Broken Youth, page 14
“Hello” she shouted and listened for a reply but nobody answered. She walked to the bottom of the stairs and shouted yet again. “Hello, is anyone in”. At that moment Max came to the top of the stairs and told her he would be down in a minute, as he was just getting changed. Misty waddled back to the front room and sat herself on the new settee. Her mother had told her all about it but this was the first time she had seen it. The settee was beautiful and she longed for the time when she could buy new things for her home, because at the moment, all the things in the house belonged to Rob and had seen better days. Misty wasn’t complaining but Rob’s taste in decor left a lot to be desired. Looking round the front room she noticed all the changes that had been made and was pleased that at last her mother had found her feet. It seemed like Lisa had left all the misery behind her and sorted her life out. Misty seemed to have stepped into Lisa’s old life which was filled with sadness. Gazing into thin air, she thought about Gordon and his hate for her at the moment. It was only the sound of her brother’s voice that brought her back into the real world and away from her depressing thoughts.
“What are you doing out of the house?” he laughed. “ I thought you were a hermit these days.” Misty smiled but didn’t answer her brother’s question. Looking at him she noticed a definite change in him. His hair now had blonde highlights in it and he had a lovely golden tan. She stood next to him and placed her pale white arm next to his.
“Look at the colour of ya. Where have you got your tan from?” Max chuckled and told her he had been going on a sun bed in Eastford Square near his office.
“I look great don’t I? See if you weren’t pregnant you could be doing all these things as well but did you listen to me when I told you that you were too young to have a baby?” Max watched his sister’s face drop and he knew he had hurt her feelings, so he started to back pedal, trying to take back his previous comment.
“Well it’s not long now before you have the baby and I’m sure you can make up for it when the baby’s born. Anyway, to what do we owe the honour of this visit?” She sat back down and Max could tell something was wrong with her but didn’t want to pressurise her too much, as he could see she was already close to tears.
“Fancied a change that’s all”, she said in a timid voice. “I’m sick of sitting in that house all day and looking at four walls”. Max immediately asked where Gordon had been all day and he could tell by her face she didn’t know.
“Oh he’s out and about. You know what he’s like, he won’t be home till later. You know he’s always ducking and diving all over the place. I never know where he is from one minute till the next”. Max knew exactly what she meant, as he knew Gordon of old. He was a low life and as far as he was concerned he would never change. But he knew to bite his tongue for the moment as he didn’t want to get into an argument with his sister.
Misty commented on the big changes she had noticed in her brother and she felt like he was trying to tell her something but she just couldn’t work out what. He had told her of his new job and talked frequently about his work mate called Gary. As she listened it was ‘Gary this’ and ‘Gary that’ and she could tell Max thought a lot about him. He spoke of all the cheap holidays that were going on at the travel agency and told her that in a few months he had planned to go to Spain, with Gary and his sister. Misty was so pleased that he had got a job in a travel agency and that he was doing so well in life. Once again she regretted the path she had chosen. The rest of the Sullivan family came home within the next hour and were delighted to see Misty.
“You staying for your tea?” Lisa shouted from the kitchen.
“Err I don’t know yet, why what you having?” Lisa knew that if she cooked one of her favourite meals she couldn’t say no. So she shouted she was making liver and onions and mashed potato with onion gravy, knowing that Misty couldn’t refuse.
“Well you should have said you were having that for tea. How can I refuse that? It’s been ages since I’ve had it. So the answer is most definitely yes”.
Both the younger children jumped for joy, at the thought of their big sister staying for tea. It had been ages since they had all sat down together for a family meal and Misty felt the warmth of her family once again. She felt quite special being at her mother’s house and hadn’t felt like that since she had moved in with Gordon. The two younger boys set the table and Misty helped her mam put the meal onto individual plates. One by one all the meals were brought to the table and everyone tucked in like hungry animals. Rob shouted Lisa to come and take her seat before he started eating, as he found it unfair that she was always last to sit down to eat her meal.
Lisa sat at Rob’s side, like a queen sitting next to her king. Misty could see how happy they were together and regretted the hard time she had given them in the past. All the family laughed together and told stories of each other’s day at work and school. She felt so happy surrounded by her family and realised how much she had missed them all. Looking round the table she made a promise to herself, that from now on she would come and see her family more often, at least three times a week. Gordon might not be happy about her choices but at that moment Misty didn’t care. Her family was all she had and she needed them now more than ever. After tea Rob cleared the table and started to wash the plates. Max gathered all the other utensils and went to help him in the kitchen. Lisa lit a cigarette and sat at the table with the back door open as the two younger boys pushed passed her to play in the garden. Misty sprawled her body onto the settee and lay full length across it. Her stomach was full as she hadn’t eaten like this for a long time. Her tea usually consisted of a sandwich, or sometimes just a biscuit, so the meal she had just eaten had stretched her stomach beyond belief.
“Orr mum I’m so full, I can’t move.”
Lisa smiled as she took a drag of her cigarette. “It will do you no harm, you’re eating for two now. You don’t want that little baby going hungry do you?” Misty kicked off her shoes and told her mother that what she had just eaten would last the baby till it was born. They both laughed as Lisa spoke about the birth of the baby.
