by Tony White
Then they hear the door shutting downstairs and footsteps on the stairs and its Ruji-Babes and it feels like she been gone for ages init but its probaly only been like five or ten minutes max. Them two aint say nothing is it and just listen when them stair creak as Ruji-Babes come upstairs and open the door. And believe me that Foxy-T pure relief init but no show it. ‘You took your time,’ she say.
‘Yeah sorry I was chatting init,’ says Ruji-Babes. ‘Hows that tea coming on?’
‘Its ready probaly,’ says Foxy-T turning round and check them chops what have been a cook slow under the grill and what she pure forget in the past few minutes. They aint burn yet though and they is all spitting and sizzling as she pull the pan out and turn off the grill.
‘What you two been talking about then?’ Ruji-Babes aksed.
‘Oh this and that,’ says Foxy-T a dish up the rice. She put the hot pan containing that dal down onto a wooden chopping board on the table so they could help thereselves then she put them chop on a plate before sit down and them other two sit down and all.
Zafar feel safe now and like him win some small victory because he figure Foxy-T aint gonna blurt it all out to Ruji-Babes if she dont do it now. Which mean it something between him and Foxy-T. And that must mean that she put him first now init. Aint cross him mind is a other reason for Foxy-T no tell Ruji-Babes cause him think if she no tell Ruji-Babes now mean she a go say yes init.
‘Wow,’ says Ruji-Babes as she pour out some water. ‘This a feast man.’
Them two both a bit surprise by her tone a voice init since them feel a bit space out by what they just been saying and Ruji-Babes is seem like some kid.
Ruji-Babes get up and turn out the main light then while she up she puts the milk in the fridge and then gets some folded breads out on another plate. But while she do this Ruji-Babes is look at Zafar a bit odd and she goes, ‘Aint you cold Zafar?’
And he goes, ‘No, its nice and warm in here Ruji. I’m fine man.’
Then him think for a second and realise him just a wear him ghetto boy string vest and no shirt like him at home or whatever and he says, ‘Shit man is this OK?’
And Ruji-Babes goes, ‘Oh no I dont mind.’
But both Zafar and Foxy-T can tell that she does mind.
‘I’ll go and get my shirt then shall I?’
But Foxy-T says, ‘No if you is hot thats fine.’
He went like, ‘Yeah I’m fine long as it aint rude init.’
‘Well we’d normally think it was like bad manners for someone to just sit an eat in there vest or whatever …’ say Ruji-Babes.
But Foxy-T interrupt and goes, ‘What? You joking man? We never even think about stuff like that. We aint never said that.’
‘Well,’ says Ruji-Babes, ‘you’d normally say it was bad manners T if some boy was eating in him vest.’
But Foxy-T go all quiet and sit there a pick at some piece of bread. And Zafar just look at them both. And think, ‘Well I’ll stop as I am init,’ and then he get right stuck in to that tea. But Ruji-Babes was a bit put out because she suddenly see a cheeky side to this boy only fe true she never knowed how cheeky is it. Zafar hungry and him spoon out a big lump of lime pickle and eat it with him rice. He always eat him pickle first init cause it remind him of him grandad fe do this. His grandad always use to say the pickle a wake up your appetite and your taste buds init. Zafar remembered that most lunchtime his grandad would just have a bit of rice and pickle as a meal in itself. Like back home. Or just with a slice of mango. He could remember how him grandad would get out like this little wooden handle knife what he bring from back home and had since him a youth and cut off another slice a mango. ‘That man could make a mango last a week,’ he thought to his self. All them people what grew up back home was like that. Now you see people down like the Quality Food Store buying mango by the box and you know say them gonna chuck half a them out in a weeks time.
This was a different table now and the kitchen look well different and with tasteful wooden bread bin and that and none of it come from the £1 shop believe me but while he sit there eating him rice and pickle by the light of the candle and the lights of the east end outside with Canary Wharf and that all lit up he was still half expect to see him grandad sitting there in the dark and all outline against the night time sky through the window.
‘Hey, dont forget this meat Zafar,’ say Ruji-Babes breaking the spell. She was still put out man but she was like well mannered and it her house after all and him a guest of theres.
