A Bullet For God

by Eben Le Roux

  Chapter 18

  Sean was already behind the steering wheel as Peter thanked and greeted the Clayton family. Although still only nine o’clock in the morning, tens of people were standing across the road, with some waving while others just smiled in their direction.

  ‘You are now a true hero in this town, Mr Johnson. I will pray that everything will work out, whatever it is that you are hoping to happen for us.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Clayton, but I still hope to bring you your real heroes. Those who will be keeping the dream of this town going . . . and, Mrs Clayton, promise me that I will always be welcome for that good cooking of yours. It is hard to tell what was best about this house, the cooking, or the family themselves. Thank you all for a very good time. Please check in on Andrew. We will see you soon and I still have to return this shirt I borrowed from him’

  Two minutes later, Sean put the car into gear and they started moving away.

  ‘Mr Johnson, can I ask you something?’

  ‘What would that be?’ Peter asked somewhat curious noting it must be something that could not wait.

  ‘Have you always been like this?’

  Peter did not respond. He just looked at him in a manner of wonder. When the silence was too long for him, he said nearly impatiently, ‘Am I like what?’

  ‘You know, Mr Johnson, the way you make people feel and act when they are around you . . . it’s like they are hungry for happiness, and you seem to always give it to them. You are so gifted in working with people . . . I feel everything that those people are feeling, as happy and as hopeful as they are. Mostly, I believe in everything you say, but I’m scared, so scared . . .’

  ‘You’re scared of what, Sean?’ Peter leant towards him.

  ‘Scared that everything will fall flat, scared of disappointment.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘I mean, you have just promised those people some kind of a miracle for their town, don’t you think you have pushed it a bit too far?’

  ‘I could have, but that is now the least of my worries.’

  Sean was taken aback by his answer as he already had reservations last night about the promise Peter had made in that hall.

  ‘Mr Johnson, forgive me for asking, but do you think you can pull this off?’

  ‘Sean, no need to worry, this is not our problem anymore.’

  ‘What about Andrew . . . ? Those people will kill him and you . . . did you purposely lie to them?’

  Peter was not answering. He was just staring at the dusty road in front of them.

  It was an hour after Peter and Sean had left, and a sentiment of guilt had started to disturb Josh. He could hardly believe that he was part of a group that had nearly caused the death of a best friend. Feeling his conscience becoming too heavy, he then put on a hat and started to walk to Andrew’s place. From a distance, he saw Andrew busy attending to the plants in his garden. As he wondered how Andrew felt about him, he hoped that their friendship of more than seven years could still be saved. To him, Andrew was much more than a friend. He never needed an invitation to come to his house and had supper with his family almost every night. As he entered the gate, he saw Andrew dipping his hands in a bucket of water and then drying them with a cloth that hanged over the handle of a spade. With a smile, he walked towards him.

  ‘Josh, I thought I was going to come and see you this afternoon. I took out some of these vegetables to bring over to your wife. It’s already been in the soil for too long now, and I also thought of taking some to the church for people to collect from there.’

  Josh did not believe that Andrew sounded so casual as if nothing had happened between the two of them.

  ‘Andrew, I am here to apologise. I cannot . . .’

  ‘Josh, it is okay.’ Andrew said trying to save Josh from the awful position he knew he was going through. ‘I took a deep look into the circumstances that made people suspect me, and it even looked suspicious to me. With the goods missing and me out of town for three days, it fits well into anybody’s mind of suspicion.’

  ‘But why was your phone off all the time, Andrew? That is what made me believe you had disappeared, never to come back,’ Josh said, sounding remorseful.

  Andrew let out a giggle as he answered. ‘Josh, you know my phone is nearly as old as your teenage daughter. That day when I left for the city, I did not notice the battery was flat. By the time I did, I was already too far out of town to turn back for the charger. It took one phone call to drain the last bit of power from it. I tried to buy a charger, and you know what the guy at the counter told me. He said I would be lucky if I could find one at the antique shop.’

