you” Angie pushed the buggy around the reception desk.
“She may be a bit grumpy her teeth are starting to come through.”
“Oh don’t worry about that Mrs Wilson I’ve got four of my own so there is nothing I can’t handle at least for a short while go through love Doctors waiting”
Angie knocked on the Doctors door.
“COME!” doctor Parkers thick Scottish brogue bellowed through the door.
She opened the door hesitantly wondering if this had been a good idea, what if he sees the bruises on her ribs and back and starts asking awkward questions but the throbbing pain in her stomach and the thought of the blood put paid to that she held her head up and walked in.
“Good morning Mrs Wilson haven’t seen you since before your baby was born, girl wasn’t it? How’s she doing? Not Ill I hope?”
“No Doctor apart from a bit of teething she’s fine It’s me I’m having a
lot of pain and discomfort in my lower stomach and this morning when I went to the toilet there was a little blood which has got me a bit worried.”
“Right jump up onto the bed and we’ll have a look at you then” Angie winced as she pulled herself up onto the bed.
“You do have some pain don’t you well pull your skirt up around your waist and I’ll examine you”
Doctor Parker pressed on her lower stomach just above her pubic bone; Angie took a sharp intake of breath.