by Woods, Karen
The two of them lay in each other’s arms and tried to come up with some plan that would mean they could be happy together, but each scenario they came up with came at a cost, and none of them would put their neck on the line for it. Gordon had ruled Tom from an early age and he seemed to have a secret power over him. He had always tried to please his brother in the past and he knew now his brown nose days were over. He loved Francesca and he knew he would have to stand up and be counted. He just hoped his strength and love for Francesca was enough to set her free from Gordon.
They finally finished talking at about three o’clock in the morning and they had decided once Gordon was released from prison he would come and stay there with them. They decided to keep the truth away from him as long as possible and hopefully it would work itself out. They hoped before long Gordon would get sick of family life. He would never in a month of Sundays settle down to a family life and become the father Rico needed as they knew him of old and he was much too selfish.
*
Once Gordon had found out his son was safe, he lay in his cell and ran over the abduction in his mind several times. His mind was doing over time and he’d wondered why on earth Tom’s girlfriend would abduct his son. No matter how much he thought about it, the answer always came back the same. She was trying to her hurt Francesca. Then as it all mapped out in his brain the answer came to him and it all made sense.
“The dirty bastards,” he repeated as he stood up to walk round his cell. Tigger now looked at him and wondered if he’d lost the plot.
“What the fuck are you on about mate. Who’s a dirty bastard?”
Gordon sat on the end of his bed. He ran the whole story by him as he pumped with adrenaline. Tigger knew what he said seemed true but tried to calm him down knowing that there was fuck all he could do about it while he was locked up.
“Listen mate. You don’t know for sure they’ve been shagging do ya? It’s your brother you’re accusing don’t forget that. He has done ya a favour by letting your girl stay there when she had nowhere else. His girlfriend has probably read it all wrong and got the green-eyed monster. You know what women are like, they’re crazy fuckers. Just chill ya beans and wait till you have got some kind of evidence.”
The more Gordon thought about it, the more he knew Tigger was right. He thought about his brother and knew he wouldn’t have the bottle to shag his girlfriend because he would destroy him if he did. He smiled confidently knowing he was worrying over nothing. Tom had always been a shit bag where his brother was concerned and he would never put himself in any danger of winding his brother up, no matter what.
The friendship between Tigger and Gordon was a solid one as the years passed and they were like brothers in arms as they supplied the jail with drugs. The friendship had been that strong that he had confessed all his troubles about Misty to him. At first Tigger had looked concerned at the things he’d done to her, but as he continued he realised that the bitch had stolen his money and got what she deserved. Night after night they spoke about Misty and together they planned a revenge that would teach her never to mess with the big boys again. Tigger was a clever man and the contacts he had on the outside were extensive. Men would do anything for him and he knew he could call in some favours to get his plan to work. They plotted night after night until finally they had a plausible way to get Gordon’s money back. Payback would be so rewarding. The time was nearing to make Misty wish she’d never been born. Gordon rubbed his hands together with excitement and smiled at the thought of making her pay
12
After Sue’s first child had been born things started to change in her marriage. John had been excited about becoming a father but when the baby came along he seemed to change. His temper took a turn for the worse and on more than one occasion he had lashed out at Sue. Sue had been devastated about it at the time but forgave him giving him one last chance. She felt so much of a hypocrite being the victim of domestic violence yet again in her life and promised him if he ever raised his hands to her again she would phone the police.
John didn’t do a tap regarding the baby. He’d become a lazy twat and hated Sue attending to the baby all the time. In fact, if you looked at him closer you could tell he was jealous of the attention the baby was getting from Sue and felt left out.
The morning of the christening came and it was held at St Patrick’s Church in Collyhurst. His mother thought they should have had it at St Malachy’s but Sue preferred the other church. St Patrick’s church seemed like a step back in time. The floors were marble and the paintings on the ceilings reminded her of Roman times. Everything about the church had felt so peaceful and Sue decided that’s where her child would be christened. The after party was left to John’s parents as usual and The Robert Tinker in Collyhurst was the venue yet again. Sue didn’t mind because she knew everything would be perfect and it would be a worry off her mind now that Maureen had taken control.
Misty and Dominic were asked to be the godparents and took their role seriously. Since they had been told, they had attended church every Sunday with Sue and John making sure they knew something more about the Catholic faith. The role of a godparent was to raise a child with good values and make sure they abided by the Catholic faith. Misty and Dominic were already Catholics but hadn’t been to church in years. Therefore, this was an ideal time to do a refresher course and catch up with all the procedures during mass.
Sue had wanted everyone to have Holy Communion on the day of the christening and that meant everyone would have to go to confession first. Confession is a way of cleansing your soul and asking God for forgiveness before you could accept Holy Communion at the altar.
