house.’
She stormed into her bedroom, shouting, ‘I have to get ready for school.’
Jon Jon laughed despite himself.
‘That’s a first, ain’t it? You going to school?’
‘Leave her, Jon Jon, she got the message. Come on, Kira. Stop crying, love. What do you want for breakfast?’
‘Can I have anything I like?’
‘Within reason!’
Kira grinned through her tears and Jon Jon closed his eyes in distress. She was beautiful. Blonde and blue-eyed, she was going to be absolutely stunning - and she would probably never be any older in her mind than she was now. It was such a frightening thought.
Even after this rigmarole all she was interested in was getting a bowl of Coco Pops. Her attention span was so short this upset would be forgotten after the first spoonful.
He followed them into the kitchen.
‘Jeanette’s right, Mum. Maybe you should quit working. I can see us through.’
Joanie poured out the bowl of Coco Pops without answering him. He knew how she felt about his drugs, and she knew how he felt about her own particular way of dealing. It was a no-win situation.
‘She had a fright, she’ll be OK now.’ Joanie grinned suddenly. ‘He ain’t half a funny bloke. Nice enough, but so fat! I mean, honestly.’
Kira laughed.
‘Can’t I stay with Tommy, Mum? He has lovely things at his house, Barbies and treats.’
‘What did you do last night, Kira?’
Jon Jon seemed genuinely interested.
She thought earnestly for a few moments, her little face screwed up in concentration.
‘Er . . . we played Barbies, like I said, and then we watched Sleeping Beauty . Tommy has all the films - he loves princesses like I do. It was lovely. We had drinks of Coca-Cola and sandwiches and sweeties. It was fun.’
Joanie ruffled the child’s hair.
‘He seemed nice enough, bless him. And be fair, Jon Jon, he done us a right favour.’
‘I suppose so. But we don’t know anything about him, do we?’
Joanie shrugged.
‘What’s to know? He came up trumps for us and that’s enough for me. He’s a bit slow.’ She nodded towards her daughter. ‘That’s why they get on so well, I think.’
Jon Jon nodded sadly.
‘I see what you mean, Mum. Well, you suss him out, see what you think. He might be a touch with Miss Unreliable on the prowl.’
Joanie slipped an arm round her son’s waist.
‘Did you hurt Carty, son?’
He nodded.
‘I had to, Mum, he’s a fucking crack head. Caused me no end of grief.’
Joanie pushed her hair from her eyes and smiled.
‘I heard he was really damaged.’
She kept her voice neutral.
Jon Jon shrugged.
‘Should have thought of that, shouldn’t he? I ain’t got time for wasters, Mum. ’Specially not crack-head wasters.’
The subject was closed and Joanie wondered at a son who could be so caring and compassionate with his sisters and family and yet could physically maim a close personal friend.
She didn’t want to think about any of it too much, so she did what she always did. She smiled and laughed and joked. Kira was in stitches as she left for school with her big brother. Then Joanie went straight for the Valium.
Just to take the edge off life. That’s what she had been telling herself for years.
Chapter Four
Monika was staring at the huge man before her in absolute awe. He was bloody big. He was also a nice fella who tried so hard to be accommodating it was painful to watch him.
Being on the large side herself she knew the battle he faced daily, not just inside himself but with the outside world. Though she laughed about him with Joanie, they liked him a lot. Tommy was kind and compassionate.
Yet, for all his size, she saw that he was surprisingly light on his feet. That was another thing she had noticed about him: he managed to get about all right. Far better than you would think when you
She stormed into her bedroom, shouting, ‘I have to get ready for school.’
Jon Jon laughed despite himself.
‘That’s a first, ain’t it? You going to school?’
‘Leave her, Jon Jon, she got the message. Come on, Kira. Stop crying, love. What do you want for breakfast?’
‘Can I have anything I like?’
‘Within reason!’
Kira grinned through her tears and Jon Jon closed his eyes in distress. She was beautiful. Blonde and blue-eyed, she was going to be absolutely stunning - and she would probably never be any older in her mind than she was now. It was such a frightening thought.
Even after this rigmarole all she was interested in was getting a bowl of Coco Pops. Her attention span was so short this upset would be forgotten after the first spoonful.
He followed them into the kitchen.
‘Jeanette’s right, Mum. Maybe you should quit working. I can see us through.’
Joanie poured out the bowl of Coco Pops without answering him. He knew how she felt about his drugs, and she knew how he felt about her own particular way of dealing. It was a no-win situation.
‘She had a fright, she’ll be OK now.’ Joanie grinned suddenly. ‘He ain’t half a funny bloke. Nice enough, but so fat! I mean, honestly.’
Kira laughed.
‘Can’t I stay with Tommy, Mum? He has lovely things at his house, Barbies and treats.’
‘What did you do last night, Kira?’
Jon Jon seemed genuinely interested.
She thought earnestly for a few moments, her little face screwed up in concentration.
‘Er . . . we played Barbies, like I said, and then we watched Sleeping Beauty . Tommy has all the films - he loves princesses like I do. It was lovely. We had drinks of Coca-Cola and sandwiches and sweeties. It was fun.’
Joanie ruffled the child’s hair.
‘He seemed nice enough, bless him. And be fair, Jon Jon, he done us a right favour.’
‘I suppose so. But we don’t know anything about him, do we?’
Joanie shrugged.
‘What’s to know? He came up trumps for us and that’s enough for me. He’s a bit slow.’ She nodded towards her daughter. ‘That’s why they get on so well, I think.’
Jon Jon nodded sadly.
‘I see what you mean, Mum. Well, you suss him out, see what you think. He might be a touch with Miss Unreliable on the prowl.’
Joanie slipped an arm round her son’s waist.
‘Did you hurt Carty, son?’
He nodded.
‘I had to, Mum, he’s a fucking crack head. Caused me no end of grief.’
Joanie pushed her hair from her eyes and smiled.
‘I heard he was really damaged.’
She kept her voice neutral.
Jon Jon shrugged.
‘Should have thought of that, shouldn’t he? I ain’t got time for wasters, Mum. ’Specially not crack-head wasters.’
The subject was closed and Joanie wondered at a son who could be so caring and compassionate with his sisters and family and yet could physically maim a close personal friend.
She didn’t want to think about any of it too much, so she did what she always did. She smiled and laughed and joked. Kira was in stitches as she left for school with her big brother. Then Joanie went straight for the Valium.
Just to take the edge off life. That’s what she had been telling herself for years.
Chapter Four
Monika was staring at the huge man before her in absolute awe. He was bloody big. He was also a nice fella who tried so hard to be accommodating it was painful to watch him.
Being on the large side herself she knew the battle he faced daily, not just inside himself but with the outside world. Though she laughed about him with Joanie, they liked him a lot. Tommy was kind and compassionate.
Yet, for all his size, she saw that he was surprisingly light on his feet. That was another thing she had noticed about him: he managed to get about all right. Far better than you would think when you
Similar Books
