Hater 1: Hater (7 page)

    'Best move that bloke ever made,' I say, perhaps unfairly. 'She struggled when they were together. She'll struggle whatever happens.'

    'Come on, don't be unkind. It's not easy for her being on her own with the kids. I don't know how I'd cope.'

    'You'd just get on with it. You'd find a way of getting by, we both would. The problem is your sister is too quick to look for the easy option all the time. What she needs is someone to…'

    A sudden, unexpected and very loud clattering noise interrupts me. It's Josh. He's dropped his fork on the floor. I bend down and pick it up before cleaning it on a paper napkin and passing it back to him.

    'What she needs,' Lizzie continues, taking over where I left off, 'is some space and more time to try and come to terms with what happened and what he did. She didn't deserve any of it. You can't do that to someone and then just expect them to…'

    'I'm not saying she deserved anything, I just think that…'

    Another clatter of metal on floor tile. I pick up Josh's fork for the second time, clean it and pass it back. He grins at me.

    'All I'm saying is that…'

    Josh drops his fork again. Now I'm really starting to lose my patience. I pick it up, clean it and slam it down on the table next to his plate. He squeals with laughter. Irritating little sod.

    'Do that again and we're going home,' I threaten.

    'Just ignore him,' Lizzie says, still managing to eat her food. I've hardly touched mine. 'He's only doing it because he's getting a reaction from you. The more you react, the more he'll do it.'

    I know she's right but it's hard to keep calm. I try and concentrate on my dinner but I can feel Josh staring at me, desperate to make eye contact. I cringe as the fork hits the ground again. I know I shouldn't but I can't stop myself from reacting. I grab the fork off the floor and hold it in front of him, just out of his reach.

    'Fork…' he whines.

    'Danny…' Lizzie warns.

    'Do you want to go home?' I hiss at him through clenched teeth. 'Or do you want to finish your dinner first? If you do that again we're going.'

    'Daddy might buy you an ice-cream if you finish your dinner,' Liz says.

    'I might not,' I add quickly. 'Bloody hell, I've spent enough already. I can't afford to keep…'

    There's another interruption from the crowd of football supporters. I wish they'd shut up, selfish bastards. More noise. Nervous, uncertain noise. This doesn't sound good. No-one's laughing this time. I turn round just in time to see a section of the crowd part as a squat, bald-headed and tattoo-covered man is charged across the room by another fan who seems to be about twice his height but half his weight. They've smashed into a table where another family was eating. People are up off their chairs and are scattering in all directions.

    'What are they doing?' Ellis asks innocently. 'Are they playing or fighting?'

    The two men are stood up again now and I'm praying they don't come any nearer. The thinner man holds the tattooed man by his jacket and he's swinging him around. He tries to grab hold of something to steady himself but the thin man's not giving him a chance. He lets him go and then runs at him and shoves him in the chest, sending him tripping backwards. Another hard shove and this time the tattooed man is pushed so far that he ends up flat on his back on another table not far from where we're sitting. Half-empty plates, cutlery and glasses are sent flying. I grab hold of Josh and I look around and see that Lizzie has done the same with Ellis. The clattering, crashing and smashing noise quickly fades away and is replaced by a heavy and uncomfortable silence. Everyone is watching the fight but it's so sudden and so violent that no-one dares to get involved. Everyone knows they should do something but no-one's moving.

    'Don't, mate…' the man lying on his back on the table cries nervously. 'Please don't…'

    The thin man looks around. Holding his victim down with one hand he searches through the debris on the table and picks something up. It's only when he holds it up above his head that I see he's got a steak knife. The next few seconds seem to last forever. I don't want to watch but I can't look away. He brings the knife thumping down on the tattooed man's chest and sinks it into his flesh. But that's not enough. His fist already covered in blood he yanks the blade out then stabs it down again and again and again…

    Fucking hell.

    Christ, we have to get out of here. We have to move. This bloke's out of his mind. What if he turns on the rest of us? The hundreds of people crammed into this overcrowded pub have started to panic and are heading for the exits, running from the two men in the middle of the room. The thin man is still shredding the other man's chest with the sharp, serrated blade. The tattooed man's arms and legs are thrashing and even from this distance I can see that the table and both men are covered in blood.

    I drag Josh out of his chair and then push Lizzie towards the nearest door. I'm trying hard to stay calm but I'm fucking terrified. Come on, get a fucking move on… There's a crowd of drinkers all trying to push their way out through a narrow doorway at the same time and, for the second time in less than a day I'm stuck at the back of a load of people trying to get away from trouble. I hold Josh close to my chest and look over my shoulder to see where the lunatic with the knife is. If he's finished with the man on the table who knows who he's going to come after next. I don't want to be his next victim. I just want to…

    'Danny!' I hear Liz scream. I look up again. She's been pulled further along with the crowd and there are a couple of meters between us now. She's almost through the door. She's looking back and shouting something at me. I can't make it out.

    'What?'

    'Ed,' she yells, 'get Ed!'

    Jesus Christ. There's no time to think. I hold on to Josh tightly and make a sudden change in direction back towards the fun-barn. The way through is clear. The people in there can't have heard what's happening yet. I push through the swinging double-doors and look around for Ed but I can't see him. The lighting is low at this end of the room and there are kids and their parents everywhere.

