Born Bad

by Born Bad (retail) (epub)

  ‘How are you?’ asked Adele.

  ‘Oh, not too bad. Just a bit of a bad stomach, that’s all,’ she said, rubbing her abdomen.’

  Despite Grandma Joyce’s words of indifference, her face was strained.

  ‘How long have you been like this?’ Adele asked.

  ‘Only a few days. Don’t worry, love; it’ll pass. It’s something and nothing.’

  A niggling thought went through Adele’s mind; the contrast between her mother and grandmother. Her mother seemed to seek pity at every opportunity whereas her grandmother refused to let illness get the better of her.

  ‘I’ll see if that kettle’s boiled,’ said Joyce, rising from her chair.

  ‘No. You sit down! I’ll go and make the drinks. What do you want?’

  ‘No, it’s all right. I’m not ready for the knacker’s yard yet. You sit down!’

  Joyce’s dominant tone forced Adele to remain seated. She watched her grandma walk across the room, noting how frail she seemed. She looked as though she had lost weight too.

  ‘Are you sure you’re OK, Grandma?’ Adele asked when Joyce handed her a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. ‘Only, you don’t look so good.’

  ‘Eee, what do you expect at my age? It’s all right for you youngsters; you’re fit and strong. But when you get to my age it takes a bit longer to shake things off. Give it a few days, I’ll be right as rain. You’ll see.’

  ‘Have you been to the doctors?’

  ‘Have I buggery! They’ll only tell me what I already know. There’s nowt you can do for a stomach bug but let it run its course.’

  She put up a convincing argument and, as a girl of seventeen, Adele didn’t have a lot of experience with doctors so she accepted her grandmother’s word for it.

  ‘How’s your mother, anyway?’ asked Joyce. ‘She was supposed to come round but I’ve seen nothing of her.’

  ‘She told me she was going to try and come round too but she isn’t very well.’

  ‘The usual is it?’

  ‘I think so,’ said Adele although she wasn’t sure what ‘the usual’ referred to.

  Grandma Joyce rolled her eyes. ‘Never mind, I’ll be round as soon as I’m feeling up to it to see if she’s all right.’

  After a while Adele asked, ‘Is there anything I can do for you while I’m here? Shopping or housework?’

  A smirk spread over Grandma Joyce’s face, ‘Will you give over?’ she said. ‘I’ve told you, I’m fine. Now, stop worrying and enjoy your tea and biscuits.’

  ‘I’ve finished,’ said Adele, placing her empty cup on the coffee table. ‘Those biscuits were lovely thanks, Grandma. Have you not had anything to eat? Perhaps I could make you something while I’m here.’

  Grandma Joyce rolled her eyes and shook her head, and Adele knew what was coming.

  She quickly interrupted, ‘It’s OK. I know… you’re fine.’

  They looked at each other and laughed. Then Adele picked up her empty cup and plate, and took them through to the kitchen to wash. She noticed other cups in the kitchen which were stained with dried on tea and Adele gave them a quick wash too. It wasn’t like Grandma Joyce to leave dirty pots lying around.

  ‘Right, I’m off,’ said Adele when she returned to the living room.

  Before leaving, Adele planted a kiss on her grandma’s face. ‘Take care, Grandma,’ she said. ‘I’ll be round to see you again soon.’

  Then she set off for home, trying hard not to worry about her grandmother.

  Chapter 15

  Tommy was on his way to the office to collect his wages. He trudged across the tarmacked builder’s yard in his muddy work boots heading for the Portakabin situated at the far end. He was looking forward to getting paid, especially as his money had run out the previous evening and he’d had to rely on his mates to sub him a few pints in the pub.

  Tommy pushed open the office door so forcefully that it bounced back on its hinges. He then entered the Portakabin and nodded at his boss, Don, who was sitting behind a teak desk. Don shuffled uncomfortably in his seat as though something was amiss.

  As Tommy approached the desk, Don ticked off his name in the ledger then searched through the collection of pay packets on the desktop.

  ‘Here you go,’ he said to Tommy, handing him the packet with his name on it. He waited until Tommy turned to go before adding, ‘There’s a deduction for being late back to the job last Wednesday afternoon.’

