Spain

A man on a mission to make his evening a happy one, despite the odds!

'Nah self respect vese days, look at the blady state ov im.'  It was muttered but Shah heard it anyway.  The flat capped man tottered on behind him, more muttering exuding from him as Shah jumped over the tube gate.  No one manned this particular station.  It was rumoured that there were CCTV cameras but as long as Shah had been jumping this gate (which was pretty much since he was as high as it), nothing had been said, done or even whispered.  He reckoned he could kick the old man a few times and nothing would be seen.  He was't on that kind of mission tonight though...and he wasn't even sure that kind of mission was really his thing.  Some of his mates wouldn't think twice, take the wallet as a prize too.  Show the man who's boss.  Teach him to show some respect.  But when he looked at himself through the old mans eyes, he could see it.  His jeans were massively oversized, the hightops loud.  He had swagger and a gold tooth, not mentioning the highly offensive t-shirt.  They were from completely different worlds.  Even though they lived in the same country, same city, same area.  Possibly even the same street.  He might have seen the old man around but they all looked the same to him, these old-timers.  Besides he was used to the judgement - people judged no matter what he did.  Tried to be 'good', people judged.  Tried to be 'bad', other people judged.  Tried to keep everyone happy, judged again.  So his conclusion had been to just look after number one.  Just him.  That's all he needed in the world.  

But then he saw what a twisted sense of humour fate really had.  No sooner had he decided this was going to be his life now - him, him only.  Me, me, me.  No sooner had he decided that, Spain happened.  Not the country, although that had a lot to answer for.  Spain the little girl who melted his heart just by being alive.  The mother, Jalleen, had been a bit on the side of his new relationship with himself.  He'd convinced himself he wasn't getting involved and they'd gone on holiday for some 'fun' in the sun.  Not that they saw much of the sun.  Jalleen had taken on the Beckham tradition of naming the baby after where it was conceived but Shah had absolutely refused to be associated with anyone called Benidorm.  No matter how much her eyes sparkled.  So they agreed on Spain.  It suited her.  Her big brown eyes, light brown skin and the dark curls that were already causing mayhem on her head reminded anyone who saw (and adored) her of a Hispanic gypsy princess.  She was not so princess-like when he left the flat though.  More rabid monster.  A rabid monster with eyes as red as the devil himself, a mouth chomping and letting out loud wails which he could hear even as he crossed the square at the bottom of the tower block complex.  He smiled to himself as the old boy shuffled onto the platform, giving him a dirty look.

It was only a few stops to where he needed to get to, Jalleen wouldn't have even noticed he'd gone.  She'd be too busy dealing with the Beast of Baby-lon.  He smiled again.  She had some lungs, that baby.  Although strictly she wasn't a baby any more.  She'd started toddling about already and destruction followed her wherever she went.  The Beast of Baby-lon.  The beautiful, button-nosed, bow-legged Beast.  He'd just get what he needed to get, slip back in quietly and they'd be none the wiser.  And then his evening could start.  Nice and chilled.  He nodded respectfully at the old boy as he got off the train and laughed internally at the affronted look on the wrinkled face. 

He made sure it was a quick turnaround, no messing.  Take care of it, quick then out, back on the train.  He checked his pocket.  Still there.  Good.  He didn't have the money for any more.  Sure enough as he walked back across the square, the Beast was still howling her displeasure.  He shook his head and laughed, remembering the stories his mum used to tell about his tantrums.  She definitely took after him - Jalleen was a quiet sort of person and just accepted what life dealt her.  She was no saint, he was not deluded about that.  But somehow she never seemed to mind anything.  She just got on with life.  He wondered what it was like to be so grounded, so mature.  He was glad to be in this with her and not some drama queen - there was no need for three in the household.  He snuck back in, careful not to let the door bang shut.  

'Where 'ave you been ven?' Jalleen stood at the doorway to the kitchen, looking like she'd been wrestling demons, yoghurt dripping from her hair onto the floor.  He looked at her cautiously, trying not to laugh at her appearance. 

'Just...gettin a ickle somefink.'  He put on his cutest smile and pointed to her head.  'Yah know yah've got a ickle somefink...?' he ventured.

A small smile started on her lips but it quivered and turned topsy-turvy.  Her watery eyes pleaded with him, the Universe and (just in case) God to make it stop, please.  

'Yoo sit, I'll sort it'  He held her for a minute in the hallway, feeling how tired she was, how utterly hopeless she felt to do anything about the wailing.  He stepped into the fray.  The Beast sat in her highchair, yoghurt surrounding her like a throng of scared subjects.  

'Come on Spain, yoo caan be doin dis jus cos yah want somefing. S'not da way we do fings.' The little girl turned her considerably evil-looking eyes onto him and quietened for a moment, her face still screwed up in shouting mode.  The resulting silence was thick with relief.  You could feel it seeping in from the flats around and possibly the whole neighbourhood.  Predictably, it only lasted a few breaths.  The Beast had not yet been granted her wishes and so the world shall suffer.  

'OK, I make you a deal.'

The crying slightly quietened as he slid his hand into his pocket.  The eyes were tracking his every move.  

'I give you wass in my pocket but you muss sstop cryin,'  his tone instructional, reasoned.  The wailing subsided to a mere 80 decibels, indicating that perhaps a deal could be struck, depending on the contents of the pocket and their acceptability at this time.

Out of the pocket appeared a tub of yoghurt.  The lungs filled, ready to burst into action again.  Shah put his hand up,

'Wait! Look at dem!' He pointed to the characters on the side of the yoghurt, the cat and a dog from her favorite cartoon.  'Look!'  

There was confusion on the Beasts face.  How did they get here? They live in the flat thing, don't they?  Why aren't they moving?  But it was definitely them.  She looked at daddy and saw he was smiling.  It's 'Megadog and Superkitty!'  He seemed very excited about this, maybe even more than she was. 

'Mehmehmehg' she attempted, punching the air with both youghurt-covered arms.  He opened the yoghurt and loaded up a clean spoon.

'I hear Megadog love the yoghurt, mmmhmmm.  Remember that ickle bird, wassisname?  The ickle one now?'  Spain looked at him, a slug-like trickle making a break from her nose, her eyes still red but now curious.  Jalleen looked on from her sofa sanctuary, smiling, relieved, hopeful.  He turned to her 'Wassis name now?  De ickle bird.  In Megadog Adventure?'  

'Er...Bertie innit?'

'Oh yeah!  Berrrrrtie! Remember the ickle bird, you like him?  He say Megadog like dis the best and always wag er tail when she eat it.'  His expression couldn't have been more serious which wasn't lost on Spain.  This was a serious matter, a negotiation and a posturing of wills.  The winner of this battle was important and a precedent would be set from this day forward.  She knew.  He knew.  Mummy knew.  The tension built.

Slowly, the little mouth, now quiet and clamped, started to twitch.  The lips moved quickly after that, as if to do the deed before there was any doubt, and splodged their way around the spoon.