Tom All Alone 18 (i)

The peace at home never lasted long, though. Quite often now, it seemed, Tom would wake up to hear something going on upstairs - loud voices, crying, stomping footsteps. It disturbed him more and more, and for the first time he began to feel afraid of dad - the shouting, the door-slamming, the moods. Dad kept having days when he didn't come home, and mum would go out to look for him, or sit in the back kitchen and cry to herself. It haunted Tom.

Sometimes, mum would take him with her and they would get the bus over to Auntie Pat and Uncle George's in Wandsworth. Auntie Pat was dad's sister. Mum would sit in their kitchen and talk to them while he was left to play with his cousins Keith and Brendan. Keith was a year older than Tom, Brendan a year younger. Tom preferred Brendan because he was quieter, like himself. Keith, though, was loud and bossy - a bit of a bully, like Stephen at school. He had lots more toys than Tom had, including a big Scalextric set laid out on a board.

"Haven't you got a Scalextric?" Keith asked, like it was something every kid had.

"No."

"What have you got, then? What are your favourite toys?"

"I've got lots of cars. And a Lego set. And my Sooty and Sweep puppets."

"Have you still got a teddy bear?"

"Yes."

Keith sneered. "That's a bit cissy. Aren't you too old for teddy bears, and Sooty and Sweep?"

"I like them."

"I think it's cissy. I've got an Action Man with all the guns and knives. Look."

He showed Tom while Brendan watched cartoons on the telly. Tom wanted to watch the cartoons, too. Keith said they were stupid.

"Brendan's still a baby, aren't you."

"Leave me alone, Keith."

Keith mocked him, sticking his tongue out. "Leave me alone, Keith!"

He put the Action Man in a Jeep and rolled it across the carpet.

"He's got a parachute and a jet, too," Keith said. "Just like a real army man. I'm going to go in the army when I'm grown up. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

Keith found the jet and put the Action Man in it, then ran around the room holding it up, like it was flying. He aimed it towards Tom and made a machine-gun noise.

UH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH-UH.... EEEEOOOOOOWWWWWW...

It exhausted Tom just watching him.

"What team do you support?"

Tom shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"Football team, nitwit. What team do you support?"

Tom had never thought about it before.

"I don't really like football."

Keith was aghast. "What? You don't like football? Why not?"

"I just don't like it."

"How can you not like football? You must be soft."

Keith would often go out to play, leaving them there by the telly. Tom always felt relieved when he'd gone. He sat with Brendan quietly, waiting until mum was ready to go home again - longing for it to come. Sometimes, when she'd finished talking to Auntie Pat and Uncle George, she looked like she'd been crying.

Uncle George was very tall and always had his blue work overalls on because he was a caretaker in their block of flats. He always had a cigarette in his mouth, too. He made them himself from a tin of tobacco, using little squares of paper from a green packet. He'd stare down at Tom with a strange look on his face, like there was something wrong with Tom and he was trying to work out what it was. Auntie Pat was a big woman - bigger than mum - and always had her blonde hair done up high on her head. Mum said it was called a beehive, which alarmed Tom.

"Does that mean she has bees in it?"

"No, of course not. It just looks a bit like a beehive."

"I think it looks like a big candy floss."

Mum grinned. "Maybe if it was pink."

Auntie Pat had a very loud voice, too. And she also looked at Tom in a funny way. He was always very shy with them.

"Are you coming over to stay with your cousins soon, then?" she boomed at Tom.

He just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to stay there. Not without mum, too.

"Cat got your tongue, boy?"

Mum patted his shoulder.

"Answer your Auntie Pat. She said you could come over and stay here next weekend. You'll like that, won't you?"

"Do I have to?"

Auntie Pat's eyes widened. "Flamin' cheek! Ain't we good enough for you, then?"

Mum looked annoyed.

"You should be grateful to your Auntie Pat. It'll be like a little holiday for you."

He looked at his feet.

"What do you say to your Auntie Pat, then?"

"Thank you, Auntie Pat."

"I should think so, too," she boomed.

Mum got Tom's coat and shoes and helped him on with them. As they left, Uncle George gave Tom a biscuit, tousling his hair.

"Thanks, Uncle George."

"That's alright, boy."

Auntie Pat bent down and gave him a big kiss on his cheek with her red lipsticked lips. He could smell the cigarette smoke in her beehive hair.

As they walked up to the bus stop, Tom rubbed his cheek on the sleeve of his coat.

"Why do I have to stay with Auntie Pat and Uncle George, mum?"

"It's only for a couple of nights, love. And you'll have your cousins to play with. Won't you like that?"

"Not really."

"Why not? Don't you like your cousins?"

He stared down at the pavement.

"Why do I have to?"

"Because it'll be nice. It's good for you to get out more now you're growing up. It's just for the weekend, anyway. Friday night and Saturday night. Then back home on Sunday, ready for school. I used to love going to my cousins when I was your age."

"Where did they live?"

"Down in the country. We'd go there for a whole week sometimes."

"Will you be coming to pick me up on Sunday?"

"Yes, love."

They got to the stop and stood waiting for the bus.

"Will dad be driving the bus, mum?"

"Not this one, no."

"Which bus does he drive?"

"Not this one."

The wind whipped up and he shivered a bit.

"Will dad be at home when we get there?"

She looked away and up the road, towards where the bus would come from.

"I don't know, love. Depends if he's finished work yet. We'll see."

 

The following Friday, mum met Tom from school and they walked home quickly to get him changed and ready. He'd been dreading this moment all week, and now it was here he felt the dread like an animal inside him.

"I don't want to go. I want to stay at home."

"But I've told you, it's only for tonight and tomorrow night. Then I'll pick you up on Sunday."

"What about Russell?"

"Russell's going to stay at a friend's house. Dad and I have got some things to sort out at the weekend, that's all."

"What things?"

"Never mind. Your Auntie Pat and Uncle George will look after you. You can take some of your toys with you, too."

"Why can't I stay with nan instead?"

"Because nan's busy. It's just this once, Tommy. Please. It'll be a new experience for you. You'll have a lot of fun. You probably won't want to come home."

"Yes I will."

"You'll be alright."

Nan had a small suitcase, which they used for Tom's clothes and other things he would need. His toothbrush. His pajamas. He took his Sooty and Sweep, too, and a few cars. When he was washed and changed, he went with mum to catch the bus on the bridge.

"Remember to behave yourself with Auntie Pat and Uncle George. I don't want to hear bad reports from them."

"When will you be over on Sunday?"

"As soon as I can get there."

"Will you come in the morning?"

"I'll do my best. Now, don't worry."

(continued) https://www.abctales.com/story/harryc/tom-all-alone-18-ii