Free Respect (Mandasue Heller) by Mandasue Heller Page A

Tracey in utter disbelief. This was a joke – it had to be. Her mum was living it up in Spain, leaving Chantelle to look after Leon, and yet she thought she was entitled to keep all of the benefit money for herself.
    ‘I think that might be it.’ Tracey pointed at a brown envelope that was sitting on top of the pile. She stepped forward to reach for it, but jumped back when Chantelle slammed a hand down on top of it.
    ‘Don’t you dare! If anyone’s going to claim that money, it’s me , not you.’
    ‘I won’t be getting any of it,’ Tracey assured her. ‘It’ll go straight into your mam’s account.’
    ‘Will it now? We’ll see about that.’ Chantelle shoved the envelope into her pocket and pulled out her phone again. ‘I’m going to ring her and find out what the hell she thinks she’s playing at. Her phone must be back on if she’s waiting for you to call.’
    ‘She’s changed her number,’ Tracey said, shrugging as she added, ‘Something to do with international signals, or summat. I don’t really understand all that stuff myself.’
    ‘Give me her new number, then,’ Chantelle demanded, phone poised.
    Tracey sighed. ‘I can’t, babes. She told me not to.’
    ‘ What? ’
    ‘She knew you’d be fuming, and she can’t face it just now,’ Tracey explained. ‘Look, try to see it from her point of view, eh? She’s happy for the first time in years – surely you can’t begrudge her that? Not after all the shit she’s been through.’
    ‘I’m her daughter – what about the shit I ’m going through?’ Chantelle cried incredulously. ‘And what about Leon? What kind of woman walks out on her ten-year-old son?’
    ‘You’re doing all right,’ Tracey argued, desperate to finish this and go home for a drink, because the girl was starting to wear her out. ‘Your mam knew you’d cope, or she’d never have left him with you.’
    ‘Are you crazy ?’ Chantelle yelled at her. ‘What’s my mum even doing in Spain, anyway? And how did she get there without her passport?’
    Cheeks reddening, Tracey took a step back in case Chantelle decided to smack her one. ‘She came round for it a few weeks back – when you and Leon were at school.’
    ‘Are you kidding me?’ Chantelle’s eyes widened. ‘I’ve been going out of my mind worrying about her. Why didn’t she wait till I got home so I’d know she was okay?’
    ‘’Cos she knew you’d try to stop her from going.’
    Chantelle shook her head slowly from side to side as she tried to digest what she’d heard. But she just couldn’t accept that her mother could be so callous.
    ‘It’s a man, isn’t it?’ she gasped when a light suddenly went on in her mind. ‘She’s met a man, and she’d rather be with him than with us. Tell me I’m wrong.’
    Tracey shrugged. Chantelle was spot on, but Tracey wasn’t about to let on that she’d known all along. She hadn’t even heard from Mary until she’d rung this afternoon, begging for help to sort out her benefits. Apparently, Manuel, or Miguel, or whatever the hell his name was, couldn’t afford to keep them both on his part-time-waiter wages, and Mary was terrified that he would dump her if she didn’t get her money reinstated. And what kind of a friend would Tracey be if she didn’t at least try to help her loved-up mate?
    ‘God, I’m right,’ Chantelle murmured sickly, guessing from the look on Tracey’s face that she had hit the nail on the head. ‘That’s low, even for her. And you’re just as bad – standing there making excuses for her.’
    ‘Look, I’ve told you what your mam said, and that’s all I know,’ Tracey said, fed up with taking stick for Mary’s actions. ‘Here …’ She slapped the £20 note down on the table. ‘She said if you want more you’ll have to get it off Leon’s dad, ’cos she’s done her bit and it’s time he started doing his.’
    ‘Are you serious?’ Chantelle screwed up her face in disbelief. ‘Glenroy hasn’t shown his