Chapter 45 Part III Current Situation-8

parents' home At noon, I showed up at my parents' house without prior notice, but when I said I would stay for a few days, they didn't make a fuss at all. So calm, in fact, that I wondered if they had been looking forward to this moment since the day I moved to London.Were they prepared to see me at the door every week, alone, with red, swollen eyes? Now they acted like a hospital emergency team who had just practiced last week in an emergency. The only difference is that hospital EMTs don't argue about the best way to save a patient.For a few minutes, I thought I should step outside and let them work out their plan of action before ringing the doorbell.

"Go upstairs and take a hot shower first." As soon as I put down the handbag, my mother said, "I think you must be exhausted!" "There's no point in taking a bath if she doesn't want to!" Pa retorted. "She might want to drink something first! What would you like to drink, honey?" "Is that sensible?" Mom said, giving him a meaningful look, thinking I wouldn't notice it. "I don't want anything to drink, thank you," I said, "a cup of tea will do." "Of course!" Mom said. "Graham, go get the water on." She gave him another wink.As soon as Dad disappeared into the kitchen, she leaned closer to me and asked in a low voice, "Honey, are you all right? What's... what's wrong?"

God, there is nothing more tear-jerking than a mother's loving voice! "Well," my voice trembled, "Things are getting better. I just...have a little trouble at the moment, but everything will be fine in the end." I shrugged slightly and turned my face away. "Because..." She lowered her voice, "Your father is not as conservative as he seems. If you can't take care of it because of your career, we can help you take care of the baby..." what? "Mom, don't worry about it!" I snapped. "I'm not pregnant!" "I didn't say you were." She blushed a little, "I just wanted to help you."

Omg look this is my mom and dad! They must be watching too many soap operas.In fact, they might even want me to be pregnant! So they can kill my heartless married lover and bury him in the yard. Also, what was "help me"? She had never said that before she started watching Richie Lake every afternoon. "Okay," Mom said, "you just sit down and have a good cup of tea!" So I followed her into the kitchen, and the three of us sat down and drank tea.I have to say that eating chocolate biscuits while sipping hot strong tea is really comforting.Perfect! I closed my eyes and drank a few more sips of tea, then opened them again to see Mom and Dad staring at me curiously.Mom immediately put on a smile, and Dad coughed a little too—but I could tell they were desperate to find out what was going on.

"So," I said cautiously, their heads jerking up at the same time. "Are you all okay?" "Oh yes," said Mom, "we're all fine." It was silent again. "Becky?" Dad said seriously, and Mom and I turned to look at him. "If you have any trouble, you should tell me and your mother. Of course, if you want to." He added hastily. "I want you to know—we're always on your side." Another damn Ricky Lake line! My parents should really be out and about more. "Honey, are you all right?" Mom's voice was so sweet and caring that I found myself putting down the glass with a trembling hand and saying, "To tell you the truth, I've had a little trouble. Because I didn't want to let You're worried, so I didn't say a word until now..." I felt tears filling my eyes.

"What the hell is the trouble?" Mom asked anxiously. "God, you didn't do drugs, did you?" "No, I'm not on drugs!" I yelled, "I just...just..." I took another swig of my tea.This is far more difficult than I imagined.Be brave, Rebecca, and speak up! I closed my eyes and held the cup tightly in my hand. "The truth is..." I said slowly. "What is it?" Mom asked. "The truth is..." I opened my eyes, "I've been stalked, by a man named... Derek Smeez." In the silence for a while, only Dad gasped. "I knew it!" screamed Mom. "I knew it was! I knew something was wrong!"

"We both knew something was wrong!" said Dad, throwing his elbows heavily on the table. "How long has this been going on, Becky?" "Hmm...it's been months now!" I said, staring at the teacup in my hand. "He's just... kind of annoying, it's true. Nothing drastic, it's just that I can't stand it anymore." "What the hell is this Derek Smeez?" Dad asked. "Do we know him?" "I don't think you know him. I know him from... work." "Of course it is!" Mom said. "A young and beautiful girl like you with such a bright future... I knew it was going to happen!"

"Is he a reporter too?" Dad asked.I shake my head. "He works for Endwich Bank. He does things like... like call and pretend he's in charge of my bank account, which is kind of a bluff." There was another silence as Mom and Dad mulled over the matter; I ate another chocolate chip cookie. "Well," Mom finally said, "I think the police should be called." "No!" I yelled, splattering cookie crumbs all over the table. "I don't want to call the police! He never threatened me or did anything. Actually, he wasn't really annoying, just a headache. I figured if I disappeared for a while..."

