Free Dirty Old Man (A True Story) by Moll French Page B

that the little girl was so terrified I’d be waiting outside the school for her, she wouldn’t go home. Apparently a rumour had circulated that I had a knife which was absolutely preposterous, the only knife I’d ever really held (besides a dinner knife) was my dad’s hunting knife that was always locked away. I could hardly believe the accusation when I had it thrown at me but it didn’t surprise me that family would make up a story like that.
    I got a good telling off from my mum, Dad called me a bully again. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong, I was just sticking up for my little sister, I didn’t care who the girls’ family thought they were. Shame my family didn’t feel the same or h ave a similar set of morals.
     
         It was a couple of hours later that we had eggs thrown at the living room window. My sisters started screaming hysterically and of course, it was entirely my fault. I offered to clean the windows but my mum said I couldn’t be trusted with something so simple. I was a disgrace to the family again. She took me by the ear and marched me down the road, round the corner to the girls’ house. She barely spoke a word all the way there but insisted I would be apologising.
    When Jane’s mum answered the door, my mum pushed me forwards.
         “Go on then, apologise for what you did,” she shouted as though she absolutely wasn’t my mother.
         “Why should I?” I said, “She was picking on Cara.”
         “I don’t deal with these things, Joanne does,” she told my mum as she snubbed me.
    Joanne was Jane’s older sister, she had a reputation for being a bit of a bully but I wasn’t bothered at all. My mum on the other hand, I think, felt intimidated by the large lady that stood in the doorway with her flabby, tattooed arms.
         “Is that the fat one?” I asked the woman.
    She gave me a funny look and her eyes swept back to my mum who looked petrified.
         “If she was bullying your daughter then maybe she deserved having the wind put up her.”
         “No,” said Mum, “It doesn’t excuse what Moll did to your daughter. She should know better.” I cringed because I’d almost gotten away with it. She wanted the large woman to see she was completely on her side in case it back fired somehow.
         “Well there’s nothing much I can do now. You said they threw eggs at your windows? Well it’s not likely to go any further than that.”
    My mum thanked her and she shut the door.
    I got the silent treatment on the way home but I wasn’t bothered. Somewhere underneath her twenty stone frame, that woman had a little respect for me which is more than I had from my own family . I had a little respect for her too; her family stuck together at least.
     
         The next day at school, Amy was sitting opposite me. Her and Jane were laughing at me and making stupid comments.
         “I heard you sta yed in last night,” she laughed. “I hope you had an egg-cellent night?”
    I let that comment go and ignored the idiot whil st I got my books ready for the next class. As I turned to leave, she shouted to Jane.
         “Oh Jane, stop egg-ing me on, I’m b-egging you.”
    That’s when I lost my temper.
    I dropped my books on the floor and strode over to Amy’s desk. She looked a little nervous but didn’t want to lose face. She had her new friend to back her up which she thought gave her a degree of immunity. Unfortunately for her, I really didn’t care.
         “And what egg-xactly do you want?” She asked as she got to her feet.
    I couldn’t tell you how quickly she dropped to the floor after I smacked her in her smug face. I was in a tunnel of red and everything was moving slowly.
    Luckily the teacher wasn’t in the room because I’d have almost certainly been suspended and my parent brought into school.
    Amy sat on the floor crying and I couldn’t have cared less at that moment. Our friendship was over. I didn’t