Night Out. Danny.
Things were on the rocks for Maria, trying to hold on to her marriage, thinking was it her or him. Trying desperately to make dinner, holding her tears. “He likes roast beef and potatoes”, she thought.
“Maybe, just maybe he will talk to me as he used to.” Knowing deep in her heart he was still seeing his mistress, but when she couldn’t tell. He was always making any excuse to get away. Dave was the owner of a car sales room in Glasgow, he made his own hours of work. He was paying the mortgage on their house and all the bills.
He was always threatening to leave, “how am I supposed to cope with all these problems if he left” she thought.
Maria had to deal with the school, why Danny wasn’t attending and had been seen with a local gang hanging around street corners making trouble. Everything seemed to decline from there onwards. Danny was known to the police for general trouble making. He was taken to the Police Station several times and released. Social workers were constantly at their door.
She was desperately trying to keep control of Danny, and had banned him from going out at night and seeing his so-called friends. Danny was a clever boy, he was getting high grades at school until the troubles between Maria and Dave started. Maria was engulfed with many thoughts when she received a phone call,
“I’m coming to pick Danny up at 4pm, we are going to watch a movie and get something to eat”
“You not eating here then?”
“No, I’m going to surprise him. I promised him we would spend more time together”
“The school phoned again, he didn’t go, can you speak to him?” Social work is coming tomorrow at 10am”.
“Yes, I’ll have a word”
Danny was playing with his games console. He was becoming a game addict and nothing could get him to leave his game, now that he had been banned from going out in the evenings. Danny knew his dad had a girlfriend “Stella” but never told his mum, she lived in Glasgow but Danny didn’t know where. Stella had met Danny on several occasions. He didn’t like her very much.
Dave arrived home at 4pm. He went to Danny’s room.
“Coming, we are going to the cinema to watch a film, we have to leave now” said Dave
“I have nearly finished the game, it’ll cost you”
Dave slipped Danny £20.
“I’ll take you and we’ll come back together, we’ve got to pick up Stella on the way” Dave whispered.
Dave was going to leave Danny in town, while he went with Stella to a surprise dinner at the other side of town.
Danny was keeping his dad’s secret. Not that he wanted to go. Danny then thought how to spend his £20, “maybe in the arcade.”
They got in the car and left East Kilbride and headed for Glasgow.
“This is our secret, right?” said Dave
“Yeah”
“You can watch a movie or eat at McDonald’s, just don’t get into any trouble.
Go to school tomorrow or there’s trouble, Social work are coming at 10 am. Remember, I’ll pick you up outside the cinema on Renfrew Street at 7pm”
“Right dad”
They listened to the radio playing music along the way.
Dave stopped to pick up Stella in Possil Park. “Hiya, kid” she said. Danny just looked at her and frowned. She smelled of strong perfume as she entered the car.
“Where you taking me tonight, honey?”
“That’s a surprise” replied Dave.
“Hope we’re not taking spoil sport with us” she laughed. Danny went very quiet.
Dave and Stella were chatting away. He then pulled up at Sauchiehall street. Danny got out.
“Don’t do anything stupid. You got my number” as Dave drove off.
“Brilliant” Danny thought. It was slightly raining and Danny pulled up his hood.
“Oh well,” he ran straight for the nearest carry out. “one curry and chips” he asked.
It was getting darker and colder.
He scuttered into a corner and started eating his chips. “As soon as I finish my chips I will phone to see if any of my friends are in town and we can play at the arcade” he thought.
Not long standing there, a man approached.
“Hi there” he said.
Danny just looked at him and nodded.
“It’s cold, you don’t have any money I can borrow?”
“No”
Danny didn’t see another man approach from behind and stick a knife at his throat.
“Empty your pockets” he demanded.
“I’ve only got a few pounds,” Danny whimpered.
The second man emptied Danny’s pocket, taking his phone and money.
Danny stood there shaking and dropped his chips. Not knowing what to do, he contemplated his next move. He thought of running and shouting “help!”, but he couldn’t. He could hardly see the men’s faces, they were covered up.
“Don’t move or else, don’t try to follow us”. The men moved away with his things.
He didn’t want to report it to the police because his mother would find out. He wandered a few streets with mixed feelings.
He decided to go to where he was supposed to meet his father. He stood there staring at everyone emotionless. The two hours felt like years as he waited outside the cinema. It was all he could do.
It was 7pm, his father hadn’t come. Danny was left in middle of town with no money and any way to get home. He waited an extra half hour, he was still fighting his mind on what to do. He wandered back up Sauchiehall Street, looking back and forth to see if the men who robbed him were still about.
Thoughts of how to get home were going around in his mind, at which point he noticed an old lady withdrawing money from a nearby cashpoint. He saw nobody else around. Danny debated for a moment whether or not to take action, however the thought of spending all night in town was unbearable.
Danny was anticipating how take the money from her. He quickly ran and pushed the old lady to the floor and grabbed the money and ran. Danny made it to the street corner, turned to see if anyone was following him. The men who robbed him were following him. Danny looked at his hand to see how much money he had stolen, he counted £40. Danny then ran so fast that he was out of breath trying to get away from the men behind him. In a blind panic he couldn’t even recollect his dad’s mobile number. It was on his mobile, he never thought of memorising it. Danny was desperately searching for somewhere to hide.
He saw a group of people entering a club, Danny rushed and followed them in. He still had the hood over his head. The attendant looked at him and said “that’ll be £10”. Danny paid and strolled in. He gathered himself and took his hood off, then he went up to the bar and asked for pint of lager to calm his nerves. The bar staff looked at him and asked for proof of age. He panicked, the bar staff quickly alerted the security. Danny made a quick exit for the door. When he got outside, the two thieves were standing at the corner of the street, watching everyone. He put the hood over his head and walked the other way hoping they wouldn’t see him.
Danny looked down the road and saw a taxi rank. He took his chance and ran up to the taxi, got in and shut the door. Looking from the taxi window, Danny wished he had never agreed to go with his dad. Recalling his actions of stealing the money, his emotions filled with guilt. He tried to engage with the taxi driver’s conversation.
“Off home, then?” the driver politely asked.
“Yeah” muttered Danny.
“A bit late for leaving school, no?”
Danny didn’t respond back. He sat there quietly staring out of the window.
Struggling with the thought of having to go home, without his dad and having to explain why he was alone, where he got his money from. He made it home and rang the doorbell. Maria opened the door. “Where’s your dad?” she asked, shocked.
Danny looked at his mother, without saying a word he went straight to his bedroom and shut the door.
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