  Josh could not stop himself from laughing aloud. He did not mean to laugh at Andrew, but the manner in which he had made the statement had a lot of humour behind it.

  ‘Is the Teacher gone?’ Andrew asked as Josh was still recovering from the laughter.

  ‘Oh yes, and he spoke highly about you,’ Josh said with excitement. ‘I don’t know what you think about his promise, but I think you should be in your office from tomorrow. I do not want us to start running around only when good news arrives. I saw some dust that settled in the place, and I think we should get somebody to keep the place tidy.’

  ‘You are not doing this just to make me feel better Josh, are you?’

  ‘Andrew, I know I let you down, but I also learnt a lesson here, a very tough one indeed. I already had one sleepless night. Please, I want to hear it from you that you have forgiven me.’

  ‘Josh, I am not going to drag this into an emotional issue. Let us focus on the future. Do you really think he can pull this off?’

  Josh looked at him visibly relieved ‘Yeah. Look at this,’ he said as he handed him the piece of paper Peter had given him. ‘He even gave us a name for the place.’

  As Andrew was reading the name on the paper, he said with a frown, ‘Twinns! What is that supposed to mean?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I sure as hell am not going to doubt him.’

  ‘Do we still have some of that paint left, Josh?’

  ‘We still have plenty, why?’

  ‘Then I think we should not waste time.’

  Andrew’s enthusiasm brought back a lot of contentment inside Josh, who reached out a hand to him, saying; ‘Friends?’

  ‘Friends,’ Andrew replied as he gave him a firm grip.

  Shannon Buoys was furious as she was screaming into the phone. Her plans to stop the ‘Hour of Truth’ had backfired. The call from Sam was enough to confirm it was officially over; the men were too scared to be involved any longer. She also realised her mistake by calling Harry Paine, as she never knew he was Bruce’s neighbour. A call from Bruce himself was what she feared the most. He made no small talk when he told her he was going to inform the executives of her company. What she was most scared of was his threat that he would be sending two journalists from Channel 91 to investigate the charges laid against Peter Johnson. He told her of his plans to broadcast it live with her involvement in it.

  ‘Listen here, Sam. I lost a lot of money with you. I am willing to forget about it as long as you shut your mouth about my involvement in it, do you hear?’

  As a con man, Sam saw himself in a good seat and he smelled money. She wanted his silence; she was going to pay for it. With a little arrogance, he answered her in a very self-assured manner. ‘Listen, Shannon, I won’t allow you to talk to me in this manner. As far as I am concerned, we were in a business agreement. So do not ever threaten me again, but for a smile price my lips will be sealed. What about...’

  ‘Oh, am I threatening you, Sam?’ he was rudely interrupted. ‘Now, you listen to me, and you listen carefully. I know you are one dirty sleaze bucket...and with the manner in which you conduct your so-called work, I know you must have blackmailed about half a dozen people. I do not have to tell you that once we journalists put our noses into something smelly, we always come back with a whole bag of rotted rats. Now that is a threat, and consider yo
urself investigated if this does not die a sudden death right now. Is that clear?’

  Sam Scholes knew too much of this game to take on a person like Shannon Buoys.

  ‘Well, if you put it that way, I think business between us is over, but should I hear anything bad enough for a good story, you’ll be the first to know.’

  This man’s arrogance made Shannon fume from where she was standing. ‘Sammy boy, the only next time between you and I is when I will be running a story about you. In fact, why don’t you come over now so we can start with that interview?’

  The phone went dead so quickly, that Shannon knew she would never hear from that Sam Scholes again.

  Both of them were very exhausted as they drove into the city. Sean was looking at his watch just as Peter asked him for the time.

  ‘Ten thirty,’ he said very tiredly.

  ‘Can I use your phone?’

  ‘Why? I mean, yes . . . Who do you want to phone?’

  ‘The Atkinson’s’ place.’

  “You want to phone Kathy Atkinson...now?”

