‘Good morning, Maureen, how are you?’ The nurse greeted her pleasantly and continued, ‘Doctor Moto will see you this morning, and you must get ready by eight thirty as usual.’
‘That’s okay. I will be ready. I had a bath last night and just need to freshen up.’
‘It’s a big day for you. Are you looking forward to it?’
‘Of course. It’s my last review, and I hope to be discharged,’ Maureen replied, sounding optimistic. She was among those recovering patients who would go into the community. A flat had been found for her at Walthamstow, and she was just waiting for her final review which would authorize her move. She was excited about it and had been discussing it with her friends at the hospital.
Maureen had been in and out of hospital for more than ten years, diagnosed with a violent condition that made her aggressive and liable to attack people. She would pull her skin when she was upset and distressed. How the doctors did it was a miracle. Maureen was in a different world at that time; now she spoke sensibly and was familiar with her environment.
Jack was just a baby when Maureen went into hospital. He was now a teenager and visited her at her flat regularly. Maureen always asked about Emilia. Jack told her each time that Emilia was busy with her schoolwork, but he did not actually know where she was. He doubted if he would even recognize her.
Jack and Emilia had gone to the same family in foster care. He was too young to understand what was happening and had never heard from her since the day they parted. His foster parents did tell him about his mother. They were understanding of his wishes and agreed to let him visit her every Sunday, and he had regularly done so.
Jack had turned six when he and Emilia were separated. He was an intelligent, gentle-looking boy, and his new foster parents had been good to him. The couple had no children of their own, so Jack became the perfect son they wanted. The handsome, shy boy was clever with his schoolwork. All the girls in his class wanted to sit with him because he was supportive with their assignments.
One day, as Maureen sat on a bench in the town centre, a man came round and asked if he could sit beside her.
‘It’s a nice, warm day, don’t you think?’ he said, starting a conversation. He offered Maureen a leaflet and invited her to his church. He told her how friendly the church was and how Jesus was waiting for her to accept his call.
It all sounded strange but encouraged Maureen’s sense of hope. She became interested in what the man was saying and generally enjoyed their visit. The next day she went back to the town centre bench, hoping to see him for a chat, and he was there. He encouraged her to come to church the following Sunday. ‘I will be there if you will,’ said Maureen.
Brother Emmanuel was his name. On the following Sunday, Maureen put on a blue maxidress she had found in the shop some few years back. She thought it was pretty and had kept it for the right occasion. She remembered it and pulled it out from the suitcase in her bedroom. She had a black jacket and decorated herself in beads. Finally, she stepped into a pair of black court shoes.
As she walked out of the flat, Mr Mandison was also going out somewhere, and they bumped into each other. ‘Where are you heading to, my lady? You look nice in the blue dress,’ he commented.
‘Thank you, Robert, I have been invited to a church,’ she informed him pleasantly. She felt dignified in herself and was pleased that she had been noticed.
‘Have a nice day,’ he said and hurried away.
At the church, she was greeted by all members of Victory Bible Church. They were friendly, and she quickly felt that she had found her lost family. She was fascinated by the prayers; they lifted her spirits, and she danced to the songs. Everybody seemed to have a pleasant face. She loved it. The members looked up for each other and visited her at her flat. They reminded her to take her medication, played cards, and prayed for her.
Maureen joined the choir and the prayer group. She got busy and was happy with herself. She had friends who cared, but the thought of her daughter and her nephew Tyler never left her. She had found out from a neighbour that Tyler was still in prison but did not know which one. As for her daughter Emilia, there was no news about her. She was glad that Jack kept in touch.
Tyler had spent almost thirteen years in prison; all appeals had been rejected. His mother, Jade, refused to have anything to do with him because of what he had done. He’d heard that his Aunty Maureen was in a mental health hospital at Farvesham as a result of what he did. He wrote his ex-girlfriend a letter asking forgiveness but never got a reply.
Tyler was in a state of despair. There was bad blood between him and Tommy, a new prison inmate. Tommy was new but very popular in the prison. He was famous outside prison; he dealt in drug trafficking but had never been arrested. It was a surprise that he got caught—or did he somehow get caught on purpose?
Tyler didn’t like Tommy, who was too good to be kind. He had been polite to Tyler and talked to him about what he did. He spoke about his bird, Dora. At the mention of Dora, a hot flash ran through Tyler’s belly. What Dora can she be? he thought
Tommy continued, ‘Dora is my angel, and I can’t stand sharing her with anybody. I will break the neck of anyone who dares touch her while I am here,’ he said laughing.
Tyler’s face changed, but he tried to hide his fears from the guy; he meant business. He knew that Tommy was there to do something sinister but could not figure what it was. The mention of Dora made him think twice. He became very insecure and would not like to be in a room alone with Tommy. Still, he told himself, You are just being paranoid, Tyler Staples.’
Then when Tommy had a visitor, it was his girlfriend, Dora, he drew Tyler’s attention. ‘Meet my gorgeous girl, the one I told you about,’ he said, laughing. Tommy was in a good mood at seeing his girlfriend and son.
Tyler froze in horror, as Dora recognized him instantly. ‘Emilia’s cousin Tyler Staples!’ She told Tommy that she knew this friend of his.
‘What the hell are you talking about, woman? Where did you know him?’ Tommy asked in disbelief—or was he pretending not to know? If Tommy was in the prison to settle a score, it had just been confirmed.
