"We just really have to think about what's the best move right now, that's all. If you think you can win, maybe we can hold off. I don't like 'em and I think she'd be wasted there. She needs a proper sort that understands how to best train her." And sure, they had jockeys but if they worked under guys like that, how did he trust them to be responsible.
"I'm going back into the city tomorrow. I'll see if I can find another buyer, might be able to drum up interest."
Jonathan rolled over and looked across at Axel and Holden. "You have a good day, boys? Learning lots of smart things?"
Axel nodded his head, kicking his legs back and forth. "I learned to punch. Alfie showed me." Ah. So no smart things.
"Axel did a book report. He's finished reading his book." Holden was prouder of that than the punching, although he understood why that was the highlight for Axel. A lot more fun, after all. "Ax, you can give your report to Jon when Jon's not so tired." Holden was worried for his brother, he looked pretty exhausted. "Do you want beans on toast?"
"Holden can't take a punch," Alfie felt that was maybe worth noting, "We gotta toughen that lad up or he'll be beat on every day of his life."
He was just looking out for his brothers. "Anyway, of course I can win. I'm the best! I'll stay sober and everything." He celebrated that decision by taking a swig from the bottle, then he grinned at Axel. "Do you wanna show Jonny your punch, Axel?"
Jonathan willed himself up and pushed himself off the bed and into a sitting position so he was by Alfie. "I'll eat later, it's fine. You can show me your book report, Ax. Then you can punch your stupid brother." Jonathan felt education came before Alfie needing a punch. Alas.
Axel took his paper and came over to Jonathan, holding it out shyly. Jonathan couldn't make sense of a lot of it but his boy had his lettering improving and his spelling looked better too. Jonathan couldn't judge him, he wasn't the best either. He was self taught, after all. "And you read the whole book yourself?"
"Holden helped. It was about a cat and it was really funny." Axel hoped he did a good job.
"You did good, huh? Real good. You proud of it?" Axel nodded. "Good, you should be. Wanna punch Alfie?" Axel nodded again. "Go for it."
"Axel's real good at reading," Holden said encouragingly, as he walked over to sit by his brothers. Or by his brother, at least, because Alfie was now standing up, crouching down and awaiting Axel's punch. He stumbled backwards dramatically, falling onto the floor.
"Knockout! Wow, Axel's the new champion!" Alfie reached out to wrap an arm around Axel and pull him down so he could cuddle him, only to end up tickling him as well. He liked playing with the kids, he always love that part. A lot less responsibility.
"Damn good, Axel. You keep working on that swing, yeah?" Axel was giggling loudly as Alfie tickled him, wriggling and squirming until he was free. Jonathan watched the two and then idly turned to Holden, talking quietly to him. "I think Axel might get to do ballet if we convince Alfie it's for boxing."
It could be a funny way to work around Alfie's blanket ban of Axel learning to dance. Even if Axel danced all the time on his own anyway. He pulled out a cigarette and his lighter, looking at Holden. "What did you do today?"
"He thinks Axel would be a good fighter." Which Holden had mixed feelings over. A bit of envy, because their big brother had never said that about him and mostly a lot of worry. Fighting was so... stupid, really. He never liked it, he didn't want his Axel doing it. "I'll tell him that's why Axel needs to dance."
Seemed like a good idea. He looked at Jon and shrugged. "I didn't do so much, I just hung out with Axel and I did homework." He hadn't been able to go to school today, not with Axel in his care. "Did you have any fun or was it all just rubbish, with those stupid bastards?"
"Alfie has been saying everyone would be a good fight. He's just mad I ain't a boxer and you ain't neither. He's had almost 20 years on this earth and all he cares about is fighting and fucking." And Jonathan didn't blame him. It seemed like it would be fun to be that simple in wants. Jonathan wanted way too much from life, too many complicated things - he wished he was able to turn his brain off.
Even now, he was kicking himself for not just taking Dublin boy off with him and fucking him in the fields near their home.
He was an idiot. "I didn't have fun but it was alright. Just tedious, you know? So many people, so many pointless conversations." If he was getting anything done, he would need some uppers tomorrow morning or he was fucked. "We're gonna be fine though. We got a good payday coming."
"I know we do!" Holden had complete confidence in his brothers. Even in Alfie. If Alfie said he'd win the fight, he was sure he would. He rarely let them down when it came to those things. He resisted the urge to hug Jon, knowing that his brother wasn't that touchy-feely, not like Axel and Alfie could be. "You should eat and go to bed, Jonny. I'll tuck in Axel and Alfie can just go out."
"Are you kicking me out, you prat?" Alfie had heard that part, laughing at the audacity. He ruffled Axel's hair and shook his head. "What a nagging momma you have there with Holden, eh? Is he a pest?"
"No, you're a pest." Axel laughed and playfully shoved Alfie. He loved Holden, he might whine to him and get mad but no one could get angry at Holden but him. He stretched lazily and then yawned, looking at Alfie. "I wanna kip. And not with you cause you snore."
"He's got you there, mate." Jonathan teased as he grinned in the direction of Alfie. "I think Holden and Axel should be tucked in soon so me and you can go out and have fun."
