Maxie arrives back in a thunder shower to Barney’s flat, only to find he’s off the planet…

Act One  Chapter Five

Barney the Play Worker

-‘Just bop Groucho Marx on the nose.’-

Maxie narrating

         The flat was in half dark when I went in. Just a candle stub guttering, shadows from the streetlamp swaying. A black jacket crouched behind the table.

-‘Barney?’-  I flicked the light switch but it didn’t work. The dark figure ducked out of sight. The fire was flickering a little. My heart leaped.

-‘Barney! Barney it’s only me!’-

A shaggy head appeared.

-‘Lindy? Are you alone?’-

            -‘What happened to the light?’- I thought the storm had got the lekky.

He didn’t reply. I was fishing for change to try the meter.

            -‘Just hit Groucho Marx on the nose.’-

            -‘You what?’-

            -‘The poster. Tap him on the nose. Go on. That’s it yes.’-

So I slapped the big Groucho Marx poster on his big round nose, just to humour him. The lights flashed on. The fridge clattered into life, and the radio started singing a dirge.

-‘Wow, that’s brilliant!.’-

I picked up a doubtful towel and started rubbing my wet hair.

            -‘That’s another secret okay?’-

            -‘Okay, but, how does it work? I mean.. ’–

Again he didn’t answer. His words were scrawling up and down the page.

His fingers poked the air, poised to plunge into a new sentence.

In a twinkling my arm went out and

I snatched that chewed up biro from his hand.

For a moment Barney actually went to go on writing. Then he opened his hand slowly and laughed. His head lifted, and flopped back a little. Glazed eyes peered up at me from a million miles away.

He coughed, gestured vaguely. Spacing out of his tiny mind.

Then he giggled, staring up at me. A sloppy idiotic grin.

-‘Beautiful pink panther.’- Reaching to touch my new woolly.

I took a quick step back. Dropping the biro.

The wind rushed in the trees, dancing shadows on the walls

-‘You stay away from me. You’re out of your bloody head!’- I yelled.

            -‘Out of my head?’- He was cowering, shocked by my shout.

Barney was tripping. I was frightened and angry, but he wasn’t violent, no no, he wouldn’t say boo to a goose. All he did was talk a lot of hooey, wandering vaguely through this colossal drama, glancing wildly about, without ever leaving the floor..

So I sat at the table, poured a cold herb tea, and listened to his rambling.

A fierce wind was getting up, moaning louder and rattling at the big window. Till a small pane fell in and broke. Wind and water rushing in the gap.

-‘The biosphere is bollixed.’- he said. And exploded with really annoying laughter.

So I just ran over and stuffed a grimy cushion in it.

            The window not his mouth.

He was kind of funny I suppose, I got into laughing with him, or at him.  But it went on much too long. I put on some horrible old hippy music and he rocketed into momentary ecstasies.

It seemed he’d been tripping since that morning, sobering up a bit by now. But he looked terrible.

-‘What are you so depressed about?’– I asked. And his eyes went sharp.

-‘Who told you I was depressed?’-  he demanded.The guy was paranoid.

-‘Nobody.. well, I was talking with your friend Maggie. I went down there for tea.’-

            -‘That bitch. She’s always spreading gossip about me.’-

            -‘No you’re wrong.’- says I, looking away. –‘Anyway I like her.’-

We sat quiet, now it was very late. Barney looked sick, rubbing his temples with his thumbs.

-‘Do you fancy a cold herb tea?’- I asked.

-‘Good idea. Listen I’m sorry, Maggie’s great, just very nosy sometimes.’-

            -‘Because she wanted to help you.’-

I got up, chucked a bit of board on the dying fire. Outside it looked less dark. But I was beyond feeling sleepy. And the storm was waking up again, with another shattering crash.