  Tommy swung round, ‘You what?’ he demanded.

  Don visibly tensed before responding, ‘We’ve had a complaint from the customer. She said you were slightly tipsy as well.’ He allowed a few seconds for his words to sink in before continuing, ‘It’s not good enough, Tommy. You can’t be arriving back late to the job, half-cut.’

  Tommy had been mulling the details over while two more workers had entered the office and were waiting to collect their wages. ‘Last Wednesday?’ he asked.

  ‘That’s right,’ said Don. ‘The customer said you were several minutes late, but it’s not the first time, apparently, so we’ve deducted an afternoon’s pay.’

  ‘Hang on a minute!’ said Tommy, becoming angry. ‘Is that the Beeston Street job?’

  ‘That’s right,’ said Don, swallowing back his rising fear.

  ‘No fucking way!’ Tommy shouted, stretching himself to his full height and pulling back his broad shoulders. ‘That old cow’s had it in for me from day one. The cheeky old witch! I was only a couple of minutes late. And I made the time up! And it’s the first time I’ve been back late from my dinner on that job.’

  ‘Sorry, Tommy, but I’ve got to take the customer’s word for it. We can’t risk losing valuable business.’ Don’s speech had become harried and, as he spoke, he tapped his fingers nervously on the desk.

  ‘Well the customer’s fuckin’ wrong! So you can fuckin’ well get that money back in my pay packet!’ yelled Tommy, feeling affronted that his boss was siding with the customer.

  ‘Now, now, Tommy. I can’t do that. Rules are rules and I’ve got to set an example,’ said Don, glancing around the office and drawing comfort from the arrival of more of his workers.

  Tommy hammered his fist on the desk causing the items on top to jump about as the teak desk panel buckled under the might of his considerable strength. ‘I want my full fuckin’ wages; I’ve earnt it! And I’m already short this week. Now are you gonna make up my pay or do I have to do summat about it?’

  Seeing the number of men now standing around the office, Don became emboldened, ‘I’ve told you, Tommy. I can’t do that. And if you’re not careful, you’ll be on a disciplinary.’

  ‘You what?’ shouted an enraged Tommy as he leant over the desk and hauled Don from his chair by his shirt collars before headbutting him sharply in the face.

  The men rushed forward and pulled Tommy back as he struggled to drag himself out of their clutches.

  ‘Leave it, mate!’ one of them urged. ‘You’ll end up in lumber.’

  Tommy bounced back and, for a few moments, the men kept hold of him while he puffed heavily, his fierce gaze piercing through Don. His adversary slumped back into his chair while a stream of blood flowed from his busted nose colouring his lips and teeth.

  ‘Right, you’re sacked!’ shouted Don, wiping his bloody nose with the back of his hand.

  Tommy heaved against the men, boiling over with anger and outrage at the total injustice of it all. He tried to get to Don once more, but the men kept a tight grip on him.

  ‘Come on, Tommy. Let’s get you out,’ one of them cajoled. ‘You don’t wanna end up in trouble with the cops as well, do you, mate?’

  As his workmate’s words sank in, Tommy relaxed a little, enabling the men to edge him towards the office door. They gave him a few minutes to calm down, pointing out the perils of taking another swipe at Don. Eventually, Tommy was persuaded to leave the site, but not before he had shouted a barrage of threats to Don. He marched out of the yard, kicking angrily at some wooden pallets. B
y the time he reached the gate he had already decided to drown his sorrows in his local pub.

  *

  When Adele answered the front door she was surprised to see her father standing there because he had a key. But then the smell of alcohol hit her and she was shocked as she took in the state of him. His hands were bloodstained, his hair messy and his clothes dishevelled. She pulled the door back and he staggered over the threshold, his right hand grasping repeatedly at an imaginary object in an effort to steady himself.

  Adele backed up while he continued to stumble into the house. She turned to see her mother standing further along the hallway and gave her a concerned look. Shirley responded by frowning. As Tommy teetered along the hallway, he muttered incoherently to himself. At first Adele couldn’t decipher any words but then he raised his head, gazing unsteadily at Shirley before slurring, ‘Fuckin’ bastard’s sacked me!’ His head then slumped back down and he let out a loud belch before wobbling into the living room.