On the day confessions were to be heard, everyone laughed before they went in to see the priest. The joke between them was, that no one would go after John because his sins must be like a book and no one wanted to wait that long. Misty was one of the first to go and see the priest and she felt so nervous. As she entered the small dark room the smell of old wood hit the back of her throat. The light from behind the small netting showed her where she should kneel. The netting was black with small holes in and you could see the outline of the priest’s face as he sat in the next room listening to her sins. Misty remembered her childhood when she knelt down and started to read the small prayer that hung over her head on a small piece of paper. When she was a child, life had been so much easier, her sins were so simple then, and nothing like the ones, she had to confess today.
The prayer was over and Misty searched her mind for the words to start her confession. Within seconds, the words came to her and she started to confess the sins that kept her awake most nights.
“Bless me father, for I have sinned. It has been many years since my last confession.” The priest’s voice was like that of a Greek god and he urged her to continue. Even though Misty had gone to confess her sins, the truth she hid remained on her lips. She felt so ashamed of the things she’d done in the past and struggled to tell them to the priest even though he would never be judgemental. The priest’s voice was low and she could see the side of his face nearing the netting to try and hear her words but as he urged her to continue she needed a few minutes more to decide whether she could tell him or not. A few minutes later the words started to leave her lips and she held her head down as she spoke hoping he wouldn’t be able to see any of her face through the netting. The darkness in the room hid her identity well and she began to speak knowing she was safe.
“Father, I’ve stolen money from my old boyfriend. I know that’s bad but I did it for a good cause.” Misty flew through other sins that weren’t as bad and hoped the priest would forgive her for stealing the money. The room was silent for a moment and the priest could be heard clearing his throat.
“My child, you have sinned and I think you know how to right the wrong you have done, without any help from me. I suggest you think about the actions you have made and try and give back the money you have stolen.” Misty wanted to shout out that the person she had s
tolen the money from had tried to kill her and was nothing but a no good bastard but she remained quiet and listened to her penance as she watched the priest make the sign of the cross on her face from the other side of the netting. When he’d finished, she felt cleansed and like a weight had been lifted from her soul. As she stood up she rubbed at her knees and headed to the altar at the front of the church to say her penance that the priest had given her. When she came out of the room Dominic and Sue laughed at her and asked what penance she’d got to try and evaluate how bad she had really been.
“Four Hail Mary’s and an Our Father. That’s good going for what I’ve just confessed.” Misty laughed and headed to the main altar as she watched John entering the confession box ready to declare his sins.
As the priest listened to John’s sins, he was quite surprised at what John had told him. The man he could hear in the other room sobbed as he tried to speak and the priest had to tell him that no matter what he told him he would not be judgemental of his sins. John tried to control his tears but they ran from his eyes with a mind of his own. The priest left John for a moment while he got his thoughts together and urged him to continue.
“Father, I know what I’m doing is wrong but I can’t stop. I’ve tried so many times but I always end up back where I started. What can I do, please help me, because I know if I continue I will lose everything that means anything to me in my life”. The priest gave John words of wisdom and told him to be strong. He couldn’t give him the answers to his sins, but he tried his best to make him see sense and mend his ways. John wiped his eyes and stayed with the priest for a few minutes more. He too felt cleansed and left the room slowly to follow Misty to the altar to say his penance.
No one had noticed John had been crying as he left the room and he smiled at Sue as she went to confession. That day when they left the church two out of the four of them had decisions to make and at the moment they both looked like they were going to do the right thing and say goodbye to the sins they had committed.
The day of the christening, Sue held Bethany in her arms like a trophy. She felt so proud of her daughter and loved that she was a mother. John stood at the side of her and looked like he was bored with the whole situation. His face was unshaven and his shirt looked like he’d worn it the day before. Sue had bought herself a powder blue skirt and matching jacket and looked amazing in it. Her hair was a dark red colour and it made her complexion look fresh and young. Misty and Dominic stood at the altar with them both, as all the guests looked upon them eagerly. The priest got to the part where he poured the Holy water over Bethany’s head and she screamed like no one’s business, refusing to calm down. John’s face was a picture as she cried and he dragged her from Sue’s arms as everyone looked on in disbelief.
“Cry, cry, cry. Is that all this kid ever does?” Sue looked at him with shock and gave him a look that meant she wasn’t happy. Misty looked at Dominic and they both wanted the floor to open up and take them away. They felt so embarrassed and it looked like World War Three was going to kick off between them there and then. The priest came to the rescue and broke the ice telling them that all babies cried when he poured water over their heads in the past and Sue backed down and pretended she was okay.
As the Christening finished they all made their way to the pub to celebrate this special day. As soon as they walked through the door, John headed for the bar and helped himself to a rather large glass of Brandy. Sue ignored him and went to sit with Misty and Dominic who sat in the corner of the pub. All their friends and family now turned up and the day was set to go on late into the night. The disco was up and running and the DJ was playing some great songs that got everyone in the mood for partying. The atmosphere was electric and everyone was having a great time. The buffet was set out all across the back wall of the pub and once it was opened, they all set to it feeling like they hadn’t eaten for days. The buffet was a credit to Maureen and she had put bowls of Chilli-con-carne on it and chicken legs and everything you could imagine. Sue hadn’t seen John for hours. The day passed and now it was time for Maureen to take Bethany upstairs to put her to bed as she was getting restless and she wondered where on earth John could possibly be.
