11. Eighteen Years Earlier -4
876 Words
“If you’d like to follow me, ma’am, we have a number of questions we need to ask you,” the police officer said.
Lilly nodded her head and began to shake. The shock of what had happened was beginning to set in.
John and Andy were waiting at the airport, relieved to know Lilly was unhurt. Her flight was due to land in ten minutes. They’d been watching the live broadcast. Andy had bounced up and down in his seat when he’d seen Gina walk onto the stage, excited to see her once more. The excitement had soon turned to tears, for both Andy and John — tears for Gina, and for Andy’s mum, who might also be dead. The three hours following the broadcast had been the longest in Andy’s life. Whenever he’d looked at the clock he’d been sure the hands were moving backwards. It was a tense moment when the phone call they’d been waiting patiently for finally happened, and a relief to know Andy’s mum was alive. Andy clung to his dad, crying again, until he eventually fell asleep.
“Lilly,” John yelled, waving at her as she stepped through the sliding doors, bags in tow.
“Mum!” Andy cried out, running to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Hey, Andy,” Lilly said, hugging him back. “I’m glad to see you too.”
“Is it true?” Andy mumbled into his mum’s jumper. “Did some crazy people murder Gina because she was a woman?”
Lilly didn’t know what to say. Andy had obviously been following the news and had focused on that one element.
“Andy,” John said, “your mum is probably tired after all that’s happened. How about we save the questions for tomorrow?”
John had chatted to Andy on the way to the airport, and asked him not to question his mum, but kids being kids, it went in one ear and out the other. John and Lilly would need to talk first, and decide exactly what to tell Andy.
The trip home in the car was very subdued. John talked about the stuff he and Andy had gotten up to while Lilly was away. He confessed that they had largely subsisted on pizza, hamburgers and fish and chips. Not one meal had been cooked at home, so the kitchen was spotless. Less cleaning for Lilly to do, he joked. They all laughed, though it was hollow laughter — the laughter of people going through the motions.
As soon as they walked through the front door the phone started ringing.
“I’ll get it,” Andy said, running to answer it.
“Sampson residence,” Andy said.
“Hello, is Lilly home yet?” a lady asked.
“Mum,” Andy yelled, “it’s for you.”
“Who is it, Andy?” his mum asked.
“Can I ask who’s calling, please?” Andy asked. His parents had drummed that phrase into him so often that it was the natural way for him to ask who is it?
“Jean,” the lady said.
“Jean,” Andy relayed to his mum.
“Tell her I’ll be there in a minute, Andy,” his mum yelled back.
“I heard,” Jean said, saving Andy the need to act as the go-between.
John looked at Lilly questioningly. He thought he knew all of Lilly’s friends — Jean wasn’t on the list of friends he knew.
“She’s the mum of one of the other kids,” Lilly whispered to John.
No other explanation was necessary. The other kids were the children who had been in the cancer unit with Andy. The ones Gina had healed.
Lilly dropped her handbag on the couch and kicked off her shoes. She headed towards the breakfast bar, sat down on a bar stool and took the phone from Andy.
“Hi, Jean, how are you?” Lilly asked.
“Gees, Lilly, how am I? How are you?” Jean replied.
“I’m fine, Jean, really I am.”
“Listen, Lilly, a few of us having been talking about what happened. Crazy isn’t it?” Jean continued before Lilly could get a word in. “We’ve decided that it’s in the best interests of our families not to mention Gina anymore. You never know who might be listening. As far as we’re concerned, the treatment was successful and the kids are in remission.”
“Oh,” Lilly said.
It hadn’t occurred to her that anyone associated with Gina might be the target of the fanatical group claiming responsibility for Gina’s death. They were so far away from where it had all happened. Things like that just didn’t happen in their home town.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Jean said, “but it’s only a matter of time before we catch up with the rest of the world. There are probably terrorists already here, waiting for the right time. Anyway, you should delete any comments you made about Gina from social media. Change your email address as well. Do you have a silent number?”
Lilly hadn’t even been home ten minutes and her head was spinning.
“Lilly, did you hear what I said?” Jean asked.
“Um, yes, we have a silent number,” Lilly replied.
“That’s good. It’ll make it harder for them to find out where you live.”
“Jean, do you really think,” Lilly cupped her hand over the mouthpiece and continued in a whisper, “they’d come after us?”
“Do you want to take that chance?” Jean asked. “We’ve had our second chance — our kids are well again. You don’t get a third chance in life. Anyway, I’ve got to go. I still have eight mums to ring. Take care, and I’m glad you’re okay.”
Lilly held the receiver in her hand long after Jean hung up. John took it from her hand and placed it back in the cradle.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” Lilly said.
She ran to the toilet and vomited noisily.
“Is Mum sick?” Andy asked.
“Bad airline food,” John said, though he knew it had something to do with the phone call she’d just received.
- Writer
