Toby was like a young tree.

<PREVIOUS EDITION>

Tracey handed Toby the cup of tea. The police were still everywhere and looking at Toby hoping to get a reaction from the questions he was being asked. All Toby did was stay silent. He knew what he was thinking, the police knew what he was thinking. 

Big Al sat at the bar in the deserted pub, with a brandy in his hand.. The sweat was dripping from his forehead. He knew he went too far. Scaring someone is one thing, killing them is so bad for business he will need to pay out some serious wonga to get it cleared up.

His mobile phone rang, it was his contact in the police. ”Al, everything is cool, we have blamed it on some mental people who have admitted to throwing the petrol bomb because they were bored.” Big Al put the phone down, nice, he thought. Big Al took a large sip of the brandy when an unmistakable click of a cocked trigger sounded. Big Al looked around and saw Toby with a gun pointing at his head.

Toby had just purchased a gun from one of Big Al’s men, who didn’t know Toby, and Toby was now going to kill the bully, but he wanted some questions answered. “Why did my mom take a loan out with you?” Toby asked. “I don’t know” said Big Al ” she said something about looking after her boy and getting him something nice, now put that gun away before someone gets hurt”.  

Toby thought, and tried to remember. Ah yes the cue stick that his mother miraculously found in the loft that apparently belonged to one of her ex boyfriend. It must have been the item that she brought for him. He knew it was too new to be in the loft for any length of time and that his mother had not been out with anyone for ages. She took the loan out to get me the cue stick. If only I had arranged the pool game before the poker game my mom would still be alive. 

“Come on Toby, you do not want to do this. The police say it was those care in the community nutters that threw the petrol bomb into your house.” Straight away Toby looked at Big Al and in his head he thought how did you know this. Big Al saw it in his eyes and tried to make a run for it. BANG, BANG, BANG!

Toby slumped back into the chair and dropped the gun onto the floor. The blood was pouring from Big Al’s head taking over from the sweat. Dogs were barking and a police siren was getting nearer.There was no point running he did what he had to do and was prepared to face the consequences.

Someone else will take Big Al’s place but no one can replace his mother. 

Toby was like a young tree.

<PREVIOUS EDITION>

It is time for action! Toby came out of the toilet and all eyes focused on him as if he was a policeman coming to question some naughty youths about their rowdy behaviour. Someone shouted out ”Oi Sharkey, don’t you know you should not play against someone who looks like Harry Potter?” The room descended into much mirth and laughter. Toby was not amused. 

Toby heard this comment a thousand times before. He had a slight appearance to Harry Potter but he made many efforts to not look like him, but every now and then some clever dick would always make the comment as if they were the first person ever to have noticed the similarity.

As the ref reiterated the rules that the players were going to play to, beads of sweat started to trickle down his forehead. This game was important to Toby, he needed to win. Big Al was a animal and he sniffed coke which made him a bit of a loose cannon.

Sharkey broke and before Toby had got warmed up the frame was won by Sharkey. Next frame Toby broke. This frame was tight and neither player was getting on top. Finally Toby put Sharkey into a snooker, hoping to get two shots, but was happy to restrict his momentum. As Sharkey was lining up a way to get out of the relatively easy snooker Toby noticed that Sharkey’s bridge was all over the place. He seemed to have difficult getting his left hand in a position to play the shot. 

Not only did Sharkey finally get out of the snooker he managed to put one of Toby’s ball safe, which made it difficult for Toby to win the frame. Sharkey ended up winning the frame. However, while Sharkey may have won the frame, Toby noticed that Sharkey had difficulty with bridging when the white ball is tight on the cushion.

Toby changed tacked and fudged and screwed Sharkey, finally he broke the guy to win the next five games without reply. Since it was the best of eleven the next frame could be the one that gives Toby all his money back and some more on top. One thing Toby is not and that is a ‘bottler merchant’ ie he does not baulk at winning. He won the frame and the game easily.

