“You’re getting big now,” Marlena said, nodding to her baby bump.
“Yeah, not long to go,” Aurora smiled.
Her mum looked away and Aurora wondered why she still couldn’t be happy at the prospect of a grandchild.
Clint reappeared in the doorway, hesitant.
“I’ll go and check on Kojo,” he said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Aurora smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, and Clint gave a brief smile and left. She heard his footsteps, the opening and closing of the front door, and then he was gone.
“I’ll make us all a nice dinner if you like,” Aurora offered. Her mum showed no interest, and Aurora quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’ll get some shopping in, I don’t expect you to feed the three of us.”
“Eating for two are you?” Marlena asked.
“Actually, mum,” Aurora said, “Clint and his brother are going to be staying with us too. You know, what with Clint’s dad –” She trailed off.
“Being like to beat them if they show their faces?” Marlena asked bluntly. Aurora winced at her words. “Not that I’d blame him,” her mother added. “After what that boy’s done, a good thrashing is no more than he deserves.”
“Mum –”
“You might have forgotten,” Marlena snapped. “But I haven’t. It’s an absolute bloody disgrace –”
“Mum, he’s –”
“I was talking about you,” Marlena turned on her. “Shaming your sister’s memory, letting that beast and his brother sleep in the same room that your sister did before he killed her.”
“Mum, Clint didn’t kill Shan,” Aurora insisted, voice rising.
Marlena sneered at her, shaking her head, but said nothing. A long few minutes of silence passed, Aurora unsure what to say to try and ease the tension in the room. This wasn’t what she had hoped for her reunion with her mother.
“About that tea, I could go get some –”
“Oh, do what you want, you usually do,” Marlena interrupted, standing abruptly. “I’m going down to the pub. I don’t want to be around any of you lot.”
“You can’t leave –” Aurora protested.
Marlena turned at the doorway, lips curled back in anger.
“You’ve been back five minutes and already you’re trying to tell me what I can and can’t do,” she said, voice rising with her temper. “You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you and the two brats out on your arses. I would do and all if I didn’t have the tiniest shred of pity left in me. But mark my words, girl, one more word out of line from any of you and I’ll throw you over that balcony myself.”
With that Marlena stormed out of the flat, the front door slamming behind her with a bang. Aurora sat in the lounge and looked out of the window at the skyline of London, the air shimmering with the heat of the day, and she wished that things could have been different. It seemed that her mother was just as she’d been when she had left and she realised how much she had hoped she would have improved, how much she had thought her mum might have pulled herself together. She saw the empty wine bottles stacked beside the sofa and knew nothing had changed since she had been gone.
* * *
Clint knocked on the front door of his parents’ flat and waited, his palms damp and his pulse racing. He heard his brother’s laughter from within the flat and wondered if Kojo had already made up his mind not to come back to Manchester with them.
He knocked again and the door opened. His mother stood in front of him, and her eyes became teary at once. Her lips trembled with emotion as she opened her arms wide and Clint stepped into her embrace. She smelt of home cooking and soap and he felt his own eyes stinging with the threat of tears as she held him close against her, shaking silently with sobs.
“Both of my boys,” she said, wiping at her eyes as she released him from her hug and stood back to appraise him. “You’re both looking well, that Aurora must be almost as good in the kitchen as I am.” She laughed, stroking Clint’s face tenderly. “I’ve missed you boy.”
“I’ve missed you too mum,” Clint said, and he realised he really meant it.
It was easy for him to think himself a man. He had always had to take care of his mum and his brother whilst his dad was out drinking or daren’t show his face for a few days after he’d dished out a particularly nasty beating to one of them. Now he had to take care of Aurora and Kojo, and soon his baby, but now that he was standing in front of his mum, so warm and welcoming, he was reminded that he was only seventeen.
A man, he thought, but not really, not in the eyes of his mother.