“Are you getting scared yet love?” she asked.
“What should I be scared of mam, is it that bad?”, Lisa smiled as she started to tell her the gruelling details of giving birth to a baby. It was quite funny to listen to them. They talked more like sisters, rather than mother and daughter - their relationship had changed with Misty’s pregnancy. Misty had a few questions that had been playing on her mind and this was the ideal time to try and get them answered.
“Mum, which hole does the baby come out of? Is it ya bum hole or ya other one?” Lisa tried to keep her face straight, desperately trying not to laugh, as she explained the delivery of a baby. It was at that moment that Lisa realised exactly how much her daughter was going to need her help. Misty knew nothing about babies and how to care for one. She realised that once the baby was born, her life would change dramatically and she would have to be with Misty twenty four hours a day to start with. There was so much to learn about looking after a baby and she knew she would have to show her everything she knew to give her a chance of surviving parenthood. Lisa knew in her heart Misty would make a great mother and never doubted she would take on board any information she gave her.
The night came to an end after watching Coronation Street. Misty decided it was time to start heading home and Lisa told her she would drop her off, as she didn’t want her walking home on her own, especially in her condition. She tried to persuade Lisa that she didn’t need a lift but like all mothers Lisa wouldn’t change her mind. Her mind was made up and she was dropping her off at home and there would be no arguing about it. Misty said her goodbyes to the rest of the family and agreed she would be back tomorrow for a further visit. Rob kissed her on her cheek and slid a five pound note into her hands telling her to get some chocolate for herself to watch television with tonight. She thanked him and walked to the car, where Lisa sat with the engine running.
It’s only when she sat in the car, that she remembered she was going home to an empty house. Perhaps she should have stayed a bit longer she thought but it was too late to change her mind now as Lisa had already set off. Misty had planned a relaxing evening when she got home, she contemplated a nice hot bath with loads of bubbles. Also there was a film on she wanted to watch, a proper girlie film, so whilst Gordon was out she planned to take control of the remote control and watch whatever she wanted, without the moaning of Gordon’s voice next to her. Misty wondered why on earth Gordon had to be out all day and why he didn’t return home until late. She still couldn’t work it out. She decided once this baby was born things were going to change and Gordon would step up to the role of being a father and if he didn’t like the idea of what it entailed, he could pack his belongings and move out.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
GORDON SAT IN the pub celebrating the successful job. All the men sat together and everyone’s spirits were high. Gordon had already been home and had a bath and changed his clothing. He had wondered where Misty could be, as it wasn’t like her not to be at home when he got in. Theses thoughts passed very quickly however and he hurried to get ready to meet up with his friends. As he lay soaking in the bath, he tried to relax but the events of the day came flooding back to him. He had never been as scared in his whole life as he had been today. He was so glad it was all over. Gordon had brought his money home and hid his share in a black sports bag that also contained two shotguns. He had not been happy taking the guns home but the other men thought it was safer for him to take them, as he wasn’t known to the police.
Gordon counted his money over and over again before he stashed it. He had never seen so much money in his entire life. In total his share worked out to be twelve thousand pounds and a few hundred quid. Searching the house he finally found somewhere safe to put it. He entered the cloakroom where all the coats were hung. The light in there was broken and nobody really ever went in there, so it seemed a good hiding place. Gordon pulled all the coats off one hook and quickly hung the sports bag on it. He replaced all the coats back to their original place and stood back to see if you could tell it was there. ‘The bag is safe’ he thought as he stood at the door giving it one last look, ‘you can’t even tell it’s there’ he thought as he headed back into the front room. Gordon had kept a few hundred pounds out of the bag for Misty. He knew money was tight for her and she had struggled to buy shopping these days. So writing a quick note he left a message for Misty, telling her to go shopping with the money and treat herself with what was left. He left one kiss on the bottom of the message and told her he wouldn’t be home late. He knew even before he went out, he wouldn’t be in till the early hours of the morning but he wrote it to keep Misty happy, knowing that she would think he was planning on coming home early to be with her.
Gordon lay in the bath for ten minutes, spending the money over and over in his mind. The first thing on his list would be clothes as his wardrobe left a lot to be desired these days. The job had all gone to plan. As planned they all got to the bank on time and waited in their positions for the van containing the money to arrive. Gordon’s heart was in his mouth from the start and he kept checking his watch. Mark noticed his uneasiness and told him to relax.
“Just follow ma lead mate. You don’t have to worry, just trust me. I know what I am doing”. Gordon heard his heart beating in his ears, as he watched the van arrive. All the men were in position and he watched John out of the corner of his eye drive the getaway car into position. This car had been stolen the night before. It was black and a high performance. Everything was ready for action but then it all went in slow motion as far as Gordon could remember. The two men carried the money into the bank in four grey security boxes. They wore helmets with visors that covered their faces. The men looked quite old and didn’t look like they would cause any problems. Gordon just hoped they handed the money over without a fight.
