The Estate_Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold Read online

  Melanie pulled her brother closer to her like a lioness protecting her young. She’d smash his teeth in if he thought he could embarrass her younger brother like this. She defended him. “He’s waiting near the bonfire. Do you think I would take him where there could be trouble and he could get hurt?”

  John stepped forward and their eyes met. “Just make sure the geek stays well away from me. Here we are trying to make a name for ourselves and you’re bringing the ant hill mob out with us. Fucking hell, imagine what everyone will think.”

  “Wind your neck in. He’s no trouble,” Melanie growled. John looked William up and down and started to walk off. Melanie was fuming and as soon as he passed her she couldn’t wait to slag him off to Diane. “He’s a complete nob when he’s like that. And, to think I was going to let him finger me if the chance came along. He can take a running jump now and kiss my arse. My legs are firmly shut.”

  Diane covered her mouth with her hand and made sure she was safe to talk. “Are you being serious about him fingering you. I thought you was messing about. Ewww… there is no way I would let any boy touch my privates.”

  Melanie was cooling down now and kept a close eye on her brother who was running in front of them. “I am deadly serious. Well, if he could find my hole underneath all that monkey fluff. I swear to you, I was as bald as a coot then the next thing, my fanny started to look like Captain Caveman, is yours like that? I mean, bushy.”

  Diane was alarmed and stuck for words. Melanie just said what she was thinking, she just blurted it out no matter how rude it was. Diane kept her voice low. “My lady garden is alright I think. It might be because you’re slightly older than me.”

  “I think I’m turning into a man. Honest, under my arm-pits are the same and my legs are really hairy too.”

  Diane could see this was something that obviously bothered her best friend and she tried not to laugh. “Maybe, you could use some of that Immac cream that is advertised on the TV. It says it gets rid of unwanted hair, so perhaps try that.”

  “We will have to nick some from the shop. Remind me when we go into Asda later. I’ll have one away. I’ll get you one too if you keep dog for me?”

  “Yeah deffo. I don’t want a big hairy biff either. We’ll do it together. But don’t tell anyone.”

  “My lips are sealed,” she replied.

  The gang was getting bigger as they walked to the centre of the estate. Kids were just coming out their houses and walking with them. John stood with his hands in his pocket and looked at his crew. He was the main man here today and they were all waiting on him to tell them their orders. Gary was at his side and smiling over at the girls, making funny faces, going cock-eyed. He was a right head the ball, potty he was. William had crawled inside the bonfire and sat on the old arm chair positioned in the middle of it. This was where he was going to stay while the others went in search of new wood. He would guard the bonfire with his life. If anyone came near this wooden fortress he would scream at the top of his voice and alert the others. Maybe, he would have a sleep too, just to pass the time.

  John coughed to clear his throat. “Right, let’s go and rob some bommy wood. Someone said that the Monsall lot have stashed their wood until bonfire night because they know we will nick it.” Gary chirped in and sniggered. “They know us too well. Do you remember this time last year when we had them two sofas from them and that wardrobe? The lot of them were parrot when they clocked it burning on our fire.” They all laughed and nodded their heads. That was a great day, a time when they came out on top for once. John was the leader here today and as soon as he made a move, the rest of the kids followed.

  Bobby Jacobs was next to Gary and he was munching on a brown sauce butty. With a full mouthful he spoke to him. “You can have a bite if you want. I’ve got another one in my coat pocket. My mam said I had to have something to eat before I came out, so I had to bring it with me.” Gary reached over and took a large bite of the sandwich. Small trickles of brown sauce dribbled down the side of his mouth as he enjoyed the first thing he’d eaten all morning. None of the children had much to eat before they came out to play, just a bowl of Frosties or Rice-krispies. That was all they needed to keep them going until it was teatime. There were no packed lunches for this generation of children, they were soldiers who marched on empty stomachs.

