Chapter 5: A Look OF Horror

‘When I take you home shortly, your new life begins in earnest, and I suggest you think of your mum and dad as being dead. Your mum knew you were being raped. She also knew when Ashley was being raped. When questioned, her only concern was keeping it quiet so that the neighbours, and her friends at church, wouldn’t know about it.’

‘She had no concern for either of you. Your dad, for an unknown reason had a thing about fifteen-year-old girls. He attacked Ashley when she was fifteen, just like you.’ ‘Why didn’t she leave and get a flat when she was eighteen?’ Sarah asked sounding puzzled.

‘Because of you.’ Cliff told her. ‘She reasoned that whilst he was attacking her, he would leave you alone. But if she left, he would turn on you instead. Fortunately, just after she realised he had attacked you the first time, she was told about me. That’s how he was stopped.’

Sarah sat in silence digesting what she had just been told. ‘Are you saying that Ashley deliberately put up with his attacks just to save me?’ she said, struggling to accept it. ‘Yes.’ Cliff answered. ‘Her love for her sister was greater than any concern for herself.’

‘Now, one last thing.’ Cliff told her. ‘We go to the same school. I don’t remember seeing you at school before, but it’s sods law that we will bump into each other often now. When we see each other, I will smile and pass by. If you want to say hello, I’ll say hello back. But if you want to ignore me, I’ll understand why and do the same, and I won’t be at all offended.’

‘Do you have any questions before we go?’ ‘When we were making love Sarah said, then broke off and beamed at him, ‘It feels so wonderful to be able to say that.’ she told him. ‘I noticed that you suddenly slowed down a little. Can you tell me why?’

‘A man’s special feeling starts and builds up, just like your orgasm,’ Cliff told her. ‘As soon as he feels it start, he knows he’s likely to fire very soon. But if he fires before you have your orgasm, his cock will go soft and you would lose out, a soft cock can’t give you an orgasm.’

‘So, your boyfriend should make every effort to make sure you get that before he fires. He won’t always succeed, but he should be trying.’ On an occasion that he fails, he can of course give you one with his finger, but obviously that’s second best.’

They locked up and left. As they walked to the new flat, Sarah linked arms with him. At the flat, Cliff took her to her door and was about to turn away. ‘Wait,’ Sarah told him, ‘Ashley said she wanted to see you.’ Sarah let them in and Ashley appeared.

Sarah threw herself into her sister’s arms and burst into tears. ‘I’m so sorry for what you suffered for me,’ she managed to say between sobs, ‘Thank you, and I love you so much.’ They held each other for a while, then Ashley told Cliff, ‘I got the first child allowance payment into the bank today, so all is well.’

‘Good.’ Cliff said, ‘Make sure you both have a good life.’ ‘Will we see you again?’ Sarah asked. ‘Probably not,’ Cliff told her, ‘My job is done now. But we’ll always be special friends, and you know where I am if you ever need me.’ ‘If you like, we can say goodbye with a three-way hug.’ Ashley and Sarah both went straight to him and they all hugged.

‘We’ll never forget what you’ve done for us.’ Ashley told him. They both gave him a kiss on the cheek, then they saw him out. As he walked home, Cliff felt very happy.

SUNDAY - RAILWAY

Cliff and Rosemary arrived to find the place a hive of activity. The seventy-five-foot-long hole that Luke had been digging last week was now filled up to ground level with concrete. All the re-enforcing mesh that had gone into it could no longer be seen.

Luke and Mitch, plus four of the others, were busy manhandling big ten inch by two-inch steel beams into place on top of it. These would act as rails to unload the engine on. They were being positioned on five-foot long half inch thick by three-inch-wide steel bars.

There were thirteen of them, acting like sleepers, one at each and the others spaced out at six-foot intervals. Mitch had fixed two blocks of wood across an eight inch by two-inch wooden plank. They were set apart at four-foot eight and a half inches, the standard UK gauge for railway track.