English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

English - Essay Example The rapid rate that our sea levels have been raising at has given many countries the dangers as it could wipe them off the world map that we know today, like the Caribbean. The people of the Caribbean have been trying to fight this problem over many years and scientists say by the year 2100, the Caribbean will no longer be a part of the world map. I think it will be the next atlantes this raising sea levels will also affect and scare many other countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh as they are very close to the sea levels and may also be joining the Caribbean. Also these raising sea levels have been causing tsunamis and other natural disasters due to the changing climate and sea levels. Global warming has many effects; one of these major effects is the Ozone hole which has many effects that have slowly been destroying our planet without our knowing, but thanks to the advanced technology of today, we have been able to notice theses problems and effects but it is too late, this Ozone hole especially affected Antarctica as the ice is melting which increased the sea levels affecting many countries and leading to their destruction. The increase in the climate has lead to the death of many penguins and their existence is linked to the polar bears. We have been destroying their homes and we might be the reason for their extinction, if we keep walking the path that we are walking today. Moreover, the organisms living in Antarctica have also been dying rapidly due to the fast climate change. Not only that but the effects of global warming have increased the rates of diseases especially skin cancer due to the UV rays from the sun as the Ozone hole is widening and as it is the only protection for us from these harmful rays which are bouncing back a large percentage of these rays, however it no longer exists in some areas of the world and is thinning at other areas. Pollution has been increasing over the years, especially the air pollution form cars, fac tories and green houses due to CO2 emissions which has many effects on people especially the new born and the elderly. Asthma has been rapidly increasing among us and we are starting to see it as a normal illness but indeed this is a man-made illness due to the air pollution that we have created which is affecting our children and the people at large. In conclusion, air pollution is raising the sea levels and the hole in our Ozone layer is a problem that we have created. The dying animals and the melting ice in Antarctica are the effects of the problem that we have created as we are killing the big blue inch by inch everyday and we are killing ourself as well. I ask everyone who reads this paper to please stop killing our planet and at least try to reduce the pollution in some

Entrepreneurship in developing countries. A case stady of Equatorial Essay

Entrepreneurship in developing countries. A case stady of Equatorial Guinea. Can entrepreneurship provide the economic diversification needed to survive outside the oil industry - Essay Example This study seeks to explore the reasons why there is a dearth of entrepreneurs in Equatorial Guinea and the difficulties encountered by those already established in the country. The study examines the difficulty in registering firms, intricacy of obtaining credit and lack of government incentives. Similarly, the study examines the role of entrepreneurial education and women involvement in self-employment. The research is based in the various urban provincial centres in Equatorial Guinea utilising a primary research strategy was employed a thematic qualitative method to answer the research questions. Additionally, a secondary research was conducted centred on available relevant literature. The study revealed that there many difficult obstacles and hindrances to entrepreneurs in the country ranging from a dearth of qualified personnel, low work ethic, poor government policies and corruption. Nonetheless, the study has indicated a positive correlation between enhanced training and entrepreneurship with those empowered by business skills willing to embark on self-employment. This study will build upon existing research on the economic impact of developing an entrepreneurial culture and spirit in developing countries but will particularly focus upon the need for diversification among the resource rich nations who nevertheless still suffer from the Dutch Disease and the Resource Curse syndromes. The study is based in Equatorial Guinea, a central African country that has all the above ingredients despite being endowed with enviable natural resources including ample hydrocarbon deposits but still ranks as one of the poorest countries. The study aims at determining whether diversification from overreliance on a single natural resource predominantly through embarking on self-employment is feasible within Equatorial Guinea and

The Environmental and Personal Factors for Emily’s Tragedy Essay Example for Free

