THE ANTICS OF MICKY MOLLOY

EPISODE V

‘THE DEVIL MAKES WORK….’

Six weeks holiday from school and only one more session of community service to go; talk about chuffed! Micky was buzzin. Sally, on the other hand, was not so happy. She knew from past experience that this was not going to be an easy time for her, at least. If Micky was not occupied the whole time he would either be getting under her feet or aggravating her, or he could find his old mates and get into trouble again. Either way, it would be Sally who had to keep an eye on the youngster. But, hey, she thought, maybe I’m being a bit previous with my presumptions; after all, the previous couple of months had seen Micky showing some signs of maturing a little. Maybe her fears were unwarranted. Maybe!

Micky had breakfast about 09:30 and just messed about in his room till noon, listening to what was loosely called ‘music’. Some bloke talking so fast you couldn’t tell what he was saying and someone on bass with that repetitive disorder. Sally had long given up trying to change his tastes in music; she was just happy he had learned what was acceptable - volume wise’. All went quiet and down the stairs came the little whirlwind, “Any chance of a sarnie before I shoot off?”

“You know where the fridge is! Make yourself one,” barked Sally.

“Forget it,” Micky replied, and out he went. He was only half way down the road when he realised he had no money if he wanted to buy something to eat, but he couldn’t go back to the house as that would only put one of those smug grins on his sister’s face. No, he would think of something.

Just then he spotted Jacko and Wilf at the bus stop. “Where you off then?”

Wilf tapped his shoulder bag, “Going to the baths; half price weekdays and all holidays.”

“Yeah, fancy it?” asks Jacko.

“Nah, not today. It’s gonna be packed,” replied Micky. “I’ll leave it till next week”.

Just then the bus arrived and Wilf said, “Are you sure? We’ll wait for the next one if you want to go and get your swimming gear.”

“No, you go. I’ll see you later.”

“OK. See ya.”

By now Micky was becoming a little frustrated. Here he was on the first day of the holidays and the morning had already gone and he was stood in the middle of the street with not a clue on how to spend the rest of the day. It was too early to go down to see granddad at his plot. He knew that if he went down now he would be there till tea time. He decided to head to the shopping centre. There was bound to be someone hanging around. When he got there, two lads from his school were being moved on by the security guards. Once they were at safe distance they gave the men a barrage of foul mouthed abuse.

“Alright Micky! What you up to?” the lad asked.

“You just missed all the fun,” the other one told him.

“Not much. Just having a wander round,” replied Micky.

“Wait till those two guards clear off and we can go back into the centre. A girl out of our class has got a job in the café and she’s gonna get us some money from the till.”

Now, not too long ago, Micky would have been happy to go along with whatever the lads were up to. But not now.

“You do what you want; I’m off!” retorted Micky.

“What’s wrong with you? Gone soft?” they jeered. The other lad didn’t even reply. He just turned his back on them and walked away. Micky decided he would go down and see his granddad after all. On his way own to the plot a car pulled up alongside. It was Dave and John from the running club. “You bothering coming tonight, or did you have enough last week?” John asked him.

“Blimey! I’d forgot all about it! Yeah course I’m coming if you can give us a lift.”

“No problem. I’ll pick you up same time, half past six. Ok?” said Dave.

“Sure thing, see you later,” and for no reason, chased the car down the street as far as he could.

Out of breath, but with a huge grin all over his face he passed the bus stop that Jacko and Wilf were at earlier and it’s full of kids from school with rolled up towels under their arms. Part of him really wanted to go swimming but common sense told him it was gonna be packed solid and you would only get an hour, whereas normally the staff didn’t rush you out if it wasn’t not too busy. After all, he had six weeks to go swimming; no need to do everything in the first week. So, off down to the allotment, to see gramps. Once down there he can hear the old man’s radio, but he couldn’t see him anywhere. He shouted, “Granddad! It’s only me, where are you hiding?” There was no reply. But then Micky could hear the old squeaky wheelbarrow and his granddad whistling.

He knew it was him because the tune he was whistling wasn’t really a tune; more a mix of half a dozen songs rolled into one. But anyway it was the old fella.

“Where you been?” asked Micky.

“Oh, just giving Mrs Harris a lift shifting some rubbish what’s blown into her plot,” he replied.

“Got any coffee in your flask gramps, or do you want a cold drink from the shop?” Micky asked. Now granddad knew the little fella better than he knew himself. That last statement really meant that Micky wanted a cold drink but had no money, and it was said so as to look like he was doing the old man a favour. He went along with it and said, “I’ve got coffee, but I could do with a nice, cold can of orange. Will you nip and get us a couple of cans and get me a bar of fruit and nut and something for yourself.” The old man gave Micky a fiver and added, “Make sure I get a pound coin in my change for my paper and milk on the way home.” And with that he was gone.

The shop was only round the corner so he was back in no time. The two of them sat on the bench in front of the shed sipping pop and munching on chocolate and crisps.

“I’m off down the track tonight gramps, you know, with that running club.”

“Oh aye, with that big lad from your school. How’s it going with this running malarkey then?”

“It’s ok. Not done much proper running yet. It’s just short training and talking mostly on Mondays. I might get to do a race if I join the club proper.”

“Sounds alright to me. Anyway come on, you can give me a lift with these weeds round the edge of the vet patch before you clear off.”

And so the pair set about the job having been fed and watered and suitably rested. Granddad started whistling the unknown tune, and Micky just smiled. Not a bad way to spend the first day of the holidays.

Written by: Graham Vickers

Typed up originally by: Lisa Baines

Submitted: 7^th August 2007

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor

NEXT EPISODE – PART 6 – CLUB NIGHT