Comet

by Andie J Fessey

  The trio managed to make it into the shelter of the conifer bushes, separating the field from the canal, before Tony caught up to them.

  On the other side of the gate, unseen by O’Leary and his accomplices, Barbara, Maisie, Jack and Frank, Daniel sitting atop his shoulders, slipped from the allotment, running in the direction of the parked van.

  “We have to tell somebody!” Barbara exclaimed.

  “Let’s get back to our street and tell Mother!” Jack exclaimed.

  “Quick, help me get some,” Jimmy asked, immediately pulling his catapult from his pocket, scrambling upon the floor to locate some stones.

  Quickly getting onto their hands and knees, Wally and Samuel located some decent sized stones, hurriedly placing them into Jimmy’s outstretched hand.

  He stood up quickly, discovering the man with the rat-like face, at the edge of the field.

  “Bugger!” He cried, placing a stone into the leather cup of the catapult and, pulling his arm back, letting go of it with a steady aim, the stone missing the man by mere inches.

  “Here! You can’t go doing that you little swine!” Tony shouted.

  “Can’t I?!” He shouted back, letting fire with another shot, this one catching Tony directly on his kneecap.

  “Oww!”

  “Quick Wally, work through the bushes and get to their van,” Jimmy instructed, taking another shot.

  Leaning forward holding onto his kneecap with both hands, Tony was unaware of the hurtling stone until it caught him on top of his head.

  “Argh, stop it!” He cried out, grabbing at his head.

  Wally quickly made his way to Jimmy’s side.

  “What do you want me to go to their van for?” He whispered to Jimmy, who leant forward and replied quietly, lest the skinny man heard his words.

  Stepping back when Jimmy finished, Wally nodded his head, before working through the bushes and trees.

  “Be careful not to fall in the canal, and when you’re finished,” Jimmy said, “catch up with the others and tell somebody what’s happening.”

  Wally waved his hand in acknowledgement.

  Jimmy, realising he possessed no more stones, knelt upon the floor once again, to locate some more.

  “I think there’re some big ones over there,” Samuel said, pointing to a spot in the bushes a few yards away, “I remember seeing them, when we were checking the field.”

  “Go grab ‘em then Sam and hurry up please.”

  Jimmy stood up to take aim with the one decent size stone he found, to find himself staring into Tony’s face.

  “Gotcha,” Tony said, leaning across the thickets to grab at Jimmy’s collar.

  “Get off me!” Jimmy shouted.

  “No chance, you little sod,” Tony hissed, before turning to call to his colleague, “Brendan! Get over here! I’ve got one of them!”

  Reaching the van, Wally immediately got to his knees at one of the wheels.

  Looking around to find something to damage the tyres with, his hands scrabbled across stones of various sizes.

  “Here son,” Ted’s voice said from nearby.

  “I’m not doing anything, honestly!” Wally exclaimed, turning to see the old man leaning on his allotment fence.

  “I think, I know what yer trying to do,” Ted said, smiling, “and you won’t do it with a stone. Come here son.”

  Wally looked at him apprehensively.

  “Don’t worry son, I don’t bite,” Ted said, laughing gently.

  Walking to the old man, Wally cast a glance towards the gate in the distance.

  “Here son,” Ted said, producing a couple of matches from his pocket, “use these. You’ll find a little pin in the valve on each tyre. Press the end of the match hard against it and you’ll get what you’re after.”

  “Thanks,” Wally replied, taking the offered matches from Ted’s hand.

  “Not a worry son,” he replied, “old Ted here and some of the other fellas have seen you lot, looking after that big horse. Am I to take it, the nasty looking short arse is here to get him?”

  Wally nodded his head in acknowledgement.

  “Then let’s get to work on those tyres pretty damn sharpish,” Ted instructed him and stepping from his allotment.

  Robert, David and Iris led Comet across the field, away from the approaching figure of O’Leary.

  “You can’t run forever!” He shouted, closing the distance between them.