The Environmental and Personal Factors for Emily’s Tragedy Essay Emily’s tragedy results from not only her personality and psychology, but also the environmental and other external factors, which can be the last to ignore. This paper will make an analysis of the external and internal factors for Emily’s Tragedy. Key Words: environment, personality, tragedy, a rose for Emily. The environmental factors: the background and alien strangers First of all, after the civil war in the United States, Grison family still remained an aloof concept of elevate social status. Family s shaikh also as Emilys father was a seriously patriarchal tendency person. He was fastidious about his daughter’s marriage and drove away all the men showing love to Emily to preserve the status and dignity. â€Å"When she got thirty and was still single†. Obviously, both her body and mind were enslaved by her father’s traditional concept. Therefore, she felt released when her father was dead, and there was no â€Å"trace of grief on her face†. Raised up under the paternalism and strict education, Emily developed a strong dependence on her father and a hidden pent-up brutality inside her, which explains that Emily tried to hide her father’s corpse. And that’s why after her fathers death, owning nothing, Emily ignored the concept of common customs and soon fell in love with a young man called Homer who came to town to build the rail way from north. This gave Emilys dull and stuffy life a little warm color. After Emily’s father’s death, the meddlesome neighbors and some state agents became the leading external influence on Emily’s tragedy. After the Civil War common mind of the south people to the traditional south culture had changed as generations shifted. Miss Emily Grierson who kept haunting in the past phantom image became a topic in the neighborhood naturally. The old generation regarded Emily as the tradition, obligation, even a monument, revealing a nostalgic emotion to the traditional culture that was gradually fading away. But this condition changed when it came to the next generation of residents. The old colonel’s preventing Emilys tax revealed the old generations attention to vulnerable group, while the new alcalde and senators were dissatisfied with this. The neighbors became indifferent and sympathetic about Emily’s refusing to accept the era’s transmutation, and they tried all means to interrupt her love story and looked at her strangely. To some degree, they led to thoroughly closing down between Emily and outside world. The personal factors: excessive self-esteem and sense of controlling The strong self-esteem and arrogance as a noble lady existed in Emily’s whole life until her death. She was an embodiment of the south, the old and the tradition. At the very beginning of the story, the author recounted the decoration of her house which was always kept in 1870s style and never changed any more. Besides, she was so obstinate that even when the new government compelled taxes on her she just refused it and ridiculously mentioned the colonel who had been dead for almost ten years. She kept the traditional view all the way, and resisted to follow the inevitable times, which in fact she was protecting her poor dignity and glory by indulging herself in the past. At the same time, Emily was determined woman. Regardless of others’ criticism, she insisted on marrying a northerner whose social position was apparently lower than hers. It seemed that she was challenging traditions, but as a matter of fact, she didn’t mean to disobey the convention. When the man felt tired of her and was about to say farewell, Emily made love â€Å"eternity† in her own way. She captured her lover and the love was treated with â€Å"honor†. Emily’s personal creatures were particularly magnified in her love affair with the northerner. A southern lady married a Yankee laborer. Nothing could be better than that to rebel against the forceful external society and identify her self-being. She had a strong desire to control something important to her so that she could prove her nobility. whether there was true love or not. She locked Homer’s dead body in a well-decorated rosy room and lived through the rest of her life with Homer’s corpse. It seemed that it was better to rule in hell than serve in heaven. Conclusion:Family background, social environment, and her own â€Å"glorious isolation†, all of which resulted in Emily’s tragedy. However, the tragedy is not contemptible at all; on the contrary, it reflects the author’s deep sympathy for the poor lady who held the old-fashioned principle but still felt honored. William Faulkner once said, â€Å"A Rose for Emily was an allegoric title; the meaning was, here was a woman who had had a tragedy, an irrevocable tragedy and nothing could be done about it, and I pitied her and this was a salute to a woman you would hand a rose†. Tragedy as it is, Emily stands for an old but glorious era.

Business Organizations In A Global Context Commerce Essay

Business Organizations In A Global Context Commerce Essay What is a business organization? A business organization can be defined as one or more business, which has in common the person or group of people controlling it. An organization may have more than one business but a business is limited to one organization. Business organization uses a systematic approach to achieve goals. Its people, the process in place and the policies are used to ensure that the organizations mission is realised. Within the structure of the organization is its culture which is essential to the success of the organization as it hinges on the workforce working together towards a shared goal Section 1 The Key Difference Between Global Business Operations Businesses are started for any number of reasons. And there are endless types of business due to the very fact that they are all started up by different people with different personalities and goals. There are three main sectors in the business world: private, public and voluntary. The private sector is made up of organizations that are privately or independently owned and not part of the government. This sector includes corporations (profit and non-profit), partnerships and charities. Retail stores, credit unions and local business operate in the private sector. The main objectives of businesses in this sector revolve around maximum sales and market growth. Examples of Private Sector Organizations are McDonalds, Tesco and Apple. The public sector is usually composed of organizations that are owned and operated by the government. They are established to