R.I.P Robbie Silva Read Online Free PDF

that look when something was wrong. I remembered seeing it once after I came home from working my first proper job. Oh yeah, work, a proper job.
    I'd been a mechanic's mate, fucking grease monkey. We were both still at home then. Well, Jody and me, and the old man. Mam was gone. Jody hadn't left school yet. She was in one of those grey V-neck jumpers that kids used to wear to school back then. Her hair was tied back in a band and there was a spread of school books sitting on the dining-room table, like she'd just tipped out her school bag.
    When I walked in Jody was staring – just like Gail – off into space. It sounds so run-of-the-mill, so everyday, but it wasn't a look like you get on some square-peg's coupon in a post-office queue or some old grunter at a bus stop who's just bored out of his tits and looking for an excuse to kick off about something or other. Nah, this was pained. Only way I can describe it, pained.
    I went over to the table but Jody didn't even look up. She just sat there, motionless. I eased out a chair, trying to be as quiet as I could, but the action gave her a start and she jumped. Her face seemed to whiten, then she let out a little squeal. I'd scared her and I felt gutted by that.
    'Jody ... Jody ...' I said. 'It's only me. What's the matter?'
    She froze again. The stare was gone but the look was one of terror now, animal terror, like when you see a wild creature trapped. 'Jody ...'
    I got up, tried to comfort her, pat her on the back, put an arm around her, but it only made her worse. She screamed out and that's when the old man came stomping in from the kitchen.
    'The bloody hell's going on in here?' he blasted out.
    'Nothing ... it's Jody, look.' I pointed to her as she sat there, trembling all over. She looked away from us both, towards the radiator on the wall and seemed to be shutting us out.
    'There's nothing wrong with her,' said Dad.
    'But ...'
    'No, I mean it ... don't pander to her, she's just being a stupid little bitch!' He turned to her, roared, 'Aren't you?'
    He leaned out and grabbed her arm, yanked her from the seat; my sister yelled out and I felt myself take a step back in shock. As I cleared a space on the carpet, she pulled her arm away from my father and ran from the room. When she was gone, my old man stood shaking his head. I heard Jody sobbing in the bathroom.
    I fronted him, 'You didn't need to make her cry ... couldn't you see she was upset about something.'
    'Crap!' he snapped. 'She's just being a typical lassie.'
    I didn't know why he was being so harsh; I was ready to duke him out for acting this way. I felt my heart pounding; my hands started to curl into fists.
    'You upset her ...'
    He looked at me, stared in my eyes. His moustache moved above his lip as he grinned. 'Don't be getting above yourself there, son.'
    I didn't want to be his son.
    'You made her cry.'
    'She fuckingwell made herself cry ...' He raised a finger, pointed at me. 'You're just a fucking boy, you don't know what you're saying. She's a woman for Chrissakes. They're all about setting men against each other. Have you not figured that out yet? Watch the dogs on the street and learn something!'
    He turned away. His eyes were wide and bright as he went and then his jaw tightened as he left through the door.
    I knew he was wrong. He always was. I never thought like him, not once. Not ever.
    Even looking back now, even seeing his face in my mind for the briefest of moments, made me want to puke. Or hit out. Hit out at something, anything.
    When I remembered the look on Jody's face then it brought a pain to my chest, a heartscald, hurt. I never knew why she was looking that way, why she was crying. Not then, I never. But, I did now. The memory burned harder with the knowledge that I could have done something to help her. But I didn't. I found out too late what it was that caused Jody's pain.

    * * * *

    The Chinese dude planted the order up on the counter, shouted out the list, 'Chicken chow mein,