A Near Miss - Competition Entry

A Near Miss

Blandon Street had an old Victorian building that was run-down, rat infested, and dirty. It ran the whole length of the road and I wasn’t allowed anywhere near it.
The people from Blandon were rough and had a reputation for violence and thievery. There was always arguing between our side of the road and theirs. Unfortunately the newly built play park was on theirs.
We walked into the park through the gates at the far end and sat on the swings, before we knew what had happened we were surrounded.
“This is our playground and your not allowed in it,” said a scruffy boy.
“Who says?” spat Sarah, standing up to face him, not showing any fear at all, whereas I wanted to run.
“I say!” The voice came from nowhere.
The gang parted down the middle and a girl of about fourteen walked towards us.
“I say you’re not allowed in ‘ere wivout my permission.”
“And who are you?” Sarah was doing a very good impression of bravery and I didn’t feel the need to interrupt her.
The girl was taller than Sarah, wider than Sarah and had a glint in her eye that showed no fear. Sarah stood strong and determined whilst I hid behind her. They were almost nose to nose.
“Oi! Leave ‘em alone,” all of us turned to see a young man running across the park towards us.
Relief swept over me, I wasn’t going to be killed after all.
“You alright Sarah? Christina you ok?” he asked looking at me concerned.
Sarah and I nodded.
“That’s my sister,” said Roman out of breath.
“I didn’t know she was your sister Roman ‘onest, I wouldn’t ‘ave picked on ‘er if I’d known.”
“It’s all right Susie, no ‘arm done.” Turning to Sarah he said. “Are you mad bringing Christina in ‘ere, they’d ‘ave given you a good ‘iding if I ‘adn’t of stopped ‘em.”
“Don’t shout at me, it was Christina’s idea in the first place, besides I knew you wouldn’t be far away.” He smiled.
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet my sister Sarah and my friend Christina,”
They said “’ello” in unison.
Roman walked around the gang introducing them as he went.
“Susie you know, this is Frankie, Stumpy, Four-eyes, Willy, Lizzie, Tea Leaf, Fingers, Ding Dong, Annie and this little bugger is Susie’s brother Kipper.
A spark of recognition registered in me. A light went on in my brain then it turned red.
I walked up to Frankie. “Are you Frankie Johnson?” I asked him.
“Yeah why?” he replied. In a split second I had punched Frankie so hard in the mouth he fell backwards off the swing he was sitting on and landed with a smack on the tarmac. He clasped his hand to his mouth. He was bleeding.”
“What the f***ing hell was that for?” and he lunged towards me. Roman got there before him and stood in front of me.
“Christina why did you do that?” said Roman quite shocked, but laughing.
“He was the one that threw that brick at my brother Charlie and split his head, he had to have five stitches in it.”
“I remember that,” said Kipper. “It was Frankie that hit Charlie.” Susie bashed Kipper round the ear.
“Blimey, wot was that for?” he whined, rubbing his now red ear.
“You don’t grass,”
“It was a bloody accident.” Shouted Frankie. “I was aiming for Mickey Carter but he ducked and the brick hit Charlie instead. He should’ve got out of the bleedin’ way.”
“Well as I see it, Christina had every right to get Frankie back for wot he’d done to her little brother.” Said Roman holding court.
After a few pensive moments, the atmosphere relaxed. Frankie went off in a huff somewhere to lick his wound and restore his pride.
The Blandon gang were quite impressed with my outburst. They understood revenge and sticking together, they understood loyalty.
Most of the Blandon gang did not go to school. Some worked down the market pushing the barrows and cleaning up the streets. Others stole for a living. But deep down we were all kids together and it wasn’t long before any barriers were down and we were playing tag, or just sailing as high as we could on the swings.
The park had iron railings surrounding it and looked like a long line of spears and there was a clear view of our flats across the road.
I desperately needed the toilet when Kipper said he’d take me to one on his landing.
The entrance to the block was very dark and cold and smelt revolting.
It took a while to adjust to the darkness and Kipper must have seen the look of disgust on my face.
“You get used to it,”
“What’s that horrible smell?”
“That’s Old Ma Watkins, she’s boiling half a pigs head.”
I nearly tripped over an old pram with three wheels.
“Mind the stairs,” he told me. “Most of the spindles ‘ave been used for firewood.”
On the first landing there were five doors.
“Is this your living room?” I asked.
“You could say that,” he said, “its also the bedroom, and the kitchen.” He saw my confusion.
“Each door is a different bedsit. There are five bedsits on each floor and four floors. On every floor there is one toilet and ours is over there.”
“You mean your family has to share the toilet?” I asked.
“Yeah mine and everyone else’s.”
There was no door or even a frame. Firewood I suspected.
But there was no curtain or privacy or toilet seat either. The toilet itself was black with dirt and encrusted bodily waste and in the corner was an enamel bucket filled with dirty nappies. The cistern was high up on the wall, with just a thin length of string to flush it with but that was the only part that looked anything like the one we had at home.
There was no way that I was going to pee in there, and the rat running past my foot, out from behind the nappy bucket finalised my decision.
“CHRISTINA! CHRISTINA!”
“Thank God!” I said to myself.
I ran down the stairs and bumped right into Sarah coming up the other way.
“Christina, it’s your Mum. I think she’s calling you over the balcony.”
I ran as fast as I could back outside, taking big gulps of fresh air. Hiding behind the roundabout in the park, I could see my mum leaning over the balcony, calling my name.
“Quick follow me,” Roman took me by the hand all the other kids surrounded me so that my Mum couldn’t make me out if she looked across to the park.
Slowly we made our way to the gate, like a huge centipede. Using the low wall that surrounded the square as cover, Roman made us get down on our hands and knees and crawl along the ground at the base, and away from the enemies view. Walking slowly and upright Roman tried to appear casual, whistling as he went.
“Christina!” my Mum called.
Roman with me and Sarah at his feet had reached the entrance gap in the brick wall and couldn’t go any further.
“Christina!” she called again.
“Er hello Mrs Butler.” Roman called up to her.
“Are you looking for Christina?” he asked innocently.
Sarah pulled on his trouser leg, “What are you doing?” she said between clenched teeth.
“She’s playing in Sarah’s bedroom, would you like me to go and get her?”
“Oh that would be lovely, thanks Roman.” With that Mum went inside and closed the front door.
“Now RUN!!” commanded Roman.
We ran full pelt underneath the overhang of the first floor balcony until we got to the stairs. Then we both bolted up to my flat. Waiting outside the front door until we caught our breath. Sarah and I breezed in as cool as you like.
“Did you call me?” I said innocently.
“I just wanted to make sure that you hadn’t left the square. That’s all.”
“Can I go back out?” I asked.
“Ok, but don’t leave the square.” She looked at me with that, do as I say or else look.
Sarah and I laughed all the way down the stairs.
“Blimey Christina that was close,” said Roman.
Standing beside the low wall, Sarah and I could hear our names being called in the distance. We looked over at the park and could see Susie and Kipper and the others waving at us. We waved back. Roman and Sarah sat on the wall laughing at my near miss.
It was then I realised that Blandon Street and the life that Susie, Kipper and even Frankie had, was a world away from mine. It wasn’t just a road separating us, it was much more. More than I understood at the time.