Scrap 41
By jcizod103
- 386 reads
SCRAP 41
‘Here he is at last, the dirty stop-out.’ Frank has made 23 deliveries to Midlands wholesale markets, he is tired and hungry and considering the miles he’s clocked up it is surprising he has made it to the docks before lunchtime. He frowns at the security guard and taps his watch. ‘I reckon I’ve done quite well considering it’s all hand stacking. Anyway, what’s it got to do with you sitting there in your cosy hut?
The security guard leans closer, lowering his voice. ‘There’s been a woman looking for you,’ he says, ‘five foot nothing, bottle blonde hair, and out here.’ He indicates that the woman is heavily pregnant. ‘And she had her mother with her.’
Frank is mystified, and says it’s nothing to do with him. ‘Did you tell them anything?’ he asks. The security guard gestures with his arms, ‘not a word my son, wouldn’t want to drop you in it now.’ Frank is sure that’s exactly what he would do if it made good sport but he thanks him and drives straight down to the empty loading bay.
The stevedores are enjoying another of their tea breaks and make Frank wait twenty minutes before going back to work. John has been waiting gleefully to find out all the gossip concerning the mystery woman and her mother. ‘Ginger reckons it’s that ‘Naughty Norah’ from Chatham,’ he tells Frank, ‘says you put her up the duff.’
Frank is in no mood for gossip about his private life and assures the stevedore there is no truth in the rumour. He has, however, no explanation to offer as to why the woman was seeking him out. Anyway, if it is Naughty Norah who is looking for him it is definitely not his baby she is carrying. He finishes loading in silence, not even bothering to try for the extra pallet of goods, which must be a first. Something is clearly bothering him so it must be something to do with the woman after all.
Scotty is waiting in the café when Frank arrives, and joins him at the counter. All eyes are on them and a hush goes about the room. Frank orders a huge fry-up, takes a mug of tea and follows Scotty to a table as far away as possible from the rest of the diners. ‘Well,’ asks Scotty, ‘who is she then?’
Frank denies all knowledge of the mystery woman and sits quietly drinking his tea, into which he has stirred six spoonsful of sugar. ‘You must know her,’ insists his friend, ‘skirt up to her knickers, bleached blonde hair, half a ton of make-up and very much in the club.’ Frank still insists he is none the wiser. ‘Well she obviously knows you,’ Scotty continues, ‘and so does her mother.’
Frank’s breakfast arrives and he fills his mouth with half a sausage loaded with tomato sauce. Scotty still won’t shut up about the visitor. ‘Ginger reckons she’s that bit of rough from up Chatham way, goes with any bloke for a fiver. You must have heard of her, she’s had half the blokes in Kent from what I’ve heard.’
It takes a surprisingly short time for Frank to work his way through a plate of sausage, eggs, beans, mushrooms, fried bread and bacon. He wipes the plate with a chunk of buttered bread and stuffs the lot in his mouth. He is refusing to give any clue to his pal and Scotty has to admit defeat and change the subject.
‘Here, I hope you haven’t got anything dodgy down at the farm,’ he says, ‘only the law was swarming over the place in the night.’
Frank is eager to learn more on this subject, and relieved that he cleared out the lock-up a week ago. ‘I haven’t been up there for a few days; I wonder what’s going on?’ Nobody has the low-down but everyone thinks they must have found some contraband in the lock-up. Typical of folk to jump to conclusions. He will have to drive over later to find out what’s happened.
‘So you really don’t know this woman?’ asks Scotty, ‘and you definitely haven’t got her in the club?’ Frank stares straight into his pal’s eyes, ‘I tell you for a fact, I am not responsible for the woman being in the club, now let that be an end to the matter.’
Naughty Norah may have been with half the men in Kent but she has certainly not been with Frank, on account of her being his sister.
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