It had suddenly burst out of nowhere with no warning. Cassie and Roisin happened to be outside their house one late Saturday afternoon, cleaning the front windows. The light was fading fast and they were finding it increasingly hard to check their handiwork. For some reason they wanted to finish off the last bit of window. However, mingled sounds of shuffling feet on paving slabs, a young lad's voice and residual sounds of crying started to leak into their consciousness as they rubbed away at the high front windows. It prompted them to pay more attention and, as they turned around, they saw a sight that challenged them to make sense of what an earth had led up to this.
It was an ordinary weekend for Rose. Her best friend Emma lived in a house that was only accessible by road the thirds side round a square layout. It was most easily accessible by a short cut that saved at least half the walking. At the end of a few blocks of houses down the road that they lived in, there was an tarmac alleyway leading along the side of the house. This gave way to to a rough footpath that cut across the back of the estate to a dead end road on the other side and Emma lived in one of these old terraced one side of the footpath were narrow strips of allottments that extended back to the back walls of houses on the fourth side of the square. Their owners proudly grew ruuner beans, peas and carrots and, on weekends especially, the allottments were a hive of industry where the budding plants were lovingly watered and prepared for the harvest. On the other side of the path was a contrasting unruly wilderness of unkempt undergrowth, tall trees and indistinct areas of broken down brick walls. It was a natural play area for children to energetically enact their three dimensional childhood imaginary constructs and, more simply, good trees for climbing. Later on in the day, teenagers used the place to hang out, unknown to their parents and what their purpose there was more obscure than childhood activities.
Since Michael had become a teenager, he was furtive when he wasn't being unreasonably touchy. He made sure that he kept up with his homework so that they couldn't run a guilt trip on that one and find excuses to stop him doing what he wanted. He gave minimum information to Cassie and Roisin when he was going out and who his friends were and what they were like as mum especially couldn't resist being inquisitive for every last detail./ Something deep within himself needed to keep things secret even from himself.
In reality, while his mothers worried about him and were frustrated at his attitude, he was hanging out in a small clearing insisde the wilderness with his new friends. Heavy shadows started to hang down from the tall trees as the sun was well down on the horizon.
"Want a cigarette Michael" one of them asked him. This made him feel tense in a way he could not describe as he was hyper conscious of just how much he was accepted. He hoped be wouldn't be seen to fumble too much with the cigarette and worst oif all, choke on the fumes. He could never get away from the lurking sense of insecurity which was far outweighed by his need to belong, to be like evetryone else whilst knowing that his family situation marked him out as different. By keeping up a perilous balencing act, he thought it made him feel normal.
Together, they started talking about the cares of their lives including grumbling about parents. Michael's solution to the obvious problem was to always talk about mum. Fortunately, another lad's mother was a single parent who was always rushing around, moaning about him to clean his room and other boring annoying things and this helped cover his position.
Finally, one in the group started talking about football and this changed the topic of conversation. Though none of them could admit it publicly, the constant moaning about parents was starting to depress them, much though it provided a bond of started talking about the latest game they'd all watched on TV and going through a blow by blow analysis of how the game went, of how their favourite players had performed. They were sitting on a fallen tree trunk whose branches had fallen off and this had served duty as a prop for an earlier childhood adventure in the head of spaceships but which now served as a collective bench. This all helped remind the group that they'd got so much in common. Finally, one of them fished out of a shoulder bag a green can of Tenant's super strength lager. He smirked to the others how he'd persuaded the helpful Indian store owner that he was small for his age of eighteen. Michael looked at it dubiously as he'd never seen this before.
"What's this?" he found himself saying very foolishly to the others.
"It's super strength lager. It says so on the tin," came the smartass reply. Michael's face set rigid while all the time he felt like dropping through the floor in embarrassment. At moments like this, an inner voice was speaking persistently to him.
"Have a swig. I'ts a present.I got it from the local Indian shop by pretending I was young looking for eighteen," smirked the other lad knowingly.
As Michael put the metal to his lips and tilted it to drink, a nauseous slug of cold liquid dropped into his stomach. It reacted badly with him and his guts felt like heaving. His senses were stricken and he also felt dizzy.
"Excuse me," he mumbled to the others and he blindly staggered off to the undergrowth holding onto his stomach as he threw up. He had to get away somewhere, anywhere for relief. The others looked at each other with veiled contempt and amusement.
"What a wimp," one of the others finally said and the others laughed sarcastically. In retrospect, they regretted asking him out so they moved on out, sharing the can as they went along.
Meanwhile, Rose had been spending an enjoyable Saturday afternoon over at Emma's after she'd been dropped off. The house was smaller, less spacious than her own but she immediately got the feeling of being at home. Emma's mum was a single mother who did her best to juggle the demands of holding down a not very well paid job with irregular hours and looking after Emma. Somehow, even if she arrived home tired and drained, she managed a warm smile as she greeted her daughter. Helen could place her as she dropped off her daughter at school but never had the chance to chat to her as she flew off back to her rather elderly car, hair flying in the wind.
