Lay Low

Chapter Six

I closed the door to the house and took my boots off, a grin still plastered across my face.

Looking up the stairs ahead of me I could see the door to Hannah's room was shut.

That's odd, she doesn't normally go to bed this early on a Saturday night. Maybe she went to Nana Mae's.

Tony's voice called to me from the living room, "Jacob".

I walked into the living room. The TV was on but no one seemed to be watching it. Tony was perched on the edge of the sofa. He seemed to be watching Mum, who was standing by the window with a glass in her hand. He was unconsciously wringing his hands together. It only took one movement from her, for me to know she was wasted. My elated mood began to slip away.

"Well?" she said, turning in my direction. I looked at her unknowingly.

"Well...?" I asked.

"What happened with your father?" she asked, moving to the edge of the TV cabinet and pouring out a drink. I was pretty certain that she did not need another one.

"Not much really, we just got to know each other" I replied carefully.

"Not much to know about you though is there" she said gruffly, swigging a drink.

"No I guess not" I answered quietly, trying to keep my tone neutral. Keeping silent often set her off, but saying something in the 'wrong' tone was worse. Basically, you couldn't win either way.

There was a pause.

"What did you do?"

"Um, we went to the park and then for dinner and a film."

"Sounds like a date" cackled Tony, amused by his own joke. Mum's brain was struggling against the alcohol to keep up and she didn't lift a smile to him.

"I hope you paid your way" she said.

I couldn't think of a lie in time and my hesitation told her the truth.

"Jacob!"

"Well, no, he wouldn't let me. I tried to pay but he wouldn't take it".

She shot me a murderous look.

"Are you trying to show us up? Letting him think that we don't take care of you!" She stumbled in front of me, jabbing me in the chest with her finger.

"I tried, honestly Mum" I mumbled.

"Give it to me, give me the money back and I will send it to him." She shouted hysterically, thrusting her hand into my pocket and pulling the contents out - the £40 Max had given me fluttered out.

"Where did you get this?!" she demanded.

"He gave it to me, for pocket money" I said flustered.

"Pocket money! What did you tell him? That we don't provide for you, you ungrateful bastard."

"No I didn't".

"How much else did he give you, hey?"

She made a grab for my other pocket but I dodged out of her inebriated way.

I didn't want her to open my wallet and find the photo. I knew it wouldn't survive.

Tony was up in a second and held my arms back as my Mum tried to search in my pockets. I could smell his alcohol infused breath on my neck. I struggled against them both and as she pulled out the contents of one of my pockets, the envelope she had given me flew to the ground.

"You didn't give him my letter" she exclaimed without thinking. Tony's brow furrowed and watching her, pushed me out of his way and grabbed the letter from the floor. She staggered for it, but he pushed her back onto the sofa with one hand. He ripped open the letter and began to hurriedly read.

"It's not what you think" she slurred, "I just had to get it out one last time".

I had no idea what he was reading but I had a feeling Tony wasn't going to like it. I tried to melt into the wallpaper, edging towards the door.

"How could you?" he cried to her, tears in his eyes, "After everything that he did Eva, how can you say those things to him?"

He looked like a defeated man. She went to his side.

"It's not how I feel now, I love you. The whole situation has just brought it all up again. You're the one for me." She soothed.

"You bitch" he spat, his whole demeanour changing "How can you tell me you love me when you told him the same?" He waved the letter in her face.

Her approach changed in a flash and she took a step back, with a look of disgust on her face.

"Don't talk to me like that" She crossed her arms across her chest, seemingly unafraid. He roared at her and punched the couch next to her. He turned on his heel and grabbed me.

"You little bastard; this is all your fault." He screamed in my face, flem hitting me. He punched me full in the face and I fell on to the sofa. Pain soared through my nose. I cradled my face, trying to stop the pain, the blood, anything.

I looked up to see Tony ripping his belt off with such force that he tore through his trousers loops. Panic trilled through me and I dragged myself up and made a run for the door.

I was almost out of the open door, when he grabbed me by the trousers, yanking me backwards. I fell to the floor with a crash. Before I could get my bearings, he slammed the belt against my back. I howled in agony. He took a few more blows at me with the belt; I knew I couldn't afford to just stay still, I had never seen him so angry.

I started to scramble away, his grip on me lost. I got half to my feet when he rushed me into the wall, slamming my body. My head hit the dado rail with a dull thud.

Using one hand to hold me against the wall, he used the other to madly lash at me with the belt. He didn't care where; he wasn't trying to hide where he hit me now. I tried to get away again, the belt cutting into me every second.

As I almost got out of his grip again, he dropped the belt and began pounding me with his fists. I curled up on the floor, hiding as much of my body as I could. He was faltering, either through the alcohol or because I was now big enough that my struggling had tired him out.

As he straightened up to take a breath, I took my chance, scrambling past him out the living room door and bolted, half-falling up the stairs.

"Get back here!" He screamed.

I could hear Mum soothing him.

"It's ok Tony, calm down, he's had enough, leave him now love. I love you".

As I reached my room, I could hear him start to cry and her comforting him. I closed the door and stood against it.

Who was I kidding, there was no lock. He could come in at any time.

My heart still booming I turned off the light and crawled to the end of my bed, so I had full view of the door. Ten minutes later, just as my body had begun to calm a little, the door slid open. Everything in me tensed.

A small blonde head came into view. I relaxed slightly. Hannah walked to me at the edge of the bed, with her toy in hand, the moonlight guiding her. She jumped up onto the bed, and crawled next to me. She lay down close to me, and pushed down into the covers, with Gary the Gorilla wedged between us.

My heart ached alongside the rest of my body in the knowledge that she had heard everything that had just occurred. I didn't have the energy to speak; even if I did, I didn't know what to say to her. We never really spoke about what happened in this house and today was no different. I just watched her as she fell asleep, and I soon followed.