Fireflies by David Menon

all and in fact it makes me very angry. You Pakis have got to learn that you can’t just walk in and take over everywhere you go but your father has taken things way over the line of acceptability. He’s using the Gorton boys to make trouble for me. Those boys can’t do any harm to me. Doesn’t your father understand that? I could wipe them out like that if I wanted to but that wouldn’t be fair, would it. But what I can do is send a message to your father to stop doing business with the Gorton boys. Now I’m sure you want your time with us to be over as quickly as possible. Am I right?’
    The kid nodded his head as rapidly as before although this time the room was suddenly filled by the smell of his piss. His pants and the top of the chair were soaking in it and floods of tears were pouring out of his eyes.
    ‘Oh what a fucking dreadful mess’ said Bernie, screwing up his face. ‘Let’s sort you out my friend’.
    Bernie clicked his fingers and two of his henchmen moved forward. Abid was struggling to break free as each one took one of his legs in their big, firm hands. 
    ‘Tell your father to take this as a warning, Abid’.
    Abid’s screams were muffled as the two henchmen broke Abid’s legs. The sound of Abid’s bones breaking made even Bernie flinch and Malcolm stood by and watched a teenage boy having his legs broken. He might as well have done it himself. How had life turned out this way? How had he got himself into such a fucking mess?  
    ‘Don’t worry, son’ said Bernie to Abid who was clearly in excruciating pain. ‘We’ll make sure you get home safe and sound. But don’t forget to give the message to your father’.
    Bernie then walked out of the house. Malcolm followed him. Then Bernie stopped and turned. ‘Listen, cousin, when you came to me for help you knocked on my door and you entered my world according to my rules. I’ve no time for squeamish so-called men who can’t get anything done because the world has to be pretty and neat and tidy or they can’t handle it. Don’t forget that I’m only able to help you get out of the shit you’re in because of the way I do my business and I shouldn’t even be doing that after what you and that slut of a wife of yours did to my brother Tommy’.
    ‘We’ve already paid a bloody high price for that, Bernie’.
    ‘So you have. I just needed to have that conversation with you to make sure. You are family after all’.
     
    Later that day Bernie leaned back in his swivel chair at his desk in the office room of the fully detached house in the quintessential Cheshire set town of Knutsford when he noticed out of the window Malcolm pulling up in his car. Bernie’s Fillipino wife Linda showed Malcolm in. They got down to business straight away. Malcolm in particular didn’t want to waste any time.
    ‘So once this latest financial transaction goes through, Bernie, you’ll control twenty-five percent of Barnes Financial Services’ said Malcolm.
    ‘And a hundred percent of it used to be yours, Malcolm. How does that make you feel?’
    ‘I’m relieved and grateful to you, Bernie, that the company has received a much needed cash injection and you’ve saved the day for me’ said Malcolm who was pissed off by the way Bernie had rubbed his nose in it with that. It was true that his business had been failing and had fallen perilously close to the finishing line. He’d turned to Bernie because he’d run out of legitimate sources of finance.
    ‘Good because I do like all my business partners to be happy with our respective arrangements’.
    ‘I’m sure you do, Bernie, but like I’ve said before, I’m grateful for the way you’ve helped me get out of trouble’.
    ‘Blood is thicker than water, Malcolm, and you are family after all’.
    ‘That’s true’ said Malcolm who was under no illusions. Bernie was never going to leave him alone. He may have twenty-five percent of the shares but Malcolm wouldn’t be able to refuse if Bernie wanted