lay into him with a belt.
‘I won’t be a minute, Gran,’ Sally said before rushing outside.
A few neighbours were on their steps, all looking uncomfortable, but none intervening. Sally rushed up to Laura to grab her arm and the woman turned, spitting abuse.
‘Get your hands off of me!’
Sally was sickened by the stench of alcohol on the woman’s breath. She’d heard rumours that Laura Walters was a drinker, but this was the first time she’d seen it for herself. ‘Let Tommy go,’ she demanded.
‘Mind your own business. He deserves a good hiding and that’s what I’m giving him.’
‘Why? What had he done?’ Sally asked, relieved that at last the woman was distracted enough to stop laying the belt across Tommy’s legs.
‘He defied me, that’s what,’ Laura spat, but in the process she had let go of Tommy’s ear and in a flash the boy was gone, his little legs pumping like pistons as he fled.
‘You won’t get away from me. I’ll get you later, you little bugger,’ Laura screeched.
‘It’s disgraceful, that’s what it is,’ Mrs Stone commented after Laura had staggered back indoors. ‘It’s only one o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and the woman’s as drunk as a skunk.’
Other women nodded, joining in the gossip, but Sally took her daughter’s hand. ‘Come inside now.’
‘No, I don’t want to. I want to wait for Tommy to come back.’
‘He won’t show his face for a good while,’ Sally told Angela, unable to help feeling sorry for the boy again.
‘What was all that about?’ Sadie asked as soon as she saw them.
‘Laura Walters was giving Tommy a hiding.’
‘Yeah, well, no doubt he deserved it.’
‘No child deserves to be thrashed with a belt, Gran. I think the woman was drunk.’
‘Yes, as a skunk,’ Angel said. ‘What’s a skunk, Gamma?’
‘It’s an animal,’ Sadie said and on an aside to Sally asked, ‘Where did she pick that saying up from?
‘Jessie Stone.’
‘I might have guessed, but I’m not surprised. Nelly told me that Laura likes the booze, her old man too, and from what she said it sounds like they’re both alcoholics.’
‘What’s an al . . . alco . . .?’ Angel asked, struggling with the word.
Sally didn’t want her daughter to hear any more of this kind of conversation. ‘It’s nothing important, darling. Now run upstairs to fetch a jigsaw puzzle or another toy to play with.’
Thankfully Angel did her bidding and when she was out of earshot Sally said, ‘If Tommy’s parents are both alcoholics, no wonder the boy runs wild. It also explains why his clothes are like rags.’
‘Yeah, well, if his mother’s on the booze she won’t live to see old bones.’
‘Dreadful though that sounds, I’m more concerned about Tommy. Maybe I should report this to someone in authority that can help.’
‘Keep your nose out of it, Sally. It’s none of our business and do you really think the boy would be better off in care, in some sort of kids’ home, ’cos that’s where he’d end up.’
‘If getting beaten by his mother is a common occurrence, then yes.’
‘What makes you think it’s common? Have you ever seen her beating him before?’
‘Well no.’
‘There you are then, and it’s probably something the boy did that drove Laura over the limit. There’s no getting away from the fact that he’s a naughty little tyke. One thrashing isn’t enough to stick your oar in.’
Sally was still unsure. She just hoped that Tommy stayed away until Laura calmed down and now understood why the lad was allowed to roam the streets at all hours. His parents were probably too drunk to care. It was little wonder that Tommy had learned to be streetwise, but at only seven years old it wasn’t safe to be out so late at night.
As Sally sat down she felt a flush of guilt. There had been so many occasions when she had chased the boy off, yet what choice had she had? Tommy’s language was dreadful and only recently he’d been caught
‘I won’t be a minute, Gran,’ Sally said before rushing outside.
A few neighbours were on their steps, all looking uncomfortable, but none intervening. Sally rushed up to Laura to grab her arm and the woman turned, spitting abuse.
‘Get your hands off of me!’
Sally was sickened by the stench of alcohol on the woman’s breath. She’d heard rumours that Laura Walters was a drinker, but this was the first time she’d seen it for herself. ‘Let Tommy go,’ she demanded.
‘Mind your own business. He deserves a good hiding and that’s what I’m giving him.’
‘Why? What had he done?’ Sally asked, relieved that at last the woman was distracted enough to stop laying the belt across Tommy’s legs.
‘He defied me, that’s what,’ Laura spat, but in the process she had let go of Tommy’s ear and in a flash the boy was gone, his little legs pumping like pistons as he fled.
‘You won’t get away from me. I’ll get you later, you little bugger,’ Laura screeched.
‘It’s disgraceful, that’s what it is,’ Mrs Stone commented after Laura had staggered back indoors. ‘It’s only one o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and the woman’s as drunk as a skunk.’
Other women nodded, joining in the gossip, but Sally took her daughter’s hand. ‘Come inside now.’
‘No, I don’t want to. I want to wait for Tommy to come back.’
‘He won’t show his face for a good while,’ Sally told Angela, unable to help feeling sorry for the boy again.
‘What was all that about?’ Sadie asked as soon as she saw them.
‘Laura Walters was giving Tommy a hiding.’
‘Yeah, well, no doubt he deserved it.’
‘No child deserves to be thrashed with a belt, Gran. I think the woman was drunk.’
‘Yes, as a skunk,’ Angel said. ‘What’s a skunk, Gamma?’
‘It’s an animal,’ Sadie said and on an aside to Sally asked, ‘Where did she pick that saying up from?
‘Jessie Stone.’
‘I might have guessed, but I’m not surprised. Nelly told me that Laura likes the booze, her old man too, and from what she said it sounds like they’re both alcoholics.’
‘What’s an al . . . alco . . .?’ Angel asked, struggling with the word.
Sally didn’t want her daughter to hear any more of this kind of conversation. ‘It’s nothing important, darling. Now run upstairs to fetch a jigsaw puzzle or another toy to play with.’
Thankfully Angel did her bidding and when she was out of earshot Sally said, ‘If Tommy’s parents are both alcoholics, no wonder the boy runs wild. It also explains why his clothes are like rags.’
‘Yeah, well, if his mother’s on the booze she won’t live to see old bones.’
‘Dreadful though that sounds, I’m more concerned about Tommy. Maybe I should report this to someone in authority that can help.’
‘Keep your nose out of it, Sally. It’s none of our business and do you really think the boy would be better off in care, in some sort of kids’ home, ’cos that’s where he’d end up.’
‘If getting beaten by his mother is a common occurrence, then yes.’
‘What makes you think it’s common? Have you ever seen her beating him before?’
‘Well no.’
‘There you are then, and it’s probably something the boy did that drove Laura over the limit. There’s no getting away from the fact that he’s a naughty little tyke. One thrashing isn’t enough to stick your oar in.’
Sally was still unsure. She just hoped that Tommy stayed away until Laura calmed down and now understood why the lad was allowed to roam the streets at all hours. His parents were probably too drunk to care. It was little wonder that Tommy had learned to be streetwise, but at only seven years old it wasn’t safe to be out so late at night.
As Sally sat down she felt a flush of guilt. There had been so many occasions when she had chased the boy off, yet what choice had she had? Tommy’s language was dreadful and only recently he’d been caught
Similar Books
