The Locksmith by Linda Calvey (reading in the dark .TXT) 📕

With that, her dad sloped off back to his bed. Ruby prayed he would say nothing to Cathy about the gun. She couldn’t imagine what her mum would do if she knew, but she did know she’d hit the roof good and proper.

Her dad’s words stung. Ruby couldn’t imagine life without Sarah. They’d been best friends since before primary school, and she knew she couldn’t – wouldn’t – drop her, even if it meant incurring her father’s wrath. She couldn’t just leave her to deal with this alone. Somehow she had to try to see her.

Luckily, Louie didn’t tell Cathy and so no more was said. The street quietened down, though the neighbours were all buzzing with gossip for days. Ruby was too worried about her friend to care what the local gossips said over the back-yard fences.

It took a couple of days, but eventually Cathy was out working at the local tobacconist and Louie was sorting out something at the scrapyard, leaving Ruby free for the first time since the arrest. She rushed across their yards and knocked softly on Sarah’s door. Sarah hadn’t been seen since the arrest, which Ruby had expected, but she’d been worried about her friend.

No one came to the door. Ruby pushed it; it was usually open, as were all their doors. Today it was shut. She knocked again, this time harder. Still no reply.

The next day she did the same. Each time her mum and dad were out Ruby tried to see Sarah.

It was over a week later that Ruby saw Sarah coming out of the local supermarket. She ran over, filled with relief at seeing her, but when Sarah turned to her, her expression was hostile. Her friend usually wore pink lip gloss and make-up, but today her face was bare. She looked like she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days and her face looked different, harder. Sarah was the first to speak.

‘Dad’s goin’ away . . . for a long time . . .’

Ruby stepped towards her, desperate to comfort her but not sure what to say all of a sudden. This wasn’t the reunion she’d expected.

Sarah took a step back. Before Ruby could say anything, Sarah blurted out, ‘Mum says I can’t speak to no one about it.’

Tears were now pouring down the girl’s face, and she wiped them away roughly. Ruby stepped towards her friend again, wanting to hug her, but Sarah put her arms out to stop her and shouted, ‘Don’t touch me you dirty pikey.’

For a second, Ruby thought she’d misheard. ‘Sarah . . . ?’

Her friend’s tear-streaked face turned into an ugly scowl. ‘Mum says we don’t want no more to do with ya. Don’t come to my ’ouse again, d’you ’ear me?’

Ruby nodded, unable to speak, so shocked was she by her friend’s unkind words. Sarah stalked off leaving Ruby standing alone in the street. Even though it was a sunny spring afternoon, Ruby pulled her second-hand cardigan around her tightly, as if to protect herself from her friend’s cruel words.

CHAPTER 4

Ruby was devastated by her friend’s rejection of her. For the next few days, she contrived to hide away in her room, trying to think why Sarah had spoken to her so harshly. She wasn’t just upset, she was puzzled. Why on earth would her best friend ditch her like that? What had she done wrong? Ruby racked her brains and could think of nothing. Obviously, her Romany roots had upset her friend but why would that suddenly be an issue? The Murphy family was descended from Gypsies, and she had grown up being taught to be proud of her family’s past. Louie said people could be judgemental about Travellers, but Ruby had never experienced anyone using it against her – until now.

She was still puzzling over Sarah’s words on her way to Rathbone Market a week later.

‘Come and get yer apples. Lovely, juicy apples. Oi, darlin’, come an’ taste one of these beauties,’ hollered the fruit and veg man, giving the teenager a wink. It was Saturday morning, the sun was out, and Ruby did what she’d done every weekend for the past couple of years and had taken herself off to the thriving marketplace off Barking Road, only a short walk from Star Lane. She tried not to think about the fact that she usually went with Sarah.

There were stalls of all descriptions running the length of the road, selling second-hand clothes, soft furnishings, fabrics, toys and bric-a-brac, as well as spicy Jamaican food, and fresh fruit and veg. Crammed next to the veg man’s stall, filled to bursting with potatoes, carrots, cabbages, oranges, bananas and apples, was a woman selling oversized underwear. Huge pink bras and large lacy knickers wafted in the breeze. Ruby caught herself smiling as she walked past, through the crowds of people, remembering how she and her brother would scream with laughter as children at the sight of ladies rifling through the knickers, looking for a bargain. Cathy would always hurry past, her cheeks red with shame, dragging the two siblings with her as they pointed and giggled loudly. They’d always laughed about it as a family later, even Ruby’s mum enjoyed the joke once they were out of earshot of those poor women.

‘. . . I’ve got hairdryers, I’ve got toasters, I’ve even got hair curlers. Now come on, ladies, what’ll it be today? Yes, you, come and ’ave a go on my curlers . . .’

Ruby moved past the electrical man’s stall, wondering where he’d nicked the goods from this time. He was a hoister. Every week he had a different display of nicked goods at knock-down prices. She gave him a smile, which made him doff his cap to her as if she was a proper lady, and Ruby couldn’t help but laugh. She loved the sights and sounds of the market – the bustle of the women as they elbowed each other out of the way,