The guardian angel everyone thought was a black sheep
I was told as a young girl to stay away from Uncle Graham. He would appear intermittently in our lives.He was a traveller ,an adventurer, and he did not fit in.
My mother,God, rest her soul,was afraid of Uncle Graham.She saw him as a bad influence on her curious, quirky daughter who was close to reaching her teens.
Of course,the fact that everyone disapproved of him made me visit his little condo more when I knew he was around. Unknown to my mother, we texted each other regularly, and I was probably one of the few people at any given time who knew where he was.It was his safety net.
I was very good at hiding things from my family.They seemed to disapprove of everything I liked or did.
One day, though,I got into a situation way beyond my control.A so-called friend had called at my house, and we had we’d gone to the local park. There ,we met a group of boys and young men.I knew immediately who they were, and they dealt in drugs.
Stupidly,I didn’t want to look like a sissy,so we laughed and joked with the young men.I suppose hormones kicked in, and I was flattered.One young lad seemed to take a particular interest in me and passed some white tablets into my hand.
“Here, take these,it’ll be amazing! We can go to my flat later”.
Just at that moment,Uncle Graham appeared,looking very dishevelled. All the young lads thought he was drunk and started laughing at him.
I felt the pills in my hand,I knew I did not want to take them.Uncle Graham wondered up to the boys and said to the boys
“You selling good stuff ?”
“What’s it to you, Old Man?”
“Just asking? What’ve you got?”
“Go away,Old Man,you couldn’t afford what we’ve got?”said the one who had passed me the tablets.
“How much?Your whole stash,including the pills you just passed to that young girl!”
“That’s none of your business,old man!”Said the tall young lad who was increasingly agitated.
“Suppose it’s not,but I said how much?It’s a fair question,you’re a businessman, aren’t you?”
“Look it’s ,not for sale…:
“Oh, so you ain’t no businessman then?What are you a pimp?”
At that time, all the other boys started laughing, and I began to get embarrassed.
“Will you sell me the pills,little girl?.”
I saw this as my way out.
“Of course, I wasn’t going to take the stupid things anyway. Twenty dollars”
Uncle Graham reached into his pocket and took out a very dirty twenty dollar bill, and handed it to me.I took it and said to the others.
“See you guys,I’m off to the mall,buy myself a new top,they’ve got a sale on.”
The group of boys and now one girl looked incredulous.
Uncle Graham pottered off in the opposite direction while I made my way around to the gate at the other side of the park,heading towards the mall.
We circled the park ,and when we met up at the gate,Uncle Graham and I smiled at each other.
“Thanks, Uncle Graham,that was very scary.”
“No need to be scared of people like that,they ain’t no good at business are they?Now you owe me a coffee let’s go to Dino’s Café,your paying!”
I laughed .”No problem, Uncle Graham!”
thenotsomightyom 