Postby KP Presents » Mon Feb 18, 2013 4:06 am
Toni’s Hairdressing Parlour was the place that Cassie and I found ourselves on Saturday morning. We both had on jeans and sweatshirts, and had a look on our faces that roughly translated as “Why are we here?” when we walked into the room.
“Mrs Craig - so nice to see you again,” Toni said as she met us inside the door. She was an older woman than mum, and was dressed in a black smock that buttoned up the side, with matching trousers and trainers.
“”Hello Toni,” Mum said as she closed the door behind us, “I think the girls could do with a wash and cut today.”
“Of course - any particular style?”
Mum looked at us for a moment, before saying “Let them choose - but remember girls, it has to be suitable for school.”
“Really, Mum?” Cassie said with a big smile, “You’ll let us pick?”
“Within reason,” she said to both of us with a smile. Well, this was an invitation not to be missed, as we sat in the seats and let Toni’s girls get to work, while Mum sat back with a cup of coffee.
One hour later, Toni looked at both of us in the mirror, and said “There - what do you think Mrs Craig?”
Cassie was beaming - her hair had been trimmed and cut back away from her face, but allowed to hang down the side of her head with a slight wave created by the use of curlers.
As for me, I had decided some time ago to try my hair shorter for a while, so I had it cut with a fringe over my eyes, and cut back around my neck so that the edge just covered the back of my neck.
“Very nice,” Mum said eventually, “and at least you did not try to get it dyed pink. Come on - we need to go and collect some flowers before we head home, but I think you two deserve a treat first.”
We left the hairdresser and walked to a nearby cafe, where Mum bought us both ice cream sundaes. As we sat in the window watching the world go by, we saw three police cars go past, their lights flashing and the siren sounding as they did so.
“Something must have happened,” Mum said as she looked at the third car speeding past, “I hope nobody has been hurt.”
“Maybe there has been a kidnapping in the town centre,” Cassie said, and she smiled as she said it. Her capacity for making light of the most terrifying of ideas... I know she is growing up, but there is a piece of me that hopes it is always there.
As it was, however, she was far closer to the truth than we realised - when we had finished our treat, we went towards the florist Mum wanted to visit, but as we got closer we saw the police cars were around the bank next door to it - and as we walked in, we saw Cathy with her two aunts, talking to a man we all recognised.
“Mrs Craig,” DCI Hampton said as he turned and looked at us, “I think these ladies could do with a friendly face.”
“Belinda, Penelope, what happened,” Mum said as she looked at Cathy’s mothers. Belinda was wearing a long sleeved pinafore style dress, over a whir jumper, with black suede boots, while Penelope was wearing a green blouse and jeans, the legs tucked into knee length black leather boots.
“Cassie, Jenny, over here,” we heard a familiar voice say, and looking to the other side of the shop we saw Colin sitting with Cathy. My friend was wearing a cream coloured blouse over a pink top, blue denim shorts, dark leggings and a pair of grey Ugg boots. I could see some rope marks on her wrists, and she had been crying.
“Cathy, what happened?” I came and sat beside her while Cassie went over to join Mum.
“We were held hostage,” Cathy said as she looked at me. “We arrived this morning to open the shop up, only to find four masked and armed men waiting for us. They forced us inside, locked and closed the door, then told us they were going to rob the bank next door.
“Anyway, they pushed us into the store room, and then they gave Mummy,” she said as she looked at Penelope, her arms folded over the front of her blouse, “some lengths of cord and forced her to tie me up. She tied my wrists together behind my back,” Cathy continued as she showed me the red marks around her wrists, “then tied my ankles and legs together after they made me sit down on the floor. They then made Mum tie Mummy up in the same way, before she was bound next to us.”
“You must have been terrified,” I said as I held Cathy in my arms, and she nodded as she started to cry a little on my shoulder. Colin looked away - I think he was a little embarrassed at what was happening, but I could tell he wanted to help as well.
“Anyway,” Cathy eventually said, “They pushed some cloths into our mouths to keep us quiet, then one of them watched us while the others used our back yard to get into the bank. I have no idea what happened in there, but we were in no position to argue. Truth to tell though and she looked at me as she said this, “I found it a little bit exciting. I remembered the stories you told of what happened to you and Cassie, and I tried to do the same as you had done.”
I smile din return, then said “Yeah - but Mum was terrified at what happened, and I guess your mums must have been as well.”
“They were,” Cathy said as she watched Belinda hugging Penelope. “I kept trying to talk to them, to reassure them I was all right - after all, they play the games with each other as well.
“Eventually, the men came back with big bulging bags, and then they slapped lengths of brown packing tape over our mouths - I guess to keep the cloths in. They left us sitting on the floor, until half an hour ago, when the police arrived and freed us. Colin and his father came in as well.”