The pickle had sharpen up Zafar appetite though fe true and him go, ‘No I aint. Pass it here Ruji-man.’
Then he stick him fork in one of them chop and carry it to his plate. Then he tore off a big piece of that bread and spoon out a ladel full of dal. ‘You right man,’ he say to Ruji-Babes. ‘This a feast init.’
While he stuff him face he was going like, ‘Mmmm,’ without even meaning to.
Ruji-Babes was look over at him then nod and smile at Foxy-T because it remind her of her little brother again the way Zafar ate was just like a little boy.
Him like his food init. And him a mop up every bit of that dal and just tucking in like that conversation with Foxy-T and the thing with the bad manners never happen.
Like I say after tea Zafar would sometimes go out for a walk or whatever and check Red-Eye and them. But mainly him sit in that chair and watch the telly. And thats what he done init he just switch on the telly and sit there in his vest like a king in him castle believe me.
And although she didnt mind no one watching telly and couldnt exackly say what it was that he should of been doing Ruji-Babes think that this spoil her sitting room a bit. Because they done it out real nice init. With like that womanly touch or whatever. But then if this big youth is like sit there and watch some kind of stupid boy type of film with Jean Claude Van Damme it spoil it a bit. Though that was the kind of action movie that this boy like. Him cant get enough a them type a film is it.
Foxy-T sitting upon the sofa and read one a them big software manual. She got her usual dreamy expression and took her hair down not that it was very long but normally she wear it up like tie back. But she werent really concentrate on that book is it. She was half like day-dream as if she was listen to that thief whistling somewhere outside. It was almost as if she could hear it in the wind and the traffic noises outside. But every now and then she would still turn the page and carry on reading.
Ruji-Babes was going through them days figures or whatever just to make sure with that business brain of hers that them figure in her head and the picture of how the business was going down the E-Z Call was the same as what it was really doing. She knowed that otherwise man might have a different picture in him head and you might be doing much worse or much better than you think. And she like to be sure that any decision she might make was the right one and fully inform by the facts. But she felt a bit fidgety with them two in the room init and kept looking up secretly first at one a them then the other. Something about the way that Foxy-T was half read and a half dream was a bit annoying to Ruji-Babes that night.
‘Shit man,’ she say rubbing that dry skin around her eyes. ‘I cant concentrate on these figures tonight my contacts is giving me hell init.’
Zafar look up and say nothing but Foxy-T goes, ‘Yeah?’
Then Zafar turn back to that telly and Ruji-Babes try fe read them small line a numbers or whatever she keep in them books but she couldnt concentrate and so she look over at Foxy-T reading there and aks her a question with a funny look on her face.
‘Dollar for your thoughts, T.’
And Foxy-T look up frighten cause she just been day dreaming about that thief or whatever as if he been sitting in the flat with them and that.
‘Eh?’ she says.
‘Dollar for your thoughts I said,’ say Ruji-Babes.
‘Dont waste your money Rooj,’ says Foxy-T.
‘I aint wasting my money man,’ says Ruji-Babes
‘Yes you is,’ says Foxy
-T. ‘Cause I was just like reading and listening to them fireworks go off outside init. Thats a quid man.’
‘Yeah your right man. I have waste me money.’
‘Keep your dollar then man,’ says Foxy-T.
Zafar bust out laughing when he hear this and them two look over at where he sitting in his chair the telly forgotten for a second.
‘You pay each other a dollar just fe tell you what you is thinking?’ he aksed. ‘For real?’
‘Yeah,’ says Ruji-Babes. ‘Thats the point. Sometimes I give her like five pound a week init T.’
‘Serious?’ he aksed.
‘Yeah if we aint got nothing else to do man. Aint you ever done that?’
‘No way man,’ he say laughing again. ‘I aint never even hear about that! “Dollar for your thoughts!” Shit man.’ Though fe true when him up Feltham man knowed him and him spar would a chat about what them a go do if them win the lottery or girl them fuck or whatever but he would a never aks them what them think.
‘Well if you a work hard and live above the shop like we do then you might hear about something like that fe pass the time init,’ says Ruji-Babes.
‘What you get bored of the telly then or something?’