achieve different objectives of society. The public sector operates on the taxes collected. Within the public sector lie public corporations. These have been set up by Acts of Parliament to run an industry or service. Examples of such corporations are Bank of England, BBC and the Royal Mint. Voluntary groups are set up by ordinary people and they aim to help others in the local community. Although they are not owned by any one individual, someone is elected to take responsibility of setting targets, budgets and day to day running of the group. In the recent past, businesses have seen a change in the economic setting. The domestic market is no longer able to meet the demands of the globalised people. Businesses have developed to ensure it thrives in the age of globalization. This development has made many domestic businesses become a household name worldwide. Besides globalization, an improved communication technology has also been a key factor in the success of these globally operating organizations. This allows efficient communication and swift access to global markets. One other strategy employed by global organizations is market research. This will help organizations pin point profitable areas for marketing. The internet and world-wide web has made available databases which enable organizations to access relevant information at a reasonable cost Section 2 The Impact of External Factors on Organization A number of factors are taken into consideration when measuring how the performance of a national economy impacts the activities of business organizations. Output effect: this is a measure profits generated by businesses in the UK Income effect: this is a measure of total income generated by businesses in the UK Employment effect: this is a measure of the number of jobs created by a businesses in the UK Further to this the direct, indirect and induced impacts of the categories above are generated using the IMPLAN methodology where the effects of the aforementioned are combined to reflect the total economic impact on the activities of business organizations. Direct impact: represents the purchase of goods and services by business owners from other businesses in the UK Indirect impact: represents business- business transactions, where the suppliers of the business owners purchase goods and services from other suppliers in the country Induced impact: The employees of the business owners and the employees of the indirectly affected businesses purchase goods and services in the UK. The second wave of economic impacts known more commonly as the induced effect is created b these purchases. The government has taken numerous steps to influence businesses. In some regions their influence is great but in most parts of the world they are kept at bay by capitalist leanings. Among the measures taken by governments is positive discrimination, also known as affirmative action. The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in  Executive Order 10925  and was signed by President  John F. Kennedy  on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. Itrequires government employers to take affirmative action to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. This law forces businesses to hire staff they might not have considered to hire in the past. Section 3 The Impact of Global Factors on Business Organizations How businesses are run differ country to country. A combination of a number of factors such as marketing, sales and technical skills are required to increase the productivity of a business. What makes a business successful relies a lot on the staff and the world experience they bring to the business. This varied background is what brings fresh insights to solving old problems as issues are seen from different viewpoints. Global integration is a challenge faced by all organizations. The environment in which the business is in prescribes changes in the structure of the organization. In addition to this there is also language, culture and regulations to deal with. In this instance it is essential that the organization does its best to foresee complications that may arise and put in place actions to overcome them. International trade has both good and bad effects on domestic products and services. International trade pumps money into local economies, which helps produce more goods for the local markets. It helps expand the local markets because the money derived from it goes into other business ventures. On the negative side, international trade shrinks local markets because some imports are far much cheaper than local manufactured goods. This results in people shunning local goods for the cheaper imports. The global economy has had an amazing impact on the way companies do business. In addition to the tremendous opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets that it brings, it also leads to interesting and unique challenges, as have been mentioned in the earlier paragraph. When contemplating expanding internationally organizations should consider a number of factors in order for it to be successful. Being strategic about the countries chosen to expand in Having a local presence in the country Taking into careful consideration the people, the culture and business environment Ensure all employees who are not local be given cultural awareness training Financial stability Developments in technology have made communications swifter and more efficient. Information Communication Technology has had a very positive impact on global economy. It can be said that ICT is one of the precursors to the success of global economy. Emails and internet ready mobile phones has allowed globalization to take place. The internet is also key to the achievements in banking, production of capitalism and globalization. ICT has made the banking industry