The Note

It was 10.00am on a cold, windy, day. I shivered and tucked my hands into my pockets as I walked to the bus stop. Ahead of me was a young boy aged about ten or eleven. I only really noticed him because he wasn't wearing a jacket. "The youth of today." I thought to myself, he had caught my attention and I found myself watching him. When he got to the alley he looked both ways shiftily and entered it. I don't tend to get much excitement and found myself intrigued by him. I followed him into the alley - he had simply disappeared! It was rather strange, then I saw the note he had dropped on the floor. This is where it gets interesting...

I picked up the note, and tucked it into my pocket. I realised the bus was coming and ran for it, managing to get on with just seconds to spare. I took a seat and decided I would read the note. Imagine my surprise when I read the words "Dear Sally" Could it really be addressed to me? Surely not. I mean how many other Sallys were there in this world? There must be millions. I chuckled to myself and read on. It read; "We have been watching you for sometime now, we know where you live, where you work and we also know you are our only hope. Please meet us at 5.00pm tomorrow at the corner of Placid Street, if you do not come there will be consequences."

Well as you can imagine I was scared, petrified even. Who were these people and what did they want with me? I thought about not going but they said there would be consequences. I reasoned that if I was meant to be their only hope then surely they wouldn't hurt me, would they? So at 5.00pm I was stood on the corner of Placid Street. I took Gunner my little terrier with me, to provide me with some comfort. I felt him stiffen at my side, he emitted a low growl and his hackles were up. They were here.

I turned to see who was there and I was surprised to see that it was a young man, he was about 5 foot 6, a slight build with piercing blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a hoody, his hood was down and I could see he had a shaven head. He spoke, "Hello Sally, I'm sorry to have to do this to you." Gunner fell to the floor suddenly and before I knew what was happening I felt an excruciating pain and all went black.

When I came to, I was sat in a room filled with candles, a chill came through my spine as I looked around, in the shadows I could make out the shadows of people. My head throbbed as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, it took a few moments for me to get my bearings. The candles flickered as a draught blew across the room and a voice spoke to me. It was the same voice as the man I had met before. "I'm sorry about that Sally but we couldn't take any chances. I didn't expect you to bring a guard dog either." he gave out a little chuckle. In his hands he held Gunner, who was happy enough. They must have made friends whilst I was unconscious! "Who are you?" I asked. He gave out a sigh as if he had the whole world on his shoulders. I soon found out that he did have. "My name is Tomo, and these are the Penrithians. We need your help Sally. Our parents are very wealthy people, who have formed a small group. They all help each other out one way or another. Its very much a 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' type of a group. However it has back fired spectacularly. Last month whilst we were on holiday in the USA we over heard a conversation in which it became apparent that they were mixed up with the Mafia."

As he explained more about their situation, I could feel the other ten members of the group staring at me. I think they expected me to give them some indication of a resolution. But I'm afraid I knew I couldn't help. Some of their parents have been missing for a couple of weeks now, and one of the Penrithians had found a large quantity of cocaine stacked in their basement only last week. I just couldn't comprehend this whole thing, and especially couldn't understand why they thought I could help. I was just an ordinary lady, I was about to turn thirty, living alone in a small flat with my best friend Gunner. Sure I worked as a call handler in a police station and enjoy reading detective novels but saving a bunch of strangers from the Mafia? No this was beyond absurd!

Looking at everyone's expectant faces I really wished I didn't have to say this but I had no choice. "I'm really sorry Tomo but whoever you think I am, you have got it wrong. I honestly am sorry about your parents but I can't help you. Please call the police, tell them what you have just told me. They will help."
"On the contrary Sally" Tomo replied. "We know more about you than you know yourself. You are Sally bell, you are 29 years old and you live alone. You work at Jackson police station as a call handler, and your father is Raymond Lawlor, from County Cork, Ireland.

You could have knocked me down with a feather. I had only recently found out who my real father was., when I finally found the voice to ask my mother. She had brought me and my brother David up alone and had always avoided telling me about my father. However when I brought Gunner home for the first time my mother blurted out "your father would have loved this little fella." And tat was my chance. I had asked her straight out who my father was. She told me his name was Raymond Lawlor and they lived in Ireland for four years when they had me and David. Times were hard for them in Ireland and my father had gone to America to find work, along with some of the other men from the town. Meanwhile my mother had returned to Britain with David and I to live wit my gran. She said my father sent money back to her every month. Then one month nothing, my mother was beside herself calling and writing to him all the time but she heard nothing. Eventually one of the men who had gone to the USA with him came back to be with his wife. My mother had got in touch with him but all he would tell her was "He's big trouble Annie, you're best off away from him lass." It took her a lot to get over him, she had told me but I could tell in her eyes she had never stopped loving him.

So to hear other people, and such young people at that, suddenly know all about my father I was a bit taken aback. "How dare you! How dare you spy on me, pretend to know all about me? You know nothing! I am sorry about your parents but keep your nose out of my business and take me home." I shouted. I couldn't help losing my temper I had been kidnapped by some kind of child gang and now they were telling me who I was? I wasn't having it. Tomo had a look of horror on his face. I knew he was sorry and had overstepped the mark. The rest of the looked ashen and scared. "Ok," said Tomo "I'll take you home. I am so sorry Sally, but before you go do you want a cup of coffee? You haven't had anything all evening. Please, I don't want you to think bad of us." by now I was feeling a bit sorry for lashing out, after all they were more or less just kids. I accepted the coffee. Next thing I knew I was outside my flat. Tomo looked at me with a wide grin "Sorry about that again Sal" he chuckled. I couldn't help but smile back, they had drugged that damn coffee.

Over the next couple of weeks I couldn't help thinking about those Penrithians, I would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating trying to think of solutions to help those kids and their parents. I decided to take a couple of weeks off work and go to visit my brother. We spent a couple of days just walking the dogs on the beach, but David knew something was wrong, he always did. One night we were having a glass of the wine, sat in front of the fire whilst the wind whipped into a frenzy outside. Blowing the tree branches against the window, the rain lashed down, but we felt safe in the house. "What's up Sal?" asked David, "you just aren't yourself." I started to tell him about Tomo and the Penrithians, but when I got to the part about the Mafia and them thinking I was their only hope, David turned as white as a sheet. He was telling me not to get so involved but I could tell by his face that something had seriously rattled him. He got up and snapped at me " For God sake Sally, they are just a bunch of kids playing games with you. You want to grow up, they are taunting you because you have no life. This is the last I want to hear about this crap. I'm going to bed. Goodnight." I was taken aback, we had had a lovely couple of days and this cold attitude came as a shock to me.

The next morning, me and Gunner went to the woods just to get a bit of thinking time. I decided David was right, I didn't have a life, I needed an adventure. And that adventure was going to start in Ireland, I was going to find out more about my father. I still had some relatives over there so I could start with them. That afternoon I said goodbye to David and me and Gunner set off on the ferry across to Ireland.

When we got there I was welcomed like a Queen. People I hadn't seen since I was four invited me to their houses for some supper. We ate strawberries and drank whiskey and lemonade into the small hours. One day I was at my great aunty Annies house when a tall, stocky man walked in. He reminded me of a huge bear, his hands were big and rough, he had a shock of ginger hair. His face was ruggedly handsome and he had some ginger stubble on his chin. He just stood staring at me, I could tell he was trying to place my face. Annie stepped in. " This is Sally, Raymond Lawlor's Daughter. And this is Seamus, he was a great pal of your da's." At that point Seamus lost all composure, and took hold of me in his great arms and gave me a huge bear hug. "I knew I knew ye face!" he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you since you were knee high!"