            -‘Maggie says you gotta pass on jobs to other people.’-

            -‘Yeah I suppose. Everybody wants our so called Play Schemes, now they seen how the CLAN gangs join in. They think we’re the cat’s pajamas, because we get their bad kids off the streets. Ironic, as really we’re giving power to them.’-

            -‘You want to give power to those hooligans?’-

            -‘To their assemblies. We’re getting them resources and money from the CoOp Pools, to be like their fire brigade or defense force, um. So they’re sponsoring the De-School courses as well. Finally we’re winning, but it’s a hard battle, see. There’s lots of community leaders and, and so called revolutionaries and priests, who are still mad for control and respectability and privilege… Ha!‘-

He snorted in disgust.

-‘Like my dad. He’s in the Brother-Hood.’-

            -‘Oh yeah. I’m on their black list too.. The Young-Hoods did in Jerry, in your school.’-

            -‘Maggie calls them ‘The Evil Medievals.’- I said, and we both laughed.

            -‘Remember the Youth Action Project where you met me. Two.. no, three years back now.’-

            -‘Yes of course, we thought it was great’.-

            -‘It only lasted two weeks Lindy, it was supposed to be all summer.’-

            -‘Still, the kids loved it.’-

            -‘Oh sure’– he said –‘’The idea wasn’t bad, building the secret playground.. Decide and do a few things for yourselves.’-

            -‘Quite right.’– says I.

I sat down and got up again. He was making me nervous.

–‘Then didn’t they ban the Performance, so it all made no sense. And what about the Assemblies?..’-

            -‘Um, I don’t remember, maybe..’-

            -‘There only was one, the School wanted them stopped when it got out that you talked about sex, and when we politely refused, they cut off the grant.’-

            -‘And that’s what upset you?’-

            -‘No no no ‘- he was getting agitated. –‘That was good learning for us. We quit doing it through the schools. See all this infighting is about power and control, over whatever aspect of people that’s their special piece of the pie.’-

            -‘You’re right of course.’- I said. –‘Do you want a coffee?’-

-‘Remember Jamie and Golly?’- he asked. Turning in his chair.

            -‘Bleeding hooligans.’-

            -‘I suppose they were that, and young Katie with them, but they were the few kids there who had a clue, what was being done to them.’-

            -‘I never saw them in school after.’-

-‘They’re in prison now that’s why, and Katie, her dad nearly beat her to death. She’s inside now and all, and Spooner when he…’-

Barney stopped abruptly, red in the face, as I handed him his instant coffee. Then he plunged on.

            -‘It’s a battlefield, anything they can get away with is right, you name it. They’ll use moral blackmail first, or just brute force, they’ll strangle you in bureaucracy, or blacklist you or. Or stick you in an institution. For your own good of course, yeah, and if all that fails the Specials will beat you up, torture you, or put you away for ever…’-

            -‘Yes well..’- He was getting into a rant.

-‘Like my friend Stevie who jumped off the tower.. Yeah, and sure thing Stevie was dead right!…’-

-‘Maggie said you have family problems and the cops are after you.’- I broke in. He blinked at me in surprise, as if he’d just seen me sitting right opposite him..

            -‘Yeah sure, but they’re all living in the past, see. My grandpa was in the resistance all right, and me.. I was in youth prison for a year, when I was fifteen, about your age.’-

            -‘Really? What did you do  wrong?’- I asked.

            -‘Nothing much that they got me for. People always ask me to set things up.’-

            He was scratching his shaggy hair again. Sure he had nits… or fleas.

-‘Starting with the ping pong club when I was ten.’- He brightened up.

-‘They locked you up for playing ping pong?’- I laughed.

            -‘Later we done sabotage, they were well unhappy about the coal mine. It was the Save the Planet campaign.’-

            -‘I’m in the Burndon Earth Girls, but we don’t do much now.’-

            -‘Really? The Eco-Burnies! They were so cool!.’-

            -‘So anyway.’- says I. –‘Maybe it’s your family that has you upset.’-

            -‘Maybe so, see, I seen bad things that’s all, when I was a kid in the country, and my dad used to beat up my Ma.. and.. and.’- He was throwing wild glances at me.

