Broken English (Broken Lives Book 1) (23 page)

I opened my eyes, the tears on my father’s
cheeks reflecting those on mine. I pulled a hand free and wiped them away,
giving him a nod.

Hope crossed his face. “Does that mean
you’ll let me back in?”

I nodded again.

He pulled me into a hug. “Thank you, thank
you, thank you,” he said continuously, his voice choking up.

“You shouldn’t thank me,” I said, gripping
onto him too. “I don’t deserve it.”

He pulled free. “You do, darling. I not
only betrayed your mother’s trust, I betrayed yours. I’m so sorry for
everything I put you through.”

“What’s done is done, and... I now
understand why you cheated on Mum.”

Confusion pulled at his brow. “Why would
you say that?”

Because Dante’s my version of Sinh.

“Sinh’s very attractive,” I said instead.
“Actually, he’s beautiful. I can see why you were tempted by him. Plus, you
must’ve been under a lot of stress with Mum always being in the hospital—”

“I was, but it still doesn’t excuse what I
did. Though, I’m happy you don’t hate me anymore.”

“I never hated you, I was just hurt. I’d thought
of you as this perfect person... Actually, you were more than a person to me. I
idolised you like a god, and when I walked in, catching you and Sinh
together...” I stopped talking, feeling more tears well up.

He squeezed my hand. “I’m so sorry, so,
so, very sorry.”

The tears came, the divide between us
having been so hard, and now, I felt as though I needed to apologise too, but not
just to my father, to Markus. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

My father pulled me into a hug again. I
didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but when we finally pulled apart, my
heart didn’t hurt so much, the barrier I’d built between us finally gone.

“I don’t want to ask you for the money,” I
said, wiping my eyes. “I really don’t, and I understand if you say no, but even
if you do, I still want to see you again. I can’t hold a grudge against you
anymore,”
not after what I’ve done
. “I love you, Dad.”

He smiled so wide I could see his missing molar.
“You don’t know how long I’ve dreamt of you saying that to me again. And I’ll
be happy to pay for your flights to London.”

I went to thank him, but stopped at the
sound of Sinh’s voice. He was standing in the kitchen doorway, looking deeply
uncomfortable and a touch upset. “You can’t afford to pay for her trip, Eric,” he
said, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.

“Yes, I can,” my father replied. “I have
plenty of cash.”

Sinh winced. “No, you don’t.”

My father bolted to his feet. “What have
you done?”

“I didn’t know you’d need it.”

My father walked around the coffee table,
heading for Sinh. “Tell me what you’ve done,” he growled.

Sinh covered his face. “I thought I could
pay it back before you found out, but my book didn’t sell well.”

My father stopped in front of him. “
What
did you do?”

Sinh kept his hands over his face. “I lied
about getting a publisher for my book. I paid for everything.”

“You mean,
I
paid for everything,”
my father snapped. “How much did you spend?”

“I don’t want to say.”

“Tell me!”

“Eight—”

“Hundred? That’s fine. I have ten grand in
the bank, more than enough to pay for the flights.”

“You didn’t let me finish.”

My father went stiff, the realisation that
Sinh meant eight grand making his mouth drop open. “You didn’t?” he gasped.

Sinh nodded.

“What the hell, Sinh!” he yelled. “You
threw eight grand away on a book!”

Sinh uncovered his face, anger now
colouring his beautiful features. “I’m not like you!” he yelled back. “I can’t
get a publisher at the drop of a hat. I have to do everything myself if I want
to be published. Publishers don’t care about gay love stories. I didn’t think I
had a choice.”

“You
did
have a choice. You
could’ve asked me to approach my publisher, but instead you went behind my
back—”

“Your publisher doesn’t print gay
erotica.”

“He might’ve known someone who does.”

“Even if he did, you would’ve been too
embarrassed to ask.”

“I would’ve done it for you, especially if
it meant saving eight grand of my own damn money.”

“
Our
money.”

“No, it’s
my
money. We’re not
married.”

Hurt flashed across Sinh’s face. “But
we’ve lived together for four years now.”

“Living together and being married isn’t
the same thing.”

 “But we act like a married couple, and I
thought you’d marry me if it was legal.”

“Well, it’s not, and I have no interest in
marrying again.”

“Don’t you love me?”

“Of course I do.”

“But not like you loved your wife. If she
hadn’t died, you would’ve broken things off with me, wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t know what I would’ve done, things
were different back then.”

