Cart Racing

Jennospot 5 – Cart Racing

Today Oi'm goin' to give yew a little bit about our cart racin'. It were the very first toime when Oi 'ad a go at racin', the boys in moi mob were always against girls doin' anyfink interestin' loike that. Any'ow, it were thanks ter Peter (and ter Winnie too Oi suppose) that Oi got a chance. Later on, Peter wrote it all down. This is wot 'ee writ:

At this moment we (that is, the Lions Avenue Lot) heard voices approaching and the Mob team appeared through the bushes with JJ at its head. Itchyprick and Stinky were there, together with Braces, Jenno and a couple of others. They had four carts.

‘We're racing three carts,’ said Roy our leader.

‘Wot's the matter?’ said JJ. ‘Yew blind or just scared? Oi c'n see four carts there.’

‘The blue one's mine,’ said Winnie.

‘So wot?’ retorted JJ. ‘It c'n race can't it? Or is a dainty little girlie like yew scared yew might dirty yer pretty little dress?’

Winnie drew herself up—which was not saying much—she was even shorter and much rounder than I was.

‘I'm not scared to race. And I'm not scared of you either. I know some interesting things about you, John Jay, that your mother would be interested to know too. So you'd better speak politely to me or just shut your big mouth.’

JJ blinked and looked at the ground for a moment.

‘Winnifred can't race, she's not a member of the Lot,’ objected Roy.

‘We've got four carts,’ said JJ. ‘So 'ave yew. If yew don't race yer four against ours we'll just say to everyone that yew chickened out.’

‘Yeah,’ said Jenno. ‘She's a girl, so she oughta have a chance to race.’

‘Reenie's racing for us,’ countered Roy.

‘Yeah— but she's big,’ said Jenno.

‘And so is JJ,’ I said. ‘That makes us equal— or isn't he racing?’

‘Oi'm racin,’ growled JJ.

‘Are you racing Jenno?’ asked Roy.

Jenno shook her head.

‘Then kindly keep out of this,’ said Roy.

‘Aren't there any girls racing for the Mob?’ I asked mildly, knowing full well that Jenno was the only girl from the Mob present.

Roy seized on this: ‘Winnie can race if there's a girl on your team.’

‘Oi'll race,’ volunteered Jenno at once.

JJ didn't like this: ‘Braces is racin'— yew've never raced in yer life.’

‘Neither has Winnie,’ I said. ‘That makes us equal.’

Roy and JJ were perplexed. I took advantage of it: ‘Hands up all those in favour of Jenno and Winnifred racing.’

Everybody put up a hand except Roy, JJ, Braces and Dismal.

‘Ten in favour,’ I declared. ‘Any abstentions?’ Braces and Dismal put up a hand. ‘Two against and two abstentions. Motion carried. Jenno and Winnie are racing.’

(Gang Rivalry Chapter 8)