  Melanie dipped her head inside the bonfire and tweaked William’s ear. “Right you. You’re on guard here. If anybody comes within an inch of our bonfire wood, fucking whack them over the head with this,” she passed him a chunky piece of timber and rammed it in his hand. “Here, grip it then, swing it back and show me that you can use it.”

  William was excited as he stood up. “I can, I will smash them up. Watch me.” William, swung the weapon around and around in the air and nearly had her eyes out.

  She gripped him and pushed him back on his seat. “Right, just do that. I’ll be back soon. Don’t move from here, do you hear me, stay put.”

  William straightened his glasses and wiped the lenses with the edge of his t-shirt. This fighting business was hard work and he was struggling to catch his breath. “I’ll have a sleep first,” he mumbled under his breath. All this talking of fighting and pinching wood had made him tired.

  The gang marched along the streets, there were fifteen of them in total. They were team-handed and ready for action. It was cold and none of them had prepared for the strong gust of northerly winds smashing into their faces as they marched along the street. The white flats, or Lego land as the kids called it, weren’t far from the two-hundred estate. There was a large white path between these two estates and unless you had someone with you, you would never cross into enemy lines. Melanie had once been to the late night outdoor shop that was on the edge of the white flats estate and even with her mother by her side, she always zipped her coat up high and kept her identity covered. If any of the kids from the rival gang had seen her they would have attacked her for sure. Even though she was with her mother, they had no respect. They would have slagged her mum off and called her names, probably thrown something at them both. The outdoor shop was the only store that opened after six o’clock. A Nigerian family ran it and Melanie’s mother only really went there when she was desperate. She wasn’t racist, as she didn’t know any black people, but she was unnerved by people a different colour to her. Melanie’s dad, however, was a full-blown racist. He never hid it either. As soon as a black person came on TV he would always come out with racist remarks. “Go on you black Tusha, get back to the jungle and take fucking Kunte Kinti with you!” He was terrible, no respect for anybody who wasn’t the same colour as himself. He was that bad that Marion would never tell him that the bread she bought was from the Nigerian’s store. He would of shit a brick if he knew, he would never knowingly eat anything that black hands had touched, no way in this world.

  Melanie always joked with her father regarding marrying a black man. He would go ballistic just at the thought of it. “No black cunt will ever step foot over my door. Over my dead body,” he snarled. He meant every word of it too. Then again Melanie didn’t really know any coloured kids. There was a black family who lived in the flats when they were younger who’d she seen a few times, but she was never allowed to play with them. It was their hair that intrigued Melanie. She wondered if it felt like wire wool and why they used a fork like comb on it. There were so many questions left answered, things she would find out for herself when the time was right. They were still human beings after all and although her father didn’t like different races, she was willing to give them a go.

  John picked up a large grey ducker at the side of his foot, he was arming himself for the rival gang. Stone throwing at each other was the way they fought sometimes, big red bricks launched at each other’s head. With no care about what damage it would cause. Martin Kyte was the only one of the gang that had been seriously injured by a stone so far. The rest of them had got off lightly really. Of course, a few duckers had caused little scars on their bodies
but nothing too serious. That was a bad day indeed for all involved especially Martin It wasn’t a big fight between the kids either, just a bit of name calling and running at each other. It was Lenny Jackson who took it to the next level. Just as they were walking away, the stone come from nowhere and smashed into the side of Martin’s head. The blood pumped from the wound and even now people who were there and witnessed it all said they could see the bones sticking out from his skull. Martin’s parents were up in arms and Melanie was summoned by her parents to tell them what really went on. She was loyal though, she wouldn’t grass. She stuck to her guns. To betray your mates, to tell the truth of the real story was something she could never do. Especially when the elders were involved. They all stuck to the same story. Melanie’s mother knew when her daughter was lying and even though she knew her story was a load of lies she left her to it. I mean, who wants the old bill knocking at your door asking questions? No, Marion kept the filth as far away as possible from her front door.

