Fighting Back (2 page)

It was a cold night. Freezing fog pooled round the orange street lights, forming giant traffic cones along the street. Amita had been glad to get to bed. Her father had eventually shut up about Cath, but it had been a difficult evening.

She found it hard to sleep. All the experiences of the day went round and
round in her head. Would Southampton work out for all of them? Could her father really settle down after what had happened to the shop?

She heard voices outside in the street. Loud, drunk voices, laughing and singing. For a moment, Amita felt a rising terror. She started to shake with fear. Plucking up courage, she slipped out of bed and peered out of the window. Two young men were winding their way down the street. She could see their football scarves quite clearly as they passed under the lights.

She forced herself to calm down. They were harmless. She was being silly. It couldn’t happen here!

Suddenly she heard doors banging inside the house, and her father yelling.

‘Call the police! We need help! Javin! Call the police I say!’

Amita pulled on her dressing gown and rushed out of her room. Her father’s bedroom was at the front of the house too. He must have been woken by noises outside.

He was cowering at the top of the stairs. Rajeeb was arriving, with Uncle Javin close behind. Amita pushed forward. Her brother was hopeless in situations like this.

‘Dad, Dad. It’s OK. There’s nothing wrong. It was just two men walking past, that’s all.’

‘It won’t happen here, Gayan,’ said Javin. ‘This is a respectable neighbourhood. They don’t do things like that.’

But Gayan wouldn’t be reassured.

‘I saw them. I heard them. Football hooligans, louts. Screaming and laughing.’

Amita tried to take control of the situation.

‘Rajeeb, go and make tea for us all. I’ll stay with Dad.’

She gently pushed her father back into his room and shut the door.

‘Dad. Listen to me. It was bad luck before. They built the new football stadium and the shop was on the way to the station. It could have happened to anyone.’

‘But it happened to
us
. It was the end of everything!’

‘I know that, but we’re here now and we can make a new start.’

‘Not while there are racist louts around.’

‘It’s quiet again now. It was just some young men coming home. There’s nothing to worry about. We’re safe here.’

The tea arrived, and the family sat drinking it together. Gayan felt ashamed, but he just couldn’t help himself. He knew Amita was right, but that only made it worse. He had looked foolish in front of his brother and his children. Javin was a
success, he was a failure. Even as a father.

It was the week before half-term. There was a light covering of snow on the path. As Amita and Cath walked through the school gates a lump of soggy snow hit her on the head.

‘Ugh!’ She looked round. Luke Castle was standing laughing at her.

‘Too cold for you then? Why don’t you go home to where it’s warmer?’

Usually she ignored them but the snow rapidly melting and dripping down her neck annoyed her.

‘It’s colder there than here,’ she said. ‘Don’t you even know where Lancashire is?’

‘Who cares? Go back to India!’

That was Maddy.

‘Go home. Go home! We don’t want you here!’

‘Forget it.’ Cath took her arm. ‘They’re just so stupid.’

Maddy heard her.

‘Who’re you calling stupid? Just ’cos you’ve got a big house you think you’re so clever.’

Cath and Amita were facing their tormentors. They hadn’t seen Brian and Tony appear round the corner.

Suddenly, three more snowballs were flung in their direction. Two missed but Amita turned to see where they were coming from. The third hit her hard in the face.

A sharp stone had been hidden in a thin covering of icy slush. She screamed as the blood started to flow from a cut just below her eye.

‘Move it!’ yelled Tony.

‘We’ll get you later,’ shouted Maddy, as
they disappeared out of sight.

Mrs Soames was on gate duty. Strictly speaking, snowball fighting was against school rules, but she had been ignoring it; after all, lots of people were mucking around. But when she heard Amita’s scream she hurried over.

Mrs Soames was kindly, but she always saw the best in everyone. All too often she let the wrong people get away with things. She listened to what Cath and Amita told her, and sent them off to the school office to be mopped up. At break-time she sent for them. They went back to the tutor room, where they found Brian and the rest waiting with the teacher.

‘Now. We’re going to sort this out once and for all,’ she said firmly.

‘Brian, you must know how stupid it is to put stones in snowballs. Apologise to
Catherine and Amita.’

Brian smiled nastily at Amita. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he smirked. ‘I was only messing about. I didn’t think.’

The teacher looked pleased. She couldn’t see the faces of the others. Tony was making rude gestures. Luke was glaring. Maddy was mouthing something but Amita couldn’t work out what it was.

Mrs Soames gave her usual lecture. After a few minutes she sent everyone except Cath and Amita away.

‘Brian has apologised. I do understand how hurtful it is to you, but I would like it if you accepted it and made an effort to be friendly. You mustn’t take it personally.’

She smiled happily as they left the room. Problem solved. Or so she thought.

Of course things didn’t get any better.

‘Mrs Soames really believes all this stuff she comes out with,’ said Cath. ‘The best thing we can do is try to keep out of their way.’

That wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Brian didn’t like being made to apologise and the group went out of their way to make things
difficult for Cath and Amita. At first, it was small things, like taking their books and pushing them as they walked past. Then things began to get more threatening. They started following Amita and Cath home. They shouted abuse. They threw things.

Cath and Amita were glad when half-term arrived. They met every day. Amita told her dad she was going to the library to study; it was easier than going through all the arguments again. She really liked Cath. She liked Cath’s family too. Her mum was a primary school teacher so she was on holiday as well. Her dad, Mark, worked with computers. He was a consultant who helped businesses install new systems. He knew Uncle Javin quite well.

Amita met Cath’s brother Rob a couple of times and wasn’t sure about him at first. He was big and tough-looking. His hair was
very short and he always wore his Southampton FC scarf. He was a keen supporter and liked to wear the ‘uniform’.

‘He likes to make people think he’s hard,’ Cath had said. ‘But he’s just a big softie really.’

Amita soon discovered he was also kind and friendly. He was at sixth-form college and was very clever. He was going to university in the autumn.

‘Me, I like everybody,’ he said. ‘Except Pompey supporters of course. Now they’re real scum!’

‘What’s a Pompey supporter?’ Amita had asked Cath the first time she’d heard Rob say this.

‘Portsmouth football team,’ explained Cath. ‘Southampton and Pompey hate each other.’

‘Does he get involved in the fighting?’
asked Amita nervously. She knew what her dad thought of football fans.

Cath laughed. ‘No, it’s all an act. He hates any sort of violence. One of his best mates is a Pompey supporter! But because he’s so big no one ever tries it on with him.’

Amita had grown to trust Cath. One afternoon when they were alone she talked to her about why they had moved.

‘Dad’s the eldest, so he inherited the business. He and Uncle Javin used to fight a lot, but my gran insisted they worked together.’

‘Why did your uncle move away then?’

‘After Gran died there was a big row. Uncle Javin said Dad had no idea about how to run a business, so he left to come here.’

‘What happened then?’

‘Well, it wasn’t really Dad’s fault. He
could run the shop fine. Rajeeb helped him. The problem was that one of the big stores took over the petrol station nearby.’

‘Why did that matter?’

‘They opened a shop as well. They sold things cheaper than we did and took away all our trade.’

Amita paused. Even now the memory of what had happened upset her terribly. It was difficult, very difficult, to talk about it – even to Cath.

‘Most of the time I was at school, so I didn’t realise what was going on. The business going down, and all that. But then the attacks started. It was some of the local football fans. They’d opened a new stadium just down the road and the shop was on the way from the station. Dad refused to sell them alcohol before one match and the local thugs decided to make him pay for it.

‘They began by walking past the shop and shouting things. It was mostly late in the afternoons, when it was dark. Then they started coming at night and breaking windows. The police came but they couldn’t find out who it was.’

Cath saw tears come into Amita’s eyes.

‘You don’t have to tell me if it still upsets you.’

‘I want to tell you. I haven’t been able to tell anyone before. It was November the fifth. There had been a social evening at school. Rajeeb came with me. Dad wouldn’t come. He didn’t want to leave the shop.

‘We heard the fire engines as we walked home, but we never guessed where they were going. When we got home it was already too late.’

Amita was shaking as she recreated the terrible events in her mind.

‘He wasn’t there when we got back. Everything was horrible. The worst was the smell. We thought he was dead. He was in hospital but it took ages to find him. He wasn’t badly hurt, but everything changed.’

Amita was sobbing uncontrollably now, tears running down her cheeks.

‘Dad’s so scared now. For weeks afterwards he had nightmares, screaming in his sleep. He just hates football fans and he’s convinced that everyone who isn’t Asian is a racist and out to get him.’

‘Can I tell Mum about it?’ asked Cath.

‘Not about how Dad is, but the rest, if you want to.’

Mrs Davis didn’t say anything to Amita, but she was kinder than ever.

‘You can come and see us any time you want,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you come for the night sometimes?’

‘I’d love to, but Dad wouldn’t like it.’

It was a relief to be able to say that without a load of questions. Amita was glad that Cath had explained things.

All too soon half-term ended. Cath was worried. She could put up with Brian Willets and his gang, but she was anxious about Amita.

Monday wasn’t bad, and Cath thought perhaps they had got fed up with picking on them. Brian had been obnoxious in tutor time, but he’d been picking on a couple of new girls. They weren’t Asian but they were obviously Muslim. They had come from Iraq. Brian and Tony were going through their whole boring bit again. The girls didn’t speak good English and didn’t really respond. When Mrs Soames told the boys off they gave her a load of cheek and got sent out.

‘Some things just don’t change,’ whispered Cath.

Cath walked home with Amita. They were halfway there before they heard the row. They didn’t even need to look to see who it was.