the economic mover of the world. The adoption of ICT in banks has improved customer services, facilitated accurate records, provides forHome and Office Banking services, ensures convenient business hour, prompt and fair attention, and enhances fasterservices.ICT directlyaffects how managers decide and plan and what products and services are offered in thebanking industry. It has continued to change the way banks and their corporate relationships areorganized worldwide and the variety of innovative devices available to enhance the speed and qualityof service delivery. Not only has ICT impacted the globalization of banking, it had also impacted productivity. Productivity is one of the driving forces of economic progress. ICT has impacted economic progress in two ways. Firstly it has made it possible for an organization to spread itself around the globe, i.e. headquarters in London, design facilities in California and manufacture in China. The second way in which ICT has affected productivity lie in the ways in which companies are producing. Lines in the manufacturing industry which used to rely heavily on manpower have been replaced by computerised robotic production lines leading to faster, more efficient and better quality products. Section 4 A Review of the Current Issues Impacting On Business Activities After the recession of 2010, the global financial system remained fragile but this did not last for very long as economies started moving toward recovery and growth. Some economies, especially those from the emerging markets, continued to grow rapidly. There are six broad, long-term developments that shape the business world: Emerging markets increase their global power Clean-tech becomes a competitive advantage Global banking seeks recovery through transformation Governments enhance ties with the private sector Rapid technology innovation creates a smart, mobile world Demographic shifts transform the global workforce Global economies are strongly unified that companies, governments and industries will find that they are forced to cooperate in ways they did not imagine a few years ago. Ernst  Ã‚  Young believe the six trends are themselves connected by three underlying drivers that have helped establish each trend and perpetuate it. Demographic shifts that see population growth, increased urbanization, a widening divide between countries with youthful and quickly aging populations and a rapidly growing middle class are reshaping not only the business world, but also society as a whole. Reshaped global power structure. The balance of global power between the public and private sector has shifted quickly as the world recovers from the worst recession in decades. Disruptive innovation.  Improvements in technology continue to have massive effects on business and society. Emerging markets have become sourcesof innovation, especially in its efforts to reach the growing middle class and low-income consumers around the globe. As these trends change the ways in which businesses operate, grow and compete, winners and losers inevitably will emerge. The winners will be easy to identify. These are the organizations that will monitor trends in the environment, look for talent everywhere and embrace technology. They look outwards in their attempt to adapt to local environments and create global workforces. They are looking in to ways in which Clean-tech can fit into their growth plans and making it part of their global strategy. It is essential for organizations to develop strategies that will help expand the business in the environment it is set in. These strategies should address the issues that affect the business. A deep knowledge of the culture of the environment is key to success. Understanding the values and beliefs will promote the business as this makes the locals feel that the organization respects its interests and needs. Many times language can be a barrier. If effective communication does not take place business activities will slow down and in some instances come to a halt. Employees will need to be able to communicate verbally at a basic level, with on-going training to develop their language skills. It may be necessary in this instance to hire an interpreter or hire locals to do the job. The regulations of the country may also form another inhibitor. Each country comes with its own laws and regulations that apply to all businesses. A highly skilled and experienced specialist with experience in global integration would be the ideal choice. Such a person would help the company not only resolve and regulatory problems but also iron out problems where language and culture are concerned. Conclusion As businesses and governments move forward they will need to think deeply about the opportunities and risks that are presented by changing trends and the forces behind them. The mindset of organizations needs to undergo a transformation so that it can re-imagine what is possible, discover what they can do that is new and how to do it. With a different mindset, they can re-imagine what is possible, discovering what they can do that is new, and how best to do it. The dynamics of the global market is changing. Emerging markets are coming out strong and as they rise so do their companies. Many companies that had previously posed no competitive threat to multinational corporations now do so.These emerging market leaders represent a major shift in the global competitive landscape a trend that will only strengthen as they grow in size, establish dominance and seek new opportunities beyond their traditional domestic and near-shore markets.Those that succeed may find themselves not just navi gating tomorrows global trends, but actually shaping them.

Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspect

Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspective Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes Gender differences and gender stereotypes are fascinating in that one must sift through the theories, assumptions and inevitable confusion to distinguish the reality from the assumption. Men and women are obviously different, especially inherently, but how? And why? And which differences are more individualized than generalized? Even more interesting is to observe how the differences between men and women have evolved, especially over the past 30 years- since the sexual revolution. A generous amount of research has been done since then, and this research is continually updated as men and women evolve themselves. Our understanding of the innate gender differences as opposed to the acquired one is still growing, yet it still seems tainted by such misunderstanding. There is a lot of research regarding stereotypical views of men and women, and psychological testing has helped integrate and differentiate the documented "real" behavior. Even through the sexual revolution, there still exists gender-role stereotypes, although the stereotyping has decreased in recent years. Surprisingly, stereotypes are adhered to by people of every status, educated or not. Americans generally believe that men are aggressive, independent, unemotional, dominant, active, and overly self-confident. On the other hand, women are thought of to be gentle, religious, neat and dependent. Americans in general seem to believe that males and females have distinguishing opposing characteristics. Aggressiveness is one behavior which is consistently noted in psychological gender differences. The majority of people seem to believe th... ..."100% masculine" or "100% feminine." There is no argument about men and women being physically different, yet there has been much debate involving the intangible differences between the two differences. Over the centuries, stereotyping of men’s and women’s intangible aspects has evolved. This stereotyping has influenced our society so much. The studies which are done refuting the fact that stereotyping of a gender is not always valid turns out to be invalid, since the studies themselves have been influenced by stereotyping. It is hard to argue whether the stereotypes traits of each gender are true or not. However, it is important for us to overlook the stereotyping of the two genders and focus on each individual and respect their individuality, whether they demonstrate more masculinity, femininity, or either, which may or may not fit their gender stereotyping. Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspect Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes from a Psychological Perspective Gender Differences and Gender Stereotypes Gender differences and gender stereotypes are fascinating in that one must sift through the theories, assumptions and inevitable confusion to distinguish the reality from the assumption. Men and women are obviously different, especially inherently, but how? And why? And which differences are more individualized than generalized? Even more interesting is to observe how the differences between men and women have evolved, especially over the past 30 years- since the sexual revolution. A generous amount of research has been done since then, and this research is continually updated as men and women evolve themselves. Our understanding of the innate gender differences as opposed to the acquired one is still growing, yet it still seems tainted by such misunderstanding. There is a lot of research regarding stereotypical views of men and women, and psychological testing has helped integrate and differentiate the documented "real" behavior. Even through the sexual revolution, there still exists gender-role stereotypes, although the stereotyping has decreased in recent years. Surprisingly, stereotypes are adhered to by people of every status, educated or not. Americans generally believe that men are aggressive, independent, unemotional, dominant, active, and overly self-confident. On the other hand, women are thought of to be gentle, religious, neat and dependent. Americans in general seem to believe that males and females have distinguishing opposing characteristics. Aggressiveness is one behavior which is consistently noted in psychological gender differences. The majority of people seem to believe th... ..."100% masculine" or "100% feminine." There is no argument about men and women being physically different, yet there has been much debate involving the intangible differences between the two differences. Over the centuries, stereotyping of men’s and women’s intangible aspects has evolved. This stereotyping has influenced our society so much. The studies which are done refuting the fact that stereotyping of a gender is not always valid turns out to be invalid, since the studies themselves have been influenced by stereotyping. It is hard to argue whether the stereotypes traits of each gender are true or not. However, it is important for us to overlook the stereotyping of the two genders and focus on each individual and respect their individuality, whether they demonstrate more masculinity, femininity, or either, which may or may not fit their gender stereotyping.

Death Penalty Essay -- essays research papers