  ‘That is right why are you sounding so distressed? We cannot just arrive there unexpectedly.’

  ‘You mean we are going there . . . now?’

  Peter could almost laugh at the surprise shown on Sean’s face. He contracted his eyes so much, that wrinkles had formed on his brow. ‘Yes, we have to.’ He said as he studied the confusion on his face.

  ‘Mr Johnson, please...why? I mean . . .’

  ‘To finish what we started. Sean’ His words came more in a statement than the answer Sean was expecting. He gave Peter a grim stare before he said; ‘Oh no, oh...no, I hope it is not what I am thinking...Bolton and the Atkinsons?’ He nearly whispered the last part of his sentence.

  ‘You’ve learnt fast, son, now that is good, very good.’

  ‘No. Oh no, I think you’re pushing it a bit,’ Sean had a distressed expression and could hardly keep his eyes on the road, looking more frequently at Peter.

  ‘Mr Johnson, we are both tired and still in yesterday’s clothes. Nobody knows where we are, yet you think it wise to go to the Atkinson’s.’

  ‘It is important, Sean, it is very important. This can’t wait.’

  ‘Mr Johnson . . .’

  ‘You never switched it on,’ Peter said with his eyes on the phone.

  ‘What is that?’

  ‘Your phone, you never switched it on.’

  ‘Oh, damn! That must be why it never rang. I switched it off at the time you went after Andrew.’

  After waiting for the phone to register, Sean dialled the number. When it rang, he handed it back to Peter.

  ‘Mrs Atkinson, good morning-,’ However, the strange voice on the other end cut him short.

  ‘You want to speak to my mum. Who shall I tell her is calling?’

  ‘Tell her . . . Peter Johnson.’

  ‘Oh, it’s you. Hold on. I’ll call her for you.’

  The little girl’s voice surprised him at first, but then he remembered the girl in the car on that day. A very vague image of her was playing in front of him, as he could not get a proper look at her that day. He remembers how strong the water was running down the windows and how she still waved at him. Kathy’s friendly voice came into his ears.

  ‘Oh, we’re doing fine, Mrs Atkinson,’ he answered on her greeting him. ‘Just very tired, but we need to speak to you and your husband very urgently. Is he at home?’

  ‘He and I?’ He could hear some apprehension in her voice. ‘Well, yes, he is here.’

  ‘Well, thank you, Mrs Atkinson. We should be there in about ten minutes.’

  ‘No problem at all, Peter. I’ll have some coffee waiting for you.’

  As Peter handed the phone back to Sean, who was now driving very slowly behind a truck, he said, ‘You have over a dozen messages on that phone. Looks like people were looking for you all night.’

  ‘You don’t have a cell phone, do you?’

  ‘No, why?’

  ‘Well, that lot of people must have been looking for you too . . . not just for me, wouldn’t you agree with me? So why don’t you start opening the messages to see who they are from, Mr Johnson?’

  ‘I would rather let you handle that.’

  Sean started a smile. He took a left turn off the freeway. He knew Peter was not that good with cell phones.

  ‘I also used to battle with all this new technology.’

  ‘What was that?’ Peter gave him a curious look.

  ‘Uh . . . nothing Mr Johnson.’

  ‘You’re not making fun of me, are you?’

  ‘No. No, I would never do that, sir.’

  ‘All right then, how far?’

  ‘We’ll be there within the next five minutes.’

  The naughty smile was still on Sean’s his face as they turned into the Atkinson’s driveway. Peter suddenly had second thoughts as he wondered if he was not acting too hasty. Whatever the case, it was too late to change his mind as the front gate opened before they even had a chance to push the buzzer. They must have been waiting for them as the three of them were standing on the terrace, and Peter smiled at the little girl who was holding her father’s hand.

  “I bet you two must be tired so come inside.” Kathy said after they had greeted.

  Once inside the house, Peter started the conversation immediately. ‘Mr and Mrs Atkinson, you must be . . .’