            -‘Sounds like my family.. but. Or could be you need a girlfriend, Maggie said Monika left you. So maybe I’ll find you a new girlfriend, okay, if you promise to slow down.’-

            Finally he looked at me, like he’d finally noticed I was really there. And he opened his wide smile.

            -‘Or a boyfriend please really I’m gay you see… poor Monika, she suffered for me cracking up.’-

            -‘You went crazy?’-

            -‘Very boring crazy. So I’ve decided to give it a rest… long live celibacy!’-

            -‘Celibacy? Who’s that when he’s at home watching telly?’-

            -‘Refraining from sexual activity, celibacy. I’m giving it a rest, unless I find a compatible soul mate.. which is practically impossible.’-

            -‘Why not?’- I asked.

            -‘I’m on a weird wavelength that’s all.’–  He stopped, and there was a silence. I couldn’t deny he was a bit of a weirdo.

The wind and thunder had stopped as well. I could hear that blackbird, singing out the back, and my eyes started closing by themselves.

So I knelt beside the hearth and started my stretching exercises.  Breathe in, reach up, hold it…

Barney stayed slumped over the table. The silence lengthened.

            -‘Come on now, you’re not so weird, you gotta get some rest.’-

I stood up, went behind him, dared myself, and started rubbing his neck with my thumbs.

A just ex schoolgirl, giving him wise advice.

            –‘You need to sleep now. You shouldn’t take drugs, not when you’re miserable, you know that.’-

He had shut up at last, I was massaging his neck.

Listening to the blackbird with distant rolls of thunder.

Dizzying slightly with the waves of sleep.

-‘Thanks for making me talk, You’re very patient, like Maggie.’ – he said. –‘Um.. Don’t mind me going on like that, okay?  See, I never talk about myself and, and when I do I get worked up.’-

-‘Don’t worry, we’ll sort you out.’- I said, matronizingly. –‘But right now I need some sleep.’-

Then the doorbell rang. Long and loud.

**********************

Act One   Chapter six

Testerical Morons

-‘Don’t get silly and hysterical, honey.’-

Maxie narrating

          Barney was off like a shot.

Out the door to the hall window facing the street. He was back.

-‘Special police.’- he said. –‘Looking for me.’-

The bell began again. He was emptying the ash trays, stuffing papers in a rubbish bag…

-‘It’s me they want for sure. Say you just left home.’-

            -‘What? What do they want?’-

            -‘Nothing. Politics, maybe take me in for a few days.’-

            -‘I could say I’m your wife.’-

            -‘Or say you’re a battered wife. They know I used to work with them.’-

He was in the wardrobe stowing the computer.

The bell was still ringing. And a faraway hammering had begun.

-‘Can’t you hide then.’  I said. He stopped for a second.

-‘Well, I do have a good place.. if you think you can pull it off.’- he said without stopping.

            -‘I’ll convince them.’-

            -‘Say I’m gone abroad, delay them if you can…’-

As I ran down the stairs.

Frightened but excited. People were waking up.

-‘Okay I’m coming.’-  I shouted.

And a little man banged his door, cursing.

            -‘Open up now.’-

            -‘Who’s there?’- I yelled.

            -‘Special Police.’-

I put the big door on the chain and opened it slightly.

A metal bar was instantly in the gap.

-‘What do you want?’–  says I.

-‘We have a warrant to search the flat of Mr. Bernard Maguire. Open that chain honey.’-

            -‘He’s left.’-  I protested. –‘That’s my flat now.’-

-‘Open up now, here’s the warrant.’-

            -‘Let me see it.’– My voice broke.

He waved a paper in the gap.

-‘Listen I’m after leaving my husband. I’m afraid you’re his pals come to get me.’-

            -‘I’m counting to three.’- They were getting furious.

