|
WENDY [ part 2 ] Over the next few weeks life, for me, was hectic. I was quickly shown the burdens of running the department for real instead of just being a cog in the wheels. I wished that Janet had chosen someone else for the job, but then after a bit everything just seemed to 'click' into place, and started to run smoothly. Then I received a letter from Social Services, it appears that on checking their databases I had been inadvertently listed as a risk to children, however that had now been checked and cleared and they apologised for any inconvenience that this had caused me(!) I was tempted to tell them exactly what it had cost me, my daughter, my life and nearly my sanity. But how can you write that in a letter . . . without it bursting into flames? I finally settled on a simple reply stating that I had received their letter and had passed it onto my solicitor who would be ensuring that the local police were informed; I later found out that he also applied to the Social Services for damages caused by their defamation of my name. So I was going to be fairly comfortable off. I did hear from Amanda and Janet during that time, they had returned to America . . . It was strange to hear from them during my evenings knowing they were just finishing breakfast and getting ready for work or school. One piece was memorable. "I thought about what you said that day at your place." Amanda told me one day giggling. "What was that?" I asked . . . well we had discussed several things while she was with me. "About going to school without clothes." Amanda said still giggling, "Well we're doing historical people today . . . and I'm going as Lady Godiva!" She burst into laughter completely and then Janet came onto the line. "Hello John, I've checked with the school and they're okay with her doing this, but she doesn't know she's going to have to stay like that all day." I could hear a gasp and then more laughter from Amanda as this sunk in. "I hope you've got a horse for her to ride?" I asked. "Oh yes a nice little filly, well trained and suitable." Janet said also with a lilt in her voice "Good at least one of them will be!" I said dryly which caused Janet to laugh out loud, I heard Amanda asking what was so funny and after Janet told her, she gave an indignant 'humph' and must have taken hold of the phone. "Daddy John! That isn't nice! I can be good as well!" "There's no need to get on your high horse about it, by the way how high is your horse?" I asked her my humour coming out "It's just the right size . . . like you!" Amanda said giggling, "Why don't you come over here to find out?" "Amanda!" I heard Janet saying - although she was laughing away as she said it. "Apologise to John and then hand me the phone!" "Sorry daddy John." Said Amanda, but from the lilt in her voice I didn't think she meant it. "That's alright Miss Knickerless." I said (no I didn't take it too seriously either), and I heard her giggle away as the phone was handed back to Janet. "I don't know who's worse, you or her?" Janet said "She is" I said while hearing 'he is!' over the phone from Amanda. That night I went to bed with a smile on my face and dreaming of being Peeping Tom. ---- After a month more, everything was running smoothly, we'd established a routine of synchronisation with America of our data as well as instituting off-site saves of our databases, so that if the building burnt down we'd be able to save up to the previous two days. That was when the bombshell dropped on me. Actually it dropped on my ex-wife and her husband but I was caught up in their fallout. The first sign I had was a local new item - 'Police have raided several local houses today, the reasons for this are not yet known, we expect more information soon' I heard that but took no notice of it. However the next day I was disturbed at work. "I'm sorry sir, but there's a Mrs. Atchison here who wishes to see you. She doesn't have an appointment" That was my secretary Eileen. "What company does she represent Eileen?" I asked - I had a desk full of paper and plans which I was working on. "Err . . . she says she's from Social Services, and it's important." Came the reply. I didn't swear, well not out loud. So they were disturbing me here now! I suppose they were going to say that they had made a mistake with the letter and I was still considered to be a menace to society! I looked at the clock; well at least I'll have plenty of time to get my solicitor onto their backs when she was finished. "Alright Eileen, send her in . . . and come in as well, I may need you to take notes." Eileen was quite a fast speedwriter. Mrs. Atchison entered the room; she wasn't acting haughtily but seemed almost apologetic. I allowed her to sit down and Eileen sat behind her with pen and notepad in hand. "Mr. Argent, I'm not sure how to approach this." Mrs. Atchison started, there was an accent in her voice, a slightly familiar accent. "Well if it to give an apology then I'm afraid that my solicitor is already taking steps against your department, I must admit I didn't expect anyone to appear in order to make me stop . . ." I was saying, but then the look on her face made me stop. "But . . . that's not why you're here, is it?" I finished by saying. She looked back at Eileen and then shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm new to this area, I understand there is a problem between yourself and our office but I don't know what it is, I think that's why they sent me to ask you this." She said. I looked at Eileen who was studying me, and a piece of music played itself in my head, "I keep on thinking of her day and night . . ." "Pardon?" Mrs. Atchison said I hadn't realised that I'd spoken out loud. "I'm sorry Mrs. Atchison, just something that came to me, I don't know why." I said. She smiled slightly, "It sounded like a piece of ELO." She said. "It was, anyway Mrs. Atchison what is it you want to tell me." I said without explaining. "It concerns your daughter, err. . . Wendy." She said and paused. "She's with her mother who took her to live with her boyfriend; I'm not allowed to see her." I said flatly. "Yes, well there is a problem at the moment, as her only relative we need to know if you'll accept the responsibility of looking after her." I must admit that my first answer was 'huhh?' Mrs. Atchison repeated herself. "I did hear what you said but I don't understand. Why can't her mother look after her?" I said, not knowing why I was delaying, this was my daughter, the one I had taken from me. I should have been shouting 'YES, YES!' but here I was asking questions. "Well Wendy's been taken into care after both her mother and step-father were arrested yesterday." Mrs. Atchison explained, "We've tried to find any other relatives on your ex-wife's side, but none of them wanted to accept her." I shook my head, "No, they didn't like her either, for the first reason of marrying me, and then for leaving me." I explained her family, like her, were strange to the extreme! "But I will take Wendy; I'm surprised that your department bothered to ask me." I said. "I must admit that the meeting was interesting." Mrs. Atchison admitted, "But the chief said that we had to ask you." "And you were the one given the short straw." I said making her smile, "Yes, I must admit that you don't appear to be the person I've read about in the files." She said and then coloured up, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She looked back pointedly at Eileen who was still writing away furiously. I took the hint. "I think that's all I need Eileen, you wouldn't mind getting some tea for Mrs. Atchison and myself would you?" I asked her. She looked up and smiled, "Certainly Mr. Argent, milk and sugar?" She asked Mrs. Atchison. "Milk and two sweeteners please, Miss . . ." "Call me Eileen, I'll be some minutes." Eileen said. "Call me Martha please Eileen." Mrs. Atchison, Martha, said. Eileen smiled and left the room, Martha turned back to me, "I have to tell you Mr. Argent that I'm an exchange operative, my previous office was in a town in America, you may have heard of it . . . it's called. . ." "Ropeville?" I said smiling - yes I knew that accent was familiar. "How's Janet?" "You're quick. I'm sorry to say that I don't personally know Mrs. Jones, but we are aware of your . . . interaction with Amanda." She was smiling as she said this and so I understood that she was okay with my actions. "So what's the story about Wendy?" I asked her. "There are some signs of abuse, it's mainly mental but there is a degree of physical abuse as well." She said watching me closely. Anger flowed through me, and showed on my face, "How badly has she been abused?" I asked. Martha shook her head, "I'm not certain, she doesn't want to talk about it, we've have medical people examine her but she's be beaten, there is evidence of anal penetration but she still has her hymen, for the life of me I don't know why." I knew I was shocked at her frankness but my heart went out to Wendy." "Where is she at the moment?" I asked Martha. "She's at the hospital still; we didn't have anywhere to place her for the short time. If you wish to see her I can take you there now." She told me, just then Eileen entered the room carrying two cups, I was half tempted to drop everything and run to the hospital there and then, but I just couldn't . . . could I? "Eileen, I've got to go, can you get Adam and Sam in here please." I asked my secretary she nodded and went to the office. Within minutes both Adam and Samantha Hopkins had arrived, Eileen sent them straight in, "I'm sorry to do this to you both but I've got a personal problem that's just arisen, I need you both to cover for me." I said. They both agreed that they'd help me without questioning. I showed them the problem I'd been working on and the direction I was thinking about going and they left discussing it. I then dialled Clive Mortimer, "Hi Clive, I'm going to need some time off I have a family emergency to deal with." "No way! We've got too much on our plate at the moment to let you just drop everything. You can't go." Clive said. "I'm sorry you feel that way Clive, I had hoped that what I've done had helped the company, but now I need to . . ." But Clive interrupted me. "Look Johnny the answer is NO. Got it N. O! Now how's that problem we've sent you?" he asked. I hung up the phone. "Let's go." I said to Martha and picked up my jacket. As we left my office I called to Eileen, "If Clive calls you don't know where I am and you don't know who I'm with . . . I doubt if I'll be back." I