Femi Jackson beckoned him inside and Clint followed his mum, closing the door behind him as he went into the lounge. Kojo was sat on the sofa watching the television, a plate of food already on his lap, laughing at a sitcom. His dad sat in his usual armchair and laughed along with Kojo, picking at his own dinner.
“Look who else has come for a visit,” Femi called to her husband. Clint swallowed hard, wondering how his father would react to seeing him.
Rakhul turned and Clint saw that he had not changed. He was still a bulky, lazy man and he barely glanced at Clint before returning his eyes to the television.
“I don’t see anyone,” Rakhul said, picking up a chicken leg off his plate. “Don’t tell lies woman, you know what that gets you.”
Femi smiled as she clasped Clint’s arm, but he knew that it was false.
“Don’t pay any attention to him,” she said, trying to laugh it off. “He’s been a bit down since he lost his job, but he’ll –”
“Why are you talking to yourself?” Rakhul called over his shoulder.
Clint shook his head, irritated that his dad had chosen this particular tactic. He remembered it well. His dad was pretending that he did not exist and he knew well enough from past experience that the charade could go on for days, before Clint would inevitably lose his temper and then Rakhul would have the excuse to beat him for his misbehaviour.
“Don’t worry mum,” Clint said quietly. “I only came to see you anyway.”
He saw the hurt flash across his mother’s face but she smiled sweetly at him.
“You’ll stay for tea, won’t you?” she asked, already making towards the kitchen where he was sure there was plenty of chicken waiting for him.
“I can’t,” Clint said, and he saw his mother’s lips tremble again. “I just came to get Kojo, we should probably go back and see how Aurora’s getting on.”
“You can stay for –”
“Woman, I’ve told you, stop talking to yourself,” Rakhul bellowed.
“Come on Kojo,” Clint called to his brother. “We’re going.”
“I’m staying here,” Kojo snapped. “You can go if you want to.”
“That’s right, of course you can stay here,” Femi rushed back into the lounge, smiling down at her youngest son. “You can stay here for as long as you like.”
Rakhul’s head turned and he narrowed his eyes at his wife.
“Like hell he can,” he snapped. He turned to look at Kojo. “Off you go, boy, you’ve eaten enough. That’s good chicken you’re wasting.”
“I’m not wasting –” Kojo protested.
“Picking at it like a sissy,” Rakhul cut across him. “Here, give it here,” he demanded. He snatched the plate from Kojo and poured the contents onto his own, passing Kojo back an empty plate. “Now go wash that and get gone boy.”
Kojo looked about to argue but his mother swept down and ushered him from the room. Clint was left alone with his father, who studiously ignored him.
“Bye then,” Clint called to him as he left the lounge. Rakhul pretended he couldn’t hear anything. His mum returned from the kitchen with Kojo, who looked petulant at having to leave. “Come on then,” he said to his brother.
“I don’t want to go,” Kojo insisted.
“You can come back tomorrow,” Femi assured him.
Kojo hugged her and Clint looked away, feeling bad that he had to take his bro
ther away. He tried to smile at his mother but she couldn’t quite meet his eyes and he wasn’t sure if she blamed him for keeping Kojo apart from her or if she felt embarrassed that it had come to this.
Clint opened the door and held it for Kojo, who gave him a sour look as he passed. Clint kissed his mother goodbye and joined his brother, the door closing behind them. He wondered if their mum would be in trouble for the visit and hoped that she wouldn’t. Kojo didn’t speak to him as they walked along the balcony towards the stairs, and Clint wished that his brother could understand that it was for his own good that he wasn’t staying with their parents.
“I hate you,” Kojo hissed under his breath, and Clint shook his head sadly.
* * *
Tyrese lit a cigarette and went out the front door of the flat to stand out on the balcony and survey the courtyard below. He had received a text from Troy telling him that the problems from earlier had been sorted, and Tyrese felt relieved that his brother had for once shown some initiative.
