and put his hand on Joe’s shoulder. Joe’s anger immediately turned to sadness, and with his head bowed he began to weep into his own lap. His body shook involuntarily as the waves of tears ebbed and flowed through him.
“I can understand your pain, Joe, I really can,” ventured Raj. “I know from what you said that you really liked that girl, but I guess your dad was, well… just trying to make you happy.”
“It’s all that money,” said Joe, barely audible through the tears. “It’s ruined everything, I even lost my only friend over it.”
“Yes, I haven’t seen you and Bob together for a while. What happened?”
“I’ve behaved like an idiot too. I said some really mean things to him.”
“Oh dear.”
“We fell out when I paid some bullies to leave him alone. I thought I was helping him, but he got all angry about it.”
Raj nodded slowly. “You know, Joe…” he said slowly. “It doesn’t sound as though what you did to Bob is so very different to what your father did to you.”
“Maybe I am a spoiled brat,” Joe told Raj. “Just like Bob said.”
“Nonsense,” said Raj. “You did a stupid thing, and you must apologise. But if Bob has any sense, he will forgive you. I can see that your heart was in the right place. You meant well.”
“I just wanted them to stop bullying him!” Joe said. “I just thought, if I gave them money…”
“Well, that’s no way to beat bullies, young man.”
“I know that now,” admitted Joe.
“If you give them money they’ll just come back and back for more.”
“Yes, yes, but I was only trying to help him.”
“You have to realise money can’t solve everything, Joe. Maybe Bob would have stood up to the bullies himself, eventually. Money is not the answer! You know I was once a very rich man?”
“Really?!” said Joe, instantly embarrassed that he sounded a little too surprised. He sniffed and wiped his wet face on his sleeve.
“Oh, yes,” replied Raj. “I once owned a large chain of newsagent shops.”
“Wow! How many shops did you have, Raj?”
“Two. I was taking home literally hundreds of pounds a week. If I wanted anything I would simply have it. Six Chicken McNuggets? I would have nine! I splashed out on a flash brand new second-hand Ford Fiesta. And I would think nothing of returning a DVD to Blockbuster a day late and thus incurring a £2.50 fine!”
“So, um, yeah, that sounds like quite a rollercoaster ride,” said Joe, not sure what else to say. “What went wrong?”
“Two shops meant I was working very long hours, young Joe, and I forgot to spend time with the one person I really loved. My wife. I would buy her lavish gifts. Boxes of After Eight mints, a gold-plated necklace from the Argos catalogue, designer dresses from George at Asda. I thought that was the way to make her happy, but all she really wanted was to spend time with me,” concluded Raj with a sad smile.
“That’s all I want!” exclaimed Joe. “To just spend time with my dad. I don’t care about all the stupid money,” said Joe.
“Come on, I am sure your father loves you very much, he’ll be worried sick. Let me take you home,” said Raj.
Joe looked at Raj and managed a little smile. “OK. But can we stop off at Bob’s on the way? I really need to talk to him.”
“Yes, I think you are right. Now, I believe I have his address somewhere as his mum gets the Mirror delivered,” said Raj as he began to flick through his address book. “Or is it the Telegraph ? Or is it Canal Boat Weekly ? I never can remember. Ah, here we are. Flat 112. The Winton Estate.”
“That’s miles away,” said Joe.
“Don’t worry, Joe. We will take the Rajmobile!”
Chapter 24
The Rajmobile
“ T his is the Rajmobile?” asked Joe.
He and Raj were looking at a tiny girl’s tricycle. It was pink and had a little white basket on the front and would have been too small for a girl of six.
“Yes!” said Raj proudly.
When Raj had mentioned the
“I can understand your pain, Joe, I really can,” ventured Raj. “I know from what you said that you really liked that girl, but I guess your dad was, well… just trying to make you happy.”
“It’s all that money,” said Joe, barely audible through the tears. “It’s ruined everything, I even lost my only friend over it.”
“Yes, I haven’t seen you and Bob together for a while. What happened?”
“I’ve behaved like an idiot too. I said some really mean things to him.”
“Oh dear.”
“We fell out when I paid some bullies to leave him alone. I thought I was helping him, but he got all angry about it.”
Raj nodded slowly. “You know, Joe…” he said slowly. “It doesn’t sound as though what you did to Bob is so very different to what your father did to you.”
“Maybe I am a spoiled brat,” Joe told Raj. “Just like Bob said.”
“Nonsense,” said Raj. “You did a stupid thing, and you must apologise. But if Bob has any sense, he will forgive you. I can see that your heart was in the right place. You meant well.”
“I just wanted them to stop bullying him!” Joe said. “I just thought, if I gave them money…”
“Well, that’s no way to beat bullies, young man.”
“I know that now,” admitted Joe.
“If you give them money they’ll just come back and back for more.”
“Yes, yes, but I was only trying to help him.”
“You have to realise money can’t solve everything, Joe. Maybe Bob would have stood up to the bullies himself, eventually. Money is not the answer! You know I was once a very rich man?”
“Really?!” said Joe, instantly embarrassed that he sounded a little too surprised. He sniffed and wiped his wet face on his sleeve.
“Oh, yes,” replied Raj. “I once owned a large chain of newsagent shops.”
“Wow! How many shops did you have, Raj?”
“Two. I was taking home literally hundreds of pounds a week. If I wanted anything I would simply have it. Six Chicken McNuggets? I would have nine! I splashed out on a flash brand new second-hand Ford Fiesta. And I would think nothing of returning a DVD to Blockbuster a day late and thus incurring a £2.50 fine!”
“So, um, yeah, that sounds like quite a rollercoaster ride,” said Joe, not sure what else to say. “What went wrong?”
“Two shops meant I was working very long hours, young Joe, and I forgot to spend time with the one person I really loved. My wife. I would buy her lavish gifts. Boxes of After Eight mints, a gold-plated necklace from the Argos catalogue, designer dresses from George at Asda. I thought that was the way to make her happy, but all she really wanted was to spend time with me,” concluded Raj with a sad smile.
“That’s all I want!” exclaimed Joe. “To just spend time with my dad. I don’t care about all the stupid money,” said Joe.
“Come on, I am sure your father loves you very much, he’ll be worried sick. Let me take you home,” said Raj.
Joe looked at Raj and managed a little smile. “OK. But can we stop off at Bob’s on the way? I really need to talk to him.”
“Yes, I think you are right. Now, I believe I have his address somewhere as his mum gets the Mirror delivered,” said Raj as he began to flick through his address book. “Or is it the Telegraph ? Or is it Canal Boat Weekly ? I never can remember. Ah, here we are. Flat 112. The Winton Estate.”
“That’s miles away,” said Joe.
“Don’t worry, Joe. We will take the Rajmobile!”
Chapter 24
The Rajmobile
“ T his is the Rajmobile?” asked Joe.
He and Raj were looking at a tiny girl’s tricycle. It was pink and had a little white basket on the front and would have been too small for a girl of six.
“Yes!” said Raj proudly.
When Raj had mentioned the