“So, you do love her more than me?”

“No, yes, fuck, Sinh! I love you both, so
stop making this about who I love more. This is about
you
spending my
money and hiding it from me.”

“If you didn’t want me touching
your
money, you shouldn’t have opened joint accounts with me.”

“I trusted you.”

“And I trusted you!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Are you having an affair?”

My father’s eyes widened. “No! Why would
you ask that?”

“Then why does that female student called
Tasha keep phoning you all the time? Have you gotten bored with your gay
experiment and decided to go back to pussy?” he said, his voice dripping with
contempt.

 “No! I have no interest in that girl,
she’s just a coordinator.”

“Like
I
was! Yet you fucked me
behind your wife’s back. How do I know you’re not doing the same with this
Tasha?”

“Because I love you.”

“You supposedly loved your wife, yet you
still had an affair with me.”

“You’re different.” My father took hold of
Sinh’s arms. “You’re so beautiful I couldn’t help myself. I’m not a strong
person, Sinh.”

“Which means you could cheat on me when
the next pretty little thing comes along.”

“I wouldn’t cheat on you. I truly do love
you.”

“You don’t show it.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re
mad, and you can’t blame me for getting angry with you. Eight grand, Sinh.
Eight
grand.”

Sinh lifted his chin up defiantly. “I
didn’t lose it; I invested it in my book.”

“How much return have you gotten from it?”

Sinh pulled a face.

“I guess that answers my question.” My father
let him go. “Please tell me you didn’t ruin our credit cards too?”

Sinh didn’t reply.

My father ran a hand through his hair. “I
knew I shouldn’t have left you to look after the banking. Can you at least tell
me how much I can lend Clara?”

Sinh mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

“That’ll only cover one of their fares,”
my father snapped, making Sinh jump.

Sinh burst into tears and ran for the
passage, disappearing through the doorway. My father ran after him, a door
slamming a second later. Banging started up.

“Stop being a drama queen!” my father
yelled. “Let me in!”

“No!”

My father continued to yell at Sinh to
open the door. I pushed up off the couch, feeling bad I’d started a war between
the two. I headed through the passage doorway, stopping behind my father.

He ceased banging on the door and turned
to me. “I’m so sorry, Clara. Please excuse Sinh. He’s an emotional person.
Things set him off easily.”

“I’m not emotional!” Sinh yelled from the
other side of the door. “You’re just heartless.”

My father exhaled loudly. “See? You can’t reason
with him.”

“Stop talking about me!” Sinh hollered.

“Then, stop acting like a child and let me
in.”

“No! I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

My father yelled out, looking incredibly
frustrated, the most frustrated I’d ever seen him, since he was usually a calm
man. Even when I was naughty as a child, he never lost his cool.

“I should go,” I said, again feeling bad.

He placed a hand on my arm. “I’ll cover your
husband’s ticket. Get the account details and how much I have to pay. I’ll sort
it out.”

I nodded, not having the liberty to turn
the offer down. “I really appreciate this, and I’m sorry for causing you
trouble with Sinh.”

“Forget about it, he’s always like this.”
He directed me back into the lounge. “If he doesn’t get his way he throws a
tantrum, then locks himself in our room. He’ll be out when he’s gets hungry. I’ll
apologise and he’ll be all happy again.”

“You shouldn’t have to apologise, he’s the
one who’s in the wrong. He spent your money.”

“This isn’t about the money; it’s about me
not treating him the way he thinks he should be treated.”

“As a kept man?” I said, now having a
reason to dislike Sinh. I hadn’t realised he mooched off my father until now.
But then again, I knew nothing about their relationship.

My father shook his head. “It’s not like
that. He’s committed to me, more than I am to him. He wants us to get a civil
union and I won’t. And the fact I called it
my
money probably comes across
to him that he’s just a live-in-lover, which he’s not. He’s my partner.”

“Partners shouldn’t hide things as big as
this from one another,” I said, feeling like a hypocrite as soon as the words
had left my mouth. I just had to be thankful that bang had stopped me from
kissing Dante, because I knew I wouldn’t have confessed what I’d done to
Markus.

“I can’t judge Sinh for keeping this from
me, especially since I’ve done considerably worse,” he replied, his expression
telling me he was talking about cheating on my mother. “Anyway, you should get
back to your husband.”

“His name’s Markus.”

His eyebrows rose. “You should get back to
Markus, then.”