-‘I’m sorry that’s my flat now not… ‘-

There was a terrifying crash, as something heavy hit the door.

-‘Okay okay I’ll open it.’– I shouted, and slipped off the chain.

The door swung back, nearly flattening me. Two big men pounded up the stair well. A third hung back, signaling me to go up. Stupidly I obeyed. I could’ve just scarpered then and gone to Maggie’s.

When I got there the room was dark. They were rummaging about, flashing torches. One torch flashed in my face.

-‘What’s wrong with the fucking light?’-

            -‘No money for the meter.’–  I said. Barney must have bopped old Groucho on the nose.

So one of them had to put money in the meter and the lights came on.

-‘I’ll take a look upstairs.’-  said the older cop. And my heart leaped.

-‘He’s not here.’-  I squeaked.

Then suddenly they turned on me. Out of the blue.

One grabbed me. Crashed me up against the wall. I was shocked.

-‘Where is the queer bastard? Where’s the dirty Clanner, darling?’-

            -‘He’s gone. Gone to Germany.’- I yelped.

            -‘Where?  You’re lying baby. What address?’- He was shaking me.

            -‘What’s your name, sexy. What are you doing with a dirty faggot?’-

 

While he pinned me to the wall, the baldy one started pulling at my clothes. Pinching me.

–‘Hey! I don’t know the address. Honest. Ow. Stop it. No, Stop it!’- I was shocked.

            -‘Now now darling, don’t get naughty and emotional.’- said the other one.

-‘Hey stop that. Get your hands off me! Now!’-

            -‘Come on sweetie you love this really.’-

He was ripping off Maggie’s pink cardigan. A button flew.

Yanked my T shirt up, exposing my breasts. I never expected this.

This couldn’t be happening to me.

            -‘Hey stop …stop…’- He was pinching my nipples.

-‘Just be a good girl darling.’- He spat on Barney’s floor. -‘And we’ll take good care of you.’-

As he slapped my cheek, not hard. Laughed and looked up at his mate for approval.

-‘Ow. Get off me. Stop It!.‘-  I had started to resist as hard as I could.

-‘Don’t get upset. Just relax now baby. Stop that’-

He was twisting up my arms. Clicking on handcuffs.

-‘Just behave yourself like a lady. That’s lovely.’-

            -‘Ow, Ow, my wrists. You stupid bastard let me go.’- I croaked.

They were trying to hang my arms over the wall lamp like some trophy.

-‘Tell us about your terrorist lover darling. Does he feel you down here, or here.? Does he..’-

            -‘Don’t touch me. Stop it! He’s sending his address. Honest. It was…’-

 

The little baldy one was shoving a hanky in my mouth. I pulled myself up and kicked, but the square faced bastard held me fast. Lucky I didn’t have a panic attack just then or I’d have choked.

-‘Don’t get silly and..hys-hysterical honey.’– grunted the little sadistic shithead.

Finally pulling off my green pants. Though I got in a good kick at last.

-‘Ow! You little shit. Ow ah, she kicked me really hard!’-

            -‘We’ll have to punish you. You dirty bitch. You dirty terrorist Clanner.’-

            -‘You’re a shit. Say it. You lesbian bitch.’-

He gave me a little slap, giggled, and looked around for approval.

-‘Say after me.  -‘I’m a sexy shit’-  Say it.’-

            -‘I’m a shit.’- I just croaked like a frog.

Seeing as the moron still had a gag in my mouth.

I was terrified, This couldn’t be happening.

            -‘Hey come on it’s my turn.’– said the one holding me –‘What you need girly is a real man.’-

He laughed inanely.

–‘Help me hold her Furgie, she’s really strong.’-

            -‘Listen, silly baby. Now you just have to relax and…’-

            -‘You filthy shit. Say it you sexy shit, did your lover…?’-

 

-‘Stop that now lads. Take it easy.’-

The first one, their superior it seemed, had come downstairs.

