This story was inspired by all the Shilpa/Jade racism nonsense that's been dominating the media at the moment. I'm not entirely sure it works, but I gave it a try.
The pub was packed and noisy.
Eddy and Pranay shouldered their way to the bar.
“Hey!” There was a gap in the crowd, barely a few inches wide. Eddy managed to squeeze in. “Two pints of Grolsch, please.”
The barman nodded, reaching for the pint glasses.
A rough shove crushed Eddy against the bar.
“Oh, sorry, Mate.” A big fellow with a shaved head turned around, sloshing beer over Eddy’s shoulder. But the apology died on his lips.
“Hey!” His dilated eyes widened. He took in Eddy’s bright red hair, curly and dishevelled. “Hllo, Ginger!”
Eddy winced, but said nothing. He held out his hands for the two pints.
There was another shove. This time it was friendly, but over enthusiastic.
“Oi, Ginger!” the shaven headed man slurred. “I’m talking to you!”
Eddy looked up, his eyes narrow slits.
“That’s right, Ginger,” the big man grinned, gratified by the response. “I’ve always wanted to know. Do your collars and cuffs match, Mate?”
Eddy ignored him. He grabbed his drinks.
“Oi!” The bully wasn’t backing down. “I asked you a question!”
Eddy made to leave.
The man’s hand clamped down on his shoulder.
“Oi, Copperknob,” he slurred, “I’m talkin’ to you!”
Eddy snapped: “Leave me alone!”
“Oi, Easy, Mate,” the big man bristled, his shoulders widening. “I was just asking you a question.”
“Just leave me alone,” Eddy snapped. “Jesus. Can’t a guy go to a pub without being accosted by some drunken chav?”
The hand on Eddy’s shoulder tightened.
“What did you just call me, Duracell?”
Eddy noticed the atmosphere in the bar change. It was almost imperceptible, but the temperature dropped, he was sure of it.
The crowd backed away from the bar, realising there’d be trouble.
The shaven headed yob took a step forward, towering over Eddy. His breath stank of beer and cigarettes.
“You got a problem, Mate?”
Eddy looked up.
“Just leave me the hell alone.”
“Or you’ll what?” The big man gave Eddy a shove.
Eddy stumbled back, caught by the crowd. Drinks spilled. Voices were raised.
With a satisfied smirk, the thug with the shaven head took another step forward. Sensing easy prey, his stringy mates closed in too, backing their alpha male.
Eddy straightened himself up.
His mind raced.
The entire pub was looking at him. There was a mumble of excitement. The situation was balanced on a knife edge, turning nastier each second.
Backed by his three mates, the yob cracked his knuckles.
“I believe you called me a chav, Ginger.”
Eddy straightened his back and prepared for the worst.
That was when he felt a hand on his elbow.
It was Pranay.
Eddy’s skinny friend had stepped from the crowd to support him
The yob and his mates saw the new arrival.
“Oi,” the alpha snapped. “Back off, Paki.”
Almost as soon as the word has left his mouth, he regretted it.
The excited buzz chilled.
The pub fell silent.
The echo of the word ‘Paki’ hung accusingly in the air.
There was silence throughout the pub.
Then, from somewhere back in the room, somebody murmured: “Bloody racist.” That stunned opinion murmured through the crowd.
The yob’s friends exchanged nervous glances. They melted away, disappearing back into the crowd and firmly confirming that they were not with him. The entire pub was staring.
“Oi! You!” The landlord wheeled around the bar. “Get out! You’re barred!”
Grabbing the yob’s shoulder, the landlord shoved him roughly through the crowd and out into the street.
A moment later, he stepped back in from the cold, rubbing his hands.
“We’ll have none of that racist bollocks.”
There was a quick glance in Pranay’s direction.
“You alright, Mate?”
Pranay nodded blankly.
The crowd murmured in support, complaining about the racist yob.
Satisfied, the landlord grabbed Pranay’s glass to top it up.
As he passed Eddy, the landlord gave him a warning glare.
“I saw you start that, Ginger!”
Eddy’s mouth flapped open, wordlessly trying to defend himself.
The landlord wasn’t listening.
