Between the Prison and the Sewage Works by Maryline Suchley (snow like ashes txt) 📖

Bill and enquired what she was doing with her life.

‘So Sam, how’s it going up in Bristol?’ Mara asked

‘Great, I love the night life; it’s a really happening City. The job’s okay, but it’s just a stepping stone until I find something else, something to do with my degree. Dealing with people and benefits is bloody hard work; there are certainly some special people around!’

‘Yeah I know I usually meet them on the bus.’

‘How’s London? And the school?’

‘Were do I start, I live in one of the poorest postcodes in London, surrounded by council tower blocks litter and concrete, in a crap flat, cause that’s all I can afford on my pathetic salary. The school is a shit pit, the kids are bloody awful and I’m being bullied by my boss. Oh and I feel depressed eighty percent of the time and miserable for the other 20 percent.

‘Bullied by your boss?’ Sam asked.

‘Yep, it’s a long story but he thinks I overheard something I shouldn’t have, so now he’s got it in for me.’

‘What did you overhear?’

‘Nothing really, well nothing that makes any sense. It’s something to do with a guy that they found dead at the school.’

‘What, some guy was found dead! Murdered?’

‘Yep, also a teacher died in the staff room last week, but it was just a heart attack, he sat there all day cause no one gives a rats arse in that place.’

‘Shit Mara, sounds exciting!’

‘Exciting,’ exclaimed Mara.

‘What about your love life Mara?’

‘Oh God, that started badly; I had this guy sort of in love with me and I had to let him down but it didn’t go to well and he seemed very upset last time I saw him. On the other hand I’ve met this gorgeous Irish guy and he asked me to go out for a drink with him when I get back to London.’

‘Uh Mara, sounds like an episode of Eastenders.’

‘What about you?’

‘My love life? Nothing’s happening there, I’m waiting for your bother to sweep me off my feet.’

‘I wouldn’t bother, he’s a mummy’s boy and besides if you married him you’d be tied to the kitchen sink and darning his socks; taking care of his every need and pampering him like my mum does!’

‘Is he coming out with us tonight?’ Sam asked keenly.

‘I think so, he said he was in his email, but he might find something more appealing than us two and the folks at the British legion club.’

Mara and Sam had a few more pints and a good chat about how their lives were going and reminiscing about their school days. The barman shouted for last orders before afternoon closing. They put on their coats hats and scarves and walked back through the village. It was starting to look overcast and wintry again. Thankfully the colourful Christmas decorations took the edge off the grey daylight. Mara was looking forward to getting back and sitting next to the fire. No one was in when she got home, so she put the television on and watched Lawrence of Arabia which was just starting, eventually falling asleep at some point in the film.

‘Hey sis. Wakey wakey. Your big brother is back.’

‘Hi, Ángelmí,’ Mara replied feeling groggy and hugging him.

Ángelmí was standing over her smiling. He looked older, more sophisticated and more masculine since the last time she had seen him about twelve months ago.

They sat and chatted about what he was doing with his life. Apparently he was in love with his job, being paid extremely well, had great living conditions complete with a maid, and was enjoying the expat life style. Mara didn’t even touch on the details of what was going on in her life. The contrast was too depressing.

The chat was interrupted when Mara’s mother came in through the front door with her best mate Mo. Predictably she fussed over him and true to form he laid on the charm. While he was doing this, Mo was probing Mara on when she was going to find a nice man, settle down and have kids before it was too late.

‘I’ll think I’ll go for a bath! Ángelmí are you still coming out with Sam and I?’ Mara said, clearly fed up with Mo’s enquiries.

‘You bet, but first I'm going to spend some time with my favourite mum!’

‘How many mums have you got!’ Mara replied sarcastically as she left the room.

Mara could hear Mo asking her mum if her daughter was always so aggressive, and this was probably why she didn’t have a husband yet.

Although it was only going to be a quiet Christmas eve at the British Legion club with her brother and friend, she was still going to make the effort to look presentable.

‘It’s definitely an evening for spangles,’ she said putting on a purple sparkling top, fitted jeans, silver shoes, and silver hoop earrings.

‘That should get me a husband Mo!’ she said applying a rich dark plum lipstick.

As she sprayed herself with perfume, she called out to Ángelmí to see if he was ready. He replied he had been ready an hour ago.

‘Are you ready now?’ he asked impudently.

‘Wow, who are you trying to impress, Jed Clampet? You’ll give him a heart attack!’ said Ángelmí, as Mara put on her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck.

‘Cut the crap, ready?’ replied Mara

‘Well I must say, she’s certainly not lacking in the looks department, can’t understand why she’s having problems attracting a man,’ said Mo.

‘Are you still here?’ Mara replied snottily as she put her gloves on.

Ángelmí laughed,

‘Now Mara she has a point,’ he said putting on his coat and kissing his mother goodbye.

‘That woman seems to have two things on her mind; marriage and Quiff Pilchard!’ Mara remarked crossing the road.

‘She’s harmless,’ Ángelmí grinned.’

They collected Samantha and briskly made their way to the British Legion. Samantha’s Dad was already at the club and had signed them in. They bought drinks at the bar and sat down at a table.