  Gary scrambled to the ground and picked up a sharp-edged stone. They owed them bastards for the scar on Martin’s head. Five stitches the kid had, a war wound that would stay with him until his dying day. They wanted revenge, payback. The gang walked slowly onto “Lego Land”. There was an eerie silence and as they huddled closer together. Was the Monsall firm watching them, ready to ambush at any second? John whispered to his gang. “Right keep your eyes open and look for that wood. It’s here somewhere, just keep your eyes peeled.” Melanie zipped her blue “Umbro” padded jacket up and kept her head low. If a ducker came flying over there was no way she wanted it hitting her in her face.

  Diane spoke in a timid voice. “I’m shitting it. Why is it so quiet?”

  “I don’t know, something just doesn’t feel right. Where are they?” Maybe the other gang was out logging too or maybe they’ve been grounded by their parents. It wouldn’t have been the first time one of the top dogs had been battered by their old man for bad behaviour. Word on the street told them that Lenny Jackson’s dad was a right evil bastard. He used to pull his black buckled belt from his pants and whack his son across his bare arse with it for bad behaviour. A lot of the kids got a clip around the ear but there were some adults who went a step too far and Lenny’s dad was one of them.

  John held a single finger to his mouth as his head twisted back behind him, he was spooked. “I can see their bonfire. There is no one there guarding it. We need to be quick and grab what we can. Fucking hell, what a result.”

  Gary peered around the corner and he was smirking as he looked at the girls. “You two get that armchair. We’ll get the rest.”

  Melanie nodded to confirm she’d understood, her heart was beating ten to the dozen and the colour drained from her face.

  Diane gripped her arm and whispered in a low voice. “If that Mandy Dawson is there please don’t let her get me. You can deal with her. You know I’m not really a fighter.”

  Melanie nodded. Diane was right, she was a fighter and all the girls from the other estates knew she was the main girl to contend with. Diane was shivering, teeth chattering together. Of course she would fight if she had too, but only if she really had too. She always made sure she was as far as she could be from any trouble once it kicked off. She hated violence, hated that people could hurt each other. Her family life was calm and loving. There was not even any swearing allowed in her house. If her parents knew she was using foul language when they weren’t around they would have gone mad. She was “brought up not dragged up”, at least that’s what her mother always told her anyway.

  John was ready to attack, eyes wide open, body bent over slightly. He gave the signal with his hand and all the gang bombed it to the bonfire wood. As they started to carry it off, each of them smiled. Their mission had been successful, what a result. There bonfire was going to be the biggest in the land, the biggest in the world or so they thought. But where was Lenny and his tribe? Something strange was happening here. Their rival gang’s bonfire was left unattended. At this time of the year that was unheard of. Where were the mob? Where were they hiding?

  Lenny Jackson and his boys lay flat on their stomach as they scrambled over the grass verge. Like German snipers they were ready to ambush and take what they wanted. Lenny licked his lips slowly as he spoke to his wingman Jordan. “They’ll be gutted when they find out their bonfire has been torched. That will teach them to mess with us big boys. Imagine leaving it all here for the taking. At least our kid is watching ours. I’ve told him if anything happens to it I’m going to kick his head in. And, I will you know,” he was serious, his head nodding at speed. “I’ve battered him loads of times when he’s given me cheek. He cries like a big baby when I blast a punch right on the end of his snozzle.”

  Jordan didn’t question a word he said. He’d heard the screaming from outside Lenny’s house when he’d walked past, everyone had. The kids said it was Lenny’s dad who was doing the beating though. He’d never questioned Lenny about it, his word was gospel. Mandy Dawson flicked the side of his ear and hissed. “Derr, what about the big girls too. I am here too. I am part of this gang as well?”

  Lenny sighed. “Oh, fuck off moaning. You know what I mean. You have a right chip on your shoulder you do. You’re classed as one of us so you’re a big boy too just like us. I can’t be arsed saying and girls too every time we do something. Stop moaning, are you on the rag or something?”

  Mandy rounded her pale fingers together and pressed her fist against his leg with force. “Carry on and I’ll dead leg you, you ginger fucker.”

