Rivals by Jack Neasham

Brothers  Stuart and Chris were competitive. But for a few days one summer, their rivalry took a worrying turn. Worrying too for Jack Kaye, who owned the corner shop.

Outside Kaye’s on Sunday morning, Stu shocked his younger brother by sharing the bar of chocolate he`d just pinched. Chris’s face went white. Stealing. Stu smiled at Chris’s horror. Said don’t be chicken.

Chris`s head rolled about all day at the insult. He could hardly sleep that night.

Monday morning, passing Kaye’s shop on their way to school together, Chris calmly picked up a bottle of milk from the crate, and walked on. Drinking the cream, then handing the bottle to his big brother. Stu burst out laughing, but Chris heard fear in it.

Jack’s checkout till was beside the doorway. The nerve. Right under his nose.

The following morning, Stu did exactly the same, keeping face.

On his way back from school, Chris called in to Jack’s, leaving with four chocolate bars, and the comic he`d paid for. He gave a bar to Stu, who could now see where this was going. Stu decided he’d bring it to a head, drop him in it.

“You had your jacket on. Bet you couldn’t do it without” said Stu.

“Bet you couldn’t either” replied the sly youngster.

On Wednesday night, Stu came out of the shop, jacketless, paying for a sherbert dab. He had a tin of sardines in his back trouser pocket. He thought Jack Kaye gave him a funny look, but had said nothing. Chris was not impressed.

“Sardines? You hate sardines. Why?”

“The chocolate was too big for my pocket. And Mrs Kaye was sniffin’ about”.

By Thursday both boys were feeling uneasy, especially Stuart. They agreed to call it a draw. That would be it. Finish.

Friday night was football at the youth club. Walking back home in his boots and footie strip, Chris called in to Kaye’s to buy a bottle of pop. In the shop, he tucked his shirt into his shorts and dropped a big bag of crisps inside the back of his shirt collar, heart racing as he walked past Jack at the checkout.

Advantage Chris, he thought, vowing never to tell anyone.

Jack Neasham is an elderly man living in north-east England.