Free A Cockney's Journey by Eddie Allen

Ed,” Tony said.
    “OK, I’ll see you at the café,” I said in a low voice. I promptly shut the window and tucked my magazine under my mattress, out of sight. What shall I wear? Well, it was a toss up between my Levis and my cream ‘stay-pressed’. That’s all I possessed and I only had one decent shirt; my pink Ben Sherman. I bought those items of clothing with my earnings from doing bob-a-job work during the summer. I decided on my Levis and half-inch braces, with the Ben Sherman shirt. I got dressed and covered myself in Brut aftershave and then stood rooted to the spot as my face beamed like a red tomato. After a few seconds, the stinging abated. In my excitement, I had forgotten about the cut on my face, Man that brought tears to my eyes.
     Right, soggy pumps or school shoes? Either way, they both had lino in them, but at least my shoes were dry. I wished I had a pair of squires or brogues like all my mates had. I must get a Saturday job as soon as possible, I said to myself. Now all that remained to be done was to get out of the house, although this was easier said than done. I crept down the stairs to the front door. I could hear the noise of the telly coming up through the floor. They were all watching Morecambe and Wise . I opened the front door and closed it very gently, so as not to make a sound. I was walking down the stairs to the street when the curtain was drawn back. Bloody hell. He’s like a security guard.
    “Where you going?” he shouted, tapping the window. I pointed across the street. “I’m just going to see Brian, OK, Dad?” I cringed when I said that word ‘dad’!
    “I want you in by ten,” he shouted. “If you’re five minutes late, I’ll string you up.”
    “Yeah, alright,” I said half-heartedly. I strolled in the direction of Brian’s house and, as soon I was out of sight, I doubled back and headed towards the café. As I got halfway, I turned round and looked down Lyndhurst Way. He’s not there. Great! As I carried on walking, my feet were starting to get damp. Even though it had stopped raining, the floor was still wet. The surface rain was seeping through the lino into the soles of my shoes. I approached the café, and could just make out a few figures standing about outside. When I got closer I realised it was Tony, Brian, Karen and Lyn.
    “The café’s shut,” Tony yelled to me, pointing at the sign on the door.
    “Alright, Karen?” I smiled, as I reached the group.
    “Yeah, fine thanks, Ed,” she replied.
    “Anyone got two pence on them so I can phone Anne?” Karen asked.
    I put my hand in my pocket and handed Karen four pence.
    “Cheers, Ed. I’ll just go and give her a bell.” She crossed the street and entered the phone box.
    “How’s your day been, Eddie?” asked Lyn.
     You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.
    “OK. Nothing interesting though, bit boring as it happens,” I lied.
    Karen emerged from the phone box. “Party’s off, guys,” she sighed. “Ann’s mum is unwell and she’s not going to the theatre tonight. She’s meeting us in the Wimpy in twenty minutes. Is that OK?”
    “Yeah,” Tony said. “That’s cool.”
    “I fancy Wimpy and chips,” Brian beamed.
    “Sounds good to me,” I said, with a broad grin on my mush.
    As we walked down Rye Lane, towards the Wimpy, I noticed this figure standing under the railway bridge on the other side of the street, lurking in the shadows. Oh God. It’s him. He just stood there, like a statue, staring at me, I felt an icy chill go right through me and I started to shiver.
    “Tony?” I asked nervously. “Do you know that geezer standing under the bridge over there?”
    “Oh, very funny, Eddie,” he chuckled.
    “What’s so funny?” I asked.
    “Leave it out, Ed. There’s nobody there!”
    My heart sank. I could