Timothy could tell that he liked school and therefore not be as a nerd. Really he liked and many of his friends too. They were learning new things all the time, and they had great cricket or rugby matches. Sometimes, they were in the laboratory with strange experiments, or dissecting frogs, and once a month they went to the city center with the teachers. Those teachers were friendly and also and above all, the girls of the school were beautiful.
But something bothered him so much. Or rather, someone: Bruce Hammould.
Timothy did not understand why Bruce was in the school. He was a good student, but he enjoyed bothering everyone, especially to the girls and Peter, the shortest in the class. He always said cruel words and Timothy tried to ignore him, but he felt his fury in his blood.
It was a Monday and everyone was tired. When break time came, all his friends ran to the playground and Timothy too, but the geography teacher called him.
"Could you carry this to the library, please?" The teacher gave him a big map and Timothy nodded obediently and started cross the playground with the map under his arm. He heard the Bruce´s voice coming from somewhere.
"Hey Turner! Are you the servant now?"
Timothy snorted, ignoring him, but Bruce walked to him.
"The Doctor´s son is a footman"
"Shut up" He said starting to walk again.
"Why?"
Timothy snorted again and put the eyes.
"You are a fool, Bruce"
"But I´m not a deformed like you, polio boy" Bruce laughed at his own joke if it were the funniest thing of the world. Timothy looked at him with repugnance. Several boys and girls were coming, sensing an interesting fight.
"Say what you want, you don´t bother me." Timothy started again his way to the library.
"What would happen if I say things about you?"
"Say what you want, Bruce" He answered, showing his tongue.
"Well, I´ll say things about your mother"
Timothy stopped and turned.
"What do you know about my mother?" He said with anger in his voice.
"Enough" Bruce answered like he was in a gangsters film. "For example, I know you don´t have mother. Poor little boy."
Timothy heard an "Idiot!" from one of the girls. Bruce decided to continue.
"Before, I lived near your home, but you don´t know that because you are the Doctor´s son and you don´t play with poor boys"
"God, you really are an idiot"
"But" Bruce continued "I moved when my mother married a lawyer, a good catch, huh? Well, your stepmother should knows more about good catches"
Timothy felt his blood boiling in the veins but he did not want to lose his self-control in front of that awful guy.
"Shut up, stupid"
"Why? I think everybody here know who is your stepmother. A nun. Turner´s stepmother is a nun!" He laughed again.
"What about that?"
"Nothing, but tell the truth, Turner. Your dear stepmother was still a nun when she was with your father. Everybody knows that. What a scandal, huh? The perfect nun doing it with the doctor. There are no differences with the girls of Cable Street."
Timothy just threw the map and struck Bruce, until he had his face full of blood.
When Patrick received a call from the school, he thought the worst things. Maybe his son was ill or he suffered an accident? The director did not say a word and Patrick left his patients and ran to the school.
Half an hour later, he sat in the car with Timothy at his side.
"What happened to you?" He shouted. Timothy just looked down and pressed his book bag. "Answer! Timothy you have everything, I try to give you the best education and you make me leave patients because the director wants tell me that you are suspended for one week...because you hit a classmate! I always told you, you should not get into fights, and what does the boy do? He hit a guy! My son, hitting people at the school! Why did you do it? Answer me, dammit!"
"How you want that I answer if you don´t stop yelling?" Timothy shouted. Patrick looked at him stunned.
"I´m your father! You owe me respect!"
Timothy just opened the door and stepped out of the car. He ran to his house and when he arrived, he wished to be alone, but Shelagh me him.
"Tim, why are you here so early?"
"Nothing" He tried to run to his bedroom, but she surrounded him with an arm.
"Tim...What happen?"
He sighed wearily.
"I´m suspended for a week. Please, don't ask why."
He saw the disappointment in her eyes, but she didn't say anything. When he heard his father´s car, he ran to his bedroom.
"Where is he?"
"Patrick?" She looked at him, confused.
"He is suspended"
"I know"
"Are you know why?" She shook her head "He hit a classmate. Timothy, hitting people like those bloody teddy boys"
He tried to climb to his son´s room, but she held him.
"No, Patrick. You´ll regret"
"I assure you, no"
"Yes. Go to work, forget all about this. Patrick, you were like him too, calm down and then you talk with him. Surely he had a reason for do that"
"Shelagh you don´t understand. If I forgive this, he´ll think that everything is permitted."
"Patrick, is Timothy. You know him. Now, go to work." She stood on tiptoes and kissed him, knowing that would calm his humor.
When lunchtime came, Timothy decided not to go downstairs.
"Shelagh don´t carry him the food"
"Patrick, he needs to eat"
"Then he comes here"
"He will not. You are here"
"Should I go for the little boy eat his lunch?" He said, angry again. Shelagh sighed.
"Patrick" She looked at him, serious, and put a dish on a tray.
"Shelagh, he´s my son and if I say no, it´s no"
"Thanks for reminded me that he´s just your son"
"God Shelagh don´t start with that!"
He got up from the table grabbing his bag and left the house with a slam. Angela looked scared.
"Oh don´t worry my angel. Dad is just a little...nervous. Come on, we will take the food to your brother."
Angela nodded and followed Shelagh upstairs. She reached out to open the door for her mother.
