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Authors: Eddie Allen
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doesn’t happen that often. And the feeling you have about your family could well be that your soul picked the wrong host by mistake upon his return to the material world.”
I sat there in silence, thinking over what Rose had just told me. It was a lot to take in but even though I was not yet fifteen, I knew in my heart that she was somewhere near the truth.
“Eddie, I will find out who this Terry is and what he wants from you, but not today. Tomorrow will be a good day to get in touch with him.”
“Shall I come tomorrow, Rose?” I asked nervously.
“No, it would be best if you were not present. Come and see me on Monday afternoon, Eddie,” Rose said, with a comforting smile.
“OK, Rose, I’ll see you on Monday.”
I left Rose’s and headed down Talford Road. Nearing the bottom, something hit me between my shoulders. I turned round rather sharpish and noticed a football bouncing up and down close by. It eventually ended up under a Ford Zodiac. I stood there, scanning the street, but there wasn’t anyone about. Nobody came along to claim the ball. It must have come over from one of the gardens, I reasoned. I waited a few minutes to see if anyone came looking for his or her ball. I lit a fag and waited a little longer, nothing happened, so I knelt down and looked under the car. I was shocked to find that the ball had vanished! I checked under all the parked cars and there was no trace of it anywhere. I looked up at the dark murky sky, registering the thought that I needed to hurry before it rained. Suddenly, the clouds opened up and it started bucketing it down. All traces of the ball in my mind vanished as I started to run towards where I lived. I hated the rain with a vengeance. Squish squash came the sound from my pumps as I approached the back gate. Bloody feet are soaked again, I muttered to myself. I opened the gate and entered the garden, running towards the back door. Once inside, I quickly removed my pumps. I was squeezing the water out of them when the bloody lino from inside the shoes fell out into the sink.
“Look what Mum and Dad bought us,” I heard from behind me. I turned round to see them showing off their new pumps. My brothers and sisters had this horrible smirk on their faces.
“Couldn’t get your size,” my mother shouted from the living room. “I’ll have to cut some more lino for yours,” she bellowed, like it was a major chore.
I walked into the living room, sticking my pumps and socks in front of the open fire. “Can I put the telly on?” I asked.
“No you can’t. Your father will be home soon.”
I sat and watched the steam rise from my pumps; the fire was spitting loads of charcoal all over them. Then it hit me; Ann’s party was tonight and I had completely forgotten. How could I? I jumped up and ran upstairs to my bedroom. I had just started to rummage through my wardrobe to see what I could wear when I heard him pull up on his moped. I heard the key turn in the lock and then he was in. I stopped what I was doing and sat on the bed in silence, listening.
“Where is he?” came a thunderous scream from downstairs.
I was shaking and tried to wrack my brains for what I could have done wrong this time. But I couldn’t think of anything. I heard heavy footsteps bounding up the stairs. Suddenly the door flung open so fast that it nearly came off its hinges.
“How many times have I told you not to put your bloody footwear in front of the fire?” With that, he threw my pumps straight into my face. The force of the impact knocked me off the bed and I clutched my face as I lay on the floor.
“Get up,” he blasted. “Get up now, do you hear me, boy?”
I slowly raised myself to my feet. My legs were shaking violently. I glanced in the wardrobe mirror and saw that my nose was bleeding; it had run under my chin and onto my shirt. I also had a small cut
I sat there in silence, thinking over what Rose had just told me. It was a lot to take in but even though I was not yet fifteen, I knew in my heart that she was somewhere near the truth.
“Eddie, I will find out who this Terry is and what he wants from you, but not today. Tomorrow will be a good day to get in touch with him.”
“Shall I come tomorrow, Rose?” I asked nervously.
“No, it would be best if you were not present. Come and see me on Monday afternoon, Eddie,” Rose said, with a comforting smile.
“OK, Rose, I’ll see you on Monday.”
I left Rose’s and headed down Talford Road. Nearing the bottom, something hit me between my shoulders. I turned round rather sharpish and noticed a football bouncing up and down close by. It eventually ended up under a Ford Zodiac. I stood there, scanning the street, but there wasn’t anyone about. Nobody came along to claim the ball. It must have come over from one of the gardens, I reasoned. I waited a few minutes to see if anyone came looking for his or her ball. I lit a fag and waited a little longer, nothing happened, so I knelt down and looked under the car. I was shocked to find that the ball had vanished! I checked under all the parked cars and there was no trace of it anywhere. I looked up at the dark murky sky, registering the thought that I needed to hurry before it rained. Suddenly, the clouds opened up and it started bucketing it down. All traces of the ball in my mind vanished as I started to run towards where I lived. I hated the rain with a vengeance. Squish squash came the sound from my pumps as I approached the back gate. Bloody feet are soaked again, I muttered to myself. I opened the gate and entered the garden, running towards the back door. Once inside, I quickly removed my pumps. I was squeezing the water out of them when the bloody lino from inside the shoes fell out into the sink.
“Look what Mum and Dad bought us,” I heard from behind me. I turned round to see them showing off their new pumps. My brothers and sisters had this horrible smirk on their faces.
“Couldn’t get your size,” my mother shouted from the living room. “I’ll have to cut some more lino for yours,” she bellowed, like it was a major chore.
I walked into the living room, sticking my pumps and socks in front of the open fire. “Can I put the telly on?” I asked.
“No you can’t. Your father will be home soon.”
I sat and watched the steam rise from my pumps; the fire was spitting loads of charcoal all over them. Then it hit me; Ann’s party was tonight and I had completely forgotten. How could I? I jumped up and ran upstairs to my bedroom. I had just started to rummage through my wardrobe to see what I could wear when I heard him pull up on his moped. I heard the key turn in the lock and then he was in. I stopped what I was doing and sat on the bed in silence, listening.
“Where is he?” came a thunderous scream from downstairs.
I was shaking and tried to wrack my brains for what I could have done wrong this time. But I couldn’t think of anything. I heard heavy footsteps bounding up the stairs. Suddenly the door flung open so fast that it nearly came off its hinges.
“How many times have I told you not to put your bloody footwear in front of the fire?” With that, he threw my pumps straight into my face. The force of the impact knocked me off the bed and I clutched my face as I lay on the floor.
“Get up,” he blasted. “Get up now, do you hear me, boy?”
I slowly raised myself to my feet. My legs were shaking violently. I glanced in the wardrobe mirror and saw that my nose was bleeding; it had run under my chin and onto my shirt. I also had a small cut
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