Elsie, her name was Elsie. She was a big lass. Big arms. 'Big boned' my mum had called her, 'a rough sort', she'd said, 'stay away from her, she's trouble', she'd said. But I never listened to my mum.
I decided from the word go that I wanted to be in Elsie's gang. When I crept up to her side and said
'lo Else, can I be in your gang then?' she'd blown a big bubblegum bubble which popped right in front of my face and sneered
'you'll have to go through 'tha 'nititation beanpole'
Beanpole. I already had a nickname. I was a shoo-in!!
'ok' I'd said without thinking. I didn't know what a 'nitiation was did I?
Her and her mates grabbed me by the arms and dragged me to the cellar where the coaldust smelt ripe. '
Go in there and role in the dirt' and they'd shoved me in. Giving in wasn't an option. Mum went