  ‘Just one second, Peter, from now on, it is Michael and Kathy. I want you to call us like that.’

  ‘Mrs Atkinson, it’s fine with . . .’

  ‘No “buts”. I insist. There is no debating it.’

  ‘It seems like I have no choice here, do I?’

  ‘Damn right, you are . . . So what brings you here so urgently?’

  Sean was still standing at the car, phone in his hand and Peter apologised on his behalf.

  ‘Forgive us for what he is doing there, but the phone was off since yesterday afternoon. We had completely forgotten about it until ten minutes ago. He is just checking on the messages, and there are plenty of them.’

  It was at that moment that they heard Sean’s phone ringing.

  ‘Take your time, Sean. We understand,’ Kathy said very courteously.

  The atmosphere inside suddenly became tense for Peter as he wondered how they would react to his proposal and he started very cautiously.

  ‘Mrs Atkinson, if you are wondering why I am here, it is in connection with Mr Atkinson. It is going to be somewhat personal, so I was wondering . . .’ He glanced at the little girl and Kathy immediately knew what Peter meant.

  ‘Mandy, don’t you want to go watch the new movie Daddy brought home for you?’

  ‘I want to watch it with Daddy.’ Her words came with passion, so much, that Peter realised how much this little girl loves her father. He immediately started to think about the note from Jason in his pocket and got goose bumps all over his being.

  ‘Okay then, would you like to feed the animals?’ Kathy said affectionately to her.

  ‘Really . . . may I?’ The little girl’s excitement also brought relief to them.

  ‘Be careful. Don’t mess.’

  ‘I won’t!’ Excitedly, she rushed out the door.

  ‘Cute little girl you have, but where has she been? I haven’t seen her since . . . since that day?’

  ‘She is in boarding school. She is here for the school holidays.’ Kathy said with a smile on her face.

  Peter also had the same smile as he addressed Michael. ‘I can see she is a daddy’s girl. You must be proud, Mr Atkinson?’

  Kathy smiled, and before Michael could answer, she said with a bit of sarcasm, ‘He spoils her rotten.’

  Her words made Peter laugh as he said; ‘What father wouldn’t do that with a beauty like her?’

  Peter looked at Michael very intensely before saying, ‘You make one damn good father, Mr Atkinson.’

  There was a shy smile on Michael’s face and Kathy could see that her husband was going through a v
ery special moment. She moved closer to him and placed both her hands over one of his.

  ‘You know, Peter,’ she said in a whisper, ‘this man is such a great dad that sometimes I feel jealous about it.’

  Peter noticed how Michael’s eyes drifted to the photo of the twins against the wall.

  ‘I bet they had all the love in the world from you, sir.’

  ‘What?’ Michael was reacting like a person just woken from sleep.

  ‘Those two in the picture sir, they must have had plenty of love from here.’ Peter repeated himself.

  Kathy could sense and see the painful look on her husband’s face while looking at Peter. She lifted her left hand, showing Peter to stop the topic.

  Michael responded to Peter with a very strong voice, ‘I think we better not talk about them.’

  ‘Are you still longing for their presence, sir?’ Peter purposely ignored his request.

  This time, Michael’s voice was much louder and more imposing, ‘I said we better drop the subject.’

  Kathy, fearful of another outburst from her husband, jumped out of her chair, and looking at Peter pleaded, ‘Peter, just leave it. Please just leave it alone.’

  ‘Please, Mrs Atkinson, allow me to do this . . .’ He was focused only on Michael. ‘You want me to help your husband? Well, that is exactly what I’m doing.’

  ‘Leave my house, mister. Leave right now.’ Michael immediately got himself into a defensive mode as he got up from the chair. Kathy promptly moved in between the two of them. ‘Peter, would you listen? Stop talking about them!’

  However, Peter Johnson had a plan and pretended as if he did not hear her.

  ‘Mr Atkinson, you loved those two girls so much that you are refusing to let go. That is not wrong, sir. You can love and miss them for as long as you want, and nobody has the right to stop you from doing that.’