“Keep yourself out of trouble,” he warned, “or you’ll be out too!”
The pub was packed and noisy.Eddy and Pranay shouldered their way to the bar.
“Hey!” There was a gap in the crowd, barely a few inches wide. Eddy managed to squeeze in. “Two pints of Grolsch, please.”
The barman nodded, reaching for the pint glasses.
A rough shove crushed Eddy against the bar.
“Oh, sorry, Mate.” A big fellow with a shaved head turned around, sloshing beer over Eddy’s shoulder. But the apology died on his lips.
“Hey!” His dilated eyes widened. He took in Eddy’s bright red hair, curly and dishevelled. “Hllo, Ginger!”
Eddy winced, but said nothing. He held out his hands for the two pints.
There was another shove. This time it was friendly, but over enthusiastic.
“Oi, Ginger!” the shaven headed man slurred. “I’m talking to you!”
Eddy looked up, his eyes narrow slits.
“That’s right, Ginger,” the big man grinned, gratified by the response. “I’ve always wanted to know. Do your collars and cuffs match, Mate?”
Eddy ignored him. He grabbed his drinks.
“Oi!” The bully wasn’t backing down. “I asked you a question!”
Eddy made to leave.
The man’s hand clamped down on his shoulder.
“Oi, Copperknob,” he slurred, “I’m talkin’ to you!”
Eddy snapped: “Leave me alone!”
“Oi, Easy, Mate,” the big man bristled, his shoulders widening. “I was just asking you a question.”
“Just leave me alone,” Eddy snapped. “Jesus. Can’t a guy go to a pub without being accosted by some drunken chav?”
The hand on Eddy’s shoulder tightened.
“What did you just call me, Duracell?”
Eddy noticed the atmosphere in the bar change. It was almost imperceptible, but the temperature dropped, he was sure of it.
The crowd backed away from the bar, realising there’d be trouble.
The shaven headed yob took a step forward, towering over Eddy. His breath stank of beer and cigarettes.
“You got a problem, Mate?”
Eddy looked up.
“Just leave me the hell alone.”
“Or you’ll what?” The big man gave Eddy a shove.
Eddy stumbled back, caught by the crowd. Drinks spilled. Voices were raised.
With a satisfied smirk, the thug with the shaven head took another step forward. Sensing easy prey, his stringy mates closed in too, backing their alpha male.
Eddy straightened himself up.
His mind raced.
The entire pub was looking at him. There was a mumble of excitement. The situation was balanced on a knife edge, turning nastier each second.
Backed by his three mates, the yob cracked his knuckles.
“I believe you called me a chav, Ginger.”
Eddy straightened his back and prepared for the worst.
That was when he felt a hand on his elbow.
It was Pranay.
Eddy’s skinny friend had stepped from the crowd to support him
The yob and his mates saw the new arrival.
“Oi,” the alpha snapped. “Back off, Paki.”
Almost as soon as the word has left his mouth, he regretted it.
The excited buzz chilled.
The pub fell silent.
The echo of the word ‘Paki’ hung accusingly in the air.
There was silence throughout the pub.
Then, from somewhere back in the room, somebody murmured: “Bloody racist.” That stunned opinion murmured through the crowd.
The yob’s friends exchanged nervous glances. They melted away, disappearing back into the crowd and firmly confirming that they were not with him. The entire pub was staring.
“Oi! You!” The landlord wheeled around the bar. “Get out! You’re barred!”
Grabbing the yob’s shoulder, the landlord shoved him roughly through the crowd and out into the street.
A moment later, he stepped back in from the cold, rubbing his hands.
“We’ll have none of that racist bollocks.”
There was a quick glance in Pranay’s direction.
“You alright, Mate?”
Pranay nodded blankly.
The crowd murmured in support, complaining about the racist yob.
Satisfied, the landlord grabbed Pranay’s glass to top it up.
As he passed Eddy, the landlord gave him a warning glare.
“I saw you start that, Ginger!”
Eddy’s mouth flapped open, wordlessly trying to defend himself.
The landlord wasn’t listening.
“Keep yourself out of trouble,” he warned, “or you’ll be out too!”
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