Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:05:49 +0100 (BST)
From: Mike Arram <mikearram@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: The Son of the Chav Prince - 9

Justin's bags were in the hall downstairs.  He was booked to fly out to a
new contract in Japan the next day.  They were in bed dozing together in
the afterglow of a very passionate session of intercourse.  Nathan groaned
when the mobile went at the bedside.  Justin would not turn the damned
thing off.
  Justin reached over and groped for the phone.  He flipped it open and
grunted hello, then abruptly sat up and listened for quite a long time.
After signing off he flopped back next to Nathan, who grabbed him and
pulled him in for a long kiss.
  `Good news?'
  `Sorta,' replied Justin.  `That was Mike from the Leeds agency.  They're
getting somewhere.  Some cash they spread round social services in Kirklees
turned up the name of Jade Gardiner.  She was living there with a black guy
called Julio Ahmed two years ago.  Iss not good.  They've got a file as
thick as a bible.  Domestic violence and drugs mostly.  Although he's got
court orders to keep his distance, she keeps on taking him back and getting
beat up for her trouble.  Somehow Damien's not been taken into care, but I
can't believe he's missed out on the beatings.  Poor little kid.  What in
fuck could I ever do to make up that sort of damage?'
  Nathan kissed him.  `Look, chavvy babe, if anyone could help a kid like
that, it'd be you.  It may be grim, but there's nothing happened to him
that didn't happen to you.  You survived it and grew, now maybe you can
help him too.  You might well be his only chance, Justy.  You need to press
on with this.  Look, I tell you what.  While you're away, I'll get the back
box-room converted into a kid's bedroom.  It may never be needed, but it'll
show you how much your search means to me.'
  `You'd seriously do this for me?'
  `Yup, looks like I'm going to have two chavvy babes in my life.  One has
been brilliant for me.  Two can't be much worse.'
  `I love you so much, Nate me mate.'
  `I am your mate, babe.  We're joined closer than marriage.  What hurts
you hurts me.  Your life is mine too.'
  They nestled and slept.
  At seven they were up and about.  Justin, scooping Cheerios into his
mouth so frantically that milk had dribbled down on to his tie, had his
mobile jammed into his ear and was talking while he ate.  When he rang off,
Nathan looked expectantly at him.
  `They lost the track.  She disappeared from Pudsey nearly two years ago,
on the run from the Ahmed bloke.  No one's got any idea where she might
have gone, and no other authority has contacted Kirklees for her case work.
One thing.  She was pregnant when last seen by social services, so Damien
has a kid sister or brother.'

