Amanda paid Maureen an unexpected visit one evening. She had heard two women gossiping about Tyler, and what she heard them say was unpleasant and worrying. Even though she and Tyler were no longer together, she did not want anything bad to happen to him. She knew Tyler very well and could not deny that what she’d heard might be true. She needed to talk to Maureen immediately so she could investigate and advise him to stop any criminal activities he might be involved in.
She walked between the houses making sure not to be seen, knocked on the door gently looking behind her shoulders. She prayed that Tyler was not at her aunt’s place. She waited nervously for someone to open the door.
When the door opened, it was Maureen. ‘Oh, I didn’t expect to see you. Come in. Tyler left twenty minutes ago,’ she said, clearly surprised.
‘Is he coming back?’ Amanda asked.
‘No, I don’t think so—not until tomorrow’ replied Maureen.
Amanda sighed. ‘Sorry to barge in without a warning, Aunty Maureen.’
‘Don’t be silly you are always welcome here,’ Maureen assured her. ‘I will put the kettle on. Please make yourself comfortable, and what can I get you?’ She ushered Amanda towards the sofa.
‘Tea with one sugar, please,’ replied Amanda.
Maureen brought the tea with some biscuits and sat at the other end of the sofa.
‘I think I must let you know, there is something going on about Tyler,’ Amanda began.
‘Tyler? What about him?’
‘I heard some women gossiping that he lures underage girls to his flat,’ Amanda said hesitantly.
‘No, I don’t believe that! Tyler can have any woman he wants. He is handsome and cocky and capable of chatting up women. He would never stoop so low,’ Maureen replied angrily, shaking her head in disbelief.
‘I heard it from some women, and I thought you might talk to him about it,’ Amanda said, already regretting this visit.
‘I will talk to him, all right, but I don’t believe it!’ Maureen said angrily. ‘Someone just wants to tarnish his image. People shouldn’t be making such allegations; they can land someone in prison.’
‘Please just talk to him.’ Amanda pleaded and left without finishing her tea.
She is a jealous bitch! She is just an attention-seeker stirring trouble. What is her problem? She was the one who broke up their relationship, it wasn’t Tyler who broke with her. It’s time for her to mind her own business.
Maureen was not happy about what she heard. Still, even if she had overreacted to Amanda’s news, maybe she should confront Tyler.
When she did, Tyler exploded. ‘You don’t fucking believe that, Aunty Maureen? That bitch is trouble—she is looking for trouble. This is one of her games, silly woman. I have finished with her; why does she care about? I’m not her fucking mother!’ Then he stormed towards the door.
‘Come back, Tyler,’ Maureen pleaded. ‘If what she is saying is true, which I know it isn’t, please stop.’
‘Don’t have to believe me, Aunty. I would never do anything like that. Those are lies. Please don’t believe them.’ Then he did walk out of the house. As he trudged along the street, he pondered who had been watching him—and how long had they been watching? What else have they been saying? He walked briskly home looking for clues. Tyler called in sick at the club and stayed all evening at home thinking about what his Aunty Maureen had said.
On their way to school the following morning, Emilia asked Maria to accompany her to Tyler’s after school so he could help with her homework. Maria said she also needed help.
Maria had met Tyler many times at Aunty Maureen’s house and seemed to find him normal; he was medium built and smelt nice. He was funny and made jokes and did silly things that made her laugh. He could imitate the dog and the cat. One evening at Aunty Maureen’s house, it was Tyler’s birthday. Maria couldn’t believe when he walked in dressed like the comedian Eddie Gray, who had a funny moustache and spoke funny German. He sent everybody laughing. He looked serious in his act and imitated the comedian very well.
Tyler was the sort of person people felt comfortable with. Maria therefore did not think it was a problem going to Tyler’s flat after school. In fact, it was a privilege, and Emilia had told her about the goodies Tyler kept in his cupboard.
‘I will have to tell my mum on our way,’ Maria said.
‘That’s all right.’