    'Edward!' I shout over thumping party music. People turn and look at me like I've gone mad. 'Ed!'

    'Dad!' I hear him shout back. I can see him now, down by one of the climbing frames at the far end of the room with a friend. I run towards him.

    'Get your shoes and your coat,' I tell him, 'we've got to go.'

    'But Dad,' he starts to protest.

    'Get your shoes and your coat,' I tell him again.

    'What's going on?' someone asks. I turn round and see that it's Wendy Parish, the mother of one of Ed's friends.

    'There's some trouble in the pub,' I tell her, watching anxiously as Ed disappears to find his stuff. 'I'd get out of here if I was you. I'd get everyone out of here.'

    I look up and see that staff from the pub have reached the staff of the fun-barn and they look about to make a tannoy announcement to clear the building. Ed's back with his coat on. He sits down and starts putting on his shoes.

    'Come on, son,' I yell over the noise. 'Do that outside.'

    Confused, he jumps up and holds onto me as we run towards the exit, weaving around the suddenly scattered tables and chairs. We push our way out into the car park and I can see Liz and Ellis standing over by the car. I run towards them. Ed hobbles along beside me, one shoe on and one shoe off. I can hear sirens approaching.

    'You okay?' Liz asks.

    'We're fine,' I answer, rummaging through my pockets for the keys. I open the door and between us we bundle the children inside. I gesture for her to get in and she does. I finish strapping Josh into his car seat and then get into the front and lock the door.

    'Should we wait for the police?' Liz wonders, her voice little more than a whisper.

    'Bollocks to that,' I answer as I start the engine and reverse quickly out of the parking bay. Cars are already queuing up to get out of the car park. 'No-one else is stopping,' I say as we join the back of the queue. 'Let's just get out of here.'

    It's half-past nine and I've been trying to get out of Ellis' bedroom for the best part of the last hour. Poor kid's obviously been shaken up by what she saw earlier. I'm not surprised, it scared the hell out of me too. Outwardly she doesn't seem too upset but she won't stop talking about what happened. You don't know how kids are affected by seeing things like that. I've been sitting on the end of her bed answering a constant stream of questions since she shouted out for me. I've done my best but my patience is starting to wear thin. She's just milking it now, trying to keep me in here as long as she can.

    'So why were they fighting, Daddy?' she asks (again).

    'Ellis,' I sigh, 'I've already told you a hundred times, I don't know.'

    'Have they stopped now?'

    'I'm sure they have. The police would have stopped them.'

    'Would they?'

    'Yes, that's what the police do.'

    'Did one of the men get hurt?'

    'Yes.'

    'Will he be in hospital now?'

    'Yes,' I answer. I don't tell her that he's probably in the hospital morgue.

    The questions suddenly stop. She's tired. I can see her eyelids starting to flutter. She's going to sleep but she's going to fight it all the way. I should wait until I'm sure she's gone but I'm desperate to get out of here now. I slide along the bed, get up carefully and then begin to edge towards the door. She stirs and looks up and I freeze.

    'What about my chips?' she mumbles, her voice slow and drowsy.

    'What about them?' I ask, moving away again.

    'I didn't finish them.'

    'None of us finished our food. Mummy and Daddy didn't finish either.'

    'Will they still be there?'

    'Will who still be there?'

    'My chips.'

    'I doubt it.'

    'Has someone else eaten them?'

    'No, they'd have gone cold by now. Someone will have thrown them away.'

    'Can we go back tomorrow and see?'

    'No.'

    'Why not? I want to finish my chips…'

    'Ellis,' I interrupt.

    'What?'

    'Shut up and go to sleep please.'

    I've finally reached the door. I flick the light-switch off and wait for her to react. She doesn't. The only light in the room now comes in from the hallway. I can still see her shuffling around in bed but I know she'll be asleep in a few minutes.

    'Night, Daddy,' she yawns.

    'Night, sweetheart.'

    I'm about to leave when she speaks again.

    'Is he dead, Daddy?'

    What do I say to that? Do I tell her the truth or do I lie to save more questions and reassure my little girl? I'm a coward. I sit on the fence.

    'I don't know,' I mumble quickly. 'Goodnight.'

    I wait for a little while longer until I'm sure she's asleep. Finally free but exhausted I drag myself down the corridor towards the living room. Halfway through the weekend and I don't feel like I've had any chance to relax yet. There's a film on tonight that Liz and I wanted to watch. After the last couple of days it will be good just to sit down together and relax for a while.

    I look around the living room door and see that Lizzie is asleep. She's sprawled out along the full length of the sofa snoring. I'm disappointed but not surprised. I fetch myself a drink and something to eat from the kitchen before finding somewhere to sit and watch the TV. The other seats are piled high with the children's toys and clean washing waiting to be put away. I can't be bothered to move any of it. I sit down on the floor in front of the sofa.

    Now I can't find the remote control. I upend most of the washing and turf through the toys but I can't find the damn thing anywhere. I bet one of the kids has hidden it. Josh has a habit of putting things in the bin. I check through the rubbish then under all the chairs and the sofa. When I'm on the verge of giving up I finally spot the end of it peeking out from underneath Lizzie. She's fallen asleep on top of it. I pull it out from under her. She grunts and rolls over onto her back but she doesn't wake up.