So there they were, in Emma's bedroom having a nice intimate talk that they rarely got at school while her mother was singing to herself as she did the cleaning. They came downstairs after a bit and Emma's mum started tallking to her.
"I really don't have the time to be around as much as I like. I'm really glad that Emma's got a nice friend like you. I've heard such a lot about you already," she said, wiping something out of her eye as she spoke.
"I'm really happy here. I don't get many invitations out," Rose admitted, her voice slightly shaking. Emma's mum smiled warmly back at her and stroked her hair affectionately.
After a little while, Emma showed her friend the back garden which was a slightly overgrown rockery where plants grew where they naturally seeded. They looked at the back of the two up and two down terraced cottage in the still air as the sun started to set and sat down on the stone slabs. There was a slight rustling sound and Emma's mum came down to meet them with two glasses of orange squash. This was what they now realised they wanted.
The sun was setting, leaving an orange and yellow glow low down on the skyline and on a portion of the sky while, on the opposite side, it was becoming a darker shade of blue and shadows were starting to extend their way forward. At this moment, Emma's mum came down the path, not to calmly welcome them inside into the warmth and the light but was much more distressed than Rose had expected.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, girls, but I've got a problem. I'm being called on to work for an hour or so. I can't wait. You two'll be fine enough if you stay inside," she gabbled at top speed.
Rose never spotted the disappointed but resigned expression on Emma's face as this was the sort of thing that had happened to her before since she'd been on her own with mum. It wasn't normal for a child that young to be left alone like this but somehow, the two of them hadf managed without any serious consequences. It did cross her mind that Emma's mum had no backup support and seemed isolated but that thought passed. In a daze, she'd let herself be shepherded into the house which had suddenly lost its golden glow of security as it had possessed earlier on. Emma's mum rapidly scrawled a note as to her phone number where she would be working. She flew out the door and was gone.
"Don't worry Rose," Emma started to say when a sudden rush of ideas poured into Rose's head. The answer was obvious.
"I know what to do, Emma. You're supposed to stay here till your mum comes back but I'm not allowed to stay here without a grownup. To save time, I'll get back home through the footpath at the back of your road. it'll be an adventure," Rose said with rapid precision, putting on her coat.
"But Rose," Emma started to say but her friend had zoomed off out the front door By the time Emma had gone outside, her friend was already clattering up the road. Emma blew out her cheeks in frustration as she knew her friend could outrun her any day and had already secured a head start. She slowly went back inside and shut the front door firmly. The house suddenly seemed colder and bleaker than it had before when she was last left on her own- certainly while her friend was running loose on her own and she daren't phone her mother and tell her what had happened. She was angry with Rose but couldn't help loving her. In the meantime, she scrunched her knees up to her chest to try and feel better as she sat in her favourite armchair but it didn't do any good.
Meanwhile Rose had clattered down the road while the glow of the streetlights helped her. She veered off into the footpath and was a little disconcerted to find darker than she'd expected. Nevertheless, she was making good time as a quarter of the way through the journey, she slowed down to a walk. She felt confident enough as she knew the path like the back of her hand. .
Michael wiped the vomit from his mouth and looked at his rumpled clothes. His trouser knees were soiled from where he'd stumbled onto the earth. Although his mouth and stomach tasted foul, he pulled himself together and retraced his steps back to the clearing. His annoyance about his friends pushing off elsewhere broke surface and he seriously wondered why he'd been ingratiating himself to them and left behind a friend whose only sin was that he wasn't trendy or cool. Nevertheless, he resolved to give them one last try. Straining his ears, he was clued in by sounds of people galumphing their way through the undergrowth and familiar voices shouting indistinctly. He drew closer to them and found himself back on the path.
The other lads had split the can of lager in greedy swigs and it went astraight to their heads. true, it tasted foul but smoking had been initially tricky to get right. All sorts of things came in to their heads as they staggered around, picking up stray objects and hurling them randomly.
"Hey, this is great stuff. I'm out of my head. I can do anything," one of them said.
"It's easier like this," laughed another.
"hey, who's that coming up the path? Can't be the police- he's too little," called out a third.
"Sssh, ssh," another of them said laughing.
At this time, Rose had walked three quarters of the way through the footpath when she heard the sounds oif lads clomping around and laughing. For the first time since she'd set off home, she was uneasy but she couldn't face retracing her steps and talking the long way home. they wouldn't have anything to do with her, she decided as she pushed her way forward.
"Hey, who's this girl? Shouldn't be here while we're here," the first lad said aggressively.
"She's that gay girl," taunted the second lad in a display of one-upmanship."My kid brother told me all about her. Everyone knows she's gay as she comes from a gay house."
If you don't mind, I'm going. I've got to get home," she said, trying to sound polite and brave. It didn't work.
"Oh no, you're not. we're going to have some fun with you first," laughed the third lad as they closed in a circle round her, trapping her. Now Rose really was frightened. She'd never come across this kind of cruelty before and words wouldn't get her out of this hole.
Suddenly, one of them pushed her from behind and she fell forwardas against the next lad who pushed her sideways to the other lad.