Pulling a scarf up over his face so you could just see his eyes and putting on a pair of dark glasses, he reached his hand into his coat where the gun was hidden and followed Mark into the bank. Once inside Mark took over as he watched nervously. He pulled out the shotgun from his coat and started waving it around like a mad man.
“Get fuckin’ down on the floor now the lot of ya!” he shouted to the four customers in the shop. The guards froze at the sight in front of them. They knew exactly what was happening. Mark concentrated entirely on getting the money as Gordon dealt with the customers lying on the floor. Pulling out his shotgun, he hovered over them, shouting for them to keep their heads down and close their eyes. ‘That’s all I need’, he thought, ‘someone recognising me’. He couldn’t take the chance of anyone seeing his face, so he shouted loudly for them to keep their heads flat, facing the floor. Gordon lifted his head and he could see the cashiers behind the desk holding their hands above their heads, pale with fear.
Mark continued shouting at them till all the cases containing the money were handed over. He nodded towards Gordon and beckoned to take one of the cases from him. Gordon held his gun out, still watching the customers every move as he walked over. Once he reached him Mark told him to get the fuck out of there. He wasted no time in following his instruction and made his way to the exit and all he could hear was Mark shouting, telling everybody to keep their heads down and not to move. Gordon ran as fast as he could and jumped into the car. He nervously waited for Wayne and Mark to join him. John had the engine running and revved the engine eager to get away.
“Where the fuck are they?” he shouted, “come on you pair of dozy bastards. What the fuck are they doing, opening an account?” John now fidgeted around but he never took his eyes off the bank doors. Gordon watched the bank eagerly with fear seeping out of his body. The minutes that he waited seemed like hours.
Finally Wayne left the bank with Mark following closely behind. They watched as the men dipped their heads down and ran towards the car. Gordon opened the car door and Mark jumped in while Wayne took the front seat.
“Get the fuck out of here!” Mark shouted and John sped out of the lay-by. The sound of the wheels spinning made passers-by stop in their tracks. As they pulled out, a car slammed on its brakes and just about stopped in time.
“Watch the fuckin’ road”, Mark shouted at John, “that’s all we need a fuckin’ crash.” Mark looked at the car behind them and waved the gun through the back window. It was obvious the driver had seen the gun as the sound of the horn beeping behind them suddenly stopped. The car drove straight to the motorway, doing at least ninety miles per hour. Mark watched carefully through the back window to make sure they weren’t being followed. Gordon sat lifeless next to him, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster. His head didn’t feel like his own and his body was trembling with fear.
The men remained silent as John sped down the motorway. The drive home lasted about an hour and finally they reached their own car. All the men transferred to the other car as Mark took petrol out of the boot and sprinkled it inside the car. Everything was removed and Mark lit a piece of paper and threw it inside. Within seconds the car was in flames. The drive home took about twenty minutes and everyone was relieved to be nearly home and safe. They all headed back to John’s house as planned, as they knew it would be empty and they wouldn’t be disturbed whilst distributing the cash. As they pulled up outside, Gordon couldn’t believe the size of it. It was like something he had only seen on television and he stared at it in amazement.
“Come on, help get these cases in the fucking house. We haven’t got all day”. John whispered quietly. Mark reached for the case from the back seat and placed his coat over it to disguise it from nosey neighbours and carried it towards the house. Gordon’s job was to carry the sports bag containing the guns which he did in the same way.
Once inside all four of them hugged one another and danced around the front room. The celebration went on for at least five minutes before they sat down to count their ill-gotten gains. All eyes focused on the first case as Mark attacked it with a hammer and a screw driver that John had given him. His face screwed up as he dug the screw driver deep inside the case and attacked the locks.
“Come on ya bastard. Come to daddy”, he shouted as they all watched with excitement. Eventually with one last blast from the hammer, the case flew open and their reward stood looking at them. Mark emptied the case onto the table as they watched excitedly.
“Right someone start counting. Put it into stacks of thousands” he shouted. Gordon had thought he had died and gone to heaven. The money would change his life forever. All the things he had ever dreamed of didn’t seem that far away anymore. After time the money was all over the floor, placed into bundles. It amounted to fifty thousand pounds. Gordon immediately divided that by four in his head and realised that he had a share of twelve thousand and five hundred pounds. Overcome with excitement he jumped into the air, like his favourite football team had just scored a goal.
“I’m fuckin’ rich. For once in my life I can go and buy the things I want to. Cheers lads for letting me join you. I’ll be forever in your debt”. Gordon’s eyes filled up and the other men could see the money meant everything to him.
“Spend it wisely mate. Make sure you see something for it”, said John in a fatherly voice. Mark quickly added his comments on what he thought Gordon should do with his money.
“Spend it wisely my arse. Get it spent and have the time of ya life. You could be dead tomorrow. Sex drugs and rock and roll, that’s how I’ll be spending mine”. Mark laughed and started to kick his legs up in front of him singing at the top of his voice. John disappeared into the kitchen and came back with four glasses and a bottle of whisky. Placing the glasses on the table he poured a large amount into each glass.