‘Can you believe the price of those drinks, so cheap,’ Mara said.

‘Yep, the good old British Legion,’ Ángelmí replied.

Mara noticed Samantha seemed to lap up everything Ángelmí was saying.

God she has not gotten over that crush she had on him at school. Mara thought.

The evening was not as dull as they had expected. They saw a few people that they had gone to school with and had fun commenting on how much they had let themselves go. Mara spotted a boy she had a adored at school and couldn’t believe how unappealing he now looked. He had become chubby and wore a cardigan with tweed buttons.

‘I can’t believe I fancied the pants off him,’ Mara said to Samantha.

‘Mum told me he’s got three kids, to three different mothers!’

Ángelmí had spotted an old female school friend and went over to talk to her. Mara could see he was turning on the charm and the girl had fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Samantha tried to show she didn’t care, but it was clear she did. The disco seemed to be a tremendous hit with the regulars and Dave the Milkman who ran the disco, was doing a good job catering to all the age ranges in the club. Eight large wines later Mara and Samantha were on the dance floor dancing to Tina Turner and Bryan Adams. Ángelmí watched on in amusement in between chatting to a guy he had also been at school with. Dave then announced that the karaoke was going to start in ten minutes. Mara and Samantha drunkenly decided it would be a great idea to write down their names for the Foreigner song, I want to know what love is. They returned to their table to consume more cheap wine before their turn was up on the Karaoke.

Ángelmí was now in full conversation with his school friend, but stopped to watch as Mara and Samantha got up on the stage.

The intro started and both girls swayed to the music waiting for the words to start.

‘I gotta to take a little time.’

‘A little time to think things over.’

‘I better read between the lines.’

‘In case I need it when I’m older.’

‘Oooowowoh.’

‘This mountain I must climb, feels like a world upon my shoulders.’

‘Through the clouds I see love shine.’

‘It keeps me warm as life grows colder.’

Ángelmí was now gazing at Mara and Samantha. Not only were they singing completely out of tune, but they were zealously waving their hands in the air to what they thought was the rhythm of the music.

‘In my life there’s been heart ache and pain.’

Sam then clasped her hands around her heart as if to express heartbreak.

‘I don’t know if I can face it again,’

‘Can’t stop now. I’ve travelled so far, to change this lonely life.’

The two of them belted out the chorus.

‘I wanna know what love is.’

‘I want you to show me.’

‘I Wanna feel what love is.’

‘I know you can show me.’

Completely oblivious to the gawking patrons Mara and Sam sang the whole song.

They sat back at their table feeling elated and pleased at what a success their stage act had been.

Ángelmí had dragged himself away from his former school mate and looked at them with amusement.

‘Bloody hell you two, that is quite possibly the worst karaoke I have ever seen!’

‘Why don’t you bugger off back to your friend!’ slurred Sam.

The two of them had a few more drinks and staggered back to their parents homes singing the chorus to as many eighties rock hits they could remember. Ángelmí was nowhere to be seen and at some point during the evening he disappeared.

‘Oh Man! Oh Christ! My head!’

Mara had woken up with a throbbing head and a hazy sense of her existence. She could hear Cliff Richards on the stereo downstairs.

I’m not moving. She told herself.

There was a knock as the door opened.

‘Wake up Pat Benetar!’

It was Ángelmí’s attempt at humour. He smirked as he opened the curtains to let in the dull winter sunshine.

‘What are you talking about, piss off will you, I ate something that disagreed with me,’ Mara retaliated.

‘Yeah right, you’re coming downstairs and joining the rest of us for Christmas bucks fizz.’ You’ve got ten minutes to sort yourself out or I’m sending Declan up with his new light sabre.’

As crap as she was feeling the last thing she wanted was the spawn of the Satan jumping around challenging her to do battle.

‘Alright I’ll be down in a minute. How did I get home?’

Mum said she heard you and Sam in the garden looking for badgers. Then when you eventually came in you collapsed on the coffee table and Dad carried you up to bed. There was a kind of smug satisfaction in his voice, as if her antics had somehow distracted from his own behaviour.

‘Bloody hell! Where were you anyway? And why didn’t you look after me?’

‘I was otherwise indisposed, besides you told me to bugger off!’

With a tapping sensation against her skull Mara walked downstairs trying to look healthy. Her parents pretended that nothing had happened and her mum made her a cup of tea and placed it on the mantelpiece as there was now no coffee table.

Declan was jumping up and down shouting star wars lines, while everyone else laughed, commenting on how cute he was.

Mara managed to get through Christmas Day, feeling better after a shower and some food.

After dinner, the adults opened their presents and Declan ripped open more of his presents. Ángelmí had bought expensive gifts for everyone, which made Mara feel quite the pauper. He gave her a Gucci watch, his dad a Tag Heuer watch, although the brand name meant nothing to him and their mother a diamond necklace. This made Mara’s gift of a Cliff Richards calendar and a box set of lynx toiletries look positively feeble.

‘Ooh, he looks quite sexy in his tennis gear you know. I can’t wait to show Mo,’ said her Mother.

Declan’s mother came and picked him up early that evening. Mara was glad to see the back of him, although she had noticed that