  “He’s right,” Iris said, gasping, “we can’t keep running in circles.”

  Glancing around the field, David realised they were now close to one of the large embankments.

  In the distance, he saw Tony leaning across the thickets leading to the canal, his fat colleague nearly alongside him.

  “We’ll never get out of here,” Robert said, “that van is blocking the entrance.”

  David glanced back at Comet, obeying each pull on his reins.

  “I’ve an idea,” he said, “but you may not like it.”

  “What is it David?” Iris asked.

  David moved closer to her, to relay his plan of action.

  “Get off me!” Jimmy yelled, struggling to get away from Tony’s grasp.

  “Hold him!” Brendan instructed, gasping for breath, as he approached them.

  “I said, get off me!”

  “No chance,” Tony replied, “you’re not going anywhere.”

  Jimmy struggled even harder, realising he was near the edge of the canal now, Tony following him through the thickets, Brendan close behind.

  “Think you can get away from us, do you?” Brendan asked threateningly, as he approached him.

  The hideous grin on his blushing, sweating face Jimmy knew, would be giving him nightmares for a long while.

  “Come and get me!” Robert shouted to O’Leary, running away from where Comet was being led, “Come on!”

  O’Leary watched, as the youngster sprinted across the field.

  “No chance, you brat,” he spat the words out, turning his gaze back to Comet, “I’ve got what I’ve came here for.”

  He continued walking towards David and Iris, taking his sheepskin coat off in the process, letting it drop to the ground.

  He rolled the garters up his sleeves, entwining his fingers and cracking his knuckles.

  “Nowhere to run to now, sunny Jim,” he called, approaching them.

  “It’s now or never Iris,” David said, “are you ready?”

  Iris nodded her head, apprehensively.

  “Are you scared?” He asked.

  “Yes, really scared,” she replied.

  Taking her hand in his, he stared into her eyes.

  “That makes two of us then,” he replied smiling.

  “Aww, how bloody touching!” O’Leary shouted.

  “You sure, you’re ready?” David repeated.

  “I’m certain, Love,” she replied.

  Dropping to his knees, he entwinned his fingers together.

  “Now Love,” he instructed her.

  She placed her foot in his hand, placing her hand on Comets back.

  With all his strength, he stood up raising her.

  Her leg swooped over Comets back and she found herself, sat atop of him.

  Grabbing Comet by his mane and rein, David carefully raised himself up, careful not to hit Iris with his foot whilst climbing in front of her, settling himself into position.

  “What the fu…” O’Leary began.

  “It’s going to be difficult without a saddle, so hold me tightly,” David instructed Iris.

  She grabbed him around his waist, pulling herself tightly to him, her face nestling into the back of his neck.

  David looked towards O’Leary, now breaking into a run.

  Here we go.

  “Come on boy!” he exclaimed, squeezing his thighs tightly around Comets flank, gesturing hard with the reins.

  “I’ll have this,” Tony said, pulling the catapult from Jimmy’s grasp.

  “No!” Jimmy cried, w
atching as Tony hurled it into the canal.

  “Not so hard, without your little toy now are yer?” He snarled into his face.

  “My turn now,” Brendan said, his arms reaching towards the young lad.

  Startled by the loud noise of breaking brambles from behind them, they turned to see the figure of Samuel rushing at them.

  “Call me a fat bugger?!” He screamed, rushing into Tony with all his might.

  Shocked, losing his balance, Tony grasped at his colleague’s trousers as he let go of Jimmy.

  “Bren! Grab me!” He yelled.

  Before Brendan could grab him, both Jimmy and Samuel pushed at him.

  “Hey!” He cried, finding the ground give way beneath him, as he fell towards the glistening surface of the canal.

  Tony, too late in letting go of his trousers, found himself stumbling after him.

  “Nooo!”

  The water splashed widely, as they penetrated its surface, submerging into the cold water, limbs flailing.

  “Nice one lads!” Robert exclaimed through gasps of breath, breaking through the thickets.

