Happy End

‘Everybody Down!
He’ll be here in a second, I reckon’
And Becky beckoned them round
And made them get on their knees
Behind the bar
They held their breath
And stifled giggles

Crouched down
Like a twenty-headed beast
That writhed and wriggled
‘Happy Birthday, Pete!
Another year older, eh?’
‘I never expected a thing
I don’t know what to say.’
Harry couldn’t look at the way
Pete held Becky’s hands
Still he passed him a beer and said
‘Well, there you go, big man.’

‘Harry, this is Ron
Ron, this is Harry, my brother
You guys should really talk to one another
Ron runs the caff and
Harry’s starting up a place up of his own if he can.’
They raised their glasses up
‘Good to meet you, Ron.’
‘Ah, pleasure’s all mine.’
Ron looks into Harry’s eyes and recognises how they shine
Harry. He says the name to himself
Before he’s led away and introduced to someone else

‘Becky, this is Dale,’
Pete’s drunk now, warm inside
Dale’s awkward with a sort of
Distorted and cautious pride on his face
‘Actually, we’ve met’
‘Really? I’m sorry,’ says Becky
‘Don’t pretend that you forgot me already?’
‘Where’d you meet?’ says Pete
Big smile, white teeth
‘She was working, you remember
It was you that made me ring her?’
It hits Pete, like a fist
Where every finger wears a ring
He couldn’t blink or breathe or think or anything

‘Yeah, you remember?
The twenty-third of November
I met you in the Hotel Hacienda
We had a couple drinks
You knew the bartender
You had a Whisky Sour
And I had a Monumenta

We went up in the lift
They was playing Enya
That made you laugh
You said that Enya sent ya round the bend
Pete was scared that you’d been sleeping with men
So he asked me to investigate
Now, in your defense
You was very professional
I was very tense
But I have to say my favorite part
Was the Happy End.’

Ron was in the toilets, washing his hands
When he heard what sounded like a man
Sniffing a whole gram
In one go
Harry walked out of the cubicle, ‘Oh!
Alright, Ron?’
Ron tapped his nose
‘You ain’t got a spare line?’
Harry smiled, ‘No sweat.’
Handed him the wrap and said, ‘I’m going for a cigarette
I’ll meet you at the bar, mine’s a pint of Sea View.’
Ron only had to look at the coke
And he knew

She was dumbstruck
She could feel herself going numb
Clutched thumbs in her fists
Felt unstuck
‘This is wrong!
Fuck this!’
Her stomach heaved
‘You set me up
Instead of just talking to me?
What about trust?’
Guts twisted
Pete was stuck to the spot, his lips shifted
He couldn’t make a sound

Dale stood still, calm
Pete stared dumb
Reached out, touched her arm

She shook it off
So livid, so hurt
She walked away without saying another word
He was about to follow
But saw Dale hiding a smile
Then he couldn’t help it
He saw red, he went wild

‘Alright, look, son
I know we’ve come to have a party
So have a couple of drinks
And a dance with your auntie
But hear this
Let’s clear this up right now
Your numbers are up, son
I have found you out

You don’t know who I work for
Men who have hurt more
Men than the world wars
When you were first born
They were killing men who were worth more
Than ten of your kind
Are you out of your mind?

Look, don’t worry, son
I’m in no hurry, son
I’ll have you on the run
Like a funny curry, son
Go back inside and make sure
Your brother’s having fun
Just know this:
Any day now, I’ll be coming son.’

Becky ran out to the street feeling weak
She took a breath

Heart slamming its head against the wall of her chest
She looked to her left
Saw Ron, shoulders squared
Talking to Harry
Harry looked awkward, scared

‘What’s this, mother’s meeting?
Come on, Harry, need your help.’
She walked him off as Ron watched
Harry felt himself melt
‘Becky,’ he began
But he couldn’t finish
He fiddled with a cigarette
Held it between his fingers
‘What’s up?’
She didn’t need to ask, she could feel it there
‘You got yourself in trouble with my Uncle?’
‘Yeah’

He stared at the skyline
He tried find the right words
‘I gotta leave town
And tonight at the latest.’
They stopped walking, turned
Looked into each other’s faces
‘And I want you to come with me.’
Time stopped
Harry waited

She said nothing
She raised her eyebrows
Like he did on the night they met
In this way they spoke at length
And his heart heard what her eyes said

He said nothing
He just felt and hoped that he was understood
Then she felt something in her melt
And lightning flashed and thunder shook

He stared at her until she heard him
Felt an energy go surging through her person
Something in his eyes
She felt her body bursting

She kissed him
And it reached a part of her that had been sleeping
And she felt his heart beating in her own
She felt complete and so known

They didn’t speak
Ran down the street
Leon had the motor running
And they jumped in the back seat
Becky felt peace when she looked at his face
‘Lets us three get on a plane and open up Harry’s Place’
He stared at her, ‘Really?’
She nodded, his pulsed raced
He reached down beside him
Brought out a suitcase
Stuffed full of cash
Leon smiled at them both
‘Let’s fucking do it,’ He said
Away they drove

Dale and Pete
Were in a pile of trainers and feet
Clenched fists and black eyes and chipped teeth
Their dads had tried
To get in-between them
It was like they couldn’t wait to get involved
Graham was beating David’s skull with his elbows
David was kneeing Graham’s nether regions
And Miriam was at the bar weeping
Ron was pleased as punch
With the outcome of the evening
While Becky, Harry and Leon headed for the beyond

Off to Dover for the ferry
And from there, wherever
Harry looked at Becky
‘Let’s feel this way forever?’

Off to Dover for the ferry
And from there, wherever
Harry looked at Becky, said
‘Let’s feel this way forever!’