خونه‌ی قدیمی من

Chapter fourteen

My old house

‘Nancy!’

My heart stopped for a second.

I looked up. It was Tom. ‘Good to see you!’ he said. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine,’ I answered. I was trying hard to look OK. Inside I felt terrible. I looked at him. Wasn’t he still angry with me?

‘Have another glass of champagne,’ said Tom. ‘Tell me about your new life. I want to know!’

‘There’s not a lot to tell,’ I said. ‘I’ve got a new job.’

‘Here,’ he said. He gave me another drink.

He didn’t really want to know about my new life.

‘Thanks,’ I said. The champagne was good after my terrible week. I drank it quickly, then I drank some more.

‘You OK?’ Tom asked.

‘No, Tom. I feel ill. I need to rest but it’s so noisy here.’

‘Why don’t you come back to my house? It’s quiet there.’

‘OK, Tom,’ I said. I felt too ill to say no.

Tom took me by the arm and helped me walk back to my old house.

On the way he started talking.

‘Steve told me about George,’ said Tom.

‘What did he say?’

‘He said George took things from your flat: your watch, your CD player and your passport. He said the police want to talk to him.’

‘The police don’t know George took my things,’ I said.

‘You were stupid! You left me for him.’

‘Tom, I don’t want to talk about this.’ I still felt ill.

We got to the door of my old house and Tom opened it.

‘It’s not too late,’ he said. ‘You can move back here.’

‘No, Tom,’ I said. ‘I don’t want to be with you any more.’

We went into the sitting room.

‘I’ll make coffee,’ said Tom, ‘while you think.’

He went into the kitchen.

I looked around. It was strange to be back in my old house. I walked over to the CDs and started looking at them.

‘That’s strange,’ I thought. There was a little box behind the CDs. I picked it up and looked at it carefully. I opened the box. My gold watch! I looked at the back of the watch and saw N.R. - my initials.

I felt myself go cold.

Tom came in with the coffee. ‘Well?’ he said. ‘What are you going to do now you know George took your things?’

‘George took my things, Tom?’ I asked.

‘Yes.’

‘So,’ I said. My voice was hard. ‘What’s this, then?’

I showed him the watch. And Tom’s face went white.

‘Tom. Why is my watch here?’

He didn’t speak.

‘Did you go to my flat and take it?’ I asked ‘Did you take my other things, too?’

‘Are you saying I steal things?’ Tom asked.

‘No, I know you don’t need my things. So why did you take them?’

‘Look, Nancy,’ he said coldly. ‘I gave you everything you wanted. But you left me for an asylum seeker with no money. I wanted to show you it was a mistake.’

‘But it wasn’t a mistake, Tom,’ I said. ‘George and I love each other.’

‘He was using you to get a passport and money,’ said Tom.

‘No, he wasn’t, Tom. George is a good kind man. He’s kinder than you’ll ever be!’ I shouted. ‘You wanted George out of my life. That’s why you did this. And now the police want him.’ I was so angry.

Tom tried once more.

‘I’m not letting you go again,’ he said. He was walking towards me.

I turned and opened the front door.

‘Goodbye, Tom,’ I said. I threw my watch at him and I ran out of the house.

I ran back to Harriet’s house. ‘Nancy!’ she said, opening the door. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Harriet,’ I said. ‘Can I use your phone? I need the police.’