  Lenny smirked and pushed her hand away. “Why are you always touching me. Do you fancy me or something?”

  Mandy blushed and moved as far away from him as she could. “No way, you’re hanging. I’d never fancy someone like you. Look at you!”

  Lenny rolled his eyes and sniggered to his mate. “She does, I know it. I can tell by the way she looks at me. I bet you in another few months she’ll be giving me a gobble.”

  Mandy started to chuckle and calmed down. Lenny was such a joker. Ever since he’d found a fanny magazine on a nearby field he thought he knew everything he needed to know about the female body. Of course, Mandy had looked at the magazine too. They all did. There was no way she could show she was embarrassed though. She was one of the lads and had to put on a brave face when it came to stuff like this. All of them had a great laugh that day. Lenny was licking the fannies on the pages and every time there was a penis image he’d rub the page into Mandy’ face. That was the first time she’d ever seen a penis in its full glory. It scared her, it was ugly and not something she was eager to see again. The females in the magazine didn’t look like her though. For weeks after seeing the magazine, she’d stared in the mirror pushing her boobs up and sucking her stomach in. Her mother said it was puppy fat and it would disappear when she was older but the roll of blubber around her waistline was just getting bigger and bigger.

  Lenny was ready to make a move. They’d been watching now for over ten minutes. There was nothing, not a sound. Lenny stood up and shoved one hand down the front of his tracksuit bottoms. He was always playing with his tackle, flicking it about, rubbing it. “Come on then. Mandy and Jordan grab that lot of wood over there and I’ll start a fire. I want this blazing before they come back. I would love to see their faces when they find out it’s been torched. Us Monsall kids are two steps in front of them and one behind, crafty we are.”

  Mandy and Jordan rushed to a pile of timber nearby and started to load it up. Lenny stood looking at the bonfire and smirked. He lit the piece of paper in his hand and threw it into the middle of the bonfire. He stood for a few seconds until he saw it blazing and walked back. This was a job well done. He loved the smell of fires and he was always getting in trouble for messing about with matches. Lenny ran back to the others and started to grab some logs. Once they had all the wood they could carry they moved off quickly through the estate.

  Ten minutes had passed, and the bonfire was blazing. You
could hear the crackling from the fire. All their hard work was ruined. They would never replace all the wood they’d lost, no way in this world. A few of the kids were gathering around the fire now. They made no attempt to put the blaze out either. What was the point? They just sat down and watched the black smoke rising into the sky.

  John and Gary were strained as they carried the sofa through the estate. John was sweating, and he kept dropping the sofa to the floor and resting. Melanie and Diane were right behind them and kept moaning that the sideboard they’d ended up carrying was too heavy. “We’ll be there in five minutes, stop moaning,” John stressed.

  Diane was struggling, and her cheeks were beetroot. “I’m on my period Melanie. I shouldn’t be doing anything strenuous.”

  Melanie raised her eyebrows. “What planet are you on. Who said you can’t do anything?”

  “I read it in a book. You can’t wash your hair, and you need to lie down a lot. It’s something to do with your hormones.”

  Melanie chuckled. Her period had still not arrived yet and she hated that most of the girls that she knew had started theirs. Her mother had told her it would come when it was ready, but up to date, she was not a bleeder. “I don’t care if you’re on the blob. I’m not carrying this on my own, so button it and keep walking.”

  The gang marched back onto the estate, big thick black smoke was in the air. John dropped the sofa and looked over at Gary. “What the fuck is that smoke?” This was a code red and everyone dropped what they had in their hands and motored towards the fire. John spotted it first and dropped to his knees and dragged his fingers through his hair. He was devastated. “They’ve burnt it. Look, they’ve set the lot on fucking fire. The dirty low-life bastards. How could they do that to us?”

  Gary was walking around in a circle and kicking the floor. “The cheeky twats. Come on, let’s go back to their estate and leather them. There’s enough of us. Come on, we’ll kick the living daylights out of them.”