  Samuel and Jimmy looked at the two men breaking through the surface of the water, arms thrashing through the surface, fighting to remain afloat.

  “Let’s catch up with Wally,” Robert said.

  The other boys nodded their heads.

  “Where’s Iris and David?” Samuel asked.

  “You wouldn’t believe me, if I told you,” Robert replied smiling.

  They fought their way through the thickets, Jimmy stopping to turn.

  “Hey!” He shouted at the two men struggling to the canal bank.

  “If you find a catapult in there, you can keep it!”

  Stretching his short arm out, O’Leary attempted to grasp at them riding by, but he missed, falling forward onto the grass as Comet rushed by, a divot of mud thrown by his hoof hitting him square in the face.

  Comet headed straight for the short fence surrounding the allotment, David pulling desperately on his reins to change his direction.

  “Oh my god!” he shouted, the fence rapidly approaching them.

  His eyes closed tightly, bracing himself for impact, until he felt his body being raised upwards.

  He grasped hard with his hands and thighs, Iris holding him tightly, her own thighs holding firmly onto Comet.

  Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at the opposite fence of the allotment, now approaching them.

  “What?”

  Comet, leaping the fence with feet to spare, cleared it, landing into a patch of cabbages in the next allotment.

  Not breaking his pace, he galloped towards the next fence.

  “Iris!” David cried.

  Opening her own eyes, previously as tightly closed as his, she watched in amazement, as Comet cleared each of the allotments fences.

  Not understanding why, she started to laugh, David joining her, experiencing this wonderful sensation.

  With only a few more allotments left, they saw O’Leary’s van to their left.

  They experienced the next few moments as one, a memory they would recall, for years to come.

  Wally waving at them, with excitement and bewilderment.

  The figure of Ted, pipe dropping from his mouth, as they landed in his allotment, before leaping out again.

  The grass verge, now underneath them, Comet slowed his pace.

  They smiled at the startled looks they received, from the many people they passed, riding towards Harrowby Street.

  Back at the van, the other boys reached Wally’s side.

  “All done, Wally?” Robert asked.

  “Yeah, we did the two on this side, scared it’d fall on us,” he replied laughing, “did you see Comet? Did you see what he did?”

  “Tell us on the way back,” Jimmy said.

  “Jimmy’s right, Wally,” Robert added, “let’s hurry and get back to the street.”

  “What the hell happened?” O’Leary demanded, breaking through the thick brambles, watching the two men on the canal-side, drenched to their skin.

  Brendan lay on his chest, his bulk making him look like a beached whale, kicking his legs out to turn himself over.

  Tony sat on his backside nearby, squeezing the water from his trouser leg.

  “I said,” O’Leary repeated, standing over them, “what the hell happened?”

  “They pushed us in,” Tony replied, without looking up.

  “They did what?”

  “They pushed us in the canal,” Brendan said breathlessly, struggling to his feet.

  O’Leary stared from one to the other, raising his arms slowly above his head, before emitting a primordial scream into the air.

  “Are you ready,” Pam asked her neighbours.

  “Too right we are,” Patty replied, “I’m not waiting for the police to arrive.”

  “Are you sure, this is happening?” Ron asked.

  Barbara, Maisie and the others nodded their heads as one, stood in a group surrounded by the adults.

  “The allotments you said?”

  “Yes,” Barbara replied, “there’s a man trying to grab Comet.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Sheila exclaimed.

  “Are you alright Sheila?” Pam asked.

  “I’m fine Pam thanks,” Sheila replied, banishing any thought of Henry from her mind, as her son may be in danger.

  Though the tale the children stood before them, relayed them appeared too incredible to be true.

  “Just as long as you are Pet,” Patty stated, staring into her eyes.

  Sheila smiled back, her smile not reaching her eyes.

  I’m going to really miss this lot.

  “Right, let’s get to the allotments,” Pam said, about to light a cigarette, “let’s see what’s…Bloody hell!”