  He plonked himself into his armchair, his arm brushing against the cup resting on a side table. Tommy cursed the object and swiped it viciously to one side. The cup bounced onto the threadbare carpet, its handle fracturing on impact.

  ‘You hear me?’ he asked, lifting his head again. This time his bloodshot eyes couldn’t focus on Shirley. Instead, they drifted around the room, his head lolling about in a slow-motion parody of a nodding dog.

  Adele could feel her heart speed up, as she dreaded the impact of this turn of events. She was glad Peter was out as he always seemed to make their father even angrier.

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that, love. What happened?’ Shirley asked, trying desperately to pacify him.

  ‘Don’s a fuckin’ bastard! That’s what,’ he muttered before hiccupping. He then tried clumsily to remove his boots, finally succeeding in taking off the first before launching it across the living room. Shirley rushed to his aid and removed the second one, placing it to one side.

  ‘Can I get you anything, love?’ she asked.

  Tommy continued to hiccup, and took a few moments to reply. ‘What? Nah… fuckin’ hiccups!’ he shouted as they interrupted his words.

  ‘I’ll get you some water,’ Shirley offered but Adele flashed her a worried look. She didn’t want to be left in the room alone with him.

  ‘Will you get it Adele, love?’ she asked, picking up on Adele’s unease.

  Adele dashed to the kitchen, pulled a dirty glass from the overflowing bowl and did her best to remove the stains using the rancid dishcloth. Her hands trembled as she held the glass under the tap and filled it with water.

  When Adele finally re-entered the living room, she was met by the sight of her father half-asleep in his chair, his loud hiccups peppered with occasional outbursts containing Don’s name and a variety of expletives.

  Shirley held her finger to her lips to warn Adele not to disturb him, and Adele placed the glass quietly on the mantelpiece. Shirley flashed a warning glance, directing her eyes upwards, indicating they should go to bed.

  ‘Will he be all right?’ Adele whispered when they were back in the hallway, worried that he’d be annoyed if he woke up and found they’d gone.

  ‘Aye, for now,’ Shirley sighed. ‘But I’m not looking forward to tomorrow. He’ll have a head like Birkenhead.’

  Adele nodded, stuck for something to say. She headed towards the stairs, knowing that tomorrow would just be the start of it. Adele recognised that, although they hadn’t borne the brunt of his misfortune tonight, now that her father was out of work, the worst was yet to come.

  Chapter 16

  The following day Adele went to visit her grandma. It was almost two weeks since her last visit, but Adele had been too busy with her studies to visit sooner. During that time, they hadn’t seen anything of her grandma and Adele’s mother hadn’t made the effort to visit her either, claiming she didn’t feel well enough. So, Adele felt it was up to her to make sure her grandma was all right. She’d see if there was anything Grandma Joyce needed while she was there.

  ‘Hiya, love,’ Joyce greeted when she answered the door but her greeting was lacklustre.

  ‘Hiya, Grandma.’

  ‘It’s nice to see you,’ said Grandma Joyce, shuffling across the room and wincing as she bent to get into her armchair.

  Her grandma’s words sounded more like an accusation to Adele and she felt guilty for taking so long to visit.

  ‘Are you OK?’ asked Adele. ‘Is your tummy still bad?’

  ‘I’m not too bad. It’s just taking a bit of shifting, that’s all… Anyway, I’m at the doctor’s on Monday so you can stop worrying. He’ll sort me out.’

  Adele noticed that Grandma Joyce hadn’t offered her a drink, which was unusual for her, and her unease grew. ‘Do you want me to make the drinks, Grandma?’ she asked.

  ‘Aye, go on. There’s a love,’ her grandma replied.

  When Adele was in the kitchen she noticed that not only were there dirty pots in the sink but the cupboards were almost empty too. She searched for milk and found that there was none apart from a half-empty bottle, which had gone off.

  ‘Grandma, there’s no milk,’ she shouted through to the lounge. ‘Do you want me to nip out for some?’

  When her grandma didn’t reply straightaway, Adele went through to the living room. She was disturbed to find that her grandma’s head was lolling and her eyes were shut.

