Waratah Park Death - MW2017 - Non Writer

Guess I was the leader of the gang. I mean, the five of us were only fourteen and fifteen and I was the tallest, fastest and stongest.

We lived in Waratah, a middle class neighbourhood, you know, houses next to each other, timber fences between and generally we, as a gang, played in the street together hitting ball, kicking footballs, longest skid contests on our bikes, skateboarding in front of cars and whatever minor silly stuff that we could think about to keep active and amused. Got yelled at occasionally by neighbours, car drivers and most of all the postman. We would stir the crap outta that guy. Skinny man, wore glasses and a bow tie and rolled one sock up over his trouser leg on the chain side of his red bike. Hahahaha. We'd skateboard at him causing him to fall off his bike, put tacks near the letter boxes to make his tyres go down and would steal the letters, especially at christmas as there was money to be found in the cards. And if someone had a birthday. They needn't expect a card. We were right onto it. It was Christmas vacation now so we got up to all types of mischief.

Cops got onto us one time. Said to me dad in one of those drawn out tones, "Yer neighbours, can't say their name, saw your young fella here and his
mates taking mail from the boxes."

Well, dad, ha ha, he went off, yelling at these two pigs about evidence and proof. Then mum, oh my god, she was spitting chips at these two. She
even spat on the ground. I had great parents and me and the guys just smiled at each other. Even gave the finger to the cops as they left. Mum laughed. I remember dad sayin, "Flamin mongrels, and to think my taxes pay their wages." Not sure what he meant though.

Then we met Gordon Demetrie. Moved in just up the road near the playground park. He was big. Stood head and shoulders above all of us. He was
even fatter than me dad. We saw him kicking a soccerball about. So, obviously we all went up to show him what real football was about. Young Jimmy was the first of our gang to grab the soccer ball and kick it over a house roof. Well, this Gordon just stood there, looked at Jimmy and said, "Go fetch it stupid." Jimmy being Jimmy, just giggled. His dad was a jockey and owned a four wheel drive. Jim was a tough little nut. Gordon walks up to him and WHACK. Got Jimmy right in the nose. "Crikey" I thought, it was just funnin around. Jimmy hit the turf. There was a bit of stupified silence then young Jim was rolling and squealling like a sheila. And I could see the blood.

Gordon looked at me. "You,,,, go get me ball happyman." And with a kick, only a soccer player could manage, put his left foot into Jimmy's balls while he lay on the ground. That stopped young Jim squealin, he couldn't breath. Just made a quiet "Ugh ugh." I took off, cut a groove in the park lawn, jumped two paling fences, skipped over a dog and found the ball. To the amazement of the people having a bar be que in the backyard where the ball was I then scrambled across a pool fence, swam the pool with the ball and was out of their driveway before a lamb chop was turned on the plate. I sprinted back to the park gave the ball back to Gordon. Me other mates were just lifting Jimmy off the ground. He was mumbling something like, "Mum, mum" and holding his nuts. Blood was running from his nose. Gordon was staring at him with a tilted head. He yelled at Jimmy, "I'm Gordon, do that again and I'll flamin smash you to a pulp. Understand stupid?." Jim simply replied with an "Ugh." The postman rode by, slowed, looked and smugly dropped some mail into the box of the house opposite. We helped Jimmy away to his house up the roadway a bit.

The big kid, Gordon resumed to just kick his ball around the park. The postman went down the street on our side of the road.

We got Jimmy inside his house, his mum lost the plot screaming, "What did you do to him?" "Nuthin, nuthin." we yelled back. Jimmy started crying
and through his tears he managed to mumble, "Mum, mum, the big kid up the road kicked me in the cods." "Which kid?" she yelled back. Toby, the
quietest of our group uttered, "A new kid, he's too big, looks like a wog too and he's got a fist like a hammer, yeah, knocked Jim to the ground and
looks like he broke his nose, then he kicked him in the goolies up at the park."

It was a this juncture that Jimmy's jockey stature dad walked into the discussion. He was always a short angry man. Took one look at Jimmy and said, " A hammer aye, a hammer, I'll show the tough kid a hammer. Hate bullies." He walked quickly out side and into the shed. Everyone was silent, as was normal when this small man spoke. He emerged with a steel hammer and strode up the side of the house and along the street towards the park.

Me and Toby ran outside. I saw Jimmy's dad on his way to the park swinging the hammer around and around. "Strewth!" I cried aloud. The postman was returning up the street delivering mail. He looked at me from across the road, then at Jim's father and shook his head. Stupid nerd postman, what does he know.

I ran back inside Jimmy's house, his mum was on the phone, I yelled, "Better ring the cops!" She yelled back, "I am I am, he's been drinking." I yelled at the boys, "Right, we gotta stop him, come on." We cut through at a pace out the front door except Jimmy who waddled behind us holding onto his nuts. In the distance I saw Jim's dad fronting the new kid Gordon who had his soccerball tucked under his arm. There was much unintelligible yelling. Mostly from the dad. I saw the postman get off his bike nearby and slowly toe the side stand down.

