When the gypsy met the gorga

Chapter 24: Stefan

I went to the juvenile home where Ferka had to stay under house arrest along with a load of other kids a week later. They weren't allowed to see eachother except at certain times in thier daily time table. They also had a tutor. All the inmates were backward, dyslexic and had a whole load of learning problems so Ferka didn't have much of a problem. The home worker took me upto his room which was a little cupboard up in the attic. Ferka sat on the floor next to the window not turning. There was a band with a little remote like thing on his ankle. The woman left us. I sat on the edge of the bed.

" Heya", I said softly. He turned and gave me a tired smile.

" How are things in the kumpania?", he asked.

"Not so great without you.....and the villagers have started giving us dirty looks again. What about you here?"

" pfuit...I always wondered what it would be like to live in a house and learn stuff lije cakculus and integration. Believe me both aren't anything like I thought. None of the kids here are gypsys so it's annoying and this 13 year old has a stash of cannabis in the other room. He's been trying to get me to have some but I don't like the smell."

" Thank God". We were silent for a while. " What really happened that night?", I asked.

Ferka turned away. I watched his features carefully knowing he would lie. "I couldn't have you dating that gorga and bringing disgrace on the family. I had to do what I had to do". He turned to me expressionless but I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes before he looked away.

" Then you couldn't even be bothered to ask if I was still going out with her?" That caught him. "Look tell me the truth. We both know you would never do something like that and Karl told me you had been meeting Terrence every now and then. Now tell me what happened?"

He sighed. "Promise you won't tell anyone."

"I promise."

" They've been making me do all kinds of stuff. They also dragged me and beat me up in the back of their car. He....he ..." Ferka looked like he was about to puke."He took me to this...druggie. They strapped me and poked me with a syringe like 50 times. Kyle scraped one across my neck." Ferka turned and showed me a deep gash across his neck that still hadn't healed.

" Why didn't you tell us? Why did you go off with them lot in the first place?!,"I growled.

"I never did. They wait around the shop and then drag me into the car. They beat me up like anything if I fight. What am I supposed to do? They even planned on burning the kumpania down if I didn't....They weren't playing around. Mantle was damn serious about it."

" You were stupid...now what happened that night?" Ferka took a while.

" I didn't stab him. I didn't ....I couldn't."