Emilia was very nervous. She knew what was going to happen. She should not be doing it, but she didn’t know how to stop. She had heard the rumours at school and was scared that her name would be mentioned.
In the meantime there was an investigation going on at school and police were involved, as Dora had reported that Emilia’s cousin Tyler Staples had sexually assaulted her.
After school Emilia and Maria went to Tyler’s flat. Emilia had a routine (a neighbour had watched her movements and had briefed the police): she would go out to get a bottle of milk, and by the time she returned, Tyler’s mission was accomplished. He had no mercy for the children; he was at that moment a pervert, an animal, a sexual predator.
‘How old are you, pretty girl?’ He stood over her as she sat in a chair.
‘I am thirteen,’ Maria replied timidly.
‘You are a beautiful woman, not a girl any more.’ He gave her a wink, and she blushed and shyly looked away.
‘Look at you. Has anybody told you how gorgeous you are? I like your eyes; they are beautiful.’ As he talked, he carefully observed the effects of his advances. So far he was doing well. He did not always defile them the first day; he tried to win their trust first and make them believe he was genuine and in love with them.
He drew closer to her and touched her hands, looking into her eyes. Then he took her hands and asked, ‘What do you want me to help you with today, princess?’
Maria showed him her homework. He put his hand around her and drew her closer. ‘Well, this is how it’s done,’ he said.
Tyler was good in maths and easily showed her how to work out the problem. The girl was glad her homework had been done.
As she got ready to leave, Tyler drew her close to him and asked, ‘Have you been kissed before?’
She said, ‘No.’
‘Would you like me to teach you?’ he asked, his warm hands over her back. His touch was irresistible. She looked away, but he held her longer. ‘Come on, you will like it.’ He planted his lips on hers gently. It was good, very good. She melted in his arms and looked as if she longed for it not to stop.
He pulled away from her and asked, ‘Will you come again tomorrow? I will teach more kissing techniques,’ he said, smiling.
Maria nodded and smiled shyly.
‘Don’t tell anyone you came here; it is our secret,’ Tyler cautioned her as he shut the door behind her. He went straight to the bathroom and masturbated until he exploded in ecstasy. He knew the girl; she was Aunty Maureen’s friend’s daughter. He advised himself not to proceed with this plan, but he had got an addiction, and addictions have no boundaries. He decided not to defile her but just kiss and touch her breast; that should be OK.
And thanks to a tip by a parent living on the same estate as Tyler, the police were alert on the following day to arrest him red-handed. Maria went to the flat the next day, and as Tyler had planned, he kissed her, touched her breast, and went further and asked her to touch his penis.
Before she could touch him, the police broke in. When Emilia, returning with the milk, saw that the estate had been surrounded by the police, she did not go back to the flat.
It was a shock: Tyler never thought people had noticed, but Emilia had told him that the three girls had mentioned his name in their arguments, and the teachers were investigating. He did not take the warning seriously and still insisted that Emilia keep sending him girls. The arrest was a relief to Emilia, but she was also in serious trouble now. The girls had a mentioned that Emilia was the one who asked them to accompany her.
At home, Emilia pretended nothing had happened and asked her mum if she would like her to cook dinner. Maureen looked up in surprise. Emilia had never offered to do anything unless she was told.
‘What has come over you today?’ she asked jokingly
‘I just want to surprise you, Mum. Just tell me what you want me to cook,’ Emilia said, forcing a smile.
‘Well then, make us some cottage pie. I bought some minced beef from the market,’ said Maureen
As Emilia and Maureen settled down to their dinner later that evening, the police arrived. They announced that Tyler had been arrested and was being questioned at the police station. An underage girl had been with him at the time of arrest. The girl was Maria, and they said that she had gone to the flat with Emilia. They wanted Emilia at the station for questioning.
Maureen collapsed; the two most important people in her life had now been arrested. She recovered in hospital the next day, and the baby was taken into care as they concluded that she could not look after her children due to her mental state. Emilia was not charged due to her age but was taken into care and was also expelled from the school.
