A 1950's childhood in moss side Tabby was here By Dave Hulson
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Told you not to pick it ,didn't i . Shut it our kid, said Roger . I was only Looking at The Wheatabix behind his ear ,( the crust over a scab )I don't think your ear will fall off I said,so leave it alone. What are you a doctor or something said Roger . Look our kid if you didn't keep picking it Mum wouldn't keep putting more of that purple stuff on it, anyway It's supposed to help the healing process said I . But it's so vivid everyone can see it , said Roger. Nah it's practically invisible I said . Now I don't normally tell fibs,but this scab behind his ear is bright purple , and how he managed to cut his ear I'll never know,......well I actually do know because I sort of heard him do it ! Now we have a coal hole ,the one at the front door , he was playing explorers again with Barry Dobbins but even Barry is not stupid enough to go down that black hole Into the unknown.
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I had just come out of the front door when I saw the back of a balaclava head disappearing Down the coal hole and Barry was watching him . Is that our kid Baz ! I said . Yup he's exploring the coal hole again he said ,and then he gave a shrug of his shoulders. Arrrgghhhh screamed Roger. Then silence ! Roger are you ok I shouted as I got down on my knees and looked into the darkness of the coal hole . Arrrgghhhhh, moaned Roger. I can't see him, keep him talking Baz I said ,I'll go down and see if he's ok . Wot down that bloody coal hole Dave ,said Baz, Don't be stupid ,through the house and down the stairs, I said . Oh ! That's a good idea Dave , he said. Running down the hall way past the stairs into the kitchen turning left and opening the cellar door latch, flicking the light on ,I carefully descended the wooden stairs and there in the dim light of a 40 watt bulb, I saw Roger sat on a mound of coal holding his ear, his blood soaked belavaclav almost ripped of his head. 3
Look at me he whimpered , I'm covered in coal dust, Blood and yuck .......awwww Hell he said And I'm sitting in cat poo! So you fell down here ,I said . Sort of he moaned , looking up at the coal hole then at his hands , I lost my grip on that shit covered wall ,how the hell can a cat shit half way up a wall. Then the damp smell of coal dust and warm cat poo hit my nostrils sccchhhh I said holding my nose, that's a fresh one you've found there our kid said I. And Mums gonna kill you if you come upstairs into the house like that, you best go out the way you came in , and I'll whip around the back, and open up for you. Thanks our kid ,said Roger,...... Barry you still up there mate he shouted towards the daylight that was entering through the cellars man hole. I'm still here replied Baz. Great said our kid,....stretching his hand upwards towards the coal hole and the light, grab my hand and give us a pull up will you Barry. I sat on the bottom step of the cellar stairs and watched as Barry's hand appeared through the coal hole,and Roger grabbed it. Pull shouted Roger. and Barry pulled hard. 4
As Roger started to ascend towards daylight . The smell of warm cat poo must have wafted up out of the coal hole and Into Barry's nostrils. And Rogers hand slipped from Barry's grasp, I think it was the cat poo on his hand that made it impossible for Barry To hold on, Shit ! .....cried Barry. And who said Barry wasn't quick! Anyway he let go of Roger who fell backwards sliding down the coal slope and banging into a big chunky piece of steam coal, " steam coal that's the best type of coal to have on a fire on a cold night in a darkened room you can watch the spurt of gas from the coal and when ignited by the fire it makes all sorts of colours" Sorry about that ,back to the story. Anyway mum found out about Rogers little escapade ,why because he stank the house out and also she saw him coming in the back gate, the one that I had left open for him. She did her nut, take your clothes off in the back yard she shouted and throw them in the bin because I'm not washing them.
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Roger stood there naked in the yard shivering and holding his bits, till the tin bath was filled with hot water ,carbolic soap flakes and Detol, And after his long soak in the bath Mum Dabbed that purple stuff on his cut ear ,but only after the Detol had stopped stinging. But for at least a week Roger smelt like a hospital ,all antiseptically clean. And that's why he had that purple ointment stuff on his ear scab. And did you know the purple stuff stains the skin ,and it's visible for weeks,well that's what I told him..... So don't pick scabs........ and don't clamber down coal holes, And as for the cat poo up the wall we never did find out how tabby it got there. And finally from that day on Barry would always look at Rogers hands before he accepted any thing off him.
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