The Baby And Fly Pie by Melvin Burgess

Author:Melvin Burgess [Burgess, Melvin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781849399692
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

8

SHAM CAME IN late, when we were getting ready for bed. We didn’t ask him where he’d been and he didn’t say. I don’t know what time Scousie came in. He was asleep in the middle of the floor the next morning, and the whole place stank of sour booze.

There were no telephones in that part of Santy – no telephones, no electricity, no gas. You even had to buy bottled water in the shops. We were going to get a bus into London to make our call. Scousie had offered to organise a radio phone, but we wanted to get right away from where we were staying in case they traced the call, so we told him we had to go somewhere to try and meet our parents.

Nearly all the buses from our part of Santy went by Farthing Down and we didn’t dare go through there. We had to catch one bus across Santy and then another into London. We were in Sidcup before we felt far enough away.

We got off by a pub on a busy street corner and almost at once we were sick scared. This was it. I’d never heard of anyone trying to ring up a man like John Tallus. You had the feeling bad was bound to come from it – that it was bad luck even to mention his name, even though we were only trying to do him a favour.

We walked up and down the street a few times. Sy was happy, rattling along in the pushchair Sally gave us. Sham walked behind, as if the whole thing was nothing to do with him. He wasn’t part of us now, not since last night. Jane was worried because we might not have enough change to put in the telephone so we went and changed some money – loads, far too much of it. Sham was looking the whole time as if he knew better, which he probably did. Then we walked up and down while Jane kept trying to decide which phone box was the best one to call from, as if that made any difference.

‘You’re just scared,’ said Sham.

‘Are you going to do it?’ demanded Jane. Sham shrugged, but he didn’t offer.

‘Sod it, let’s do it,’ said Jane suddenly. She turned round, walked back to the nearest box and went in.

The first thing was to find out the number from directory enquiries. It turned out there were three different New Dawn offices. We had no idea which one we wanted. In the end the operator gave her head office. Then there was nothing between us and that awful call. Jane kissed me. ‘Wish me luck, Davey,’ she begged. Then she dialled the number.

We all three had our ears pressed to the headpiece.

‘Good morning, New Dawn Publications,’ said a woman’s voice.

‘Oh, hello,’ said Jane. ‘I want to talk to Mr Tallus, please.’

‘Mr Tallus is in a meeting at the moment. Can I take a message?’ said the woman.

‘I really want to speak to his wife.

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