Six Dead Men Read Free Page B

to big it up with Doogie and his BMX boys. They were having none of it and if I hadn't shown up his arse would have been theirs. The top of his bleached head was like a beacon above the sea of boys surrounding him. The lighthouse of hair seemed to be flashing at me. So I went over to take a look.
    "What's up blud?"
    Doogie turned round and the boys froze, their taunting voices silenced by my presence. Doogie's left shoulder dropped into a slouch as he began his gangster boy walk in my direction. "What's up G man?"
    I avoided the need to sigh in exasperation but raised an eyebrow. Doogie's slouch instantly became less pronounced and his raised fist dropped to his side. He knew I didn't go in for all that posturing crap.
    "Nah, this is rubbish man." It was a new boy in Doogie's crew, his braids pulling at his forehead and eyes so he looked almost Chinese.
    Another boy with his comb stuck in his afro retorted. "Watch your mouth rudeboy." But Rudeboy didn't know who I was. His head snapped round to Afro. "Mind your business yeah."
    Doogie whipped round and gave him the full force of his gaze while Afro grabbed Rudeboy by the arm.
    I waited for the triangle of meaningful looks to end. Rudeboy looked from Afro to Doogie, Afro whispered in Rudeboy's ear, Rudeboy paled, looked to me and let his eyes flick quickly back to Doogie. Doogie turned his attention back to me, his lips forming the apology.
    I smiled lazily and waved a hand airily. "No grief Doogie. Rudeboy here doesn't know me." I nodded over at Junior who was hemmed in by the boys and their bikes. "What's happening with my man?"
    Doogie's relief leaked from him like a dripping tap. "This wannabe says he wants to join our gang but he’s got no wheels. Get me?" A nervous snigger from the circle of boys followed this comment. "How's he gonna get a bike?" This from Afro.
    "Yeah, how's he gonna get a bike?" The edgy chorus rang round the group.
    I moved towards the BMX circle. The boys edged back respectfully and I noticed Rudeboy move just that little bit further back than everybody else. Just for fun I paused when I was alongside Rudeboy and showed my teeth in a cross between a smile and a snarl. If it was possible he became even paler.
    I turned to face Junior. He was tall and rangy and looked like a human Duracell battery because of that hair cut and blonde dye. There was something about him that reminded me of Lennie from Of Mice and Men . Except he lacked the bulk I always imagined Lennie would have. So maybe I was meant to play George to his Lennie. Not that I'm that small or wiry, but my brown belt doesn't hurt any. "Come on Lennie, I know just the place where you can pick up a really good bike." He just looked at me with a glazed expression so I gripped the top of his arm gently. I could see the delay as his ears accepted the message and his brain then finally made sense of it.
    "Really?"
    "Yeah, come on. There's loads to choose from and you can decide which colour you like."
    Before I turned to leave I grinned at Rudeboy. His eyes shifted sideways and he tugged at the end of one of his braids, and unconsciously shuffled his bike further away from me. The other boys and their bikes became statues.
    I turned my back and walked away. "Later Doogie." Junior followed me like a lost puppy looking for a home. You can't buy that kind of trust. The blindness of it fascinated me and I knew I would have to take care of him till the day I died.
    “That boy's shit out of luck man.” I heard Doogie mutter.
    I tightened my grip on Junior's arm and smiled inside.
    *****

    I was a disappointment to my mother, my father, any number of aunts and uncles and Miss Jenkins, my history teacher. When I was 12 Miss J displayed an essay I wrote in which I compared a Roman general to an English king. She said I was” able to do what her best A’Level students were yet to come to grips with. You have a didactic memory Curtis.” She spelled it out for me in my vocab notebook and then told me to