***

The smell of sex and drink was heavy in the stinking, enclosed air of the
downstairs flat.  The curtains were drawn and the lights were off, leaving
the glow of the dim evening sun all the boys could see by.  They found the
sobbing woman first, just inside the door.  She was naked, her face red and
bruised.  Danny hastily picked up a loose robe discarded on the floor to
drape over her.  He noticed how gaunt she was, how her ribs stuck out.  The
baby stopped crying when Gus leaned over her cot and picked her up.
  Where was the foul-mouthed boy?  Danny found him naked and unconscious in
the kitchen, blood matting his hair and the marks of a phenomenal beating
all over his body.  Danny saw with horror a line of drying blood that had
trickled down the boy's inner leg from his anus.  He feared to look closer.
  `Gus, we gotta get the police.  I want you to disappear.  Give me the
baby.'
  `Oh Danny, but I can't just leave you.'
  `Take the bank book and whatever money is upstairs and hang around down
by the South Bay.  If there are two of us, the police may make a link.  One
of us alone will be less conspicuous.  Once they see this living nightmare,
they'll probably lose interest in me.  I'll ring you when it's all clear.'
  Danny was already on his mobile as Gus left the house.  The police
arrived three minutes later in two cars, quickly followed by an ambulance.
A small group of nosy residents gathered around the front gate in the
deepening gloom.  Efficient female officers and paramedics closed in on the
children and the woman, and three big policemen cuffed and removed the man,
who had come around while Danny was waiting.  He had kicked the bastard
several times in the side out of sheer anger and hatred, and wished he had
boots on when he did it.
  Finally two policemen turned their attention to Danny. `You need to make
a statement, kid.  We can come back tomorrow if you'd rather.'
  `Now would be better.  I'm on the morning shift at CostFayre.'
  `Fine.'
  Danny led them up to the flat and sat them round his table.  `Wanna
coffee or something?'
  They smiled and said yes, thank you.  So he weathered the first questions
from the kitchenette as he moved round the kettle and the mugs.
  `Could you tell us your name, son?'
  `Daniel Hackness.'
  `Age?'
  `Eighteen.'  They seemed to swallow that without difficulty.
  `Occupation?'
  `Student, doing a summer job at CostFayre.'
  `So you're not local?'
  `No ... I'm from Suffolk.'  There was no point telling unnecessary lies,
he realised.  His accent would betray him.  Besides, it was clear enough
that the police were only filling forms.  They had no interest in him, only
in what he had seen and heard.
  He gave a succinct account, omitting all mention of Gus.  He had been
dozing after work and woke up to hear screams and shouting.  He went down
to find out what had happened, the guy had threatened him and attacked him.
He had pushed the man, who fell off balance and hit his head against the
door post.  Danny had then seen the dreadful mess inside the flat and
called the police.
  `You don't know anything about the woman?'
  `She was here when I moved in two weeks ago.  I've never even talked to
her, only seen her with her kids.  How's the little boy doing?'
  The other officer had been on his radio.  He looked serious.  `A bit of a
mess.  He was raped by the bloke, and a few bloody objects lying around
make it look like he was sodomised with them.  That did bad damage to his
bum.  He also has three cracked ribs and a broken wrist from a beating he
got with his own cricket bat.  Fortunately, his head injury is not much
more than superficial.  It was mostly shock from the beating that sent him
under.'
  `What about the bastard who did it?'
  `He's the baby's father, so far as we can make out.  The woman had been
on the run from him.  She's known at the women's shelter in Walbrough.  The
people there found her the flat a month ago, but he seems to have tracked
her down, and forced his way in.'
  The other police officer flicked his notebook closed.  `OK.  Thanks,
Daniel.  That's all we need for now.'  He paused and then said with a
smile, `You did a brave thing, kid.  If you'd not gone down and confronted
him, we might never have known about it.  It would just have been another
domestic incident.  But him coming out and attacking you like that meant we
could investigate without needing a complaint from the woman or a warrant.
He'll go down for a long, long time.  Courts don't like child rape, let
alone sustained abuse.  He's got previous too, and that'll help the judge.'
  `What is her name, by the way?'
  `Oh, she calls herself Jade Ahmed, the baby is Sunni May, but we don't
yet know the boy's name.  He's from a different father apparently.'