I nodded, giving him a soft smile.

“And pass on my condolences,” he added.

“You can do that in person, if you want.”

“He’s probably too upset to have a
stranger suddenly showing up.”

“You’re not a stranger, you’re my dad.”

“No, I
am
a stranger. I said hi to
him once when I saw him walking up your footpath. He nodded back, then
disappeared inside your house. I’m not sure he realised who I was.”

“
Dad
, he would have. We look too
much alike. He just probably didn’t feel comfortable with talking to you since
he thought I hated you.”

His face dropped. “Did you tell him you
hate me?”

“No, he assumed. I didn’t realise he
thought that until today, but it’s hardly surprising considering I refused to
let him send a wedding invite to you.”

My father’s face saddened.

I placed a hand on his arm. “That was
wrong of me. What you did angered me greatly, but I still shouldn’t have cut
you completely out of my life. It was selfish of me.”

He shook his head. “I deserved it.”

“Not to the extent I went.” I exhaled.
“Let’s put that aside and go see Markus. He’ll appreciate what you’re doing for
him and will want to thank you in person.” I headed for the door.

My father followed me out. “What’s he
like?”

I slowed down so he could walk alongside
me. “Really nice. People love him, especially kids. He’s a teacher too.”

My father smiled. “An English teacher?”

I shook my head as I walked through his
gate. “A P.E. teacher. It’s one of the reasons why he was happy to move to New
Zealand. He’s a water freak and absolutely adores the beach. He also thinks
it’ll be a great place to raise kids.”

My father smiled wider. “Am I going to be
a grandpa soon?”

“Depends on who you ask,” I replied,
heading up my driveway.

“What do you mean?”

“I want to wait, while he wants them now.
I only want one child, while he wants a whole soccer team.”

“We’re so much alike. Your mother used to
pester me for more kids, but I only wanted you.”

I
opened my front door, knowing he didn’t realise just
how
much alike we
were.

22

DANTE

I slammed my bedroom door
shut, shouting, “Leave me the fuck alone!”

My father kicked the
other side of my door. “You li’l shit! I don’t wanna see your thieving face for
the rest of the night!”

“I don’t wanna see your
face either!”

My father yelled out and
kicked my door again, the toe of his boot breaking through it.

“Shit, Dad, you’re busting
my door! The landlord will go mental.”

“It’s better than kicking
the shit outta you. I’m sick of cleaning up your fuckin’ messes. We needed that
bail money for rent.”

“Yeah, the money
I
earned.”

“Pro’bly from selling
stolen hubcaps. You could go back to juvie for this!”

“I won’t if you make
those pricks drop the charges.”

“Is that all I’m good
for? Saving your neck from bein’ locked up.”

“Well, you ain’t good for
paying the fuckin’ rent!”

He yelled out and kicked
the door again, making a bigger hole. “You’re an utter bastard, Dante! Sooner
or later I’m not gonna be there to clean up your messes.”

He stormed off, the front
door slamming a moment later. I ran to my window and peered through the blinds
as he slipped out through the gate, locking it behind him. He cut across the
road, banging on Jasper’s front door. Jasper’s father appeared a few seconds
later. My father started yelling so loud I could hear part of what he was
saying, which was basically that he’d had to bail me out of jail for trying to
steal some hubcaps from some mechanics. Jasper’s father placed his hands on my
father’s shoulders, quietening him down. He ushered my father inside, returning
with him a minute later, the both of them heading for Hemi’s car. They jumped
in and backed out of the driveway, then sped off down the road like a bat out
of hell.

I let go of the blinds
and slumped down on my bed, knowing I’d fucked up bad this time. I just hoped
my father got me off or I would definitely be facing juvie again. I hadn’t
realised the mechanics were onsite when I’d broke in to steal some expensive
hubcaps, which I wanted for the car my father and Hemi were making me. I
should’ve cased out the joint better, but had been distracted with thinking
about Mrs. Hatton, wondering what she’d been doing at the time. She hadn’t been
at school today, a substitute taking her place. It was just lucky my father had
bailed me out, especially since I’d been stuck in a cell with a pervy crim,
who’d stared at me like he wanted to make me his prison bitch.

