Page 73 of Maybe Tomorrow

‘It looks worse than it is,’ he said.

His face was a map of bruises. His left eye was swollen and barely open. His lip was split, the wound looked fresh. He was wearing a bandage on his right wrist, and he had a bald patch on the right side of his head.

Leo looked at him in horror. ‘What happened?’

‘I… some of the men jumped me,’ he said. He winced when he spoke as his lip split further. ‘I’m fine, though.’ He tried to smile for his mum, to show her he wasn’t in pain. ‘The nurse said that bruises always look worse than they are. Sometimes, I look in the mirror and I’m thinking where have all these bruises come from, because I’m not in any pain,’ he chuckled.

‘Who did it to you?’ Leo asked.

‘I didn’t see them.’

‘What… what happened to your hair?’ Pauline asked. Her voice was low and breaking with emotion.

‘It was pulled out.’

‘Oh my God!’ Pauline reached into her bag for a tissue and wiped her eyes. ‘What have the prison warders said?’

Anthony shrugged.

‘You told them, surely? You’ve told them everything that’s happened?’

He nodded and looked at his feet.

‘Anthony,’ Pauline said, finding her voice. ‘Please, tell me you reported them.’

‘I did. But I didn’t see anyone. I couldn’t say who it was.’

‘You’re lying to me. I know?—’

Leo interrupted. ‘Pauline, leave it.’

‘No. I will not leave it. Look at him, he’s been beaten to a pulp. Who do I speak to? Who’s in charge here?’ she shouted, standing up.

‘Leo, please,’ Anthony pleaded.

Leo stood up and held Pauline by the shoulders. ‘Pauline, don’t make a scene. You’ll only make things worse.’

‘Make things worse? Look at him, Leo. He’s been beaten black and blue. Am I supposed to stand by and let it happen?’

‘Is there a problem here?’ a prison officer asked. He was wearing black trousers and a white shirt that was too tight. The buttons were straining over his massive stomach.

‘Yes, there is a big problem here. My son has been beaten up. I want to know what you’re doing about it.’

‘Unfortunately, madam, your son was unable to give a clear description of the men who attacked him. We can’t punish people if we don’t know who they are.’

‘Can’t you see he’s afraid? Can’t you see that he’s frightened it’ll happen again if he names them? You should be protecting him.’

Pauline’s voice was loud. Everyone in the visiting room had stopped chatting and was fixed on her outburst.

The prison officer leaned forward and lowered his voice. ‘Well, Mrs Winstanley, if you brought your son up better and taught him not to rape and murder vulnerable women, he wouldn’t be here to get beaten up in the first place, would he? Now, I suggest you sit down and continue your visit in a respectful way, or I’ll throw you out and withdraw Anthony’s visiting rights for the rest of his stay here.’ He turned on his heels and walked away.

Pauline, mouth open, remained standing. Leo had to forcibly reseat her.

‘Did you hear what he said to me?’

‘I heard,’ Leo said.

‘He can’t talk to me like that.’