***

It was past midnight when Danny rang Gus, who said he was enjoying gazing
at the stars from the seawall, and watching the boy racers roar up and down
the seafront road in their souped-up cars.  When he finally came up the
stairs, he got a big hug and kiss at the door from his vastly relieved
boyfriend.  Danny was still not entirely convinced it was safe to let Gus
out alone.  They sat in the lounge with yet another coffee as Danny filled
him in on the details.
  `Poor little fellow,' said Gus, clearly deeply affected.
  `He may be a lippy little bastard, but no one deserves that kind of
treatment.  It puts our problems into perspective, doesn't it?'
  `What will happen now?'
  `I dunno, Gussie.  I suppose the kids will be taken into care.  I can't
see the mum being much use, even when she recovers from her beating.  She's
a druggie too.  The hospital will pick that up and pass it on to the social
services.  The police have got my mobile number and will get in touch when
they want anything further.  They even offered me counselling.  Look, they
gave me a card with a number to ring.'
  `So we're off the hook, do you suppose?'
  `I think we can get on with our illicit and fugitive lifestyle.  You did
so well, my babe, coming down and clocking the bastard that way.'
  `I was quite surprised at myself, Danny.  But he was threatening you, and
I just couldn't put up with it.  He might have hurt you, which would have
broken my heart.'
  A sudden warm feeling flooded Danny's abdomen.  He had forsaken family
and home, but he was not alone or abandoned.  He leaned in and kissed his
lover.  `Bed then.  We're both working tomorrow.'
  `One thing we can do, Danny.  In a few days maybe we should go and visit
the little chap and see how he is.  Take him a teddy or something.'
  `OK, yes, we'll do that.'
  Despite all the coffees, they slumped quickly into sleep and needed the
alarm to wake them in the morning.
  As they left for work, Danny in store gear and Gus in his greasy blue
boiler suit, they found that the previous night's incident had left the
neighbours very curious.  A small group of Ireton Terrace residents had
gathered at the gate and were talking with the nameless old guy from Flat
2, who of course knew nothing at all about what had happened.
  When the boys appeared, a tubby and officious-looking old bloke cornered
them instantly.  `Nah then, lads, what was going on in there last night?'
  Danny's village background had made him used to that sort of naked
nosiness.  He obliged with a condensed account of what had happened,
omitting the more nauseating details.
  `Poor little lamb,' commented a middle-aged lady in a house coat.  `In a
bad way is he?'
  `Still unconscious when they stretchered him out.'
  `Well, I think you were a brave lad going in like that.'
  `Yes, lad,' agreed the fat old guy, `there's not many would stir
themselves for anyone nowadays.  You're a credit to your mum and dad.'
  Danny rather doubted his parents thought he was a credit to them at the
moment.  For a brief space the forced separation from his family gave him a
terrible pang of loss.  He had already concluded that things were not so
bad for Gus, who had been in a boarding school since he was seven.  Yet
even for him, there had been some occasional dark moments that Danny had to
go through with him.
  They took their leave of the gossipers and headed off for work.
  As he laid out the local daily paper on the racks that afternoon, Danny
saw a half- column article headlined: MAN ARRESTED IN IRETON TERRACE
INCIDENT.
  `A man was arrested last night and charged after a serious incident of
domestic violence.  The man, Julio Ahmed (28) of Pudsey, had forced
entrance into the Ireton Terrace home of his former girlfriend and mother
of his baby.  Mr Ahmed physically assaulted the woman and seriously abused
her six-year-old son, who police understand had tried to protect her.  The
boy is currently described as in a serious but not life-threatening
condition at Walbrough Hospital.  The assault was interrupted by a
neighbour, Daniel Hackness (18), a local student.  Mr Hackness is believed
to have mastered the man and called the emergency services.  Insp. Michael
Williamson of the Walbrough division stated that Mr Hackness's bravery
undoubtedly saved the boy's life and probably that of the mother too.  Mr
Hackness's name will be forwarded for consideration for a Queen's Award for
Bravery.  Ahmed was charged with multiple counts of rape and grievous
bodily harm.  He was remanded in custody by the Walbrough magistrates court
for trial at the Crown Court.  No request for bail was heard.'
  Danny read the article with some concern.  It was nice to get recognition
for an act of human decency, but he was not anxious to see his name
plastered over the papers, even the Walbrough Mercury.
  When Gus arrived home, Danny showed him the clipping.  They were sitting
over the baked beans on toast that was the summit of their culinary
achievements.
  Gus considered the possibilities for a moment. `I wouldn't worry about
it, my Danny.  No one we know is likely to see the article.  It won't be
repeated in the nationals.  What we really should do is go out and
celebrate your fame.  Brokeback Mountain is on at the cinema, and I feel in
the mood to watch the story of a tragic gay love affair.'
  `OK.  We can neck in the back row, and eat popcorn loudly.'
  Gus smiled a little dreamily.  `That would be nice.  I suppose we can
afford the money for that at least, and tomorrow we'll go and see the
little boy.'