Tyler was charged with six counts of indecent sexual assault to minors. He pleaded guilty to all six and was sentenced to five years in prison. Emilia never disclosed why she had taken part, and it remained a secret for the rest of her life. She remained sorry for herself and later drifted into cannabis use and a slow mental decline. Keeping the secret didn’t help; it destroyed her and her family.
What happened alerted parents in the community about how paedophiles can use school children to recruit for them. It was a shock for parents and teachers. There were lessons to be learnt, so the school embarked on safeguarding children beyond the school. The campaign was called ‘Say No to School Sex Recruiters (SSR).’
The campaigners taught the pupils how to recognize a recruiter and how to say no. They were advised to report immediately when somebody asked them to accompany them to places. If they wanted to go, then they must inform their parents or teachers.
Maria’s mother, Brenda, could not believe what had happened to her daughter. She had advised her on how to guard herself against deception and not be taken advantage of. She was angry with Emilia and had her doubts about the girl. Brenda did not approve of how Emilia dressed and her attitude towards men. She was surprised that Maria had allowed herself into that situation. She joined the campaign against child molestation.
Maria was taken to the hospital for evidence of penetration but was found to be a virgin. The results came as a relief to Brenda. She blamed herself for allowing Emilia to take over her responsibilities; Maria trusted Emilia more than her mother. No mother should let that happen, she realized.
Maria herself treasured a secret, and it was a strange one. She had feelings for Tyler, but everybody saw him as a monster. The mention of his name provoked insults, so no one dared mention him. But she loved him very much.
She remembered her first kiss. It was heaven, like nothing she could imagine. The gentle strokes and warm touches were good feelings. He called her princess, and she did not want any of it to stop. What she did not know was that she was not the only person he had done or said that to; it was his routine.
Maria ruminated on her experience and pondered the details; the thought of them brought smiles to her face. She never discussed what happened between her and Tyler after the police questioned her. She kept her distance from the boys. She walked her little brother, Jonathan, to school and back home with her. She did her own homework and let her mother help her if she needed it. Her schoolmates stared and talked about her. Parents felt sorry for her and became overprotective of her. It was a difficult time for Maria to be the name on everyone’s lips. Brenda made sure she came home at the right time and spoke to her teacher about her schoolwork.
At thirteen, Maria was too young to distinguish between love and lust. She had no control over how she felt about Tyler. She dreamt about him some nights, and her mother would come to her room to find who she was talking to. In one such dream, she was on a boat with Tyler and had been travelling for a while. She and Tyler sat in silence with their hands locked together, looking over the horizon. It was calm on the river, and the sail was smooth. When she turned to look at his face, he was gone.
‘Where are you? Come back!’ she cried aloud.
‘Are you all right, Maria?’ Brenda called out.
Brenda was alarmed by the night outburst; clearly Maria was having nightmares from her ordeal with Tyler. Maria had told her mother that her outburst had nothing to do with the incident and that they were just dreams. She refused to see a doctor as advised by her mother. She was still doing well at school and was coping with all the attention she was getting; Maria insisted there was no need for Brenda to worry.
Maureen was sectioned, and her house was occupied by another family, Brenda visited her a few times at the hospital, and each time she went, Maureen was hysterical, upset about how Emilia and Tyler had teamed up to defile Maria. Maureen reassured her that it was not her fault that it happened, but Maureen would sob and swear. The nurses had advised Brenda that it would be in everyone’s best interest for her not to visit Maureen again, as her presence caused distress, and only medication could calm her down.
It was sad, but there was nothing Brenda or anybody else could do. It was time to move on with her life. She had to get on track after all that had happened and try to deal with her own problems. As for Emilia and Jack, she did not know where they’d been taken to, but she knew that they had been taken into care. She had no sympathy for Emilia, because she had destroyed many people’s lives and brought misery to their families. In her opinion, Emilia should have been put away for good. To Brenda’s surprise, Maria never mentioned Emilia’s name in her conversations and seemed to have forgotten or pretended to have forgotten about her. The Staples family were neighbours from hell!