"I see." Dad glanced at Mom. "That's a good idea." "So I suggest..." I clasped my hands tightly together in my lap. "If he calls, you tell him I'm out of the country, and you don't have my number. And...no matter who calls, say that, even Suzie." "Are you sure you want to do this?" Mom asked, frowning. "Wouldn't it be better to go to the police?" "No!" I said hastily. "That will only make him feel better. I just want to disappear for a while." "Okay," Dad said, "we'll tell people you're not here."

He reached across the table and took my hand.When I saw the anxious look on his face, I started to hate what I had done.At that moment, I felt so guilty that I felt like I was going to cry out and tell them everything, exactly. But... I can't do that.How can I tell my kind and loving parents that their so-called "successful daughter" with a good job is actually in dire straits in debt? In the evening we had dinner together, watched another TV series based on an Agatha Christine novel, and then I went upstairs to my old room, put on an old pajamas and went to bed.When I woke up the next morning, I felt happier and happier than I had in weeks.

First, lying in bed and looking at the familiar ceiling of my bedroom made me feel safe.Wrapped in a quilt, I feel that the outside world is far away from me.No one can find me here; no one even knows I'm here.I will never get those nasty letters, get those nasty phone calls, or see those nasty people again.It's like a safe haven, all responsibility has been lifted off my shoulders.I feel like a 15 year old girl again with nothing to worry about other than homework (and I don't even have any homework). It was nine o'clock when I got up, and it reminded me of Derek Smeez, a few miles away in London, waiting for me to meet him in half an hour.I felt a little sick to my stomach, and at that moment I even wanted to call the bank and make up an excuse that I couldn't go.But I just thought about it, and I knew I wouldn't do it.I don't even want to admit the existence of this bank at all, I want to forget about it completely. All problems will no longer exist.Banks, VISA cards, Octagon credit cards...all of these have disappeared from my life. The only phone call I made was to the magazine because I didn't want to get fired for absenteeism.I called at 9:20 - before Philip arrived at the office - to find Mavis at the reception desk. "Hi, is that Mavis?" I said hoarsely. "I'm Rebecca Bloomwood. Could you tell Philip I'm sick?" "Poor fellow!" said Mavis, "bronchitis?" "I don't know," the voice was still hoarse, "I have an appointment with the doctor later. I have to go. Goodbye." Well now, one phone call and it's all over, and I'm free! Nobody doubts anything - why should they? I feel relieved because of the relief.It turns out that escaping is so easy, it is too easy.I should have done this long ago. But deep down inside of me, there's a nasty little brat that keeps telling me you can't hide here forever.Sooner or later those things will start to haunt you again. But the point is - not yet.At least for a while these things don't bother me.At the same time, I don't even think about it.I just want to drink a good cup of tea and watch "Morning Coffee" and let my heart go completely blank. When I walked into the kitchen, Dad was sitting at the table reading the newspaper.There was the smell of baking bread in the air, the radio was on, and everything was just as it had been when I lived at home.Life at that time was so simple! It was also very easy.No bills, no reminders, no chilling letters.A boundless thought suddenly hit my heart.I quickly turned around and poured some water into the teapot, already feeling a little teary-eyed. "That's interesting news," said Dad, pointing to the Daily Telegraph. "Oh really?" I asked, putting a tea bag in my teacup, "What news?" "Scotland Prime takes over Flagstaff Insurance." "Oh, yes," I mumbled, "Yes, I think I've heard of it." "A huge windfall for all Flagsteve insurance investors. Apparently, the biggest ever." "My God!" I tried to pretend to be interested, then reached for a copy of Good Housekeeping magazine, opened it and read the horoscope. But something has been dangling in my heart.Flag Steve Insurance? Why does that name sound so familiar? I seem to have been talking to someone about...   "Martin and Janice next door!" I blurted out suddenly. "They've been investors in Flagstaff Insurance for 15 years." "Then they made a profit," said Pa. "Obviously, the longer you invest, the more money you make." He rustled through the newspaper and I sat down at the table with a cup of tea, the magazine open, an article on how to make an Easter cake.It's not fair, I thought indignantly, why didn't the windfall come to me? Why wasn't Endwich Bank taken over? Then I got enough money to pay off my arrears.There is also a good chance that Derek Smeez will be fired. "What are your plans for today?" Dad raised his head and asked. "No." I took a sip of tea. If you want to ask me what plans I have for the future? The answer is no.