In society today there are murders committed everyday. Everyday the people who commit these crimes are found guilty in a court of law and sentenced in prison. Some even get chances for parole. What the courts should do is take every murderer, give every one of them the death penalty, and follow through with it. The death penalty should be legal in all 50 states and carried through when given out as a sentence. Gary Gilmore faced a firing squad at the Utah State Prison on January 17, 1977. There have been 55 murders in that state during 1976. During 1977, in wake of the Gilmore execution, there were 44 murders: a 20 percent decrease. As you can see, the execution had some effect on the murder rate in Utah (Solotaroff 2001). There are very few proven facts about capital punishment decreasing crime at this time. This is so because capital punishment is not used enough to actually have an effect on people. It is a fact that of all murder sentences that 38 percent get the death penalty. Of that 38 percent only 0.1 percent are executed. If we use the death penalty more often and actually carry through with it, it will have an effect on the crime rate in the country. People will see that finally we have justice in this country and if they do this, there is a good chance they are going to be caught and they are going to receive the death penalty. We also need the death penalty in this country because if we execute the murderer that person has no chance to ever kill or harm another p...

Part Three Chapter XI

XI Krystal did not take Robbie to nursery on Tuesday morning, but dressed him for Nana Cath's funeral instead. As she pulled up his least ripped trousers, which were a good two inches too short in the leg, she tried to explain to him who Nana Cath had been, but she might as well have saved her breath. Robbie had no memory of Nana Cath; he had no idea what Nana meant; no concept of any relative other than mother and sister. In spite of her shifting hints and stories, Krystal knew that Terri had no idea who his father was. Krystal heard her mother's footsteps on the stairs. ‘Leave it,' she snapped at Robbie, who had reached for an empty beer can lying beneath Terri's usual armchair. ‘C'm'ere.' She pulled Robbie by the hand into the hall. Terri was still wearing the pyjama bottoms and dirty T-shirt in which she had spent the night, and her feet were bare. ‘Why intcha changed?' demanded Krystal. ‘I ain't goin',' said Terri, pushing past her son and daughter into the kitchen. ‘Changed me mind.' ‘Why?' ‘I don' wanna,' said Terri. She was lighting a cigarette off the ring of the cooker. ‘Don' fuckin' ‘ave to.' Krystal was still holding Robbie's hand, as he tugged and swung. ‘They're all goin',' said Krystal. ‘Cheryl an' Shane an' all.' ‘So?' said Terri aggressively. Krystal had been afraid that her mother would pull out at the last minute. The funeral would bring her face to face with Danielle, the sister who pretended that Terri did not exist, not to mention all the other relatives who had disowned them. Anne-Marie might be there. Krystal had been holding on to that hope, like a torch in the darkness, through the nights she had sobbed for Nana Cath and Mr Fairbrother. ‘You gotta go,' said Krystal. ‘No, I ain'.' ‘It's Nana Cath, innit,' said Krystal. ‘So?' said Terri, again. ‘She done loads fer us,' said Krystal. ‘No, she ain',' snapped Terri. ‘She did,' said Krystal, her face hot and her hand clutching Robbie's. ‘Fer you, maybe,' said Terri. ‘She done fuck-all for me. Go an' fuckin' bawl all over ‘er fuckin' grave if yeh want. I'm waitin' in.' ‘Wha' for?' said Krystal. ‘My bus'ness, innit.' The old familiar shadow fell. ‘Obbo's comin' round, is ‘e?' ‘My bus'ness,' repeated Terri, with pathetic dignity. ‘Come to the funeral,' said Krystal loudly. ‘You go.' ‘Don' go fuckin' usin',' said Krystal, her voice an octave higher. ‘I ain',' said Terri, but she turned away, looking out of the dirty back window over the patch of overgrown litter-strewn grass they called the back garden. Robbie tugged his hand out of Krystal's and disappeared into the sitting room. With her fists deep in her trackie pockets, shoulders squared, Krystal tried to decide what to do. She wanted to cry at the thought of not going to the funeral, but her distress was edged with relief that she would not have to face the battery of hostile eyes she had sometimes met at Nana Cath's. She was angry with Terri, and yet felt strangely on her side. You don't even know who the father is, do yeh, yer whore? She wanted to meet Anne-Marie, but was scared. ‘All righ', then, I'll stay an' all.' ‘You don' ‘ave ter. Go, if yeh wan'. I don' fuckin' care.' But Krystal, certain that Obbo would appear, stayed. Obbo had been away for more than a week, for some nefarious purpose of his own. Krystal wished that he had died, that he would never come back. For something to do, she began to tidy the house, while smoking one of the roll-ups Fats Wall had given her. She didn't like them, but she liked that he had given them to her. She had been keeping them in Nikki's plastic jewellery box, along with Tessa's watch. She had thought that she might not see Fats any more, after their shag in the cemetery, because he had been almost silent afterwards and left her with barely a goodbye, but they had since met up on the rec. She could tell that he had enjoyed this time more than the last; they had not been stoned, and he had lasted longer. He lay beside her in the grass beneath the bushes, smoking, and when she had told him about Nana Cath dying, he had told her that Sukhvinder Jawanda's mother had given Nana Cath the wrong drugs or something; he was not clear exactly what had happened. Krystal had been horrified. So Nana Cath need not have died; she might still have been in the neat little house on Hope Street, there in case Krystal needed her, offering a refuge with a comfortable clean-sheeted bed, the tiny kitchen full of food and mismatched china, and the little TV in the corner of the sitting room: I don' wanna watch no filth, Krystal, turn that off. Krystal had liked Sukhvinder, but Sukhvinder's mother had killed Nana Cath. You did not differentiate between members of an enemy tribe. It had been Krystal's avowed intention to pulverize Sukhvinder; but then Tessa Wall had intervened. Krystal could not remember the details of what Tessa had