Too late. Gordon launched his soccer ball at Jimmy's dad who responded with a hammer blow to Gordon's head. The big boy swayed then dropped
like a sack of spuds. Now, it was all happening. I heard sirens, I saw Jim's dad continually strike Gorden to the head. Horrible sight. After about five blows, all of us tackled Jim's dad. Except Jimmy. He just stood there. We landed onto Gordon with Jimmy's dad still swinging the hammer. The man was small but by god he was stong. By this stage Gordons head was pulverised and, for the first time in my life, I saw brain matter. I started retching. In my mind I was saying "Stop stop."

I was on my back next. Breath knocked out of me. Everything was a blur. I remember hearing Jimmy's dad swearing aloud. I saw a cop looking over me. A voice said. "You alright son?" All I could issue was an "ugh" . Jimmy was screaming, "Dad, dad." In a dizzy spell rolled to my left. I saw another cop kneeling on Toby. I blinked continuously at the site of Gordon's smashed in face and popped eyes. More sirens. I now know it was only a matter of minutes before I eventually gathered my dazed senses. I saw the postman saying to the cop beside me, "Officer, my name is Julian and I witnessed this murder by these thugs upon this poor boy. All of them."

The cop looked down at me and said loudly, "What your name young fella?"

I couldn't think, let alone talk. I'm sure it was Toby who yelled, "That's Bally!"

The End.

a reply to: bally001That was great, nasty as all hell but it could have gone in so may directions. Really enjoyed it.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Thanks Sprocket.

Glad you took time to read the story.

Kind regards,

bally

a reply to: bally001

Oh, that was epic!!

a reply to: JinMI

Kind words sir Jin.

my regards for reading the tale,

bally

a reply to: bally001

Excellent job as always mate . Goolies,love it

a reply to: hutch622

Cheers cobs,

You gonna write? Always good murder mysteries from South Aus.





bally

a reply to: bally001

Always good murder mysteries from South Aus.

Yep , most of them still unsolved . As for writing i might toss around a few ideas . PS crabs are already here , me and the youngest lad got a few on the way home from fishing .

originally posted by: bally001
a reply to: JinMI

Kind words sir Jin.

my regards for reading the tale,

bally

Tis worthy of much more! Very good, seriously.

a reply to: hutch622

I'm home alone presently. Missus and young gents went to Darwin for the older daughters 21st. (10 days, yay) Dropped em up at Brissy airport yesterday. Busy with geese hatching eggs, chicks hatching in the incubator and a bit of work. No fishing as yet. Yabby traps in the dams and creek though.

Did you get my P.M. ?

bally

a reply to: JinMI

Glad you enjoyed it. Not my normal writing topic so I appreciate your words.

bally

a reply to: bally001

All good mate , hopefully you will be linking in no time .

Just checked

A second check , got it by the goolies now mate .

a reply to: hutch622

Yeah thanks mate. Please check my PM.

bally

a reply to: bally001

Good stuff, keep writing for sure because we need good Aussie writers who know the lingo.

And if you're not an Aussie then i'm a Joe Blake doing the Harold Holt.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

Cheers mate. Both sides of the family date back to currency early 1800's. Guess I'm tagged. Don't mind it at all.

I tend to try and add a little lingo that our folks overseas may understand.

I don't think many could grasp graphic aussie vernacular nowadays. May take offence



Thanks for reading and kind regards to you and yours,

bally

originally posted by: bally001
a reply to: Thecakeisalie

Cheers mate. Both sides of the family date back to currency early 1800's. Guess I'm tagged. Don't mind it at all.

I tend to try and add a little lingo that our folks overseas may understand.

I don't think many could grasp graphic aussie vernacular nowadays. May take offence

Thanks for reading and kind regards to you and yours,

bally

Oh I dunno, loads of us Poms have read Chopper Read's books I love Aussie nutcase lit. Him and Caesar Campbell being the obvious ones.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

And if you're not an Aussie then i'm a Joe Blake doing the Harold Holt.

Brown or tiger , that should confuse some . lol .

a reply to: SprocketUK

The following are a bit corny Sprocket but try reading The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie by Barry Humphries. The comic book and novel are better than the movie.

My favourite line, "Time to point Percy at the Proverbial Pommie Porcelain" or one from another book, "Pissed him of like a pube on the porcelain mate." "I'm as dry as a dead dingo's donga"

Old books and strips but funny. My young ones don't get it.

Cheers, bally

a reply to: bally001
That THE Barry Humphries? The Dame Edna/ Sir Les guy? I surely will.

a reply to: bally001

Good old Aussie lingo is dying out . Sad, very sad.