Jonathan did not want to go out and have fun but he wanted to give the kids space to sleep and have some time with Alfie. Alfie needed someone to vent too as much as anyone else and he'd never do it around the kids.
"Oi! I only snore when I am drunk!" He was also not too far from the whiskey bottle, so there was that. He supposed Axel had a point. He hugged the boy close briefly, then picked him up to drop him into Holden's arms. "There you go. Sweet dreams, wee lads."
Holden wrapped his arms around Axel and then got up. "Let's brush our teeth, yea?" He wanted them to not look like Alfie's did half the time. "Say good night."
"Let's go somewhere with music, Jonny, proper celebration. We'll have a good payday coming up, I can feel it." So he felt like singing and getting very drunk. Hey, it was the traveller way.
"When the payday comes, we'll go out. For now, you'll have to settle for whiskey and a calm evening. The kids gotta sleep." Not just their kids but all of them across the site. Jonathan got up and grabbed the whiskey, heading outside and knowing that Alfie would follow. "I'm gonna leave tomorrow at 6am, see if I can find another buyer. You keep on training and hey, if we're lucky, we'll be racking it in."
Then they wouldn't have to worry about food or clothes or what they could afford to get next. They'd be set. If, of course, everyone behaved. "No gambling until we work out what to do. I fucking mean it."
"You are no fun. None whatsoever." Alfie was already lighting a cigarette, rolling his shoulders as he followed behind Jonathan. "I'll keep on winning this time. I can feel it. So don't worry so much. If you frown all the time, that will be stuck on your face."
Sometimes he wondered whether it already was. "Now come have some fun, Jonny. We'll do well by our boys, I know it. They're lucky lads."
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"I'm going back into the city tomorrow. I'll see if I can find another buyer, might be able to drum up interest."
Jonathan rolled over and looked across at Axel and Holden. "You have a good day, boys? Learning lots of smart things?"
Axel nodded his head, kicking his legs back and forth. "I learned to punch. Alfie showed me." Ah. So no smart things.
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"Holden can't take a punch," Alfie felt that was maybe worth noting, "We gotta toughen that lad up or he'll be beat on every day of his life."
He was just looking out for his brothers. "Anyway, of course I can win. I'm the best! I'll stay sober and everything." He celebrated that decision by taking a swig from the bottle, then he grinned at Axel. "Do you wanna show Jonny your punch, Axel?"
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Axel took his paper and came over to Jonathan, holding it out shyly. Jonathan couldn't make sense of a lot of it but his boy had his lettering improving and his spelling looked better too. Jonathan couldn't judge him, he wasn't the best either. He was self taught, after all. "And you read the whole book yourself?"
"Holden helped. It was about a cat and it was really funny." Axel hoped he did a good job.
"You did good, huh? Real good. You proud of it?" Axel nodded. "Good, you should be. Wanna punch Alfie?" Axel nodded again. "Go for it."
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"Knockout! Wow, Axel's the new champion!" Alfie reached out to wrap an arm around Axel and pull him down so he could cuddle him, only to end up tickling him as well. He liked playing with the kids, he always love that part. A lot less responsibility.
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It could be a funny way to work around Alfie's blanket ban of Axel learning to dance. Even if Axel danced all the time on his own anyway. He pulled out a cigarette and his lighter, looking at Holden. "What did you do today?"
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Seemed like a good idea. He looked at Jon and shrugged. "I didn't do so much, I just hung out with Axel and I did homework." He hadn't been able to go to school today, not with Axel in his care. "Did you have any fun or was it all just rubbish, with those stupid bastards?"
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Even now, he was kicking himself for not just taking Dublin boy off with him and fucking him in the fields near their home.
He was an idiot. "I didn't have fun but it was alright. Just tedious, you know? So many people, so many pointless conversations." If he was getting anything done, he would need some uppers tomorrow morning or he was fucked. "We're gonna be fine though. We got a good payday coming."
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"Are you kicking me out, you prat?" Alfie had heard that part, laughing at the audacity. He ruffled Axel's hair and shook his head. "What a nagging momma you have there with Holden, eh? Is he a pest?"
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"He's got you there, mate." Jonathan teased as he grinned in the direction of Alfie. "I think Holden and Axel should be tucked in soon so me and you can go out and have fun."
Jonathan did not want to go out and have fun but he wanted to give the kids space to sleep and have some time with Alfie. Alfie needed someone to vent too as much as anyone else and he'd never do it around the kids.
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Holden wrapped his arms around Axel and then got up. "Let's brush our teeth, yea?" He wanted them to not look like Alfie's did half the time. "Say good night."
"Let's go somewhere with music, Jonny, proper celebration. We'll have a good payday coming up, I can feel it." So he felt like singing and getting very drunk. Hey, it was the traveller way.
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Then they wouldn't have to worry about food or clothes or what they could afford to get next. They'd be set. If, of course, everyone behaved. "No gambling until we work out what to do. I fucking mean it."
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Sometimes he wondered whether it already was. "Now come have some fun, Jonny. We'll do well by our boys, I know it. They're lucky lads."