  ‘Grandma!’ Adele called. ‘Are you all right?’

  Joyce jolted awake. ‘Yeah, course I am. What’s wrong?’

  Adele felt relief flood through her and remained speechless for a few moments.

  ‘What is it?’ Joyce asked again.

  ‘There’s no milk,’ said Adele, once she had recovered from her shock.

  Joyce sighed heavily, ‘Pass me my purse. Can you get some from the corner shop, love?’

  Adele took the money from her grandma and rushed out to the shop, coming back with the milk as well as a few other items. Then she made the tea and put a few biscuits on a plate. While she polished off three biscuits, Joyce nibbled at one.

  ‘Do us a favour, love, and pass me those paracetamols off the mantelpiece,’ said Joyce.

  When she struggled to take the lid off the bottle of tablets, Adele did it for her and slipped two into Joyce’s hand. Her grandma swallowed them down with her cup of tea.

  ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Grandma?’ asked Adele.

  Joyce tutted, ‘Do I have to keep telling you? I’ve just got a few twinges in my tummy, that’s all. Now stop worrying about me; I want to find out what’s been going on at home. How’s your mam? And what about Peter? Is he still up to mischief?’

  Adele quickly told her about Tommy losing his job, taking care to omit details of her father’s drunken state the previous evening. But she underestimated Joyce’s intuition.

  ‘I bet he’s upset someone, hasn’t he?’

  ‘Not really, no,’ said Adele, feeling herself blush as she recalled how her father had cursed Don.

  ‘What did he say? Go on, tell me!’

  ‘He did go a bit mad, and cursed a lot,’ Adele admitted.

  ‘I knew it. The bloody big lummox! He’ll have upset someone, mark my words.’ Joyce was becoming irate now, channelling her remaining vestiges of energy as she worked herself up.

  ‘Maybe,’ whispered Adele, her eyes downcast.

  ‘Well, never mind,’ said Joyce, on noticing the effect her words were having on Adele. ‘We’ll all just have to manage as best we can.’

  Joyce rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything further. She stayed quiet for a few moments while she recovered herself.

  Eventually she spoke again, calmer this time. ‘What about you, Adele? How are your studies going?’

  ‘Not bad. I got really good marks in my last exams.’

  ‘Good,’ said Joyce. ‘You carry on working hard and make a better life for yourself.’ Then her head lolled once more and she nodded off to sleep.

  Adele cleared
the dishes, gave the place a tidy then slipped quietly away.

  Before she headed for home, she called at the home of Joyce’s neighbour, Mabel Boyson, to see if she could find out anything further about her grandma’s state of health. Mabel knew Joyce had had a bad stomach but couldn’t offer any more information. She was surprised when Adele told her how ill her grandma seemed, and promised to call in and see if she wanted anything.

  ‘Thanks,’ said Adele. ‘I’ll call round again as soon as I get a chance.’

  Despite her good intentions, Adele didn’t have many opportunities to visit her grandma over the next few weeks. She was far too busy and had lots of other things on her mind; when she wasn’t studying she was cleaning the house, or helping to pacify her volatile father. However, when she did visit, her grandma didn’t seem much different. She was still ill and told Adele that the doctor had referred her to the hospital to see a consultant.

  Despite her grandma’s reassuring manner, Adele couldn’t help but worry. She wasn’t used to seeing her so ill.

  So she told her mother how ill her grandma had seemed and Shirley promised to go round. Adele checked to make sure she had done so and was relieved to find out she had made the effort. She couldn’t tell her very much though, just that her grandma was still waiting to see the consultant. When her mother didn’t seem overly concerned, Adele brushed her worries aside. Perhaps she had been overreacting after all.

  *

  Tommy wasn’t enjoying being out of work. He spent much of the daytime hanging around the house, watching TV and ordering everyone about. When the opportunity arose, he headed for the pub but, now that he was on the dole, he couldn’t afford to go as often. He sometimes found a way round this though by borrowing from family and friends.

  There were constant rows between him and Shirley over money. He would demand extra money from the housekeeping to go to the pub then complain when Shirley provided cheap, badly cooked meals on her limited budget.