Needing a distraction, I
headed out of my room to size-up the damage my father had done to the door. I shook
my head at the boot-sized hole, knowing there was no way in hell we would ever
get our bond money back if we moved. The amount of damage my father was doing to
the house was racking up by the day. A few weeks ago, he’d put his fist through
his bedroom wall after an ex had yelled at him. She’d ran out of that room so
fast, screaming as though he’d hit her. She didn’t return, and thank Christ for
that, since she was a whinging bitch who constantly complained that he was a
tight bastard. He wasn’t tight; he was fucking poor, which was why he couldn’t
buy her all the shit she wanted. I was sure the only reason she’d lasted so
long with him was because he made her scream to God when they had sex.
Another
reason why I was glad she was gone, because if I had to hear them going at
it one more time
I
would scream.

I slouched off to the
lounge, wondering what I was going to do until my dad got back, knowing he’d do
his nut if I left the house. I grabbed the TV remote and slumped down onto the
couch, surfing the channels, thinking everything sucked. A flash of blonde
caught my attention. I flicked back to the programme, recognising one of the
actresses from
Shortland Street
, the chick’s hair reminding me of Mrs.
Hatton’s.

I switched the TV off and
leaned over to grab the phone book off the side table, thinking of the perfect
way to pass some time. I flicked through the pages, looking for Mrs. Hatton’s
phone number, finding only two Hattons, one in West Auckland, the other out
east. Since the East Auckland one was closer, I rang that number, wondering
what excuse I was going to use for calling her if she answered.
Actually
... I didn’t need one, since she owed me some tutorials.

A moment later her voice
came over the line. “Markus?”

“You can call me whatever
you like,” I replied, wondering whether Markus was her husband.

A sharp inhale answered
me.

“You got asthma or are
you just excited to hear me?”

“How’d you get my number,
Dante?” she barked.

I smiled, imagining her
screaming my name instead.
In
ecstasy.
I almost laughed at the
thought.

“Dante? You still there?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, answer my question.”

“Duh, I got it from the
phone book.”

“It’s not in the phone
book. I haven’t been living here long enough.”

“It’s in the new one.
Check it.”

“Whatever, what do you want?”

“Rude, much.”

“It’s late, so answer
me.”

“I’m ringing to fix a time
for a tutor lesson,” I replied, wondering whether she was in bed.
Naked.
“Can I come over tomorrow?” I added, refraining from putting emphasis on the
come
,
not wanting her to hang up on me.

“No, we’ll do it at
school, during lunch break.”

“I can’t, I’ve got an appointment
then.”
With the cops.

“Then straight after
school in the English class.”

“It’ll need to be later. I’ve
got detention cos Mr. Aston’s a cunt.”

She exhaled loudly. “What
did you do now?”

“The other day he wuz
running through the corridor looking like a right spaz, so I yelled out, asking
if he wuz training for the Special Olympics.”

“That’s not funny,
Dante.”

“Well, I thought it wuz,
until he slapped me with detention, which pissed me off, so I gave him the
finger, which got me another detention. Anyway, can we make the tutorial at my
house? I live real close to school.”

“Sorry, I can’t, I need to
do some work at home.”

“Okay, I’ll come to your place.”

“You don’t need to come
over; we’ll just set the tutorial for another day.”

“No, it has to be tomorrow
or my dad will lose his shit.”
A lie.
“Since I paid you, he wants his
money’s worth.”
Not a lie.

“It wasn’t his money, it
was yours.”

“As I said at school, we
take a cut of each other’s earnings. So, what time do you want me over?”

She didn’t reply, making
me wonder whether she was trying to think up an excuse to put me off, like
she’d tried to do at school.

“How about seven?” I
asked before she could find one.

“
Fine
.”

I smiled. “See ya then.”

“What about class?”

“I already said I have an
appointment.”

“Only for lunch.”

“And the morning. It’s
gonna take a while.”

“What’s it for?”

I smiled. “You interested
in my personal life?”

“No, I’m interested in
your education.”

“You keep telling
yourself that.”

“Don’t push your luck,
Dante.”

“Chill, I’m just joking.”

“While I’m quite serious.
You either tell me why you won’t be at school or I’ll be having a talk to the
principal about your atrocious attendance record.”

“I’m gettin’ some braces
put on my teeth,” I lied.

“But they’re straight.”

“So am I, so buy some nice lingerie for
our date.” Laughing, I hung up, tomorrow night not coming fast enough. I just
hoped my dad got me off the charges, or the only date I would be having was
with a judge.

