Originally posted by Suzieqtips:
I'm puzzled as to why Tia buying flipflops should result in SH knowing that she was buying something 'with a strap' - did he ask her to describe in more detail what she was buying? And if so, why? Flipflops are fliplops, not a whole lot to talk about
Maybe CS promised Tia ten pounds when she turned up for the weekend and Tia had already planned to spend the money on 'flip-flops with a strap' of a kind girls her age were wearing
Maybe CS left Tia's ten pounds with SH. But when Tia asked SH for the money, SH wasn't inclined to part with it or had already spent it or said he'd give it to her later
When kids have their heart and mind set upon obtaining something, they develop a type of tunnel vision about it and as SH has stated, Tia was 'adamant' she wanted the flip-flops. And now we learn they weren't just ordinary flip-flops - they had straps
Maybe SH continued to refuse to hand over Tia's ten pounds and when she persisted she wanted to go buy the shoes, SH might have said she didn't need ten pounds for mere flip-flops. At which point, Tia might have explained they weren't just flip-flops - they had straps and that she did need the ten pounds and anyway it was hers from CS
If Tia became upset with SH's refusal to give her the ten pounds and tried to phone CS to tell her the situation, SH could have panicked and it escalated to violence
SH said,
'Knowing Tia, she might have had four pounds from her mother' (words to that effect). And he added he'd given her 'a couple of quid' for the lollies. Early in the piece, there was much talk about SH giving Tia eleven pounds. This would tie in with his comment about giving her a couple of quid to buy lollies from the co-op, which was selling them at three for a pound. If he'd given her two pounds for the lollies which only cost one pound for three, this could be the extra pound which, added to the ten pounds he claimed he gave Tia, would total eleven pounds
Seems SH was keeping a running-tally of money in Tia's possession. Maybe he felt that giving her two pounds for the lollies and allowing her to keep the one pound balance would be enough to satisfy her. But Tia wanted to buy the flip-flops with the straps - she was 'adamant' about them, according to SH
It might sound strange that a grown man would be obsessed with what to most is a small amount of money, but for someone in SH's position and condition, every penny would count. And maybe CS kept him on a tight rein, money-wise, knowing he'd blow anything he could get his hands on, on booze and drugs. Maybe he'd already spent his welfare money and CS had long ago ceased to be a soft-touch. Maybe Tia had no illusions about him and money. This could be seen to be supported by the fact SH remained unsure of exactly how much money Tia had and his comment, ' Knowing Tia, she could have had four pounds from her mum '
Maybe the entire family were wary of letting SH know what money they had, because he would try to get it from them
The
'Knowing Tia' comment re: money could be interpreted as resentment
I've read of homeless winos killing one another over a few dregs of liquor in a bottle