Every now and then, Mum and Dad get all sentimental about how life used to be, and I begin to understand how much it’s changed in Little Town and why Dad gets so angry and Mum gets so frustrated. Of course I don’t remember any of it, but back in olden times, before the Regime took over, a footloose and fancy-free young couple enjoyed life.
•They went out to the pub, cinema, dancing, bingo, etc without worrying about a wrist-slapping for dis-obeying the dark curfew. (Little Town introduced the dark curfew only after the old Government of the People was lobbed out and replaced by the Regime, our new Government. Since then it’s been all them and us and us and them. Dad says the people don’t have the resources or power or money to get them out. He also says that all the new Government wants is to have full control over everything and that there’ll never be a free vote in Little Town. Not in his lifetime anyway.)
•They used to have all these passionate political chats and debates with friends and colleagues over a few glasses of vino. (The Regime and Rascals don’t like it if you complain about stuff, especially in public, so everyone stopped chatting. If you are seen to be a complainer they’ll make your life a living hell. And there are far too many ears and eyes in Little Town so it’s best to keep your mouth shut. Dad says that the Rascals are nothing more than the Regime’s henchmen and enforcers. Nothing more than a secret illegal police.)
•They used to have pals who supported the Regime. (Now we all live separately side by side. Dad says that the Regime supporters don’t like books or music or poetry or art. How can that be? And that their supporters are the ones with the best jobs and most money.)
•They didn’t feel the need to look over their shoulder every time they popped out of an evening. (Mum says that now Little Town living is tension-filled and not good for her blood pressure. The security can stop you at any time, ask some daft questions, pull stuff out of your bag, all because they want to hassle you up for the fun of it. Because they can.)
•Mum used to make her money teaching at the local primary school. (After I was born they replaced Mum’s job with a man. The security feels that women should not do too much money-chasing work. I think that’s why she goes ballistic with me at times. Maybe she blames me for her being stuck inside the block day after day; that would drive anyone round the twist.)
•Dad used to write all these cutting-edge and important articles. (Now everything he writes has to go through his ‘editor’, who then sends it to the security people before it gets published in the paper. He says what he now writes now is soulless censorship rubbish and not proper journalism.)
When the Regime came into force, before I was born, their security people asked Dad if he wanted to become a ‘special driver’. For security people read: Rascals. He told them where to stick their special driver offer. Mum said it was just another illustration of how they wanted to control everything.
Dad turned them down because he said he believed in democracy, not criminality, as well as staying alive. Now Dad’s stuck in his boring desk job, never to get promoted because he’s not friends with the Regime or the Rascals. Like many people in Little Town, they are punished because they don’t voice their support. Mum stays home with her inhaler to keep her company. But, silver lining, I, Charlie Law, am their pride and joy. And I know the rules and obey the rules and play with the rules of Little Town.