  Michael suddenly became more relaxed, and that made Kathy more comfortable.

  ‘Mr Atkinson, I want you to sit, please,’ Peter said, watching him thoughtfully and not breaking eye contact.

  ‘Please, sir, sit down. I meant no harm in what I am saying. Please, sir . . .’ Peter tried to guide him down into his chair with the pleading.

  For the first time in a very long time, Kathy saw her husband respond to a demand from another man. Astonishment was in her eyes when Michael reached for her hand and pulled her down next to him onto the sofa. Mandy slowly walked closer to her parents as she had rushed in from outside when she heard the noise. Sean, on the other hand, was now also standing inside the front door drawn by the loud voices. Without saying a word, he moved his eyes over everybody in the room as if trying to look for an answer.

  ‘It is okay, Sean. There is nothing wrong in here,’ Peter assured him.

  ‘Is Daddy shouting at Mommy again?’ The little girl was very close to crying as she asked this. Peter spotted the uncomfortable moment and knew he had to restore comfort.

  ‘No, Mandy, you have the best Daddy in the world. He just got a little angry with me, but it is fine now. Go ahead. Go sit by him.’

  Mandy looked invitingly up at her father, who immediately lifted her onto his lap and gave her a precious hug. Peter looked from Mandy to Michael and said; ‘I have to talk to you Mr Atkinson, and will have to talk straight. I am no psychiatrist, but just listen to me. I know I am going to enter a very delicate situation with you, and again I’m begging you, please just listen for as long as possible. Can you allow me to speak to you in that manner, sir?’

  ‘No offence intended, but what makes you think I need to listen to you, in fact . . .’

  Peter could see to where this was leading and interrupted him hastily, ‘Sir, when I said you is a good father and a good man, I did not try to have myself on your will. I meant it. The problem is, sir, you can be as miserable as you are good.’

  They all could see the uneasiness in Michael’s body and were expecting some fury from him. Kathy tried to say something, but Peter, with a hand signal, asked her to give him a chance to finish.

  ‘Let me finish, ma’am, please.’ He said addressing Michael again. You see, sir, those two daughters of yours.’ He gestured at the picture on the wall. ‘You loved them as dearly as any father should, and now you miss them just as much as you loved them. You think of them almost every day of your life, maybe even every hour, and that is killing you inside. The thought of them never coming back is bringing you down. You now hate the world, you hate the people around you, and sometimes you even hate God for taking them away.’

  He could see Michael relaxing a bit more.

  ‘I heard a lot about them. I heard how they were like mothers at the orphanage, how they would arrange birthday parties for those children, and I know you were sponsoring them. That panic-stricken behaviour of yours, sir, is nothing but a result of you missing your daughters. You should be a happy man whenever your thoughts are with them.’

  Michael’s emotions were showing in his eyes, and he wiped them with his free hand.

  ‘I can’t cope with these thoughts. They are killing me. They are . . .’

  Kathy could feel his grief and leaned over to him. She pulled his head towards hers and said, ‘Darling, you don’t have to talk about this. You know . . .’

  ‘No, ma’am, let him talk. It is only good for him. Please, Mr Atkinson, say what you wanted to say. I’m listening.’

  ‘Peter, please! I think you are taking this a bit too far . . .’

  The following words from Michael got her completely surprised. ‘It’s all right, darling.’ He said. ‘He is right. I need to offload a bit. I thought time was going to be a healer, but damn it, it is only getting worse.’

  Peter could see him relaxing and he went to stand against the desk next to their seat.

  ‘It happened so suddenly . . . that night we were supposed to be at a concert . . . we were already dressed up, just waiting for them to pick us up. I can never forget that phone call. I can never, ever forget . . . how can I ever forget, you tell me, how can I?’ he said, almost crying through the last sentence.

  ‘You don’t have to forget them, sir, believe me, you do not have to. It is the manner in which you are thinking about them sir, that is causing your pain. All you have to do is transform that pain into happiness.’