***

“I don’t know why you put
your father through so much shit,” Hemi said, pulling up to the kerb in front
of Mrs. Hatton’s house. Jasper’s dad had offered to give me a lift, since my
father was doing overtime to make up for the hours he’d lost having to take me
to the cops to sort shit out with them, which he had. I’d found out last night
both him and Hemi had worked out where one of the mechanics had lived. They’d
threatened him to get the charges dropped, which he had, my father getting me
off scot-free.

Jasper’s dad pulled on the brake and
turned to give me a glare. Hemi was even fatter than his son, the man as big as
two mountains. “You’re such a li’l bastard,” he said, his voice gravelly from
smoking too much.

“While you’re a fat bastard.”

A slap landed across the back of my head.

“Hey!” I yelled, throwing Hemi a glare. He
was glaring right back, not looking sorry at all for hitting me. “I’m bruised
enough as it is, you don’t needa add more to my collection.”

“Then you shoulda thought ’bout that
before you got yourself caught for stealing.”

I sniffed, thinking it was rich coming
from him. “You steal cars, while all I did wuz try to steal some hubcaps.
Big
difference, you fat fuck.”

He raised his hand, looking like he was
going to hit me again, but instead he hit the steering wheel. “Firstly, I’m not
stupid enough to get caught, and secondly, I’m a crook, while your father isn’t.
He doesn’t deserve this shit.”

I sneered at him, the guy thicker than two
short planks. “Grow a brain; he spray-paints the cars you steal.
That
makes
him a crim.”

Hemi’s upper lip curled back into a snarl.
“Get the fuck outta my car. I’ll be back in an hour. If you’re not ready you
can walk home, you ungrateful sod.”

“That’s like two hours’ worth of walking.”

A mean smile spread across his fat face. “I
know.”

“You won’t make me walk cos of my dad.”

Narrowing his eyes at me, he took a drag
on his cigarette and blew the smoke in my face.

“You a-hole,” I spat, waving the
disgusting smell away.

He smiled wider.

Pissed off, I pushed out of his car. It
was a souped-up black Holden with red, orange, and gold flames emblazoned
across its side, along with an engine sticking out of its hood, the evening sun
making it glint.

I started backing away from it. “Hey,
Hemi! I’ve got a theory why you love to suck on cancer sticks so much. You like
tiny dick.” I made a cock-sucking action.

He squeezed out of the driver’s side and
rounded the car. He had a huge potbelly and was wearing the same leathers as my
dad, just the XXXL equivalent.

He waved a fist at me. “Get inside the
house or I’ll kick you in
your
tiny dick.”

I covered my crotch. “I’m onto you, perv.
Insult my dick so I pull it out to prove it’s huge.”

“I don’t wanna see your dick!”

“While I don’t think it’s humanly possible
to see yours.”

Hemi yelled out and ran for me. Laughing,
I spun around and sprinted for the front door, which flung open. Mrs. Hatton
ushered me inside, her eyes wide with fear, suggesting she’d been spying on us
through the curtains.

Once I was inside, she slammed the door
shut and bolted it, then peered through the curtains, giving weight to my
thoughts. She let out an audible sigh when Hemi’s V8 engine roared to life. Letting
go of the curtains, she turned to me, her relief quickly morphing into upset.

She rushed over and took hold of my face. “Did
that man do this to you?” she asked, examining my black eye and bruised cheek.

“No,” I said, liking her touch.

“Then who?”

“You don’t needa know.”

“Was it your father?”

I yanked my face free, annoyed she’d
thought he would hurt me. “No! My father’s never hit me, only my big bro.”

“He hit your brother?”

“Ages ago, before he went to prison. He hasn’t
hit him since. While this,” I pointed to my face, “wuz done by some mechanics
who caught me stealing their hubcaps. Feel better now you know?” I said
sarcastically.

She dropped her hands to her side, concern
still painting her brow. “Why did you steal them?”

“Duh, for a car.”

“But you’re too young to drive.”

“No, I’m not. I got my license as soon as
I turned fifteen.”

“Oh, I thought the age was sixteen.”

“Nope, I just don’t have a car yet, but I
will soon. My dad and his mate are fixing one up for me. I wanted the hubcaps
for it. They were really cool, modified chrome ones. Fuckin’ sucks I got
caught. I thought the mechanics had gone home, but they were upstairs. Two of them
held me down, while the third one called the cops. I almost got away when I
kicked one in the nuts. It’s why the other one punched me in the face.”