"I don't want to eat" Timothy said sitting in his bed, with his head in his knees.
"Timothy you must eat" She said sweetly.
"Dad left, right? I heard everything. I´m sorry, it´s all my fault, I didn´t want you and Dad to fight"
"Don´t worry about it, you know how he is. In a few hours, he'll don´t remind nothing"
"I don´t think so. He hates me"
"Timothy is your father, how he´ll hates you?" Despite she knew he didn´t like the demonstrations of affection, she stroked his hair. "Come, eat a little. Or Angela will eat all"
Angela laughed and climbed into the bed. She took a fork and tried to bring food to her brother´s mouth. Timothy laughed, finally.
"I´ll go wash the clothes, you eat in peace" Shelagh kissed the Angela´s hair and smiled to Timothy, but she noticed that his eyes were wet. "Timothy, what´s wrong?"
"Nothing" He looked out the window.
"Tim, listen to me. If it is for your father, I told you, don´t worry. I don´t think I can save you from the punishment, but I´ll try" When he heard her said that, Timothy could not hold back his tears. "No Tim, don´t cry, sweetie"
Shelagh hugged him and he let her. Angela saw them and also she joined.
"Mom, if someone does something bad to defend someone else...is that right or wrong?"
"I guess...it depends on what that person did"
"It´s something bad"
"Like... hitting a mate?"
Timothy nodded and Shelagh sighed.
"Well, if it was to defend someone, I guess it was right. Tim, sometimes the things are not completely good or bad, black or white"
"I know, but Dad will never understand"
"He will. Just tell what happened"
Timothy knew that his father was not calm down when he heard how his father hit the car door. Dinner would be ready soon, judging by the delicious smell filled the house and knew he would not eat because he would not go downstairs and Shelagh would not go to his room. He listened with attention and heard his father greeting Angela with indifference. He felt rage, his little sister was not guilty of anything and certainly she felt sad. He closed his book, unable to continue with the homework and pulled the bed covers up to his head. He heard, everything in the house was so quiet, and a while later, he heard knocks on the door. He thought in Shelagh, but he saw his father. He gulped.
"Sit down" Patrick ordered, and he sat on the bed. They stayed a few moments in silence until Patrick decided started talking. "I want you to tell me why you hit that kid"
"He´s a bastard" He tried to sound firm and without fear.
"Well, that will not remove with bows. Tell me why"
"I already told you"
"Timothy"
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, a gesture that Patrick could recognize as own.
"He bothers everyone. He calls Peter like a dwarf, and he tells thing to the girls. For example, he cut the Denise´s hair and she cried two hours in the bathroom. I think the school not ejected him because he´s a good student, in Maths he´s brilliant, and his stepfather is a lawyer"
"So...?"
"That´s all"
"So, you hit him because, from a day to other, you are converted in an avenger"
"Dad..."
"Timothy, tell me the truth. I know there is something more"
He sighed.
"He...said things about Mom"
"Mom?"
"Yes. First, he told me I haven´t a mother, and then, he told me I have a stepmother. Dad, he said horrible things, and I know is not right hit people but I could not contain myself. He...he said horrible thing and Mom not deserves that"
"What did he say?"
"Dad, don't make me repeat!"
"Timothy, tell me"
"He lived in Poplar until his mother married with the lawyer. He said he knows about Mom, about she was a nun. He said Mom was a nun when she was with you and that was a scandal and he compared Mom with the girls...you know, the girls of Cable Street. I don´t know why he said that, Mom did anything! Do you let someone talk about Mom? Dad?
Patrick could not answer. He felt powerless, despite the years still ran the rumours about he and Shelagh and that rumours affected his son. But he felt pride too, and a deep repentance.
"Timothy, I must ask forgiveness"
"What?" Timothy looked astonished.
"I shouldn´t angry with you, well, I should, but not like this. I´m still angry, you must learn to control yourself. But...Tim, I´m sorry."
He hugged him and Tim replied, although he didn´t understand.
"Thank you for defending you mother. She´ll be happy"
"Oh no Dad, don't tell her. She´ll cry"
Patrick laughed, he knew Shelagh could be very emotional. Then, he thought it would be better say anything. She would feel sad and he didn´t want this.
"All right, it will be a secret. But...I´m sorry to tell you, there is a punishment"
"Oh no...really?"
"You are suspended for a week, Tim. One week washing the equipment would not be bad for you"
"Ugh..."
"And no television"
Timothy covered his face with the pillow.
"Dad, pleaseee..."
His father laughed again.
"Come on Tim, the dinner is ready"
When she saw them chatting, she smiled. Her family, happy again. Angela also noticed the change and enjoyed being the center of attention of her father and brother. Once they finished the dinner and everything was in order, Timothy raised in the air to his sister and greeted his parents. When he approached Angela to Shelagh for a good night kiss, he also kiss her and Shelagh was surprised.
"I love you, Mom" He just said.
They were in the sofa, listening a new record and reading. Shelagh looked at Patrick.
"Patrick"
"Hummm?"
"I´m glad you forgiven him. My poor boy, he was crying this afternoon"
"Anyway he´s punished"
"I imagined that" She sighed with resignation."And what was the reason for the fight?"
"You know, the same old thing. For a girl"
"A girl?"
"A very beautiful girl" He hugged her and kiss her hair.