  ‘That’s not possible. I tried that. I tried to focus on their good memories, but the emptiness always shows up.’

  Peter took a step towards him.

  ‘Then please listen to me, sir. I think I have the solution for you to help yourself . . . and your family, but first, I want you to listen to something that happened to us yesterday.’ He could see how Kathy was anxiously looking at him. ‘Yesterday, we met a man in the act of committing suicide. We managed to talk him out of it, but the story he told us made me promise that I would help them. Mrs Atkinson, I want you and your husband to listen carefully as this might surprise you a bit. There is a town about two hours’ drive from here. I don’t know if you know it, a very small town called Bolton.’ He waited for their response, but they both shook their heads in a negative manner.

  ‘Anyway, this man retired there about eight years ago. This town was surviving only on the backbone of its farmers. For four consecutive years, there has been no rain. The farmers wanted to sell, but nobody wanted to buy. So most just left, and the town started to die.’

  Peter stepped away from the desk and went to sit in a chair next to theirs.

  ‘Those people had nowhere to go. Ninety per cent of them had no family outside that town to which they could go. One day, they just decided that they were not going to watch their town die any longer. They put together whatever money they had and started a company . . . a small factory that makes curtains and bed linen. They were fighters, and I take a bow to people like that, but here comes the sad part. As if they never had enough hard-hitting trouble, the entire production, their very first, and the only income to keep the factory going, was hijacked. This poor man was blamed for orchestrating that h
ijacking. I tell you, sir, ma’am, that whole town, with dogs and cats, are now truly doomed to something worse than what Hell can offer. We took the risk in taking that man back there. I had a meeting with the town’s people last night, and I promised them that I would make sure I would get somebody to get their factory going again.’ He allowed a very short silence. ‘Sir, I want your twin daughters to save that town.’

  It was as if he had just dropped a bucket of cold water over both of them. This surprised the Atkinsons so much, that they stared at one another for such a long time in what seemed to Peter like forever. Michael was the first to react and got to his feet very quickly. ‘My daughters...? What..? How...You mean you promised some strangers that we would give them money on their behalf just like that?’

  ‘Not in the context you are putting it, sir.’

  Michael wanted none of this. Kathy was standing next to him as she could see that this was not going to end only in debate.

  ‘I have heard a lot of rubbish in my life, but this one takes the cake. Mister, I think you should leave while you still have the chance.’

  Peter had to take a step back as he felt he was too close to the big body of this man.

  ‘I want you to stay calm, Mr Atkinson. Please let me explain.’

  ‘Listen, you don’t have to explain your crap to us. You are going to regret every minute of your knowing us.’

  Kathy could see the anger building up in Michael, and she knew she had to intervene.

  ‘Peter, do not say anything more. Michael, you calm down. You two are upsetting my daughter.’

  They could see Mandy holding tightly onto her mother’s dress, and they could read the fear on her face.

  Michael pointed towards Mandy as he shouted at Peter. ‘Can you see that? Is this the way you want to help my family and me? This is the last time I will ask you to leave. I will not be responsible for my actions if you don’t!’

  Even Kathy showed her disappointment in Peter as she went to stand in front of him. ‘You know, Peter, this is the cheapest shot I ever got from any person who wanted money out of us. You should have contacted us before making decisions of that kind. You sure disappointed me, and I’m sorry, but I am also going to ask you to leave.’

  Sean stepped closer to Peter, and he noticed the resistance and disappointment in his eyes.

  ‘I think it’s time to leave, Mr Johnson,’ Sean said, speaking with urgency in his voice.

  ‘Yes, please take this friend of yours and don’t let him ever return to this address,’ Michael said in the voice of a man who could get violent any time.

  ‘Those fake sermons of yours . . . I . . . think I need to phone the newspapers about this, I think I’m going to do that right now. With so many fake preachers around, to think I have one in my house. Get out . . . Just get out!’

