family bonds

chapter 2 part 1

Slowly, slowly Anya pulled back the gold zip and allowed the bulging purse to spring open of its own accord. They didn't have to wait more than seconds before all the money came cascading down from within it £20s £50s and plenty of them, all came floating down onto the grass in between the two of them. Now open like a book, Anya furthered her investigation of the unknown woman's purse by diving straight into the cards as Jess halved the money.

“AMEX, Nationwide, Santander HSBC, Miss M, Martin’ Anya poked through the purse looking at all the loyalty cards until...

‘Hey Jess, look at her photo’ Anya hands Jess a small provisional licence ‘and she looks just like you!’ she exclaimed.

“No” Jess whispered barely making a sound “she looks like my mum used to”...

Anyas face looked how Jess felt, scared, shocked and surprised. Could her mum have a sister or a cousin how old was this woman could she be Jess's sister? So many questions going round in her head. She had to go home, and fast. Jess struck up another cigarette and inhaled deeply.

“Calm, just calm” she repeated as she gave herself a mini pep talk under her breath.

“Anya how old is she?” Jess had not noticed until now but Anya had still been going through the purse still looking for more clues as to the woman's identity.

“On which card?” an immediate response gave Jess no time to think.

“What do you mean which card”

“Well there's more than one licence in here all the same person in the photo but different ages different issue dates” Jess looks at the pile of cards that had amassed on the floor between them. 3 licences and 2 ID cards all with different names all the same person in the photo and 3 credit cards all different names and yet all the signatures had an eerie similarity to them.

“There's something seriously wrong here” exclaimed Jess. She got up and bundled her half of the purse findings into her tattered bag.

‘Jess! Here’ Anya threw a small black block at Jess, curious Jess didn't question as to what it was.

‘Thanks hun, I've got to go, I have to speak to my mum about this. Something freaky is going on’

‘Okay just text me when you get in, promise?’ Jess smiled at Anya, of course she would text her, did she even have to ask…

Whilst hurrying home so much began to cross her mind that she had to stop for a minute and just pause as the world went by. She was suddenly overcome with a mix of fear and excitement. An strange pairing of emotions she'd not felt in a while.

‘What would I even ask her’. Jess thought to herself.

What could she ask her. All she had seen was a photo of a woman. Well perhaps the woman was the exact copy of my mum down to the soulless eyes.

‘Though I doubt she would be sober enough to see it herself’ she muttered as she continued on the short walk home. Those 5 short minutes seemed to take a lifetime.

Plucking the keys from her bag and thrusting them aimlessly into the lock Jess took a deep breath and slowed down, gently turning the key and opening the door to let herself back in.

‘Who is it’ the familiar rough voice reached out to Jess from within. It felt like a miracle that Belinda was still conscious at this time of day let alone able to speak.

“It's only me mum I have to show you something”

Belinda, sitting on the sofa, still draped in her dressing gown, the stale odour of cider and ashtray lingered heavily in the room.

Jess began rummaging through her bag and gathered together the cards and ID to show her mother what they had found.

In one puff of her cigarette she asks

“What did you want?” her croaky voice, damaged by years of heavy smoking, was still somehow a home comfort to jess.

“I found a purse…” Belinda cut her off mid sentence.

“Did it have money in it?” Her eyes like great black saucers filled with lust.

“No mum, but…” as she tried to continue Jess could sense the disappointment in her mother's face.

“Then why are you bothering me?!” her voice had become aggravated and a tone of disdain lingered.

Frustrated at her lack of interest she just couldn't stop herself from talking ‘The owner looks like you!’ she shouted.

‘There's credit cards and ID too!’ Belinda turned round as if suddenly sober. Her eyes cleared and the expression on her face changed to one of worry.

‘Did you just say she looks like me?’ A sense of fear had crept across her face. And it seemed to age her years in a matter of seconds