The Boot - Three Years On - 3. Chapter 3

It was quiet at The Boot as Steve parked up, by the time he got to the office he could hear a hushed conversation but couldn’t make out what was being said. As he opened the door all eyes were on him, the looks of worry were all tinged with hope.

“The Major has been taken to the infirmary and is in a serious, but now stable condition, I’ve left John to look after the lads while they wait for news and I’ve left him with my phone so that he can call us as soon as there is any.” Steve, tired and distracted by worry, took a seat next to Kate and continued, “I just wish that Chris …… err John would keep his own phone on him it would make things so much easier. I’m sure that as soon as he can he will do the same for The Major as he has for Ian and Kevin ……….”

“Wait, stop! Who’s Chris or is it John? Or am I missing something here and what can he do if he’s homeless?” Questioned Andy looking confused. “This sounds like some big juicy secret to me.”

Steve looked around the room, realising he’d slipped up the first thought in his mind was, ‘shit what have I done.’

Jeff spoke up, “It’s OK Steve, it was inevitable that sooner or later one of us would slip up and give the game away, I’ll talk to John, he’ll understand.”

Jeff then went on to explain to Andy all about John/Christian and how much he had done to help The Boot to operate and how much they all owed him, or more accurately his trust fund, as benefactor to The Boot and how much he had been influential in Ian and Kevin’s lives.

Meanwhile, nobody had heard the quiet shuffling outside the door, most of the guests were there and heard all that had been said.

Stood outside the door with the other ‘guests’ Beccy realised how this could affect the relationship between John and everyone at the Boot, especially the ‘guests’. Quietly she moved everyone away from the door and into the dining room. Silently admonishing anyone who made any noise. This was big in their world and she knew it. As she closed the dining room door she turned to face everyone, naturally a lot of conversations were going on. She picked up on a few of the comments about how John had never been one of them and how they could no longer trust him.

Looking to Jim for reassurance Beccy addressed the group, “Listen up everyone, I’m not sure what you all heard but I’m not liking some of what I’m hearing now. So if anyone has a problem with they have or think they have heard I want to know now. NOW, DO YOU HEAR ME?” Beccy was upset, but not with John, it was the hushed voices of gossip and complaint.

Jim walked over and stood at Beccy’s side, she had been his girlfriend since they had met on the streets and he'd asked The Major for his permission. “Sweetheart you know I have your back and I have no problem with anything we've just heard.” Then addressing the group, “You heard Beccy now speak up, if you’ve got anything to say let’s hear it and get it out of the way.”

There was some shuffling of feet and a few murmurs at the back of the room then an anonymous voice spoke up, “He’s been lying to us and pretending he’s someone that he’s not. That John or Chris or whatever he calls himself can’t be trusted. He shouldn’t be here and we shouldn’t have anything to do with him. I think we should all ignore him till he goes.”

Beccy and Jim recognised the voice and approached the man who spoke. Before they reached him a young man stepped in front of them. “Is it true that John isn’t John, that he’s been lying and conning everyone? If it is I want to know why and what he wants from us. Do you know?” He looked worried, scared even.

Jim looked into his eyes, he could see and feel the fear that was there. Looking him up and down he guessed his age to be about 15 or 16, at a little over 5 feet tall and slightly built with black unruly hair he looked under nourished and in need of a shower. Jim spoke to him gently, “You look too young to be out on the streets and shouldn’t be on your own. If you want to, stick with me and Beccy we'll talk later and we can look out for you. Now hold fire while I talk to this guy.”

Jim took a few more steps and stood in front of the owner of the anonymous voice. Glaring at the old man he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, “Well Bill what did you hear or more accurately, what do you think you heard and what’s your beef.”

“I heard snippets that’s enough, he’s some rich fella’ pretending to be poor and homeless, lying to us and trying to get to know us, what’s he up to and where’s them young lads he took away a few years back? I bet he’s some pervert after the young ‘uns.” Bill stood defiant, his frail old frame shaking.

Gasps could be heard around the room and Jim was angry, he drew his fist back to lash out causing Beccy to move in front of him. He lowered his fist bellowing, “You’re the pervert you old queer, every young kid that shows his face you scare the shit out of them trying to get into their pants, you're just scaremongering because you can’t get your rocks off with them. For your information he’s with The Major at the hospital and those young lads that you’re referring to are Ian and Kevin who help out here some nights, they help cook the food that you eat. IF YOU HAD LISTENED you would have heard that he helps pay for everything that we have here, he’s trying to help us not hurt us you old fool. I know you’ve never liked him but I have and still do. Knowing what I've just heard my respect for him has more than doubled, I owe him for what he’s given over the years, WE ALL OWE HIM!!”

Jim looked around the room as more gasps and some sniffles could heard. Then he felt something brush his side and heard the sound of a body hitting the floor beside him. As he looked down He saw Beccy out cold and the young man he’d spoken to cradling her head crying. In the distance he heard banging on a door and raised voices. Moments later Jeff and Andy came rushing in closely followed by Steve then Kate who had the first aid kit.

After a cursory check over and a whiff of some smelling salts Beccy started to come around. “What happened? I went dizzy then felt everything slip away.”

“I don’t know hun, are you alright, it wasn’t something that I did was it? I’d never forgive myself if I did anything that hurt you.” Jim had never felt so guilty in his life he genuinely felt like he'd caused her to collapse, tears were streaming down his face. “Please forgive me, I’ll do anything you ask, just please forgive me, don’t leave me.”

“Jim shut up,” said a smiling Kate. “Beccy is going to be fine and I think that she needs to come with me and do a test.”

Jim tried to protest.

“Jim, I said shut up. You will find out soon enough. Now can you look after this young man he looks like he needs a friend and he was trying to help Beccy.” Kate led Beccy to the office after Jeff and Andy had helped her to her feet.

“Well I guess I owe you a thank you for trying help Beccy, she’s my world you know, I love her. If thing’s were better I’d ask her to marry me, but then if thing’s were better she wouldn’t look twice at me.” Jim glanced down at the floor before looking up at the lad again. “So youngster what’s your name? I’m Jim as if you hadn’t guessed.” In his worry Jim was starting to ramble on.

“Hi, I s’pose. I’m Jason and yeah I know I’m just a kid to you but I’m really eighteen. I was only trying to do what’s right. I’m sorry if I upset you and Beccy, I just wanted to know what was going on that’s all. Bill told me to come here and said he would help me. I don’t know what I’m going to do now that he’s gone and is he really like that?” Jason was telling the truth about being sorry and about what Bill had told him. But the rest? Well the truth has a way of coming out sooner or later. “And stop putting yourself down, even I can see how she looks at you. She’s head over heels in love with you and I’ll bet you anything she’d say yes if you asked and marry you in a shot.”

As Jim was about to speak Steve came to tell him that he was wanted in the office. Head down looking at the floor, Jim slowly made his way to the office. He knew what was coming, he’d caused a disturbance at The Boot, that’s a definite ‘no no’ and he was going to be asked to leave and stay away for two nights. That was the consequence for most infractions of the rules.

As Jim walked warily into the office he was greeted by Beccy, “Hi, come in Dad.”

“What do you mean? Don’t be stupid with me I’m not your Dad I’m your boy………..”

Kate was excited and couldn’t help interrupting, “The test we had to do was a pregnancy test, Beccy is pregnant that’s what caused her to faint. So I do believe that means you going to be a father.”

Before Kate or Beccy could say any more Jim’s legs gave way as his body crumpled to the floor with a loud thud. Jason who had followed now found himself on his knees again, this time nursing Jim’s head in his lap.