Tyler disappeared from the scene, terrified. Dora had already told Tommy about how Tyler had defiled her when she was just a little girl. Tommy did not take the information lightly and swore on his son’s life to avenge her. Dora was delighted with that. She expected Tommy would give him a good beating, something for him to remember for the rest of his life.
Tommy went to a Marks and Spencer shop, picked a pair of jeans from the hanger, and made straight for the door without paying. He was arrested for shoplifting and slapped with three months’ imprisonment. He was actually pleased with that.
Tommy had been in prison for a while and the night before he was discharged, he went to Tyler’s room as he normally did. Tyler was fast asleep from his workout. With the blade that his girlfriend had smuggled in, he slit open the vein in Tyler’s left wrist. Tyler was so deep in sleep that he did not feel the cut. Tommy wiped off all fingerprints and placed the blade in Tyler’s right hand. No one noticed Tommy’s movements.
Tyler’s roommate saw him in a pool of blood and called prison officers, but it was too late for Tyler. He’d been bleeding for two hours and was pronounced dead by the paramedics. It was obviously a suicide, and no one was charged.
Before Tyler’s death, Maureen had information about the prison where he was held. She visited him the day before he died. He had told her how unhappy he was and said he was sorry for all that happened. Maureen promised to visit again. The news of Tyler’s death was not so shocking because Tyler had told her that he did not deserve to live. He was showing signs of suicide. Maureen asked members at her church to pray for his soul. She was the only family member at his funeral.
It was Maria and Ron’s wedding anniversary, so the couple booked a table where it all began, the Golden Tree restaurant. Brenda babysat for the two so they could have quality time for each other. In the middle of their meal, something came up on the television: ‘Tyler Staples, a notorious child molester who was arrested thirteen years ago, has been found dead in his cell. He committed suicide, and investigations are currently going on.’
Maria paused for a while.
‘Are you okay, sweetheart?’ asked Ron.
‘Yes, honey, I am. I know the man they just mentioned on the news; it happened long time ago. We lived on the same road as his aunt. It could be distressing for the families of the girls he defiled. I am also thinking about my little Joseph.’
‘Don’t you worry, Mrs Makintosh. You know damn well that he is in good hands. I bet he will feel disappointed to see us when we get home,’ Ronald joked.
Maria managed to hide her shock; she had not expected to hear on her anniversary that Tyler was dead—the man she had loved dearly. The past came vividly into her mind. She had wanted him to touch her most intimate part; it was not molesting, it was what she wanted. She had enjoyed the attention he gave her.
He taught her how to kiss, her first kiss. He touched her breast, and it was nice, she didn’t want it to stop. He had told her he loved her, and she believed him. No one could take those moments away from her. She didn’t want to hear of his death, not on this special day with her husband.
Ronald was a family man, responsible and gentle, but Tyler was a bad guy. She would have liked to see a little of that in Ronald, but he had been brought up to be a gentleman, and that was what he was.
When they got to Brenda’s, Maria told her about the news. She had also heard it.
‘It serves him right. How could he do what he did? I am sorry for Maureen, Oh, that reminds me, I haven’t heard from her since I last visited her at the hospital, and that was years back. Have you heard from Emilia?’
‘No, Mum. I am tired; we can talk later.’ Ron took the baby and strapped him in the car seat.
It had been a nice evening until the bombshell of Tyler’s death. Maria and Ron got on with their lives, Maria hiding a secret that no one would ever know, she thought, her deep love for the dead man, Tyler.
Emilia left foster care at eighteen and worked as a postwoman for a while. Soon she became a call girl. While working as a call girl, she met an older divorcé, Tim Migguile, who married her. She was nineteen when she got married. She was not proud of her past and tried not to mention it.
She and her husband relocated to Spain a year later. She never got in touch with her mother and brother. Her foster parents were the only people who knew where she was. Maureen had been in contact with them, but she got no answers. Emilia had warned her foster parents not to disclose her whereabouts to anyone, including her own family, as she was being haunted by her past.
Her husband owned a small pub in Magaluf, where she worked as the manager. She kept away from the crowd as much as she could and wore a wig to disguise herself. Listening to the BBC news, she heard about her cousin’s death. She felt no sympathy for the dead cousin; she just thought that it was all her fault. If she hadn’t allowed her stepfather to sleep with her, even though she was made to think it was right to do it, she still had a choice to inform someone. Instead, she let it continue until Tyler caught them. It was shameful, and she regretted everything. She wished she could say sorry to all those involved. The thought of her only brother did occur to her, but she made no attempt to look for him. It was easier to leave things as they were than to go digging where there were no treasures. She cried when she thought about how events had unfolded. Emilia missed her family dearly; they had been happy before Ian arrived.
Jack heard about the news on the radio. He knew he was related to Tyler, but he did not particularly knew him in person, being so young when Tyler went to jail. He heard all the bad news about him, but he was not particularly bothered as he was also buried in his own family affairs. While he was in care, he and Madi, who was also in care, fell in love. They both left at the age of eighteen and decided to live together. Jack and Madi moved to a small town in Wales.
They had things in common, one of which was motorbike racing. Jack entered competitions and won a few. They were supportive of each other. They often travelled together on their motorbikes enjoying the countryside. The two were happy being together. Since then Jack had not been to see his mother. The death of Tyler was the last thing on his mind.
When they got home from shopping that evening, the evening post had delivered a letter. It was a competition he has registered in. He had put in his registration application after the closing date, just to try his luck. He was surprised to find that he’d got in. He and Madi celebrated the good news that evening with fish and chips and cans of beer. They got lost in their own world.
As years went by, Maria and Ron on the other hand had another baby and she was named Lilian.