told her; but it seemed that Fats had got the story wrong or, at least, not exactly right. She had given Tessa a grudging promise not to go after Sukhvinder, but such promises could only ever be stop-gaps in Krystal's frantic ever-changing world. ‘Put it down!' Krystal shouted at Robbie, because he was trying to prise the lid off the biscuit tin where Terri kept her works. Krystal snatched the tin from him and held it in her hands like a living creature, something that would fight to stay alive, whose destruction would have tremendous consequences. There was a scratched picture on the lid: a carriage with luggage piled high on the roof, drawn through the snow by four chestnut horses, a coachman in a top hat carrying a bugle. She carried the tin upstairs with her, while Terri sat in the kitchen smoking, and hid it in her bedroom. Robbie trailed after her. ‘Wanna go play park.' She sometimes took him and pushed him on the swings and the roundabout. ‘Not today, Robbie.' He whined until she shouted at him to shut up. Later, when it was dark – after Krystal had made Robbie his tea of spaghetti hoops and given him a bath; when the funeral was long since over – Obbo rapped on the front door. Krystal saw him from Robbie's bedroom window and tried to get there first, but Terri beat her to it. ‘All righ', Ter?' he said, over the threshold before anyone had invited him in. †Eard you was lookin' fer me las' week.' Although she had told him to stay put, Robbie had followed Krystal downstairs. She could smell his shampooed hair over the smell of fags and stale sweat that clung to Obbo in his ancient leather jacket. Obbo had had a few; when he leered at her, she smelt the beer fumes. ‘All righ', Obbo?' said Terri, with the note in her voice Krystal never heard otherwise. It was conciliating, accommodating; it conceded that he had rights in their house. ‘Where you bin, then?' ‘Bristol,' he said. ‘How's you, Ter?' ‘She don' wan' nuthin',' said Krystal. He blinked at her through his thick glasses. Robbie was clutching Krystal's leg so tightly that she could feel his nails in her skin. ‘Oo's this, Ter?' asked Obbo. ‘Yer mum?' Terri laughed. Krystal glared at him, Robbie's grip tight on her thigh. Obbo's bleary gaze dropped to him. ‘An' ‘ow's me boy?' ‘He ain' your fuckin' boy,' said Krystal. †Ow d'you know?' Obbo asked her quietly, grinning. ‘Fuck off. She don' wan' nuthin'. Tell ‘im,' Krystal virtually shouted at Terri. ‘Tell ‘im you don' wan' nuthin'.' Daunted, caught between two wills much stronger than her own, Terri said, †E on'y come rounda see – ‘ ‘No, ‘e ain't,' said Krystal. ‘No, ‘e fuckin' ain't. Tell ‘im. She don' wan' nuthin',' she said fiercely into Obbo's grinning face. ‘She's bin off it fer weeks.' ‘Is tha' right, Terri?' said Obbo, still smiling. ‘Yeah, it is,' said Krystal, when Terri did not answer. ‘She's still at Bellchapel.' ‘Noffur much longer,' said Obbo. ‘Fuck off,' said Krystal, outraged. ‘Closin' it,' said Obbo. ‘Are they?' said Terri in sudden panic. ‘They ain't, are they?' ‘Course they are,' said Obbo. ‘Cuts, innit?' ‘You don't know nuthin',' Krystal told Obbo. ‘It's bollocks,' she told her mother. ‘They ‘aven' said nuthin', ‘ave they?' ‘Cuts,' repeated Obbo, patting his bulging pockets for cigarettes. ‘We got the case review,' Krystal reminded Terri. ‘Yeh can't use. Yeh can't.' ‘Wha's that?' asked Obbo, fiddling with his lighter, but neither woman enlightened him. Terri met her daughter's gaze for a bare two seconds; her eyes fell, reluctantly, to Robbie in his pyjamas, still clinging tightly to Krystal's leg. ‘Yeah, I wuz gonna go ter bed, Obbo,' she mumbled, without looking at him. ‘I'll mebbe see yer another time.' ‘I ‘eard your Nan died,' he said. ‘Cheryl wuz tellin' me.' Pain contorted Terri's face; she looked as old as Nana Cath herself. ‘Yeah, I'm goin' ter bed. C'mon, Robbie. Come wi' me, Robbie.' Robbie did not want to let go of Krystal while Obbo was still there. Terri held out her claw-like hand. ‘Yeah, go on, Robbie,' Krystal urged him. In certain moods, Terri clutched her son like a teddy bear; better Robbie than smack. ‘Go on. Go wi' Mum.' He was reassured by something in Krystal's voice, and allowed Terri to take him upstairs. ‘See yeh,' said Krystal, without looking at Obbo, but stalking away from him into the kitchen, pulling the last of Fats Wall's roll-ups out of her pocket and bending to light it off the gas ring. She heard the front door close and felt triumphant. Fuck him. ‘You got a lovely arse, Krystal.' She jumped so violently that a plate slipped off the heaped side and smashed on the filthy floor. He had not gone, but had followed her. He was staring at her chest in its tight T-shirt. ‘Fuck off,' she said. ‘Big girl, intcha?' ‘Fuck off.' ‘I ‘eard you give it away free,' said Obbo, closing in. ‘You could make better money'n yer mum.' ‘Fuck – ‘ His hand was on her left breast. She tried to knock it away; he seized her wrist in his other hand. Her lit cigarette grazed his face and he punched her, twice, to the side of the head; more plates shattered on the filthy floor and then, as they wrestled, she slipped and fell; the back of her head smacked on the floor, and he was on top of her: she could feel his hand at the waistband of her tracksuit bottoms, pulling. ‘No – fuck – no!' His knuckles in her belly as he undid his own flies – she tried to scream and he smacked her across the face – the smell of him was thick in her nostrils as he growled in her ear, ‘Fuckin' shout and I'll cut yer.' He was inside her and it hurt; she could hear him grunting and her own tiny whimper; she was ashamed of the noise she made, so frightened and so small. He came and clambered off her. At once she pulled up her tracksuit bottoms and jumped up to face him, tears pouring down her face as he leered at her. ‘I'll tell