Of course, there was still a high chance that Troy would find some way of fucking it all up anyway but Tyrese didn’t want to think about that now. Trent was already lining up the cans for another party and Tyrese needed some fresh air, to get out of the flat that was filled with his mother’s anguished muttering and his brother’s careless drinking.
He glanced across the courtyard at the block on the other side and almost dropped his cigarette in surprise. Clint Jackson was walking, bold as brass, along the balcony towards the stairwell, his brother a few steps in front looking like a miserable brat. It was hard to believe he could be so stupid as to return to the Goldsworth, but there he was, strutting about as if nothing had happened and as if he had no reason to be afraid.
Tyrese took a last drag on his cigarette and threw it down to the courtyard below before retreating back inside the flat. He closed the door, resisting the temptation to go and confront Clint right now. No, he thought, it was better to wait. He intended to have a chat with Clint and he didn’t think it was right that his little brother should have to witness the reunion.
He returned to the lounge and smiled at his brother. He would tell Trent in the morning, when he’d had a bit of time to think how this should be handled. He didn’t want to tip Clint off to the fact that they knew he was back and he knew his brother was not the most discrete guy.
No, Tyrese decided, he would wait until tomorrow to pay Clint a visit. It wouldn’t be pleasant for poor Clint, and Tyrese almost felt sorry for what the lad had coming.
CHAPTER THREE
Aurora set about making breakfast, ignoring the aching of her body. It had not been a comfortable night’s sleep, sharing a single bed with Clint. He had slept restlessly and she felt tired and irritable, partly due to her lack of sleep and also because she felt irritated by her mother. She knew it must be hard for her mum to let Clint stay with them and she had not expected her mother to forgive him as easily or as readily as she had, but her mother had ignored both Aurora and Kojo too after returning from the pub, hardly able to stand up properly without assistance.
“Sorry about last night,” Clint greeted her as he joined her in the kitchen, no doubt drawn by the smell of frying bacon. “I think I’ll just sleep on the sofa tonight. Then at least one of us might get a chance at getting some sleep.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Aurora waved him off. “I know you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“Yeah,” Clint groaned, though he still sounded apologetic. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he nuzzled her neck. She found herself smiling despite her sour mood. “I actually thought about just sleeping on the floor beside the bed last night, when you started stealing the pillow and the duvet.”
Aurora laughed at the thought, and then shook her head.
“It won’t be for long,” Aurora said. “We’ll be fine. I’m sure mum has a blow-up mattress somewhere, unless she threw it out.”
Clint released her from his arms and went to sit at the kitchen table. Aurora had already deduced from the mood that Clint and Kojo had returned to the flat in yesterday that the meeting with their parents had not been what they had hoped for, or perhaps exactly what Clint had expected, and so last night had not been a pleasant atmosphere with her own sour mood added to the cloud of frustration.
She hoped for all their sakes that her mum would be in a better mood today, or she would likely pack their bags up and drag Clint and Kojo back to Manchester before midday, Aurora thought.
Kojo appeared in the doorway, looking apprehensively to his brother.
“We ain’t going round to see them yet,” Clint said sternly. Aurora watched Kojo’s face sour, and she felt her heart go out to him.
“Come on, Clint,” Kojo pleaded.
“It’s fine with me,” Aurora said, turning to Clint. “Maybe it’d be a good thing, you know, give my mum a bit of space.”
Clint sighed. She knew he daren’t refuse when Aurora had given Kojo her backing. Kojo smiled his thanks at her as Clint stood and pecked her on the cheek as he went after Kojo.
“If I say it’s time to go, you better believe it’s time to go though,” Clint said, as he and Kojo put their shoes on by the front door. “No arguments, right?”
“Whatever,” Kojo responded.
Aurora smiled. The front door opened and closed and she turned the hob off and made a bacon sandwich. The sound of the door or the smell of food had woken her mum, because Marlena joined her just as she sat down at the kitchen table.
“What was all that racket?” she asked. She looked around. “They not here?”