Double good news. He hadn’t found Barney and he would stop them abusing me.

-‘You can let her down now boys.’-

            -‘This shit won’t talk and she attacked me.’–

He pinned me up harder against the wall..

-‘I will I will.’–  I squeaked, finally spitting out the hanky. -‘Let me down.’-

-‘What’s your name then, darling?’– said the sergeant.

What’s my name? I thought.

-‘Janice.’- I came out with. -‘Mrs. Janice Martin.’-

-‘How old are you? You’re just a girl.’–

He gripped my jaw hard, smiling at my pain, and turned my head to face him.

–‘Ay.. my arms..T-Tell those stupid bastards to let me go.’-  I gurgled.

–‘Maybe we do have to teach you a lesson darling.’- he said.

Then he grabbed my tits in both hands, squeezed and pulled hard.

-‘Hey. Oww!.’-

-‘Now you’ve pushed us this far you cheeky dyke.’-

He yanked me forward again, let go, then slapped my face.

-‘Stop it ow stop it stop it.’-

            -‘Just keep quiet and you’ll get off easy. You’re a very naughty girl. You’ve been a naughty girl.. Furgie, get a hold of her legs. Help me Tim..  Let’s do this one.’-

-‘Okay then.’- Furgie nodded. –‘Let’s gag her properly then, here I’ll…’-

My heart sank. Now their boss was joining in.

I had to just start screaming while I could!

But just then his radio broke in with a loud crackle.

-‘F16 central Special PP3 are you returning to base yet? Come in please.’-

            -‘PP3 here’- he said. Holding up his trousers. -‘The bird has flown. We’re checking the place over.’-

-‘Just get a move on. We have mobile CLAN activity in your area. Secure vehicle and return to base. Repeat PP3…‘-

Instantly my body was released and I slid down. Hanging painfully from the lamp bracket, which started to give way, bits of plaster falling on me. The Sergeant kicked me in the side.

-‘Ow ow. Ahh..’-

-‘Let’s go. Run down and check the car.’- he yelled.

And I saw a black gun appear in his hand, as he aimed another kick at my crotch.

-‘Your queer friend is a dangerous subversive. Tell him we’ll be back okay. Tim, get those cuffs off her quick.’-

They sidled towards the door, shouting and nervy.

The one called Tim removed the handcuffs and I slid to the floor, clutching my sore wrists.

As he leaned down, gargling up phlegm.

And spat it full in my face.

–‘You’re on our list girly. Next time we’re having you.’-

-‘Bastards. Bastards. Bastards..’- I shouted after them.

When I heard the boots really stomping down the stairs, I burst into tears.

Next thing I was up. Trying to wipe the gluey spit off my face. Pulling on my pants, and out to the front hall window. They were disappearing already, into an unmarked car. Leaning my hot face on the cold glass I memorized the number-plate, it was beginning to rain a little again.

-‘Bastards. Shitheads. Pigs..’- I muttered, as the car disappeared in the drizzle.

A thin grey miserable dawn was creeping across the city.

I went back inside shivering to the fire, then I was nauseous and ran to the sink.

A minute later Barney appeared, with his rucksack and bags, and cobwebs in his wild hair, I tried to stop sniveling and started laughing instead.

-‘Welcome back.’-  I blurted.

He was unloading. Then dived into the wardrobe and came out smiling, they hadn’t found the computer.

–‘You did it Lindy you did it!’- He stopped. –‘Did they hurt you much?’–

–‘They’re pigs!’- I was nearly crying again. -‘Horrible stinking pigs!’-

He came over and put his arms round me.

-‘You’re all right now.’- he said. –‘You’ll be all right.’-

I caught my breath. Then broke away from him in a panic. It was the exact same thing my Dad had said to me.

-‘You’re the same.’– I yelled. -‘I am not NOT all right.’-

I whipped up my torn knickers from the floor and threw them in his face. They were clean on.