‘Damn straight,’ say Ruji-Babes laughing. ‘Its just repeats and shit anway. Life can get boring man so you maybe play some game fe liven thing up a bit.’
‘Life aint boring man. I feel sorry for you saying that.’
‘Well you wasnt expecting a party every night was you?’ Ruji-Babes aksed.
He look at her and think about it. ‘Seen seen. I guess not, no, but if theres a good film on telly thats good enough for me man.’
‘Good for you Zafar,’ she says. ‘Only you gonna get bored and all if you aint do nothing else every night init.’
And she look down at her figures again so Zafar could see them few grey hairs what was appearing even though she was not very old. And she never dye her hair or think about them kind of thing too much. Zafar hadnt yet gone back to the telly and he look over at Foxy-T who was still reading and day dreaming. He look closely at her face which seem like really pretty in this light and she was kind of looking around every now and then without really seeing anything like she was miles away. But she was listening out for that thief or whatever. From where he sat Zafar was just watching her man and Ruji-Babes was watching him watch her and fidget a bit while she read them figures.
Couple of hour a this is all Ruji-Babes can take init so them two girl tidy up the kitchen and went off to bed before Zafar film finish. Next day them all start work like normal only Shabbaz call fe check upon Zafar about eleven. Zafar no seen him since them scene with Ruji-Babes cousin and him well embarrass init only Shabbaz greet him like normal and go, ‘Come we have fe talk init. No vex yourself Zafar is cool. Me and Ranky was just try and help init. Man give me back me weed. Should a known init. Man no fuck with them is it.’
Zafar pop him head in the door a the shop and see Ruji-Babes and say, ‘Listen Rooj I’m just go for a drive with me spar init.’
And Ruji-Babes a bit taken back since him call her ‘Rooj’ like Foxy-T done but she just look up and go, ‘When is you gonna be back man?’
Zafar just shrug him shoulder and say, ‘Later. See you man.’
Shabbaz aint driving far is it. Him just pass down the road and pull up outside Eastern Fried Chicken and Kebab next to the One Stop there. The place empty and once them go in Zafar feel well hungry init since him only have like cornflake for him breakfast and that seem like hours ago. Shabbaz aks for like some piece a fry chicken and chip and two coke then them sit down at one a them table by the window.
‘Figure you may want fe eat some chicken,’ him say.
‘Seen, seen,’ say Zafar and reach in him pocket.
‘Safe Zafar no fret. Me flush man.’
‘You win the lottery then?’
‘No me just done bit a work fe Rocky and them init.’
‘Yeah?’ aks Zafar. ‘What you done then?’
Shabbaz tap the side a him nose and laugh init but fe true that Zafar no care how Shabbaz make him money and when them box a chicken ready him just tuck in and enjoy spend some time with him spar and forget about how Ruji-Babes cousin humiliate him seen. Also without him realise it them two woman and there ways was tax him and him glad fe be away from the E-Z Call. For a second while him drink him coke Zafar nearly chat to Shabbaz about him plan fe marry Foxy-T but him feel this aint the time and him probaly just get laugh at if him do that init.
Once they finish there lunch the two a them just get in the car and drive down Wapping. As them pass Cable Street them two is check some like photographer what is taking photo of some white guy stand against the wall there what is cover with tags. That guy is try fe look cool init so Shabbaz wind down him window and shout like, ‘You fucking poof!’ Zafar was pissing himself laughing init and that guy is look well embarrass. When them reach Wapping Shabbaz park up near the river then lead the way and soon they is stand by the water and a light some big spliff. It dont take long till they is feel well crisp is it.
‘See that man,’ Shabbaz say.
‘What?’ Zafar aks.
Shabbaz point at some piece a wood next to the river. Is like a tall L-shape thing made out a wood what stand there. ‘That. Know what that is man?’
‘I dunno like a crane or whatever?’ Zafar say.
‘Call a gibbet init.’
‘Whats that then?’
‘Man say they use fe hang them thief there init.’
‘Serious?’
‘Yeah pirates and that.’