  It was sad for Sean to see Peter’s posture drop to that of a man who had finally accepted defeat. He was only hoping it was not going to break his spirit completely. Almost with sympathy, he pulled him gently by the arm. ‘Come, Mr Johnson, let us go.’

  ‘It was not a decision, ma’am. It came to me as the answer to your husband’s problem.’ His words came out strong but with obsession. He even pulled his body posture back to that of a man with confidence.

  Astonishment suddenly showed on Michael’s face.

  ‘Say again . . . my problems. Kathy, what in heaven is this man talking about?’ Michael’s anger was now noticeably growing.

  ‘I have no idea what he . . .’

  Peter had no choice but to interrupt her, ‘You, Mrs Atkinson, you were the one who strongly believed that I could help your husband. When I told you it was impossible, you still insisted that I could. There is nothing wrong with your husband. Now, here I am not only to help your husband, but also to give him a chance to overcome the punishment he has imposed on himself. That pain inside him is destroying him and every relationship he has with everyone around him. Those two daughters of yours should be remembered with happiness and with joy. That little girl standing next to him should not be in a boarding school. I can see how much she loves him. I bet you she misses him as much as he misses those two.’

  He shifted his eyes from her to him and back to her, trying hard not to make eye contact with Mandy.

  Kathy looked at her husband, her daughter, and then at Peter, still very much confused. ‘What has my husband’s problem to do with the problems of Bolton, Peter? He is not responsible for their suffering.’

  ‘Mrs Atkinson, when I heard the cry for help from those people, there was no doubt in my mind that that was the answer to your cry for help. That is why I did not hesitate in making that promise. Please try it. If it does not work, I will ask Channel 91 to pay you back every single cent. If you are still not interested, I can ask them to donate some money on my behalf to that community. I have never received any payment from Channel 91, never even negotiated any form of remuneration. I will, if I have to, ask them to donate that money to those people.’

  ‘How . . . ? How will this solve our problem, Peter? I still cannot see any link between ours and theirs,’ Kathy, much calmer now, questioned him hopefully.

  Peter walked over to the telephone desk, picked up the marker pen, and then walked to the picture of the twins. He turned around and seriously looked at them.

  ‘This, Mr and Mrs Atkinson, is how these two girls and not you are going to help those people.’

  He said it with so much confidence that Sean took two steps closer to see what his intentions were. They watched him turn to the picture, opened the marker pen, and, in very neat handwriting, wrote the word Twinns across the glass.

  ‘This is what I requested they call that factory, and I can only hope they agree. What they need is a once-off amount of money and they will continue with the profits. I heard you planned a dream wedding for your daughters, sir. Use that money and make their spirits lifelong partners with that town. Imagine that for a lifetime these two will be playing a major role in the lives of people whom they did not even know. Imagine, sir . . .’ he said with a lot of passion, ‘how you would feel knowing that these two girls turned around the life of a whole town...forever. You loved them, Michael, and they loved charity. Right now, charity is needed. Take this full circle. Do this for your daughters and their spirit of goodwill can come alive in that town forever. Please, Mr and Mrs Atkinson, we would all be winners here, including this little angel of yours.’ he said, pointing at Mandy.

  Michael and Kathy were both lost in contemplation. This man had just stirred their emotions to a level that left them startled. They looked at one another as if they had just seen a ghost. Michael was swallowing air and had a knob in his throat. He looked at Peter, then at the picture, and then at his wife. Peter could see the questions in their eyes. Without having a doubt, he knew to give them time to find the answer themselves.

  ‘Now, I can leave, sir, and whatever your answer will be, just promise me that you will be at my speech tomorrow.’ He looked at them as if demanding an answer.

  Kathy was the first to react. ‘I need to sit, please, Michael.’ Tears had started to form in her eyes.

  ‘Mr Atkinson, if you can open the gates, we will let ourselves out. You take care of your wife and daughter. Goodbye sir, Mrs Atkinson...bye, Mandy.’

