Friday 16th Oct. 1987

Gary is stretched out in a chair watching the television, his cherry red boots and 2 cans of lager on the coffee table. Scratching his newly shaved scalp he takes a swig of lager enjoying it's numbing effect. As he's drifting off into a delicious snooze, his body jumps awake with a start at the sound of the door banging open. It’s his old man, so Gary keeps his head down.

" Anymore lagers in the fridge or have you drunk the lot?”
"Don't know,” says Gary quietly, not looking up.
"I asked a civil question and expect a civil answer.”
Gary reluctantly looks at him before turning back to the television.
"I said I don't know.”

From the corner of his eye he can see his old man move unsteadily across the room to the kitchen. Holding his breath he hopes there's some beer left in the fridge. His dad comes back with a lager. Gary's breath escapes but his muscles remain taut, waiting.

Cursing as he tries to flick up the ring pull, the sight of his only son, idling in front of the telly increases his frustration. Finally he manages to open the can but stumbles and drops it. It bounces across the floor spraying a fountain of beer in all directions. Gary lets out an involuntary laugh, which he tries to turn into a cough but ends up choking on it. He needs to take a swig of lager but dare not move.

The green can is still rolling, flashing its gold lettering while the lager pisses on the floor. It stops at Gary's side and his old man staggers dangerously close. Bending down to pick up his now half empty can he loses his balance and stumbles forward trying to avoid falling over and humiliating himself. But he steps too close to the coffee table and hits his shin hard on the corner. He winces at the sharp pain and meets Gary's eye for a split second as he flings the can across the room.

"Too fucking lazy even to pick it up for me! Why your mother let you back, God only knows! They should've thrown away the key." Gary pulls himself up to speak but his dad’s not hanging about for a reply. "I've a good mind to punch your fucking teeth through the back of your head.” Gary reacts as he always does when his old man threatens him. He is paralysed with fear but struggles to hide it under a veneer of cool contempt. His old man grabs him around the throat. "Why don't you get yourself a fucking job?"

Stale cigar breath is up his nose but Gary's own breath is being choked out of him by the ever tightening grip. His lungs, near to bursting, force his eyes open, bulging in panic. He's vaguely aware of the front door slamming just before he feels the pressure on his throat releasing. His mum walks in the room and his old man backs off from Gary shouting at her.

"I have to work in a shit job digging holes and filling them up again, while your son does nothing but doss around and get in trouble with the police."
Gary rubs the wetness away from his eyes waiting for his mother to defend him. She says nothing.
“He’s a useless piece of shit.”
Gary’s eyes plead with his mother as his old man continues firing abuse.
“A glue sniffing tart.”
His mother walks over to pick up the can. She's slow, stiff, silent. Gary's thoughts shout at her while his fathers insults and abuse pierce his brain.
"I'll kill him one of these days. He'll drive me to it.”
She places the can on the table and straightens up avoiding her sons desperate eyes. Gary's anger wells up, bursting the banks of fear.
"Shut the fuck up!"

He lunges at his old man with an exploding strength. Surprised, his father stumbles back pushing him aside and gazes in stunned silence as Gary hurtles towards the brick fireplace. His eye glimpses the corner a split second before it hits him and welcome unconsciousness blocks out the searing pain.

He comes to just at the point when a doctor is sewing the last of the 10 stitches on his forehead. Looking at the needle and the doctors distorted close up face he panics and tries to get away. A nurses hand quietly pushes him back down on the bed. He listens to her soothing voice through the haze of semi-consciousness. His mother tells him that he has to stay in hospital overnight but that she will come and get him the next day. Gary tells her that he is not going to go back into the same house as his father. She says,
“It was an accident Gary.”
“But he was attacking me! He said he wanted to kill me.”

He pleads with her trying to convince her that it's only a matter of time before his father hits them both again. He wants to tell her that he's afraid but he doesn’t have the words. Gary’s mother looks at him with dark worried eyes. She says nothing. She doesn’t want a fight, she’s too tired. Tired of fights.
"I won't come back unless you get rid of him once and for all.” Gary is asking her to choose him rather than his father.
"No, I can't do that," she says so softly that Gary can hardly hear. As she walks out he gets the message. She leaves Gary in the hospital and goes home to her husband.

Feedback submitted by Kathleen Mulqueen at WhelanK2@aol.com as at 16th Feb 202

I can practically see the interchange between Gary and his father and that is , I think, a sign of a good writer to enable you to picture the people in the book in your mind as you are reading to almost feel as if you are watching a film unfolding. Well done Author and if the rest of the book lives up to this standard I for one think it will be a hit with the reading public.