The Family

before, and it intrigued him.

'We need a new project, Declan.'

Declan grinned. He had been expecting this for a while; he could sense that Phillip was getting restless, and he knew what that meant.

'Such as?'

'I don't know yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something.'

Chapter Eighty-Seven

Sunday lunch at Veronica's was now a fortnightly event, and she loved it. As she spread out the pristine white tablecloth and polished the wine glasses, she marvelled at how far her family had come. Jamsie didn't have to jump up and leave the room any longer, though Phillip still didn't throw a word in his direction, but at least he was once more a part of the family, so that had to count for something. Even Eileen and Ted Booth seemed to enjoy themselves these days, and she knew Christine liked having her parents there, well, her father at least. She watched her husband as he half-heartedly read the News of the World. She knew he would rather be down the pub, but he couldn't go because Phillip would have something to say about that. Her Phillip knew the importance of family, and she was proud of him for that much as well as for everything else he had achieved.

Sometimes she could cheerfully light a bonfire under that husband of hers; he was so lazy it was unbelievable. He would shite in the chair if they swapped it for a commode. Good job his kids hadn't inherited that from him, they had thankfully got all their energy from her. She was a 'doing' person, her husband on the other hand was a 'do I have to do it' type of person. Chalk and cheese, really.

She was cooking a huge piece of pork – from her son's farm, as always – and she had to admit the smell was magnificent. Christine had planted her a few tubs of herbs years ago, and shown her how to look after them, so Veronica had them fresh all year round. It had completely revolutionised her cooking, and she enjoyed the little bit of effort needed to keep them healthy. It pleased her no end to see her herb garden flourishing.

As she laid the table, she surveyed her kitchen and, satisfied that everything was going to plan, she poured herself out a nice cup of tea. They would be descending on her soon and she couldn't wait. She lived for the family all together, enjoying each other's company. She loved to see her kids around her table, chatting and laughing. It made it all worth it, the years of struggle to bring them up, the feeding them on fuck-all, and washing them in the same bath water. She missed those days sometimes, when her kids were small and she was their whole world. But they grew up, and they grew away, and you thanked God for the times they descended on you, and made you feel like you had done something with your life.

Family was all you really had in the end.

Chapter Eighty-Eight

Jamsie was happier than he had been for a long time; he had stopped feeling like his days were numbered, and started to enjoy his life a bit. He had met a girl called Linda Best, and he really liked her – the only bugbear was she had four kids, by two different fathers.

His mother would not be too thrilled about that, but he knew that Breda liked her, or at least she said she did anyway. Breda was all right really – she had looked out for him, and he would always be grateful for that. He knew how much it took for her to defy Phillip and he also knew that she genuinely cared about him, and what happened to him. He still wondered at what had possessed him all those years ago, and he could only say it was the drugs. The drink was one thing, but the drugs were something else entirely. He knew how much Phillip hated them, and that was a point they now both agreed on anyway. His only real goal in life was for Phillip to forgive him; even though Jamsie hated his brother at times, he knew that if Phillip would only give him a chance he would more than prove himself.

He sighed at the thought; all he had left was hope, and that saddened him. People were nice to him – he was a Murphy after all – but they didn't respect him the way they did the others. They took their lead from Phillip, as did everyone around his brother. But it would be nice to have something to look forward to in life. Breda paid him a good wedge to drive for her, but it wasn't a real earn, not a proper wage like the others got. Not enough to buy a decent house, though he did get the use of the car and, in fairness, that was a nice piece of machinery. But now he had Linda in his life, and her ready-made family, he had discovered that he wanted a bit more. Not too much, just enough to give her the things he felt she deserved. Linda got a bad press really, she was a victim of her own niceness. She believed every word said to her, and for the men she'd gone out with before him, that meant she had believed they would stand by her and take care of her. Of course, that had never happened. But he wanted to change that for her. She had given Jamsie something he had never thought he would get again, and that was pride in himself. She made him feel wanted, needed; she made him feel like a man. Not just sexually, but in all ways. She was a good mother too, her kids were nice, well spoken, polite and she made sure they ate well, were in bed at a reasonable time, and kept them spotlessly clean, as she did her little flat.

He would happily marry his Linda, and he would be proud to call her his wife. But he needed a better job and better prospects, because four kids didn't come cheap. So he was going to take the bull by the horns, and ask to speak with Phillip. His brother could only say no, and if you didn't ask then you didn't get.

Chapter Eighty-Nine

Phillip was watching his family as they all sat around the table; there was no doubt about it, his mother understood the need for families to spend quality time together. Christine looked happier today than she had for ages, which was strange considering at home she was like a bear with a sore arse. But he found her spunkiness exciting. She was still a looker too, for all her boozing; her face was relatively unlined and she had a great figure. She was the only woman he had ever truly wanted, and that would never change. But now the boys were more or less grown up, she needed something to do, as did he. That was his next step, sorting out his wife, and his life.

He eyed his father, saw him leaning back in the chair, bored already by the conversation and the people around him. He was a useless ponce, but his mother wouldn't have a word said against him, and that was how it should be. He was her husband and she stood by him no matter what. It was the law of the pavement, and it worked in a funny way; it kept people together who actually had fuck-all in common. That was what marriage was all about – you kept at it, you didn't run away at the first sign of discord.

He could hear Philly talking about the people who came in the shop, and he was pleased to hear his disbelief at the abject poverty he saw around him. That would do him the world of good, seeing how the other half lived. He sat forward and looking at his son he said easily, 'That was us lot once.'

Philly looked at his father in consternation. 'What was?'

'The estate. This house is a part of all that. I couldn't get your grandmother to move away, she loves it here. But we didn't have a lot when we were small.' Phillip looked at his father then. 'No disrespect intended, Dad.'

'None taken, son. It was a different world then.'

Philly was still unsure; he couldn't imagine his father like the young blokes he saw every day with no schooling, no interest in anything. 'But you got away from it all, didn't you?' Philly thought he had said the right thing, and was shocked at his father's reply.

'Not really, it never leaves you, Philly. I had a fight every day of my life. I was already breaking bones for money at your age, and making me mark. You take a good long look around you, and you might realise just what a charmed life you really have.'

'Hear, hear.' It was Ted speaking and everyone stopped eating to look at him in amazement. He rarely said