Maddy ran at Amita, swinging her heavy bag at her. Amita staggered as it hit her in the ribs. Brian was close by and tripped her so she fell heavily on the ground. Tony was laughing and jeering while Luke lifted his foot to kick at her. She twisted away and the kick, aimed at her head, caught her on the shoulder.

Cath ran to help Amita, but Tony was waiting. He grabbed her round the waist.

‘Stop that! Stop it now!’

Amita hardly recognised the voice. She heard heavy steps, running, and was aware that Luke and Brian had gone. She heard
other feet, running in the opposite direction. Her brother bent to help her up. Her father had grabbed Cath.

‘Racist bully! I saw you! I saw you all! I know you; you won’t get away with this.’

‘Dad! No! Cath’s my friend.’

‘I’ve told you before. You can’t make friends with these people.’ He turned back to Cath.

‘Get away. Leave my daughter alone. Leave us all alone.’

Cath ran home. She was crying now, although she wouldn’t have done in front of Brian and his gang. She understood why Mr Desari had reacted that way, but it hurt her to be accused of racism just because she was white. It wasn’t fair.

The back door banged and, before she could head upstairs out of the way, Rob
came into the room.

‘What’s up, Cath?’

She hadn’t meant to make a fuss about things, and if it had been her mum or dad she wouldn’t have said anything. But Rob was different. She explained what had happened.

‘I’ve got some study leave from college,’ he said. ‘I’ll be around after school if you want.’

Cath nodded. ‘That would be good, just for a while.’

Amita had had a hard time. Although she hadn’t been badly hurt, her dad had wanted to go to the police.

‘Leave it, Dad. If you do that it will just make everything worse. I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all. I’ll just keep out of their way in future.’

‘I’ll go to the school then. I’ll talk to your teachers about that Davis girl.’

‘How many more times? Cath’s my friend. She was trying to help me.’

At first her dad wouldn’t listen. But in the end he was forced to accept Cath hadn’t been involved. He had been wrong again. Wrong, wrong. That made him feel worse.

But he had to have the final word.

‘Maybe that girl was trying to help. But you see what happens when you get friendly with white girls? They bring trouble with them! From now on, Rajeeb or myself will meet you every day from school.’

Amita was worried about Cath. After what her dad had said to her, she was frightened that she wouldn’t want anything to do with her. But Cath was waiting for her as she got to school.

‘We don’t have to worry about home time,’ she told Amita. ‘Rob’s coming to meet us.’

‘So’s Rajeeb,’ Amita laughed. ‘We’ll have good bodyguards.’

They didn’t have any problems with Brian during the day. But at the end of school the group were waiting outside.

At the same time they saw Rajeeb and Rob standing chatting together. When they came over to meet the girls Brian and co just faded away.

‘I didn’t know you two knew each other,’ said Cath.

‘Yeah – we met at an open day at college,’ said Rajeeb. ‘You know Uncle Javin wants me to sign up for a computer course.’

‘Who cares about computers?’ said Rob. ‘Much more important – I’ve persuaded
him to support Southampton. I’m getting him a scarf!’

Amita looked at them in horror.

‘What will Dad say?’

‘What’s it to do with him? I’m just going to go to a few games. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.’

Things weren’t too bad at school for a while. Cath and Amita were able to avoid
them
most of the time. It was just in the tutor periods when the verbal abuse continued. With Amita’s father, or one or other of their brothers around at the end of the day, they didn’t get any hassle on the way home.

At home, things were more difficult for Amita. Her father was even stricter about where she went and what she was doing and who she was with. He wouldn’t let her out without an inquisition.

He was quarrelling with Javin again too. He hated being a van driver. In the end Javin told him not to bother.

‘You’re too old to change. Just leave the business to me. You can retire.’

‘How can we live with you if I’m not working? I don’t want charity.’

‘It’s not charity. You’re family. Anyway, Rajeeb is doing well for me. You can rely on him.’

But that wasn’t what Gayan wanted to hear. It made him feel even worse. He was at home now with nothing to do or think about except his own bad luck.

Rajeeb had done very well as the rep, and had brought a lot of new business into the company. But Uncle Javin wanted him to take on the computer side of the business as well. He had bought a new computer for Rajeeb, who was supposed to be studying
hard on his computer course, but wasn’t. He was spending time with Rob and his friends instead. Rajeeb played computer games sometimes, and would use his new computer to surf the net, but he wasn’t keen on working on the sorts of things Javin wanted.

‘Spreadsheets are so boring,’ he said, getting up from the PC. ‘I can’t understand this manual at all.’

He went out, leaving the computer on.

Gayan got up with a sigh to switch it off, then sat down at it instead. He had always liked computers and couldn’t see why Rajeeb had a problem with them. He had thought about trying some writing. He could write an article for the local paper, something about football hooligans, or street crime.

He looked at the spreadsheet on the
screen and picked up the manual. Maybe he could work out how to use it. Then he could show Rajeeb something after all. At least it would give him something useful to do.