***

Walbrough Hospital was a mile away on the outskirts of town.  They found
the main entrance and then looked around baffled.  `Where now?' wondered
Danny, bemused by all the notices.
  Gus was not one to be flustered by words.  `It'll be Paediatrics, Danny.'
  `How do you know?'
  `It's from the Greek for "childcare".'
  `Oh!  You know Greek?'
  `It's philology that's my interest, the roots of words and their changing
meanings, so I have picked up a smattering of all sorts of languages.  It's
not often useful.'
  `It was useful just now.  Let's go find Paediatrics then.'
  They followed the blue notices and a blue line in the floor till the
corridors were suddenly covered by paintings of cartoon characters.  Danny
was never reassured by these funny creatures wrenched out of context and
painted up on the walls of children's wards.  The hospital smell was still
there.  It was like an executioner in a clown mask.
  They found the nurses' station.  The young women looked them over, and at
Danny with some interest.  He might not have been handsome, but his
physique and proportions -- especially his broad shoulders, narrow waist
and perfect rear -- always got female interest.
  `Er, hi.  We're looking for the little lad that was beaten up in Ireton
Terrace.'
  The sister in the dark blue dress was not too impressed.  `Sorry, are you
a relative?'
  `No, we ... I mean I, live in the same house.  This is my friend,' he
added lamely.
  The sister looked down her nose at him.  `I'm sorry, I can't allow you to
see him, you ...'
  One of the younger nurses interrupted.  `Are you Daniel Hackness?'
  `What's that got to do with it?' the sister asked.
  `Mary, he's the boy that saved Damien's life and knocked down the
attacker.'
  `Oh!  Is this true?'
  `Er ... yes, yes it is,' admitted Danny, blushing for some reason.
  Gus smiled over his head.  `He and Damien are very good friends.  The
child looks on Daniel as if he were his own brother.'
  Danny's head wrenched round.  He had never taken his boyfriend for a
convincing liar, but Gus was revealing himself momentarily as a master.
  The sister was now smiling.  `Then that's different.  Of course you can
see the little lad.  He won't have many visitors.  There's no family that
social services have been able to discover.'
  Daniel and Gus were led by one of the nurses to a side ward.  There, in
clean pyjamas in a bed far too big for him, wired up to all sorts of
machines, was the boy.  He looked pathetically small.  He had a white patch
over the place where his head injury was.  His lower left arm was in a
cast.  He had a swollen face and a black eye.  His other eye, however, was
as bright, blue and calculating as the last time, and it recognised Danny.
  `What the fook you `ere for?' he asked through puffy lips.
  `Now then, Damien,' soothed the nurse, `this is your friend Danny.'
  `I knows `im, he's the cunt that makes a fook of a noise goin' up our
stairs and wakes the baby.  Whatchu want?'
  The barrage of abuse somehow did not get to Danny.  In fact, coming from
so badly damaged a little waif, it was even impressive.  Clearly the boy's
spirit was quite unbroken, despite the horrors inflicted on him.
  `Just came to see how you are, Damien.  Oh, and Gus here has this for
you.'
  Gus produced a rather expensive teddy bear in a doctor's outfit.  He
handed it to Damien with a smile.  The boy took it with his unwired right
hand and looked at it.  For a moment Danny was afraid he would throw it
away, but instead he tucked it in next to him.  He did not say thank you,
however.
  `I'll leave you with him,' said the nurse.  `Don't stay more than a
quarter of an hour.'
  Gus and Danny sat next to the bed.  `How you feeling then, kid?'
  `Like fookin shite.  Whatchu say your name wuz again?'
  `I'm Daniel, and this is Gus.'
  `Yeah, you live together upstairs in our place.  I seen you both coming
out the house sometimes.  I saw you kissing once on our stairs, too.
That's fookin weird, innit?  I told me mam.  She said you wuz poofs.  Wassa
poof?'
  `Er ...' stuttered Danny.
  Gus cut in smoothly, `It's a boy who's in love with another boy, like I
love Danny.'
  `Thass sick, that is.'
  `There are sicker things, kid,' growled Danny.  `Where's your dad?'
  `Me dad's in the army.  He's a general.  He's abroad in another country
so we don't see `im.  Me mam says we're not to bother him cos he's
important like.' The boy was quiet for a bit.  `What they done wiv me
sister?'
  Danny frowned. `We don't know.  She may be with your mum, but most likely
with foster carers.'
  Tears stood out in Damien's eyes.  `I knew the fookin services would get
us in the end.  That fookin bastard cunt Julio.  He's ruined it for us.  We
gets a flat again and mum's off the crack for a bit.  Then he turns up and
...'  He stopped.  The tears now coursing down his cheeks only served to
emphasise his expression of total defeat.  But it wasn't the pain and abuse
that were breaking his heart, it was the fact that his little family, which
he had done his childish best to protect and keep together, had been torn
apart.
  Danny looked at Gus, who reached out and took Damien's hand.  The child
didn't pull it away.  There was a light of great compassion in Gus's wide
blue eyes that was quite striking.  This oddball boyfriend of his, so
useless in many of the most ordinary things of life, had some surprising
depths.
  Damien's face scrunched up.  `I wanna see me mam,' he wailed.
  `We'll go get the nurse, kid,' said Danny.  They left him and told the
girls on the desk, who nodded.  Two of them hurried off to see to Damien.
  `I'll come back tomorrow, after work,' Gus decided.
  `You're a good man, Gussie,' said Danny with sincerity.