Night time fell and everyone was pissed. The regulars in the pub were now allowed inside and Peggy and Syd were the first to come through the doors. They had been invited to the church but said the day would be too long for them and they agreed to come later. Peggy pushed a crumpled five-pound note into Sue’ s hands and told her to buy the baby something with it. Sue felt embarrassed and told Peggy to take the money back, but Peggy insisted and refused to take it back. Peggy had become such a close friend to Sue and had replaced her own nana who’d passed away years before. Peggy had always talked about years that had passed and she seemed very wise. Sue went to the bar with Peggy and Syd and made sure they were served before she found them some seats. Sue joined them both for a while. When Peggy asked where John was, she ended up making excuses for him. She told them he had nipped out and should be back soon. Sue didn’t have a clue where he had gone and worried about him, thinking how much he’d changed over the last couple of months.
Peggy sat and watched Sue’s face and knew things weren’t as good as she made out, and as she reached to get something from across the table she noticed bruises under her sleeve all around her wrist. Peggy didn’t want to assume straight away and waited until later on in the night to ask her about them. Peggy had been drinking something called pale ale and Sue had commented how much it smelt like sweaty socks and sampled the brown liquid in her glass. Peggy nearly pissed herself as she watched Sue’s face as the pale ale reached her taste buds. Sue spit it out and shouted how horrible it was, as Peggy sat back with a smile on her face.
Finally, Peggy got Sue alone and pulled her towards her. She cared about Sue like she was one of her own children and didn’t want to see her come to any harm.
“Sue love,” she started with a concerned voice“, Is everything alright with you and John only you seem a bit distant from each other these days.” Peggy watched her face and knew she had been right as Sue fell onto her shoulder and began to open her heart.
“Is it that obvious Peggy? Here’s me thinking nobody can tell how much of a twat he’s been these last few months and all along everyone knows. It’s just me pretending everything is fine when it’s obviously not.” Peggy gripped her arm, and pulled up her sleeve revealing the bruises and looked at her with sad eyes.
“Where are the bruises from love? Are they off him? Listen my husband beat me for years and there is nothing you can tell me about covering up what is really happening, because I did it for years.” Peggy now looked across to where Sydney sat and started to tell Sue about the years of violence she’d put up with.
“I’ve forgiven Syd now, but back then it were expected that your husband beat you up, and nobody really cared how badly they hurt you. This day and age, no one should put up with any violence from their partners. My daughter went through the same kind of thing with her husband and I’ve found her black and blue from head to toe before now. So I’ll tell you what I told her. Phone the police and have the bastard arrested. No woman should be any man’s punch bag and believe me love it will only get worse before it gets better.”
Sue choked back the tears and Misty now came to join them trying to pull Sue up to dance. Sue went to join Misty on the dance floor, but before she left Peggy she leant down and kissed her and told her thanks for her advice. Peggy was wise and Sue knew she was right but for now she put it to the back of her mind and headed to the dance floor to strut her stuff with her best friend. Misty didn’t have a clue what was going on in Sue’s life and Sue had never confided in her because she knew she was still dealing with her own problems and didn’t want to add to them.
John walked down Rochdale Road and headed into town. The rain beat down onto his face and the wind circled around him as if to try and stop him from going to the place where he was such a regular visitor these days. In h
is mind, he knew he should have turned round and headed back to the celebration of his child’s christening, but the alcohol he’d consumed had numbed any emotions between right and wrong and he couldn’t help himself.
John entered a small passageway and shook the rain off his coat. His head was spinning and his legs had a mind of their own. He took a few minutes to gather his thoughts and slowly pushed open the wooden door. In front of him, he saw the staircase that was carpeted in red patterned carpet. The walls were a soft cream colour and you could see the handprints of all the people who had also used the stairs in the past. John reached the top of the stairs and took a deep breath before he opened the second door.
“Hello Sir,” the young girl said as she sat on the leather settee in the reception. The young girl must have only been about seventeen and her hair was blonde and tied back in two pigtails. As she stood to get him a drink, he stared at her red silk housecoat that came to the top of her knees. His eyes were now focusing on her black lace bra that he could just see from the top of it and he felt like he wanted to ram his cock inside her there and then. John placed himself on the settee as the young girl came to sit at the side of him. She passed him his drink and he sipped at it as his eyes focused on her. An older woman now came to join them and she was familiar with John as he was a regular at the brothel. She had often wondered why on earth he used prostitutes as he was a good looking man and could have had the pick of any woman he wanted.