BooksBarbecue
Back The Game
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. NOW
  4. One
  5. BEFORE
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. NOW
  26. Twenty-One
  27. BEFORE
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. NOW
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. BEFORE
  48. Forty
  49. Forty-One
  50. Forty-Two
  51. Forty-three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. NOW
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. Fifty-Three
  63. Fifty-Four
  64. Fifty-Five
  65. AFTER
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Acknowledgements
  68. About the Author

‘I’m guessing it’s been that way for a while.’ Mark couldn’t remember reading anything about the father being around in the scant notes he’d been given, but thought it was a good bet he hadn’t been involved for a long time. He made a mental note to check on his whereabouts.

‘We split up about fifteen years ago,’ Julie replied, confirming his guess. ‘He was useless anyway. They didn’t miss out on father of the year, you know? He buggered off as soon as he could, the lazy sod. Got sick and tired of me nagging him to get a proper job, rather than doing the odd foreigner for his builder mates.’

Mark tried to remember the last time he’d heard of a job taken off the books as a ‘foreigner’ and decided it was probably twenty years earlier, back on the estate he’d grown up on. ‘Did he keep in touch with them? Visitation, that sort of thing?’

‘The first few years or so, he was around a lot. Mainly trying to worm his way back into the house, you know? Didn’t work though. I wasn’t having any of it. We were better off without him. The kids definitely were. He started coming round less and less once he’d found a new soft lass to take care of him. Don’t think that one lasted long either. Probably spends his days in the pub or the bookies these days.’

‘How long has it been since they’ve seen their dad?’

Julie took a moment to think. It never failed to surprise Mark, the ease with which some people could turn their backs on their own flesh and blood. The way it can be forgotten that you have family you never see. Children you choose not to watch grow up and become adults.

‘Years,’ Julie said finally, shrugging her shoulders. ‘Must be at least eight or so by now – 2011, maybe? I think it was when Charlie was still at primary school. Emily and Stephanie would have been in first year at high school, I think. Old enough to start making the decision whether they wanted to see him or not, I suppose. He just stopped making the effort, not that he ever really made one to begin with.’

‘Have they spoken to him in the years since then at least? Is it possible Emily tried to find him or something?’

‘She wouldn’t even know where to start,’ Julie said, shaking her head. ‘No idea where he is these days, but I passed his name and details to your lot anyway. I’m not sure Emily would meet up with him. He made his mind up years ago that he wasn’t interested in them. Good riddance, if you ask me. They’ve done better without him in their lives.’