  ‘Bye, Uncle Peter.’ There was no greeting was coming from the parents.

  Sean followed him to the car, fascinated, and with much more admiration and respect for this man. In fact, he felt even more scared of him.

  ‘You think they will do that’?

  ‘I don’t know, Sean. I really don’t know.’

  ‘You sure scare the hell out of me sometimes, Mr Johnson, you know?’ Sean was shaking with excitement as he put the car in first gear and drove off.

  ‘No, I do not.’

  ‘Well, now you know.’

  ‘Really, what makes you say that?’ Peter looked at him as a professor would look at a confused student.

  ‘Your approach to
people . . .’ said Sean, stuck for words.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘You...I don’t know, you’re always so straight, and so trust me . . . I am here to help.’

  Sean was struggling so much to find the right words that he just ended the sentence abruptly. ‘Am I saying it right?’ he asked as he steered the car into the main road.

  ‘Yes, Sean, I know exactly what you are trying to say.’

  There was relief in Sean when he said, ‘you are gifted, sir, you know people. You know just how to get through to anybody. I admire you, sir, just like everybody who knows you.’

  ‘Not everybody, Sean, not everybody!’

  Sean could see the despair on his face and thought it better not to continue with the subject, but it was Peter himself, who continued with it. ‘You know what, son? I have been a teacher for thirty-one years. You know how long that is, thirty-one years?’

  Sean saw him staring at the road, and he knew this was not a time to interrupt. What he saw was a very sad face with wet eyes, staring into nowhere.

  ‘In that time, you learn to know students by their facial expressions. There are those you can help, and there are those you want to help, but there is always a lot that fail themselves. Yet, I had so much success with other people and their children, but . . . I failed with my family.’

  His voice became husky and he had to pull himself together. ‘I’m sorry; I think I’m talking too much now.’

  Sean could detect the sorrow in his voice. ‘Maybe it is like you said. They failed themselves.’

  ‘You think so, Sean?’

  For the few seconds that Sean took his eyes off the road to look at Peter, he could read the loneliness in him. Deep inside, Sean then realised one thing; that if you fail to make it with this man by your side, you could only have yourself to blame.

  ‘You should give it another go, sir.’

  ‘You say what?’

  ‘I mean . . . I’m thinking, it has been five years since you last spoke to them. By now, they should be more mature. I think they are the ones who have the most pain, losing a father like you. Yes, sir, I think the last round is yours. Why not take some time off to meet up with your family. It will do you good . . .’

  It took some time for Peter to answer as he was battling with the knob in his throat.

  ‘I think you are right, Sean. I think you are right,’ he said with so much sadness that Sean immediately decided to change the subject.

  ‘You must phone your son Mr Johnson. He left half a dozen messages for you.’

  ‘How far is the hospital, son?’

  ‘It is about fifteen minutes from here, sir.’

  ‘Then let’s go there first.’

  ‘You need to rest, sir. You look very tired,’ Sean said with a lot of sympathy.

  ‘Can you phone Ray for me, please.’

  A minute later, he was talking to Ray.

  ‘Dad . . . we are worried sick about you. Where in heaven’s name have you been?’

  ‘Son, I am very tired. The last thing I need now is for somebody to climb down my throat.’

  ‘Okay, I am sorry, Dad. Where are you now?’

  ‘We are on our way to the hospital. We’ll be there in about ten minutes.’

  The concern came forward immediately in Ray’s response.

  ‘Oh my lord, is something wrong, Dad? Is it serious?’

  ‘Relax, Ray. It’s just that Sean is going to visit the Pastor.’

  ‘Oh, thank heavens. I might be there before you. I am at the post office a block away. You sound tired. This time it is not negotiable, I am taking you home.’

  ‘Thanks, Ray.’

  ‘No problem, Dad. Tell Sean that Bruce wants to speak to him urgently.’

  All right, son.’

  He had no choice but to use both hands wiping the tears from his face as it started to run freely.