I picked up a dirty cup and it flew. Smashing against the mirror.

And after that I set about wrecking the gaff.

It didn’t last, there wasn’t much worth wrecking. I cracked the mirror all right, I broke a plate and damaged the good chair. Then I was back to the sink, and this time I did throw up. I let my panic out and took my pills.

When I finished with that, I’ll spare you the yukky details, I washed my face and felt better. I saw that Barney was squatting in the corner, head in his hands and tears on his cheeks.

-‘Listen.’- says he. –‘’Will.. will I take you down to Maggie’s.’-

I really forgave him when he said that. He wasn’t the same really and it was my stupid idea for him to hide. I was quite okay. Yet in another way I’d never be the same again. I had puked their shit out of my system, but I sat down shaking on the floor.

-‘Can you make a herb tea?’- I asked. –‘It’s too early to visit Maggie.‘-

-‘Yeah of course.’- he said. Getting up. -‘Listen I’m really sorry, I was out of it like. You should’ve been the one hiding, not me.’-

-‘Have you got a fag?’- I asked, calmer now, and he looked for one. -‘It wasn’t your fault, them coppers are insane.’-

            -‘But I should know that. I’m really responsible for you here. I’m sorry.’-

He handed me a half cigarette and lit it. Then went for the kettle.

-‘Did you tell your name?’-

-‘Course not. What, did you think I’d talk?’- I was angry again. –‘They could rape me a million times and I wouldn’t talk. I said I had just left my husband. Made up a name.’-

-‘You’re very brave.’– he said. -‘Did they say their names?’

            -‘Yes they did..’- I remembered every word.

Then the doorbell went. Five short rings.

–‘Oh shit they’re back.’– I jumped to my feet. -‘I’ll hide this time!’-

-‘No no that’ll be the Clanner Alarm. I’ll just shout out the window that we’re okay.’-

He was back in a moment and making the tea. Getting me into bed in the sleeping bag and zipping it up. And talking away calmly, like this kind of thing happened all the time.

-‘That was a really bad idea of mine, to say you’re a battered wife. They get off on just the idea of that. Sure they abuse their own families.’-

-‘Horrible horrible fellas.’- I was getting dozy again.

            -‘Because they’re above the law, it brings out the worst in them. But it brings out their arrogance and stupidity as well.’-  He was pouring the milk..

            -‘I bet they’re my father’s friends.’-

-‘Well maybe.. A lot are in the Brother-Hood now. Still they couldn’t have got away with it, if that’s any consolation.’-

            -‘They nearly did, only…’-

            -‘Only for our CLAN Alarm lot were closing in. I sent them a message.’-

            -‘How did you do that?’-

            -‘I only had to press a few keys… Shall I peel you some fruit?’-

            -‘No thanks. Well, yes please.’-  I remembered there were squishy pears.

            -‘And I knew it was all my fault, I would’ve tried to stop them.’-

            -‘How could you stop them?’-

             He didn’t answer, but lifted from a plastic bag a small grey revolver. Dropped it back in.

            -‘Just for total emergencies.’– he said. –‘I was waiting for you to start screaming.’-

            -‘What!’- I gasped. -‘I was just about to scream.’-

            -‘You done great, I’m really sorry, ey. I’ll make it up to you somehow, I promise.’-

-‘You were going to attack them!’-

-‘No no. Just firing that thing upstairs would make them piss and shit in their panties. And the Clanners were going to arrive any minute. And they would’ve..well..’-

 

             He stopped. And we both laughed nervously, realizing it could’ve ended infinitely worse.

****************

NEXT EPISODE HERE  serial of ‘The ‘Free, Ch7. Maggie’s Secrets

Serialization,The Free, Ch 3, Linda is Maxie Moon … runaways!

Serialization of ‘The Free’.. Ch 1..Smashing my Aquarium-