Zafar laughing and him think like ‘Pirates in London!’ so Shabbaz is say, ‘What man you no believe me. Is true man. Back in the day them pirate and thief all wind up dead on that thing. Why you look at me like that you cunt! I aint bullshitting you man. Is true. We done it in history. You was probaly skiving that day init!’
‘Shit man I’m glad things a change init,’ say Zafar. ‘Feltham was bad enough init without them hang you fe nick a car. Shit man. You winding me up?’
Back at E-Z Call things run like normal. There nuff customer init and Ruji-Babes a sit up the front a the shop and like scan them in the network or whatever while Foxy-T a tap away upon the keyboard and fix some like problem with the server. Only she aint concentrate on the job in hand is it. That Foxy-T still a day dream like last night. Seem like every noise is that thief and when she look out a the window she think she seen him Golf there only when she run fe check it that Golf aint nowhere. This go on all afternoon and she never notice like Shabbaz pull up outside and that Zafar get out him car. She never notice the door open either is it. And then Foxy-T look up from her day dream about that thief and see Zafar a stand there in front a there lock up cabinet and him look right at her and she practicly jump out of her skin believe me.
‘Thief!’ she shouts.
Ruji-Babes stop what she doing with them printout and stare at Foxy-T like she gone mad.
‘What you on about T?’ she aksed. ‘Thats Zafar init.’
But Foxy-T is gone a bit red and looking over at them couple Russian man what was sitting around one a the PC them and she take no notice a Ruji-Babes.
‘Why you a shout like that?’ aks Ruji-Babes again. ‘Only Zafar init. Aint no thief man!’
‘Nothing man. I was just saying …’
‘Yeah, seen, but what you was saying didnt make no sense T,’ says Ruji-Babes.
‘I know man I was day dreaming init.’
‘You aint getting all jumpy again is you T? Was you talking about Zafar?’
‘No course I wasnt,’ says Foxy-T.
‘Shit you give me a shock man,’ says Ruji-Babes. ‘Thats wound me right up for real.’
Zafar dont say nothing through all this partly because him well mash up from them spliff him smoke with him spar and it freak him out init and him a bit vex by what Foxy-T say. Fe true him never expect that is it. So him just take a chair and pull it up outside init and try r
elax only all him day dream was about pirates them and youth get hung down in Wapping fe nick like a loaf of bread and that.
None a them mention it after that is it. Even after they shut up the E-Z Call and gone upstair none a them say nothing. Even during them supper them no mention it. A bit later Foxy-T went out the kitchen and made some small cup of cocoa. They like a cup of cocoa before bed them two like they is old people. And they like it make with milk but not much sugar so is bitter. And Zafar enjoy that too because it remind him of his grandad who would sometime make it with water and just a tiny drop of milk and no sugar at all. Though you guess that Zafar would probaly like it with load of sugar and you be right. Ruji-Babes drink her cocoa down quick then yawn and stretch and say, ‘Shit man. I’m knackered I’m going to bed. You coming T?’
And T says, ‘Yeah in a minute I’ll just clear up these cups init.’
‘Dont be long man,’ says Ruji-Babes. ‘Goodnight Zafar you no forget fe turn off that fire is it.’
‘Seen,’ says Zafar.
Foxy-T took the cups out to the kitchen and put them in the sink where she like run cold water to fill them up then wash them up in the morning. When she come back in the sitting room she said, ‘Dont forget that fire Zafar.’ She was stand there half dreaming still init and she take out her pony tail and stand on one leg like she does when she thinking about them computer. And she looking over to the front window behind the telly and not look at Zafar at all. Him a watch her though. Every fucking move man.
He pat the arm of the chair. ‘Sit down man.’
‘No I’m going to bed,’ she say. ‘Ruji be waiting. She get upset if I take too long.’
‘Hey T,’ says Zafar. ‘I was gonna aks you. Why you jump like that earlier on man?’
‘What you talking about Zafar?’ she aks.
‘You know man earlier when I come in the shop and you say “Stop thief!” or whatever.’
Foxy-T say nothing is it.
‘What was you a think about man?’ him aks her again.
‘I dont know its funny man,’ she says. ‘But for a second there I thought you was this robber what come in the shop before.’ And she smile at him and like shrug as if to say ‘init weird’.