Together

A chill wind whipped round the corner of Bridge Street and School Lane and Dan shuffled his feet trying to keep warm. The smell of fried onions from the burger van a hundred yards away excited his nostrils, and nearly cracked his resolve to stand at the school gates waiting for Tina. Looking at his watch he realised he had ten minutes to meet the rest of his band – he couldn’t hang about much longer.

Fourteen year-old Tina came running out the gate as Dan started towards the burger van.

“Dan!” she shouted, “Dan, wait for me.”

Without thinking,Tina darted in front of the green Mondeo. The quick-thinking driver swerved to avoid her, flaying his fist in the air as he passed. She caught up with him, throwing herself into his arms. Tina was like an excited puppy, questions spilled from her mouth like a yapping dog, her disobedient hair slapped at his face in the strong wind and rain. Dan laughed at her behaviour, his brown eyes dancing with the love he had for the young girl. “Trust you to be late the first time in four weeks that we could see each other,” Dan said, pleased that she was there.

“ I got kept in, I hadn’t done my homework, you know…”, she said.

As Dan brushed the unruly hair from her face, he caught a glimpse of the deep purple welt on her neck. He looked into her pain-filled eyes, and knew it was best not mentioned.

“I’m coming for you tonight.” he said, cuddling her into his rain-soaked body. “After the gig.”

“W…What?” She pushed his chest gently and looked up into his concerned brown eyes.

“You heard, I haven’t got time to explain. Be ready at just after midnight, don’t pack anything. Don’t be scared, I will be there. I love ya’, Tina.” He ruffled her hair before grabbing her cold, shaking hand.

“Come on. I just got time to grab us burger and chips.”, Dan said, his stomach rumbling in anticipation of fried onions…

While Dan tuned his baby, an old but lovingly-maintained Les Paul, he thought back to the death of his dad two weeks before his sixteenth birthday.

The policemen with the pockmarked skin and the deep grooved laugh lines looked kindly at him as his partner explained to his step mum that his Dad had been killed instantly in the crash. He had been on his way home from a month’s touring work.

Dan had finally plucked up the courage to tell his Dad everything that his stepmother was doing to him. The long days in the dark, spider-filled cupboard under the stairs, the harsh beatings that left him in a welt covered mess. She even mocked his under-nourished body, and mimicked the stammer he developed whenever she was around.  But it was too late…

The terrifying threats she made to keep his silence… prior to his fathers death would surely come to fruition now.

After the funeral, Dan packed what few clothes he had in the canvas duffle bag and tucked his acoustic guitar under his arm. He stole the money out of the old toffee tin, his dad stashed in the wardrobe before taking off as fast as his painfully-thin legs would carry him.

Adrenalin pumped as Dan waited for the compare to introduce them, the other guys already in place behind the thin purple curtain. The all-to-familiar pungency of beer combined with sweat and perfume wafted towards the stage.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for the very talented Oracle!”

The tight playing of  ‘ Sea storm,’ burst from the stage like an explosion of electricity before the curtain even opened. Dan was in his comfort zone as his fingers danced the frets and seemed motionless on the strings. His infectious, cheeky grin and gyrating body movement lit up the stage.

By the end of the first song the dance floor was full, one man in particular amused Dan as he swivelled his hips while repeatedly pointing at the ceiling then the floor. By the end of the evening there were women old enough to be his grandmother blowing him kisses, buying him drinks and openly flirting with him. The hall was buzzing and after two encores Dan introduced the last song:

“Thank you for being such a great audience, you’re such a great bunch,” he shouted over the applause and cheers, “We’re gonna’ leave you now with an oldie but goody so get those dancing feet going for Living on a Prayer…”

Dan pulled up at the house in his battered Bedford van, his stomach doing belly flops as the impact of what he was about to do hit home. ‘God I hope she’s ready,’ he thought as he picked up the bristle hand broom from the seat beside him. He approached the green front door, his mouth drying as he reached for the cherub knocker that appeared to be smirking at him. Dan shook his head, driving away his silly notion, and took a deep breath. The sound of the knocker echoed so loudly through the quiet street, he thought he would rouse the neighbours.

“Who are you? What do you want at this time of night?” the woman said, her copper hair stiff curls framing her pinched features. 

“I’m broken hearted you don’t remember me,” the sarcasm in his voice too clear for her to miss.
“Where is she?” Dan said through clenched teeth.

The woman’s face paled as she seemed to shink in front of him. “Dan,” her voice barely audible.

“Remember this do you?” he pulled the hand broom into view. “We all know what you do with this, don’t we. Now where is she?”

He could see the fear on her face as she backed away from him into the kitchen. The soft whimpering sound came from the cupboard under the stairs.

“You bitch!” he spat at her, before sliding the thick bolt lock open.

He pulled a bloodied and shivering Tina from the cupboard. Dan’s stomach churned when he saw the shame on her tear-stained face as he sat her down on the stairs. Dan shook with temper, his eyes flamed as he grabbed the woman roughly and pushed her into the damp cupboard…

As they left the hospital a grinning Dan cuddled his little sister. It had taken him two years but finally Tina was with him and not with their evil stepmother, and today he was eighteen. Next stop the solicitors…