“We were passing,” Colin said finally, “and when dad saw what had happened, he went into DCI mode and came in to ask the questions. I just came and sat with Cathy - and then you arrived.”
I nodded and said “Thank you,” which made him blush slightly. Cathy could see it as well, as she said “Excuse me for a moment - I need to go to the toilet.” She stood up and walked away, leaving a very red Colin with me.
Eventually he said “Jenny - can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” I said as I looked at Mum and Cassie, “What is it?”
“Well,” he said as he lowered his head and brushed at the floor with his foot, “I was wondering if you would like to come to a school disco with me? I mean, I’ll understand if you say no, but...”
Well, that took me completely by surprise. “A disco? At your school? Well....”
“Oh it’s all right; it was a stupid thing to ask any...”
“I’d love to.”
Colin’s jaw would have hit the floor as he looked at me. “I’m sorry, did you just say...”
“I’d love to come - and thank you for inviting me Colin. I just need to ask Mum and Dad as well.” Taking out my mobile phone, I handed it to him and said “Put your number in - I’ll call you later once I get a chance to ask them, and you can tell me when you’re coming.”
“Ssshhhh sure,” he stammered as he took the phone and started to create a new contact entry. As he did so, Cathy came back and said “Jenny, are you free for the rest of today?”
“Y... Yeah, why?”
“We need some help to catch up on orders - can you stay here with us and help me out? I’ll show you what to do, and we can drop you off at home later.”
“Have you asked Mum?”
“They have,” Mum said as she came over, “and you can bring our order back with you. I think you’d be a great help here - given your special skills and experience.” She winked at me as she said this, and I could see DCI Hampton standing watching us.
“Yeah, I’d love to,” I said with a smile, my hand behind my back and waving at Colin. I felt him putting the phone back in my hand as his father said “Come on Colin - we need to meet your mum, or she’ll accuse me of being too much on the job again.”
“Coming Dad,” he said as he walked past me, but not before whispering “Thanks” into my ear. I put my phone in my pocket and stuck my tongue out at Cassie, who was making rude faces behind Mum’s back - making a kissing shape with her lips and things. She stopped as Mum turned round, before she said “All right, Penelope - I’ll see you later with Jenny.”
She left the store with Cassie, Colin and his dad, as Belinda said “right - enough excitement for one day, we need to get on with those orders. Cathy, Jenny - you go in the back and Cathy will show you how to make a bouquet. Penny, open up - we have customers to serve.”
For my first taste of a Saturday job, it actually went rather well. I was surprised at how skilled Cathy was - she doesn’t particularly like Art at school, but she knew how to arrange flowers to show them to their best advantage.
We sorted the orders out, then helped at the front of the store while Penelope, or Penny as she insisted I call her, went out with the van. Before I knew it, it was five o’clock, and we were walking to the van with three big bunches of flowers.
“Your father sent very specific instructions,” Belinda said as I climbed in behind the driver’s seat with Cathy. As we set off, she said to me quietly “So, did he ask you?”
I looked at her and nodded, as she said “About time - I’ve seen the way he looks at you when we meet.”
“Yeah - but I thought Mary liked him?”
“She might - that’s for you two to sort out eventually. For now, just enjoy the fact he asked you out,” she said as we drove down the street.
“He never even noticed my new hairstyle.”
“Boys never do,” Cathy said with a smile, and then she nudged me in the ribs.
“Thanks,” Dad said as Belinda handed him the three bunches of flowers, and I waved to the three of them as they drove off.
“So, kiddo - hard day at the coal face?”
“Different - I mean, they had a real scary start to their day, but they just kept going.”
“Bit like us then,” he said as he closed the door behind us. “Mum’s in the kitchen - get yourself a drink while I hide these.”
I walked in to see Cassie at the table, and Mum at the cooker. Going to the fridge, I got a can of soft drink and sat down, watching Cassie as she finished a drawing.
“All done,” she said as Dad came in. “I’ll put it in my bag for Monday.” As she left, I said “Mum, Dad, can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Dad said as he sat down, “What is it?”
“Well, Colin Hampton asked me today if I could go to a disco with him next week. Do you mind if I go?”
Mum stopped stirring the pot, and turned to look at Dad. He smiled back in return, before saying “Of course not - just tell him he has to answer to me if anything happens to you.”
“JOHN!” Mum said as she threw a wet cloth at him. I smiled and went into the front room, getting out my phone with every intention of calling him, but I was stopped by the phone ringing and Alicia’s name appearing on the screen.
Answering it, I said “hey, Alicia - what’s up?” There was a silent pause, and then I heard Alicia say “Jenny, you know how I said Mum and Dad weren’t saying anything?”
“Yeah - why?”
“Well, we didn’t get to go on the holiday after all.”
I sat down and said “Ali, are you telling me...”
“Yeah,” Alicia said, and I could hear her breathing. “I’ve got a baby brother.”