New Story – With new ideas and directions to hand. I’m writing this and posting it straight onto Steemit – You can’t get more exclusive than that! Episode 3

I wandered back home, head down, looking at my feet without actually seeing them because my mind was elsewhere. I had to prepare myself for the new job. If I didn’t talk myself out of it by the morning.

A tenner though… that was way too much to pass-up.

I didn’t have a good night, worrying about too many things, one of which was my sister. She’d wet the bloody bed again. Why the hell do I have to share a bed with my bed-wetting sister?

Still, it meant I was up and about, washed (bathed) dressed and breakfast – a too-dry Weetabix because we don’t have enough milk to go around. That’s a very different story when I’m last up. I don’t get enough milk for my breakfast because everyone got up before me and they had it all. See where I’m going with this?

I went out of the house to the sounds of my mum shouting after me to take my sister to school with me. Yeah, I’m out of ear-shot now and can’t hear you screaming at me. Guess what, I won’t be waiting for her after school either.

Robin was nowhere to be seen when I got to the steps leading up to Justin’s house. I decided not to wait, it was trying to rain and there was no point getting wet.

Robin had got there early and not waited. The door was unlocked and I knocked and went right in.

I went through the kitchen to the living room as quietly as I could in case Justin – Mr Massey - was still asleep.

I wasn’t expecting the sight that confronted me.

Robin stood in the middle of the living room with Mr Massey draped over him. It looked very much like Robin was trying to give the guy a fireman’s lift.

I watched for a moment until Robin snarled, “Well don’t just fucking stand there! Gimme a hand!”

“I’m sorry, Robin, I didn’t mean to… I just, I just…” Justin muttered.

“Yeah, don’t worry, it’s all going to be taken care of. It’s a good job I got those plastic sheets, isn’t it?” Robin said. His voice was quiet, calm and patient, almost like he had an affection for the guy.

I helped Robin shuffle Justin across to his chair. Robin had covered the chair in a plastic sheet, similar to the ones painters use to cover furniture. Justin’s head slammed back into the chair and he made an ‘Ooof’ sound.

“Careful!” Robin said to me. “He can’t be thrown about like that, he’s not strong enough.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“It’s all right, lad,” Justin said with a sigh. “You’ll learn.”

I helped Robin take the bedclothes from the sofa where Justin had spent the night and as we moved the sheets, the stink of warm, sickly-sweet piss assailed my nostrils and I couldn’t help but pull my head back as I caught a whiff of it.

“You’ll get used to that,” Robin said.

So for the second time that day, I was cleaning up piss-soaked bedclothes.

Wow, what a buzz my life was turning into.

Without being told, I took the piss bucket out and tipped the contents – carefully - down the outside toilet. I swilled the bucket out using the outside tap and some bleach I found at the side of the toilet.

When I went back in, Justin lay on the sofa as Robin straightened the chair’s covers. I saw a sheepskin and figured it was to make Justin more comfortable.

I walked around the sofa before realising Justin was lying there completely naked. His body was pitiful to see. He must have been a strong man one time, but his muscles sagged and the skin covering them was mottled and hung like melted wax.

I put the bucket back in place without reacting to Justin’s state.

Then I helped Robin finish with the covers on the chair.

Robin went upstairs to fetch clean clothes and I asked if Justin wanted breakfast before I went off to school as I was washing my hands in the kitchen sink.

“Just a cuppa for now, please lad… Ash,” he called back. “Brenda will get me something to eat when she comes in.”

“Brenda isn’t coming in today, remember?” Robin said as he helped Justin to get dressed.

“Oh fuckit. I forgot.”

“What do you want for breakfast?” I asked, looking in cupboards, trying to find something.

“He needs something warm,” Robin said.

I took the cuppa I’d made and set it next to the glass of water from the day before.

Justin took hold of my hand as Robin helped him slip into his jogging bottoms.

“Sorry about this, lad, it’s not a good first impression, is it?” he said and brushed the back of my hand with his thumb.

Pictures from Google Images (Sorry... I always forget that part).