Raising his voice, he talks too close to my face, the smell of whiskey nearly knocking me out. “You don’t get a choice. Move before I show you my hand.”
I’ve never seen this side to my dad—his face is bright pink and his nostrils flare in time with his ticking jaw. I wonder what the hell happened to him. Does he not realise I’m not twelve anymore? I’m a twenty-one-year-old man with a least three inches of height over him. Sticking my chest in his face, I pull back my shoulders to prove my point, but it doesn’t make him back down any less, and by this time, Mum has heard the commotion at the door.
“You heard our son; I have nothing to say to you.” She steps out from behind me with Tommy close at her side. “Please, just go. Leave us alone.”
“You’re not talking sense, Liz. We need to talk.”
“When you’re sober and can hold a decent conversation, then we can talk. Right now, you should leave,” Mum says, her tone firm.
“I didn’t mean what I said Liz, please believe me.”
When Mum stays silent, I try to reason with him. “Come on, Dad, it’s time to leave. I can take you home.” I try to take his arm, but he shakes me off.
“Who the hell do you think you are. We wouldn’t have these problems if it weren’t for you and your pie in the sky ideas.” He tries to force his way past me again, but I hold him back with little effort. He insists, “You’re in my way you littleshit, now move before I land you one. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Make your mind up, Dad.” Now I’m the one gritting my teeth. His voice takes on a softer tone when he ignores me and calls to Mum over my shoulder. “Talk to me, love. Just five minutes.” Shit, he knows when to put it on. I’m hoping she doesn’t fall for it. I turn my head, looking over my shoulder to catch her in my sight. Her head shakes, “No,” and her eyes widen when she looks at him. “You’ll only try to persuade me to come home, but if I do, you’ll hurt me all over again, and I’m done, Harry. I’m not having it.”
“He hurt you?” I ask, my jaw aching from my clenched teeth.
“Not physically love, but—” she looks to the floor. “I shouldn’t be the one to tell our son what happened, not when it isn’t my fault. It should beyou,Harry. Tell him exactly why I can’t be with you anymore.”
“Liz, please,” he tries to reason, but I push him back a little further.
“No. I can’t take the lies?—”
“What’s going on?” I pose the question to my mum, but she is staring straight at Dad, waiting for him to respond. He takes his bottom lip with his teeth. It’s obvious he isn’t prepared to explain.
“Come on, Harry. Tell your son how much money you’ve gambled away over the years because I’ve lost count and actually, I’m not sure I know how much myself. Why don’t you start with the money put aside for the mortgage last month? Or the two men who came knocking, demanding you paid them for the credit you built up during one of your card games?”
I stare back at the man I looked up to as a kid as his nostrils flare, his teeth grind, and all his pent-up anger rises tothe surface. All I see is red. “You piece of shit,” I edge forward, pushing my arm further into his chest, while he tries, and fails, to force me back.
“How could you treat her so badly,” I emphasise, leaning hard against him until Tommy is at my back. “That’s enough, man.” His hand is on my shoulder, holding me back, but I keep my father in place. I’m not letting him off the hook.
“Take a look at yourself, boy. You’re still hanging onto her apron strings like a little girl. You say I treat her badly, but you’re taking advantage of her. I know she’s buying your books for university.”
“Oh, fuck you. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” I edge forward again, but it doesn’t stop him shouting in her direction again. “He’s the problem, Liz and we both know it.”
“I suggest you shut the fuck up.” I will lose it if he carries on.
“I suggest you show some respect and face the truth, boy. You and that band of yours will never make it. You’re not good enough. All these fancy ideas of becoming a musician are going nowhere.”
My eyes narrow towards him, “What are you talking about.” Has Mum told him about the offer from Election?
“Who do you think paid for your fancy solicitor?”
My stomach drops. “Wh-what?”
He laughs, “Yeah, that’s right. Your mother took the money from our joint account, and when I confronted her, she had to come clean and tell me about you signing up with that flash bastard, Hill.”
My grip of him loosens while I try to get my head together, then glance back to Mum. She looks as if she might burst any minute.
“You bastard Harry Chambers. How dare you say such a thing to our son.”
“Are you denying it then?” Dad says with a stupid grin on his face while Mum glares back at him. “I thought not. Not so clever now are you, boy. Getting your mum to steal from me like that.”
I shake my head, “Fuck, I would never?—”
“Yeah, yeah. Make all the excuses you like, but you’re just a fucking bloodsucker. Always have been.”