“They’ve gone to see their mum,” Aurora replied, urging herself to stay calm and not let her mum’s barbs get to her.
“And their dad,” Marlena said snidely.
“Mum, don’t start.”
“It’s my flat,” Marlena said warningly.
“I’m off to see Zoe in a bit,” Aurora said. “Would be good to have a catch-up with her. Do you want me to pick you up anything?”
“Only thing you’ll get from her is trouble,” Marlena remarked.
Aurora dropped the bacon sandwich onto her plate and stood up, chair legs scraping on the floor.
“Right, I can’t listen to all of this,” she said. “I’m off, I’ll see you later.”
“Suit yourself,” Marlena said, eyeing up the bacon sandwich Aurora had left on her plate. “And you can go down the shop and get me some wine.”
“Mum –”
“I’m letting you stay here aren’t I?”
“Fine, I’ll get you some wine,” Aurora relented.
She went to the door and looked back to see her mum already biting into the bacon sandwich she had left. Aurora rolled her eyes and left the flat.
It was only a short walk to Zoe’s flat, down the stairs and across the courtyard to the opposite block of flats. She wondered if her old friend would be pleased to see her. They had grown close, mainly through their shared friendship with Sasha, but Aurora hadn’t seen Zoe since she had learnt that she had been present the night Shaniqua had been stabbed. She hoped Zoe would be pleased to see her, but felt anxious as she knocked on the front door to her flat.
“Coming, coming,” Zoe’s voice called, and Aurora could make out a blurry figure coming down the landing through the panel of frosted glass in the door.
Aurora smiled as the door swung inwards and Zoe looked out, her mane of red hair frizzy around her face and wearing a bright pink top that strained against her breasts.
“Aurora,” Zoe gasped, her face creasing into a smile. She pushed the door open wider and opened her arms and Aurora embraced her, feeling the warmth of her as they hugged. “It’s been too long,” Zoe said, her breath hot on Aurora’s neck.
She released her and Aurora stepped back to observe her.
“You’re looking good,” Aurora said. Zoe beamed, and Aurora meant it. She no longer looked stressed and exhausted as she had done when they’d first become friends; of cours
e, Aurora now knew it had been the stress of keeping the truth about Shaniqua’s death a secret.
Zoe grinned as she looked down at Aurora’s baby bump.
“You’re looking good too,” Zoe said. “I bet you’ve got loads to tell me. Come on in, I’ll put the kettle on.”
Aurora followed her in to the flat and closed the door behind her, and as Zoe led the way to the kitchen and talked over her shoulder, Aurora felt for the first time that she was pleased to be back on the Goldsworth.
* * *
Troy felt anxious.
It was the first day that Dante had taken on Amal’s responsibilities. He had been over with him what was expected of him and what he had to do, but Troy still had his doubts about him. It wasn’t for long, he reminded himself, only until the heat was off him.
Dante was eager when Troy returned to their cell after breakfast.
“I’m ready,” he declared, clapping his hands together with excitement.
Troy could not begrudge him his enthusiasm. He had been just the same when he had been trying to impress his brothers and prove his worth. He had to remember that Dante looked up to him as a proper face out on the street. He knew Dante wouldn’t disappoint him.
They went over the instructions one last time and Dante left the cell to do the rounds. Troy watched him go and then lay back on his bunk. He thought of Amal, out enjoying his freedom now.
Troy started to think about his own impending trial and hoped that he would be able to join Amal out on the streets again soon.
* * *
Brandy wondered whether her mum was dead and then realised she didn’t really care either way. She probably wasn’t, she reasoned, because she never usually crawled back home for days after going on a night out. Aunt Bo looked at her suspiciously from the sofa, Frazer in the crook of her arms, but Brandy ignored the look and went into her room.
If she had felt any doubt about leaving the Goldsworth, Brandy knew they had gone. She wanted to get away from the stupid bitch that was her mother, away from the fucking Banks brothers and all the twats that lived on this estate.
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