Diamond Girls Read online

  ‘I don’t know why she even spoke to you. You’re nothing to do with our family,’ Martine said furiously.

  ‘Yeah, well, I’m starting to go down on my knees and count my blessings on that one,’ said Bruce. ‘I don’t know why you’re all turning on me. I’ve gone out of my way to be helpful, and given up a whole day’s work for you – for no financial recompense whatsoever, it seems. I’ve acted like a blooming saint, and yet you’ve all taken advantage of me.’

  ‘I haven’t, Uncle Bruce,’ I said, taking his hand. ‘Do you want some of my chips? I couldn’t eat them all. They’re a bit cold now but maybe you don’t mind?’

  ‘Thank you, sweetheart. No, I think I’ll give your chips a miss. One of you big girls could go and make me a nice cup of tea though. I think we could all do with a cuppa while we try and sort out who’s going to look after you.’

  ‘I’ll look after us. And you can’t have a cup of tea, so there,’ said Jude.

  ‘She’s not being rude,’ I said quickly (though she was). ‘It’s just the electrics don’t work in the house and so we can’t plug the kettle in. We’ve got candles though. I got them, from my friend’s house. Maybe if we lit them all and held them under the kettle it would start boiling.’

  ‘It’s your head that needs boiling, Dixie, you’re so stupid,’ said Rochelle.

  ‘The electrics?’ said Bruce, sighing. ‘Let’s see. Where’s the fuse box?’

  ‘Don’t look at me. It’s not my house,’ said Martine. ‘As soon as Mum’s back and better, I’m off. This is a total dump. We got a bit lost and couldn’t find Mercury at first, so we’ve been all over the bogging Planets, and they’re all awful. There were some little boys peeing in the street, and some big lads – real thug types – whizzing all over on skateboards.’

  ‘One damn near went smack into my van. Could have killed himself, but he just laughed!’ said Bruce.

  ‘Some parts are lovely,’ I told him. ‘Right at the back of our house there’s this lane and some beautiful houses. What sort of house do you live in, Uncle Bruce?’

  He wasn’t listening. He was opening up a little cupboard in the hallway and peering into it. He sucked his teeth and then walked down the hall and opened the front door.

  ‘Don’t go yet!’ I called.

  ‘I’m just getting my tool box from the van, Dixie,’ he said. ‘But then I’ll have to go, sweetheart. You’d better all be thinking who you’re going to call. Have you got a nan?’

  ‘She died. She didn’t like us much anyway,’ said Jude.

  ‘She never even sent us birthday or Christmas presents – imagine!’ said Rochelle, tossing her hair and striking a tragic attitude.

  ‘My heart bleeds for you,’ said Bruce.

  I loved the way he didn’t seem to think much of Rochelle. I followed him out to his van. He found his tool box and lugged it out of the van.

  ‘Do you think you can fix the electrics, Uncle Bruce?’

  ‘I’ll have a go,’ he said. He took his big glasses off and gave the lenses a wipe on the bottom of his T-shirt. His face looked younger without them, though they left pink pinch marks on his nose.

  ‘I used to wear glasses,’ I said. ‘Mum thought I couldn’t see the board properly at school.’

  ‘So did your eyesight get better?’

  ‘No, some kid tripped me in the playground and my glasses broke and we didn’t ever get them mended,’ I said.

  Bruce was frowning. ‘Does your dad pay maintenance for you, Dixie?’

  I shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Maybe your mum could get the social services to pay for new glasses for you?’

  ‘Oh no, I don’t want them. They called me Goggle-Eyes at school.’

  He put his own glasses back on, wincing. ‘Snap! That’s what they called me when I was at school,’ he said.

  ‘I hate school,’ I said.

  ‘Maybe this new school will be better?’ he said, going back into the house.

  ‘Maybe,’ I echoed, though it didn’t seem likely.

  I could look out for my new friend Mary in the playground though.

  I thought about that slap behind the closed door. I felt sad and wanted Mum.

  Then I thought properly about Mum.

  What was happening to her now?

  ‘Don’t look so sad, sweetheart,’ said Bruce. He chucked me awkwardly under the chin. ‘I bet school will be a doddle.’

  ‘I’m not thinking about school now,’ I said. ‘I’m thinking about Mum.’

  ‘Well, tell you what,’ said Bruce, as I trotted after him. ‘How about if I phone your dad? Maybe he could come and look after you for a few days?’

  I so wanted to believe this could be true. ‘I don’t think so,’ I said mournfully. ‘He’s got his other family.’

  ‘Yes, well, you’re family too.’

  ‘But they don’t know about Mum or me, see,’ I mumbled.

  ‘Ah. Well. Yes, I suppose that does make a difference,’ said Bruce. ‘It doesn’t really let him off the hook though. He’s still responsible. But under the circumstances we’d better not pester him. So, what about the other girls’ dads?’

  He started peering at the fuse box, taking stuff out and getting things out of his tool box. Jude came to watch, irritated that he seemed to know what to do.

  ‘You’d be mental if you got in touch with my dad,’ said Jude, peering. ‘If you even knew where to track him down. Where do they put violent nutters? Broadmoor, maybe?’

  ‘Oh well, it’s good you don’t take after him,’ said Bruce. ‘Pass us that screwdriver, Judy.’

  ‘Jude!’ said Jude crossly, but she did as he asked. She held his torch for him so he could see into the gloomy box. He told her what he was doing and why. It was all gobbledegook to me, but Jude nodded, taking it in. Then Bruce flicked a switch inside the box, told me to try the hall light – and it worked!

  ‘Well done, Uncle Bruce! You’re brilliant!’ I yelled.

  ‘No, I’m not. Any fool could fix it,’ said Bruce. ‘You can do it if it ever happens again, Jude.’

  ‘You calling me a fool?’ she said, but she was only joking.

  Martine came running from the bathroom, where she’d been washing her face. ‘You’ve really fixed it!’ she said. ‘Does that mean the water will be hot now?’

  ‘Well, we’ll give it a go. Let’s hope the boiler isn’t bust. I doubt if I can fix that,’ said Bruce. He stepped nearer Martine. ‘Jude here says it’s no use contacting your dad because he’s a bit violent?’

  ‘My dad isn’t a bit violent – but the last we heard he’s in Australia,’ said Martine.

  ‘We’ve all got different dads,’ I said.

  ‘Oh Gawd, your family isn’t half complicated,’ said Bruce, shutting up the fuse box. He nodded at Rochelle, who was rushing round the house switching on every single light.

  ‘Don’t go too mad, you’ll overload the system again,’ he called. ‘So, Dixie, what about Princess All-too-pleased-with-herself? What’s her dad like?’

  ‘Dead,’ I said. I paused. ‘That’s how my mum met my dad.’

  Bruce raised his eyebrows. ‘She’s a one, your mum!’

  I looked at him sideways. Rochelle switched the light on and off, on and off. Jude stood up straight, her chin in the air. Martine ran her fingers through her wild hair, glaring at him.

  ‘Are you having a go at our mum?’ she said, speaking for all of us.

  ‘No! No, I was – admiring her, like. For – for getting on with life. I wish I could say the same.’ Bruce blinked anxiously behind his big glasses.

  I nodded at him. ‘Tell us about your life, Uncle Bruce.’

  ‘Nothing much to tell,’ he said.

  ‘Have you got children?’

  ‘No, no.’

  ‘Have you got a partner?’

  ‘Not at the moment, no. No family to speak of.’

  I gave him a great big smile. ‘You could be part of our family, Uncle Bruce,’ I said very quic