Page 50 of Marley
“Leave her, mate. She won’t talk to you anyway. She barely talks to me and I’mnotin her bad books.”
I heard the sound of a car start up and when I looked out the door, Georgia was heading up the drive in the little car Maca had bought for her.
I watched her go as Jimmie and Lennon walked across the gravel drive in my direction.
“She okay?” I asked them.
“Yeah, she just wanted to get home to her own little place. I think Ash is coming over tonight.” Jimmie said.
“Ash? She seeing someone?”
“Noooo.” Jimmie replied, sounding like I’d just asked the most ridiculous question ever.
“Ash, Ashley Morrison? We used to go to school with her.” Jimmie said this like I should remember her.
“Blonde hair, good looking girl?” She continued in a tone, suggesting that I should know who Ashley was.
“Well anyway, she went to school with me and George, then college with George, now she’s working at Posh Frocks for George. She’s like the manager or assistant manager, or something like that.”
“Well, that’s good then. If she’s got a mate coming over, that’s good.” My conscience eases somewhat.
“Yeah, she’s a good girl, Ash is. Comes from a rough family, but she’s got a heart of gold and always trying to get George to go out with her.” Jimmie tells me.
“She still not going out?”
Jimmie shakes her no. “We all try, Marls. I’m not really sure what more any of us can do. It’s just a case of waiting and letting her do things in her own time.” She shrugged her shoulders, probably feeling as helpless as we all did.
“Where did Maca end up going?” Len asked.
Once again, I had asked that Maca be allowed to come for dinner, but George had told Len to tell me that she still wasn’t ready to see him.
“He actually went to his dad’s.”
“Didn’t think he had a dad.” Bailey commented.
“Don’t be stupid, Bails. Everyone’s got a dad.” Jimmie tells him.
“They’ve just gotten back into contact with each other.” Len explained before I got a chance to.
“He’s actually an all right bloke. He’s been to our place a couple of times.” I told them.
“So now Maca’s made the big time and the money’s rolling in, his ol’ man has come crawling outta the wood work?” Bailey questions.
“No, Bails. Believe it or not, it wasn’t like that.” Jimmie chimed in. “His dad had no idea where his mum had fucked of to when Maca was a kid. As soon as she got wind he was close to tracking her down, she moved him on again. That’s why he went to so many different schools. In the end, she moved them from East London into Essex, and that’s how he ended up at our school.” Jimmie sat down on the sofa next to Bailey as she explained what Maca’s dad, Kenny, had told Lennon on the phone when he contacted the record label’s offices.
“Anyway, when his dad first realised Maca was his son, he was worried that Mac would just think he was after his money if he showed up unannounced. He left it a couple of months and then got in touch with the label and explained who he was. I spoke with him on the phone, then put him on to Len, who passed all of his details on to Sean and we left him to decide what he wanted to do.” We were all silent for a few moments. My brothers and Jim probably doing the same as me, contemplating what they would’ve done in Maca’s shoes.
“What did Maca say?” Bailey asked.
“Pretty much what you did.” I told him. “Then they spoke on the phone a few times, met up at a West Ham game, and then went to see a band together. Things have just moved on from there.”
“His dad is where Maca gets his love of music from.” Lennon added.
“He plays guitar and piano, and apparently he’s not a bad singer either. He’s been in bands since he was a kid and still is now.” I said.
“Well, I’m glad things have worked out for him, but I still owe the little fucker a good hiding for breaking my sister’s heart.” Bailey stated.
“Honestly, Bails. He beats himself up daily for that fuck up. There’s no need for you to add to that boys pain.” Len informs him.
