Six Months Later
‘Adrian, you are such a forgiving soul, you really are. I’d be suing this company if I were you, but that’s just me.’ Merriel picks up the flask and pours herself a coffee, the sound of her slurping no longer the irritating noise it used to be when we worked alongside one another.
I decided after my period of captivity to look for another job and after taking a few months off to rest and heal, made the decision to retrain and become a teacher. I’m taking my PGCE and this time next year I’ll be standing in front of a class of pupils. The thought of it is both exhilarating and terrifying. But not as terrifying as my recent ordeal. I survived that so I’m damn sure I can survive spending all day with a group of ten-year-olds.
‘She’s already serving a sentence of sorts. What’s the point?’ Adrian shrugs and smiles, and at that point, I want to hug him. He’s come a long way, taken a rough and rugged path through life but here he is, a gentle, thoughtful man, willing to forgive and forget an act that could have so easily left him permanently disabled or even taken his life.
‘Hardly a punishment though, is it? A nice comfy bed at the local mental health unit with access to a widescreen TV and a canteen that serves hot food. Better than your average Travelodge if you ask me.’
I say nothing. No matter how comfortable Allison’s surroundings are, nothing will make up for her losing her family and friends and her liberty. The mind is a complex thing, that much I do know. After her surprise admission about unfastening Adrian’s harness, she went missing and was found over a week later, dehydrated, bedraggled and unrecognisable, her mind fragmented, her spirit broken. Allison is a tortured woman and is clearly suffering. She was sectioned after she tried to harm herself and is now hopefully receiving the proper care she deserves. Adrian understands suffering. Merriel, for all she is a friend, is a little less magnanimous and that is fine as well. We all have our own ways of dealing with trauma. There is no one perfect way of getting through difficult times.
I have told Brett to find somebody else who is willing to put up with his philandering ways and am ridiculously excited about my future career as a teacher. Merriel is still working at Haswell & Sons as are Ruth and Adrian. Merriel’s dad is now in a care home, his own needs too great for Merriel to deal with alone. We have all moved on in one way or another.
The story of our kidnapping made national news. Izzie contacted me in a complete frenzy, terrified at the army of journalists that were camped out on her front lawn. I told her to ignore them, to hunker down and gorge herself with daytime TV until they all got bored and left. Which they did. We’re no longer the main headline, reporters now more tied up with stories of a global pandemic that seemingly has no end.
‘Same time next month?’ Adrian stands up, packs away his flask and hauls his rucksack over his shoulders.
Merriel and I nod. ‘I still think we should invite Ruth next time,’ Merriel says, eyeing Adrian cautiously.
He juts out his bottom lip, thinks awhile and smiles. ‘Yeah, why not? Maybe once this is all over, we could even consider having a get-together indoors. Still,’ he says, staring off into the distance, ‘as long as this weather holds, being outside is fine by me.’
Nearby, a small group of teenagers mill about by the children’s playground, their chatter carried our way by the soft summer breeze.
I close my eyes, feel the heat of the evening summer sun on my face and sigh. Today is another step towards the rest of my life and I will treasure it always.
‘Come on,’ Merriel says with a laugh. ‘Race you to the swings. Last one there’s a rotten egg.’
We stand up, our once damaged bodies now fit and repaired, and we run.