said as I walked into the lift. As we descended Martha spoke, "I take it you've got troubles?" She asked. "Well it appears that I'm not allowed to have personal problems, the company comes first." I told her. "And you're with me because . . ." She prompted. "I'm with you because my daughter comes first. She needs me more than the company does, other people can do my job here, but only I can help my daughter." I told her. She nodded and smiled, "That's what I was lead to believe, do you expect any trouble when we get to reception?" I thought for a moment. If Clive was the complete bastard that I thought he might be then I could expect our burly security people would try to stop me. I pressed the 2nd floor button. "It could be that we'll need to use the fire escape instead of the front door, do you have a car handy?" I asked her "Yes, it's in the back parking lot." She said. I felt like it was a television show as Martha and I broke the plastic restraining clip on the fire doors, hearing the alarm sound as we ran down the metal fire escape and then to the car park, jumping into her car and screeching off with security guards running behind us. We both laughed as we turned onto the main road. ---- "Wheeee! Nobody told me that Social Services could be so exciting." Martha said as we turned into the Hospital parking area. I smiled ruefully, "I think I've just resigned from my job." I said. "Oh I don't think we can allow that, I'll see what I can do." Martha confided to me and escorted me to the paediatric wards. We arrived at the nurse's desk and Martha introduced me as Wendy's father, the nurse looked up surprised. "I'm sorry who did you say you were?" She asked, when Martha persisted the nurse directed us to a side-room. We entered the room to find it was empty, and then the Sister in charge of the ward entered. Martha spoke up, "What's wrong, I've identified myself and this gentleman, why haven't we been taken to Wendy?" She asked. I spoke up, "Is there something wrong with my daughter?" The Sister looked at me as if surprised I could speak. "Not with your daughter as such, but with her knowledge of you." She stated flatly. "If it's the rumour that I'm some type of pervert then I have to tell you . . ." I started but the Sister stopped me there and then. "It's not your personal life I'm on about, well in a way it is. Wendy is under the impression that you're dead!" I looked at her open mouthed. "I can assure you that I'm perfectly healthy, now why does Wendy think this?" I asked her. The Sister shook her head, "I don't know, but when we told her that her father was coming to pick her up she started to cry, we tried to tell her it wasn't the man that her mother was living with and all she would say is 'but daddy is dead!'" The Sister replied. Martha took control. "I suggest you bring Wendy into this room and we'll see how she reacts." The sister looked slightly dubious about that but went away. A nurse brought a young girl into the room and sat beside her, Martha smiled at Wendy, "Hello again Wendy, do you remember me?" She asked. Wendy nodded and looked at me as if trying to decide who I was, she walked to me and then looked at my face, she was biting her lower lip as if trying to make up her mind. "You look like my daddy did." She said softly. "I am your daddy Wendy." I said, also quietly but she shook her head. "You can't be! Mummy told me that daddy was dead a long time ago." She said in a decisive tone. "But your mummy and I broke up several years ago." "No, mummy told me that you didn't want to see us again, that was why you threw us out and we moved in with HIM!" There was a tone to that last piece. "It wasn't like that Wendy, but at the moment I'm sure you wouldn't believe that." I said, not forcibly I didn't want to upset her. She shook her head a sat down on a chair, not looking at anyone. I gave a worried glance at Martha who just shook her head slightly. "But . . . but why would mummy? . . . but mummy said . . . dad . . . daddy?" Wendy said looking at me confused. I nodded my head. "Yes Wendy, I am your dad, I've been waiting to see you for so long, I've missed you darling." I said - yes there were tears in my eyes. "Why did you leave us?" Wendy asked me. "I didn't, your mother told me that she didn't want to stay with me, she left me taking you with her." I said, "Will you come back to me?" I asked her softly. "Do you want me to? You won't send me away again will you?" Wendy asked me through tear laden eyes. I got up from my seat and approached my daughter, I went down onto my knees so that my head was level with hers and I looked into her eyes. "Wendy I promise you that while I live you will not have to leave me, unless you wish to." I said to her, while crossing my heart with a finger - something I had jokingly done when she had been with me. She watched my hand rather than my face and then she smiled, "DADDY!" she said and threw her arms around my neck. Martha, who had been watching both of us, nodded her head. "I'm satisfied that Wendy has accepted her father and will release her into his care." She said formally, if you wouldn't mind bringing Wendy's clothes and I'll have a word with the Sister in charge." Martha said taking the nurse out of the room leaving me with my daughter. |