me there, or gone to play on the rope swing nearby. I was doomed. I was going to end up in Coxs Creek. I was never going to see Mum and Dad again. I don’t know what it was that came up out of my throat next; a wail of despair or a shriek of sheer terror. I was as good as dead. I started climbing up the rungs, clinging to whatever hopes I could muster. Maybe the water level wouldn’t rise all the way to the top of thetunnel. Maybe my pals would come back for me. I still couldn’t believe Nigel had left me there. What would he tell Mum? He’d never get away with it. Dad would kill him. I couldn’t believe Eric would leave me there, either. But my brother and my best pal had been in on it from the start. My hand touched the manhole cover. I’d climbed as high as I could go. There was nothing more I could do except wait for the water to come and take me. And add to the flood with my tears.
Even when I heard the grate of iron on concrete I couldn’t stop crying. I tried, God help me. The manhole cover slipped back in place twice as they tried to lever it off. That wasn’t all that unusual, but in that brief delay the wave of relief that had engulfed me was matched by an equally large surge of anger. For once I didn’t care that my pals could see me crying. For once I didn’t care about their taunts. I was going to get even. And this Pommy kid knew how.
‘You bastards,’ I screamed as I climbed out of the manhole. ‘The water’s rising!’
That stopped them. I knew it would. It was bad enough that they’d trapped me down there. That went against all the rules. But to trap me while the water was rising was unthinkable. And unforgivable. Guilt and fear hit them in equal measure because each of them knew exactly what I’d say next. And I said it.
‘I’m going to tell Dad on you.’
There was nothing they could say to stop me. Theyall knew they’d gone way too far. They all knew the consequences. I’d told on them before.
‘I’m going to check,’ said Maxie. I could hear the fear in his voice, we all could, but I was the only one who felt good about it. He climbed down into the shaft. The others immediately recognised the thin thread of hope and clung to it. They clustered around the hole anxiously. I started walking home. My crying calmed to intermittent sobs and I used my sleeves to dry my eyes. Now that I was out of danger I was more intent on getting even. Dad wouldn’t just belt the daylights out of Nigel, in his no-nonsense north-country way he’d go to see each of the boys’ fathers and make sure they got a belting as well. My pals had every right to be scared. I guess I’d got a hundred-yard start before they came after me. They circled me like scared dogs; they didn’t want to let me go home but were unwilling to stop me in case it made matters worse.
‘The water’s only come up as far as the walkway,’ said Maxie. ‘You weren’t in any danger.’
‘The walkway,’ echoed the others. ‘You weren’t in any trouble.’
I ignored them.
‘We’re sorry,’ said Ken. ‘Please don’t tell your dad. It was just a joke.’
Some joke.
‘I wasn’t in on it,’ said Gary. ‘I was the one who made them take the cover off.’
I believed him but was in no mood to be charitable.
‘Dad’ll belt you, too,’ said Nigel. ‘It stands to reason. He’ll belt you for going down the drain in the first place.’ His voice always seemed to jump an octave when he was scared.
‘We were only teasing,’ said Eric. His father had a big leather strop he threatened Maxie and him with. No wonder he was worried. ‘We wouldn’t have tricked you if you’d let us have the soccer ball the other day. We were just getting even.’
I knew immediately what day he was referring to—the day I’d stayed home to work on ‘The Burden of Responsibility’. When they’d asked for the ball I’d refused to hand it over because I didn’t want it to get all wet and soggy. I figured they’d thank me for it
Even when I heard the grate of iron on concrete I couldn’t stop crying. I tried, God help me. The manhole cover slipped back in place twice as they tried to lever it off. That wasn’t all that unusual, but in that brief delay the wave of relief that had engulfed me was matched by an equally large surge of anger. For once I didn’t care that my pals could see me crying. For once I didn’t care about their taunts. I was going to get even. And this Pommy kid knew how.
‘You bastards,’ I screamed as I climbed out of the manhole. ‘The water’s rising!’
That stopped them. I knew it would. It was bad enough that they’d trapped me down there. That went against all the rules. But to trap me while the water was rising was unthinkable. And unforgivable. Guilt and fear hit them in equal measure because each of them knew exactly what I’d say next. And I said it.
‘I’m going to tell Dad on you.’
There was nothing they could say to stop me. Theyall knew they’d gone way too far. They all knew the consequences. I’d told on them before.
‘I’m going to check,’ said Maxie. I could hear the fear in his voice, we all could, but I was the only one who felt good about it. He climbed down into the shaft. The others immediately recognised the thin thread of hope and clung to it. They clustered around the hole anxiously. I started walking home. My crying calmed to intermittent sobs and I used my sleeves to dry my eyes. Now that I was out of danger I was more intent on getting even. Dad wouldn’t just belt the daylights out of Nigel, in his no-nonsense north-country way he’d go to see each of the boys’ fathers and make sure they got a belting as well. My pals had every right to be scared. I guess I’d got a hundred-yard start before they came after me. They circled me like scared dogs; they didn’t want to let me go home but were unwilling to stop me in case it made matters worse.
‘The water’s only come up as far as the walkway,’ said Maxie. ‘You weren’t in any danger.’
‘The walkway,’ echoed the others. ‘You weren’t in any trouble.’
I ignored them.
‘We’re sorry,’ said Ken. ‘Please don’t tell your dad. It was just a joke.’
Some joke.
‘I wasn’t in on it,’ said Gary. ‘I was the one who made them take the cover off.’
I believed him but was in no mood to be charitable.
‘Dad’ll belt you, too,’ said Nigel. ‘It stands to reason. He’ll belt you for going down the drain in the first place.’ His voice always seemed to jump an octave when he was scared.
‘We were only teasing,’ said Eric. His father had a big leather strop he threatened Maxie and him with. No wonder he was worried. ‘We wouldn’t have tricked you if you’d let us have the soccer ball the other day. We were just getting even.’
I knew immediately what day he was referring to—the day I’d stayed home to work on ‘The Burden of Responsibility’. When they’d asked for the ball I’d refused to hand it over because I didn’t want it to get all wet and soggy. I figured they’d thank me for it
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