Toby never really drank, primarily because he was fifthteen, but this time since he could have a drink he went for it and really enjoyed himself. The people he was with liked him and they did not take liberties with the young lad. It was obvious he was talented and it was obvious that he was not big headed or flashy. After a while the landlord gently suggested that maybe Toby went home before he drank away his winnings, Toby agreed and a cab was called.

Sitting in the cab the feeling of winning and getting things sorted for his mom, himself and having a great time felt great. He thought to himself I could get used to this. The cab driver was doing what cab drivers do moaning about the problems of getting around Toby’s estate when the police are there. Everyone moans about the estate and this cab driver was going into overdrive.

As he turned the corner to get to his street he could see a bright red glow which meant that another car was on fire. Those joy riders are a pain and now he understood what the cab driver was going on about. Wait! Thats’ my house. As the car pulled up Toby jumped out of the car and ran to his front gate. A policeman grabbed him and Toby shouted ”thats my house”. The cab driver shouted ”…he is trying to do a runner….”.

Toby looked and he could see his mother strapped to a stretcher. “Mom” he shouted and ran over to her. As he touched her face he knew she was dead. Tracey the next door neighbour shouted ”someone threw a petrol bomb through the window Toby”. Toby knew immediately knew who did it and why.

<To Be Continued>

Toby was like a young tree.

Toby hated the phrase soldier, because it’s connotations gave the impression that he took orders from a higher force and in Toby’s eyes there was no one better or more important than him. The only thing close to being more important was his mother and making sure his mother was looked after was his major priority. The problem with his task was the small issue of school and his exams which he promised his mother he was going to do well. 

Toby always kept his promises even though it may be inconvenient. So when Big Al called around for his weekly collection, Toby would always get the money somehow to pay the bully. Big Al was a menace! He was always looking for business and when he got it he made sure he got paid. Unsecured money lending is not pretty, but Big Al would always get his ‘pound of flesh’ if he was not paid. The whole estate was scared of Big Al! It was said that Big Al had the local police in his pocket.

Why Toby’s mom took a loan from Big Al is still a mystery to Toby. Yes they were struggling and they could always survive. Toby was a rising star on the pool and poker scene. He made the local pool team and was starting to win some big games. Also, he had a knack for playing poker. Slowly but surely he was beginning to earn some money taking cash from drunks who wanted to play. He then slipped his mother the money to pay for any bills, and that included Big Al.

Big Al was a beast and borrowing money from him is just asking for trouble. Now he wanted £600 by tomorrow or there would be consequences. Until now Toby was winning but only small stakes he id not feel confident to take on the real big boys, however, this loan needed to be sorted as it was making his mom’s illness worst with the stress of it all.

Toby’s train of thought got interrupted when someone walked into the toilet and went straight to the cubicle to snort cocaine. The tell tale heavy sniffing was a dead give away. Toby pretended to wash his face and hands, while he was looking into the mirror. He needed to get himself ready for the big game against Sharkey a lovable but reckless pool player. He needed to beat Sharkey as £800 would be just right to pay off Big Al and sort out the electricity bill which was still owned.

Toby knew he could win against Sharkey, but the previous night dented his confidence. Toby got into a cash game and his opponent got so lucky it was untrue. If he was not dealing he would have thought the game was fixed.How the hell could I guy call with Ace Eight of suit when he has trip sixes? Yes the board showed 9, 6, 5, but it was clear the player was behind. He needed serious luck and he got it on the river when the 7 came in, giving him the straight!

The mug called and got extremely lucky.  That luck cost Toby £1200! Toby could have got out while he was ahead. He won the money and those playing were hungry for their money back but they knew Toby was good and had a read on all of them. The local Conservative club was easy pickings for Toby, but not last night and this had left Toby severely injured financially. 

The sniffing finished and the toilet was flushed. Why do coke heads flush the toilet after they were sniffing cocaine? Why do they think that we are fooled by this?

<TO BE CONTINUED>