"Gay, gay, gay," they kept taunting her. Rose felt horribly helpless as these horrible lads were bigger and stronger and more powerrful than she was. She started to cry and this only made the bullies start laughing. She could smell alcohol and sweat on their bodies, offending her senses. This was the worst thing that could happen to her. She fell over and grazed her knee and only a miracle of agility got her to her feet.
"Hey Michael. We've got a game saved up for you," one of them shouted and a space opened up and to Michael's horror, he say the pleading green eyes of the little girl who'd grown up next door. Rose had a momentary flash of last resort hope and fear that he'd join in with the rest. After all, he'd been horrible for months.
"Save me Michael," she called out.
In a split second, Michael Connor's mind was made up and he knew at last who's side he was on. If he chickened out, he'd be forever damned in his own mind.
"Leave her alone. She's a neighbour and a friend of mine," he called out. The first lad's face turned purple and hateful and Michael smacked him hard in the face and he staggered back.
"Run for it Rose. I'll help you," Michael called out urgently. He was putting his neck on the line but it was the right thing to do. .
With the last vestige of will power, Rose shot forward into the gap and Michael ran behind her. They heard shouts and yells of rage and they started running after them. To Michael's immense relief, he realised that Rose could run like lightning even after the shaking up she'd received. After the initial panic, they started to realise that the thundering footsteps behind them became fainter. In no time at all, they reached the tarmac alleyway and the blinding street lights told them that they were within safety.
"Hold on Rose, I think they've stopped chasing us," Michael panted and they dropped down to a trot and then they were walking. It was then that Rose started crying again in mingled gratitude at Michael's kindness and the shock at what had happened to them. It was then that Roisin anxiously called out, seeing Michael's dishevelled appearance and Rose looked even worse than him what with her grazed knee and general teariness.
"What on earth's happened Michael?" Roisin called out in precisely the kind of shrill anxious tone that was sure to get Michael's back stiffened at this blunder.
"It's all right. Michael's rescued us. You let us tell you what's happened. Everything's all right, believe me," burst out Rose tearfully. She couldn't see Michael get wrongly accused.
"Take it easy kid. Let's get the facts first and let's get inside," Cassie's steadying voice spoke in her partner's ear.
"You both look as you've been through a hedge backwards and we're shattered from window cleaning so let's have you guys inside," Cassie said in easy reassuring tones with a smile in her voice and on her face. For the first time in ages, Michael looked back at Cassie straight in the eye and mouthed a thank you. Cassie was right about him as always, he thought to himself as at last he had come home.
Once inside, Rose fell ino Roisin's comforting arms as she was about done in and the aftershock of her nightmare experiences overtook her. The dark-haired woman's memories went back from when she'd driven Helen to the hospital and all the times their paths had crossed. Cassie immediately poured Michael a large beaker of orange squash which he gratefully drank while Roisin lovingly washed and bandaged Rose's knee. They all collapsed into the waiting settees and armchairs took it easy when a bewildered Niamh came out of her bedroom where she'd been intent on her own purposes.
"Suppose you two guys explain what happened. We're entirely in the dark," ventured Cassie tactfully. Michael exchanged glances and Rose felt recovered enough and called upon by him to speak for them. She retailed the story keeping it direct and clear while Michael nodded agreement. He smiled gratefully when Rose expanded at length on how he'd come to the rescue and he admired the way she'd collected herself so quickly. A long silence ensued while the others took it all in.
"Mums, I'm really sorry for how horrible I've been over the last months. I've been unbearable. I was only trying to get in with this gang at school. I couldn't keep them happy and you guys at the same time. I promise things will change," Michael said slowly and with deliberate emphasis. For the first time, Roisin thought that he sounded like a man yet curiously like the little boy who'd tried to do the right thing when she'd been imprisoned with Cassie. All the associated memories of that period reminded her that she and Cassie had made their share of mistakes.
"We believe every word you've said and we're so proud of you," Roisin said tremulously. Michael got up and gave both his mothers a hug and he shook hands with curious solemnity with Rose.
"You've been fantastic. I'm sure Niamh feels the same," Rose said gratefully.
"Not bad, big brother. You're a star," Niamh said with apparent flippancy that said everything. All at once a thought struck Rose. She had unfinished business.
"Can I borrow your phone? I did a really silly thoughtless thing and ran off and left Emma on her own. I've got a lot of making up to do when I see her on Monday," she said nervously.
"Best not tell her of all the nasty stuff Rose. Just apologise and take as long as you need to reassure her," Michael said in mature tones. Both Cassie and Roisin marvelled at the way their teenage terror was being so wise and responsible. Roisin couldn't resist affectionately ruffling her son's tousled hair and loved it that he didn't pull away at this display of maternal affection.
"Of course you can use the phone, Rose.I'll nip round and tell Helen and Nikki that you're safe. I bet they'll think that you're having a sleep in with your friend. They're welcome here obviously," Roisin said decisively, taking in the glances of approval in the family circle which was set to expand. As Rose chattered away with her diplomatic skills on the phone, Michael was sat in an armchair in the gentle light relaxing in the warmth and glow of finally belonging. This was what he really wanted.
.
.