Dominic
Nine Years Old
I’VE GOT A new bike. It’s all I wanted and I can’t believe my nan actually got it for me. It’s my birthday, I’m nine today. I ride my bike up and down the pavement, Nan told me when I’m here I can play in the street, between the two lamp posts at either end, so long as I don’t go past either one, I’m good. We’ve come for tea, Mum never cooks like my nan does, so I always have seconds and a pudding. I’m allowed because she said I’m a growing lad. I am, you know. I’m on my second pair of school trousers already this year. Mum said if I grow anymore she’s taking the hem down because she can’t afford to keep up with me. My nan buys my uniform anyway, my mum and dad don’t.
As I turn my BMX around, and loop my way back down the street, a group of bigger boys come around the corner. I know who it is straight away, so I try and peddle off, but my foot slips. The ringleader, Tommy, is the hardest in my school and he’s horrible to everyone. As my shin scrapes against the peddle, I start to fall. Laughter rings out behind me and I know they are watching me. Before I can pick myself up he’s in front of me, his friends close by, blocking me in. I start to shake and it makes me mad. I shouldn’t show weakness. I know this, yet I can’t stop it. My heart echoes in my head. I flinch when he lifts his arm, thinking he’s going to punch me. Instead he fakes it, and slicks his hair back, laughing because I flinched. He pulls his leg back and kicks my bike.
‘Don’t you dare kick my new bike.’ I yell at him surprising even myself.
‘What you gonna do ‘bout it?’ He stamps aggressively on the front wheel, and I push my chest out and yell again.
‘I’ll tell my dad and he’ll kick your head in.’ He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t give a shit about me, or my bike. But I wasn’t going to tell them that. Tommy turns to walk away and I start to pick up my bike. The wheel is buckled, and I hold back stinging tears, but when I turn my back, he pushes me over, and I fall onto my bike. The handlebar sticks me in the ribs and I scrape my face across the pavement. My eye is closing up, it hurts so bad. My heartbeat pounds louder and louder. Just as I’m getting up he kicks me right up the arse.
‘Yer bike’s shit,’ he says. They all walk down to Tommy’s house, on the corner of the next street. I can’t ride my bike because the wheel’s all bent out of shape, so I push it best as I can back to my nans. I cry all the way back. I’ve been desperate for this bike, for as long as I can remember, and my nan has saved up to give me it. Now I can’t even ride it. I walk around the back of the house and stand it up against the wall, before I sit on the floor and pull against the wheel with my hands while I force my feet against the bottom. It won’t straighten. I sit and cry with my head on my knees, my nan comes out to see what’s up. Pulling my face towards hers she gasps in shock.
‘What the hell happened, did you fall off the bike?’ I shake my head and swallow the lump in my throat as I swipe at the tears running down my cheeks, proof that I’m weak. Boys don’t cry.
‘What the fuck happened?’ Dad yells from the backdoor. Great. ‘Answer me, boy.’
‘It was Tommy, he pushed me over and broke my bike.’
‘And you fucking let him?’ My chin quivers and I nod in answer. ‘Where does the little fucker live?’ I shrug my shoulders. I know, but I also know what my dad’s going to do. He isn’t mad they’ve hurt me. He’s mad that I let them. Now I’ll be taught a lesson. It’s always the same. Nan stands with her hands on her hips, before she takes my chin with her fingers to examine my face.
‘Let’s get you inside and clean up your face.’ She smiles at me, but she’s not happy, she’s sad, I can tell.
‘The fuck he’s going inside, get your arse over there right now and you kick his arse, otherwise I’m going to kick yours all over this fucking street, you hear me, boy?’ It takes a minute to understand what he’s just said and I’m slow to stand. My nan starts to protest, but he ignores her, dragging me round the front of the house by my shoulder. He grips it so hard I know I’ll have a bruise tomorrow. Nan’s still calling us as we reach the front gate and I spot the lads hanging around outside of Tommy’s house.
‘You don’t get respect by acting like a fucking little girl, Dominic. You earn respect, and you don’t let cunts like them smack you around, you listening, boy?’ I don’t answer. When we get closer I can see Tommy straighten his back waiting for my dad to rip him a new one. He doesn’t though.
‘Which one of you cunts is Tommy?’ he asks. None of them answer, so my dad turns to me. ‘Which one?’ I point at Tommy my face getting hotter and hotter. Tommy doesn’t say a word. Just stands there looking dumb. My dad lets go of my shoulder and shoves me toward him.
‘You sort this out like men do, you don’t let anyone smack you around, Dominic. Now you fight him or I’ll beat the fucking pair of you!’ Tommy laughs like my dad is some kind of funny man. I know different. He’s dead serious, and I have to decide what will be the lesser of two evils. Tommy fucking me up, or my dad. I make a quick decision and bring my hands up like the boxers do on the telly. My dad grunts in approval.
I go forward and Tommy sticks his hands up quickly realising what I’m doing. He’s about twelve years old, and a lot bigger than me. I swing my arm out and land a punch just under his jaw. I aim for his face but hit his throat. He bends forward giving me an opportunity to punch him again. So I do. Twice more before he falls on his arse. Like I said he’s a lot older than me, and a lot bigger. He surprises me by grabbing a handful of my hair, and then he rains punches into my stomach and chest. I’ve suddenly got no air and he still doesn’t stop. My nose crunches and I feel warm liquid run down over my lips. He kicked my bike. He said it was shit. And now he’s busted my nose. Bastard. I go wild and kick him in the shins. Hard. Then I punch him with both hands over and over until he finally lets go of my hair. He’s bleeding now and is on his knees in front of me. Before I can do anymore damage, Tommy’s dad comes barrelling down the road, headed in our direction.
‘Don’t stop, boy,’ Dad orders. So I punch him again. He looks like he wants to give up now and I want to too. But as his dad gets to my dad, all hell breaks loose. There is screaming and cursing, and the next thing I know my dad is beating Tommy’s, and my mum is out screaming at Tommy’s mum that she will kick her arse to kingdom come. There’s complete and utter chaos before the police are finally called and my dad is arrested. I learnt a lesson that day. And I never let anyone pick on me again.