Living with Saci
Page 22
Teresa sat in silence for a moment, processing the information.
“Why would he do this?” she asked.
“We think he might have psychological issues.”
Chapter Forty-Seven - Felipe returns – 11th April 2016
When the detective left, Teresa locked the gate and used both locks on the door before turning off the lights and going to bed. She dreamt that Felipe was sat on the edge of the bed and that he was speaking to her.
“Teresa. Teresa.”
She turned over hoping the dream would go away. But it didn’t.
“Teresa. Teresa.”
She tried to wake herself up to make the dream go away and then realised it wasn’t a dream. She sat up suddenly and saw that Felipe was there. He was wearing black again, just like in the photo from the dentist’s CCTV. She filled her lungs with air, ready to scream, but before she could exhale Felipe had grabbed her head and covered her mouth with his hand. She screamed anyway, and he struggled to stifle the noise, so he grabbed a pillow and pressed it over her face. She tried to pull him off, but he was too strong. She was struggling to breathe, she tried to move her head to get air, but Felipe was pushing the pillow down onto her head with such force that she could not move it. She tried pushing him away, but he had his full weight on her. She reached out to try and grab something to hit him with, but all her fingers found were orange peel. Felipe increased the pressure and Teresa was unable to draw breath. She stretched out as far as she could, hoping to find something, anything she could find to hit him. Her fingertips touched steel she used all of her strength to extend her arm and, grabbing the knife, stabbed Felipe as hard as she could. He released the pressure, and she pushed him off, removing the pillow from her face and taking a deep breath. She watched as Felipe staggered backwards, the knife sticking out of his temple, blood dripping down the side of his face and onto her floor. She jumped out of bed and backed away from him, grabbing her phone and backing into the kitchen where the door and gate were wide open. She thought immediately of Ramsey and pulled the gate shut as she dialled 190, keeping Felipe in her sight in case he made any sudden moves. She looked at the knife protruding from his head and doubted he would push himself off the floor where he slumped staring at her, his eyes betraying the disbelief of what had just happened.
Chapter Forty-Eight - Teresa returns – 7th October 2016
Teresa pushed the trolley out into the arrivals area, past all the expectant faces and raised notices. She could see the sun streaming through the terminal windows though she knew when she got outside she would barely feel its effects on her skin. Six months of twelve hour days had taken its toll. She felt tired to the core, but she also felt exhilarated. In moments she would see her daughter in person for the first time in years, and that eclipsed everything else. Even the day the doctor had given her the all-clear did not feel this good. She searched the faces lined up on the other side of the barrier, wondering whether she would recognise them. None of them was familiar. She looked back to see whether she had missed them, but she hadn’t. She pushed her trolley clear of the barriers and found herself in the middle of the terminal. She looked around, but she could not see them anywhere. Her heart sank. And then, from the end of the terminal, she saw William. He saw her. She looked around; she could not see her girl. William turned, beckoning someone. She followed his gaze and then she saw her. She was so big, Teresa watched as the big girl ran up to her father and he hugged her. Teresa watched as William explained something to her daughter and then led the child towards her. Teresa made eye contact with William. Annabel was distracted, looking elsewhere. As they drew closer, William tried to draw Annabel’s attention to Teresa. As they were about to meet Teresa crouched down and reached out her arms. Finally, Annabel noticed her and shrank away in fear. William tried to reassure her, but it was clear that Annabel did not recognise this woman who was trying to grab her.
“Don’t worry princess,” said William gathering his daughter up into his arms and lifting her up. “This is your Mummy, darling.”
“Hello,” said Teresa.
Annabel buried her head in her father’s shoulder.
“She’s shy.” William reasoned.
Teresa smiled. She knew that it might be difficult to win back her daughter’s affection after so long. Just being this close to her was enough. For now.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M J Dees is the author of Living with Saci and The Astonishing Anniversaries of James and David, Part One. He makes his online home at www.mjdees.com/. You can connect with M J on Twitter at @mjdeeswriter, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mjdeeswriter and you should send him an email at mj@mjdees.com if the mood strikes you.
ALSO BY M J DEES
The Astonishing Anniversaries of James and David: Part One
How do you know if you have achieved success? No matter how successful he becomes James doesn’t feel happy. Meanwhile, his twin brother, David, seems content regardless of the dreadful, life threatening events which afflict him year after year. The Astonishing Anniversaries of James and David is as much a nostalgic romp through 70s, 80s and 90s England as it is a shocking and occasionally tragic comedy.
DEDICATION
To Sabrina and Maria.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to the following for their help, all above and beyond the call of duty: Sabrina Dees (for reading the first draft when it must have been almost unreadable and giving me the motivation to continue), Paula Mukai (for reading the next, not much better, version and inspiring me to carry on), Jackie Wyant (for reading the manuscript in record time and creating wonderful ideas for covers), Anna Orridge (for incredibly useful detailed feedback which help shape this draft) and Catherine Rodgers (for giving it one last once over) and Grammarly, on whom you can blame any mistakes.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to Mark Dawson and James Blatch for their podcast The Self-Publishing Formula which gave me the confidence to become an indie author.
COPYRIGHT
First published in 2017 by M J Dees
E-book first published in 2017 by M J Dees
Copyright M J Dees 2018
The moral right of M J Dees to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condit
ion, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover design by Salt & Unicorns www.saltandunicorns.com