  The cigarette, fell from her fingers onto the pavement.

  The others turned to where she was staring, open-mouthed as the sight befell them, uttering gasps of exclamation.

  Slowly, Comet paced into the street, David and Iris upon his back.

  Guiding with the reins, in the direction of the crowd of neighbours, David turned to Iris.

  “This’ll take some explaining,” he said.

  “We’ll think of something Love,” she replied, her arms tightening around his waist, holding him closely.

  “Bleeding Hell, it’s John Wayne!” Ron stated, as they approached them.

  “What on earth?” Patty exclaimed.

  David pulled Comet to a halt alongside them.

  Climbing off Comets back he turned, holding out his arms as Iris carefully slid into them.

  He placed her gently on the ground.

  “Hello Mother,” Iris said, “I think, we’ve some explaining to do.”

  They recounted what occurred, not only that day, but also all they knew happened, since Comet became a fugitive from O’Leary’s grasp.

  The neighbours stroked Comet in turn, astounded by the tale, talking between themselves of what they may do to protect him from danger.

  “Their coming!”

  They turned as one, to see Robert and the other boys, running from around the corner into the street.

  They reached the others, when a cacophony of metallic noise resounded from the adjacent road.

  A large van came into view, sparks flying from its wheels, as it stopped mere inches from Ron’s stationary lorry.

  “What the hell’s that noise?” Morris exclaimed, nearly dropping his cup of tea onto his lap.

  “I don’t believe it,” Arne said, standing up and walking to his friend’s parlour window.

  Having called in earlier to catch up with his old friend before making his final plans to emigrate, he spent a couple of hours chatting about the good old days.

  He watched the preparations for the street party from across the road, completely oblivious, Sheila was only a few hundred yards away, in her kitchen.

  “What is it?” Morris asked.

  “It’s, Corey O
’Leary.”

  O’Leary jumped from the cab of the wagon, onto the ground below.

  “This is it!” He screamed in frustration, pounding his hands on his sides.

  “No more!”

  The wet figures of Brendan and Tony appeared from the other side of the cab.

  They were both shaken, not only from their unexpected dip into the canal, but also from their journey from the allotments to here, the vibration and noise of the van driving with two flat tyres, over-ridden by O’Leary’s continual vexed bursts of frustration.

  “That’s him!” Robert pointed at him.

  “Mother,” Iris said, grabbing Patty’s arm, “we think they’re the men who beat David up.”

  “What?” Patty asked in shock.

  “It’s true,” David said.

  “They beat you up lad?” Ron asked, standing next to him.

  “For no reason!” Jack exclaimed.

  “He ended up in hospital!” Frank stated.

  “Is that right son?” Ron asked, receiving a nod from David.

  “Right,” Ron said, walking towards the trio.

  “Ron!” Pam shouted.

  “What?” He replied.

  “They almost hit my wagon.”

  “Just be careful love,” she said, grateful the other men around them, began walking behind her husband.

  “There’s quite a few of them Boss,” Tony said, watching the procession approach slowly.

  “I don’t care if it’s a bloody army. Get to a call box and ring the yard. Get the lads to get their arses here.”

  Grateful to be away from the scene, Tony ran along Gladstone Road, his wet clothes flapping.

  “What are you after?” Ron said, as the procession reached O’Leary.

  “I’m after my horse!” O’Leary exclaimed.

  “Your horse? Is that right?” Ron asked, closing the gap between himself and the short, red faced man.

  Brendan looked nervously at the crowd of men, now becoming joined by some of the women.

  “Yeah,” O’Leary answered, “it belongs to me fair and square. You don’t hand it over to me, I’ll be getting the police involved.”

  “And if you touch us!” Brendan yelped from next to him.

  “Shuttit Bren,” O’Leary commanded, snarling, “so just let me have my horse back and I won’t be making that call alright?”

  “Why don’t you make that call Corey?” A low voice said from behind him.