Mist' Fairbrother,' she heard herself sob. She did not know where it came from. It was a stupid thing to say. ‘The fuck's he?' Obbo tugged up his flies, lit a cigarette, taking his time, blocking her exit. ‘You fuckin' ‘im too, are yeh? Little slapper.' He sauntered up the hall and was gone. She was shaking as she had never done in her life. She thought she might be sick; she could smell him all over her. The back of her head throbbed; there was a pain inside her, and wetness seeping into her pants. She ran out of the room into the living room and stood, shivering, with her arms wrapped around herself; then she knew a moment of terror, that he would come back, and hurried to the front door to lock it. Back in the sitting room she found a long stub in the ashtray and lit it. Smoking, shaking and sobbing, she sank into Terri's usual chair, then jumped up because she heard footsteps on the stairs: Terri had reappeared, looking confused and wary. ‘Wha'ssa matter with you?' Krystal gagged on the words. ‘He jus' – he jus' fucked me.' ‘Wha'?' said Terri. ‘Obbo – ‘e jus' – ‘ †E wouldn'.' It was the instinctive denial with which Terri met all of life: he wouldn't, no, I never, no, I didn't. Krystal flew at her and pushed her; emaciated as she was, Terri crumpled backwards into the hall, shrieking and swearing; Krystal ran to the door she had just locked, fumbled to unfasten it and wrenched it open. Still sobbing, she was twenty yards along the dark street before she realized that Obbo might be waiting out here, watching. She cut across a neighbour's garden at a run and took a zig-zag route through back ways in the direction of Nikki's house, and all the time the wetness spread in her pants and she thought she might throw up. Krystal knew that it was rape, what he had done. It had happened to Leanne's older sister in the car park of a nightclub in Bristol. Some people would have gone to the police, she knew that; but you did not invite the police into your life when your mother was Terri Weedon. I'll tell Mist' Fairbrother. Her sobs came faster and faster. She could have told Mr Fairbrother. He had known what real life was like. One of his brothers had done time. He had told Krystal stories of his youth. It had not been like her youth – nobody was as low as her, she knew that – but like Nikki's, like Leanne's. Money had run out; his mother had bought her council house and then been unable to keep up the payments; they had lived for a while in a caravan lent by an uncle. Mr Fairbrother took care of things; he sorted things out. He had come to their house and talked to Terri about Krystal and rowing, because there had been an argument and Terri was refusing to sign forms for Krystal to go away with the team. He had not been disgusted, or he had not shown it, which came to the same thing. Terri, who liked and trusted nobody, had said, †E seems all righ',' and she had signed. Mr Fairbrother had once said to her, ‘It'll be tougher for you than these others, Krys; it was tougher for me. But you can do better. You don't have to go the same way.' He had meant working hard at school and stuff, but it was too late for that and, anyway, it was all bollocks. How would reading help her now? ‘Ow's me boy? He ain' your fuckin' boy. ‘Ow d'you know? Leanne's sister had had to get the morning-after pill. Krystal would ask Leanne about the pill and go and get it. She could not have Obbo's baby. The thought of it made her retch. I gotta get out of here. She thought fleetingly of Kay, and then discarded her: as bad as the police, to tell a social worker that Obbo walked in and out of their house, raping people. She would take Robbie for sure, if she knew that. A clear lucid voice in Krystal's head was speaking to Mr Fairbrother, who was the only adult who had ever talked to her the way she needed, unlike Mrs Wall, so well-intentioned and so blinkered, and Nana Cath, refusing to hear the whole truth. I gotta get Robbie out of here. How can I get away? I gotta get away. Her one sure refuge, the little house in Hope Street, was already being gobbled up by squabbling relatives †¦ She scurried around a corner underneath a street lamp, looking over her shoulder in case he was watching her, following. And then the answer came to her, as though Mr Fairbrother had shown her the way. If she got knocked up by Fats Wall, she would be able to get her own place from the council. She would be able to take Robbie to live with her and the baby if Terri used again. And Obbo would never enter her house, not ever. There would be bolts and chains and locks on the door, and her house would be clean, always clean, like Nana Cath's house. Half running along the dark street, Krystal's sobs slowed and subsided. The Walls would probably give her money. They were like that. She could imagine Tessa's plain, concerned face, bending over a cot. Krystal would have their grandchild. She would lose Fats in getting pregnant; they always went, once you were expecting; she had watched it happen nearly every time in the Fields. But perhaps he would be interested; he was so strange. It did not much matter to her either way. Her interest in him, except as the essential component in her plan, had dwindled to almost nothing. What she wanted was the baby: the baby was more than a means to an end. She liked babies; she had always loved Robbie. She would keep the two of them safe, together; she would be like a better, kinder, younger Nana Cath to her family. Anne-Marie might come and visit, once she was away from Terri. Their children would be cousins. A very vivid image of herself and Anne-Marie came to Krystal; they were standing at the school gates of St Thomas's in Pagford, waving off two little girls in pale blue dresses and ankle socks. The lights were on in Nikki's house, as they always were. Krystal broke into a run.