‹ Prequel: Purple Hearts
Hope
Bad News
Sitting in the back of the car that was taking them home from their surprise gig, Mike, Billie and Tre all had the same smile on their face.
Because they’d done it.
They’d got back together and surprised everyone at the same time. They were so happy.
They’d been planning it for months; they’d given each other code names, GD1, GD2 and GD3 just in case anyone suspected anything.
Ramona was the only one that Tre had told, he’d told her their secret and she’d kept it from everyone. She’d enjoyed being told it and it had made him closer to her. She’d even helped organise the surprise gig.
Mike hadn’t told anyone and neither had Billie but it had been difficult for him not to tell Franky, he was dying to let her in on the secret but at the same time wanted it to be special for her.
His smile grew wider as he remembered the moment he’d asked her to marry him. He could see her face clearly, her beautiful face had lit up as she’d said yes to his proposal and at this moment in time as the car took them home to Tre’s for drinks he felt as thought he was the happiest man alive.
“I can’t wait to record the new stuff,” said Tre turning to Billie. He was glad Billie was marrying Franky, they were meant to be together and it was about time they were. Franky needed to tell Billie about Hope, that was the only thing that concerned him. He just wished it would all turn out perfectly, that Hope would be Billie’s child and they all would live happily ever after like in a fairytale but something told Tre it wasn’t going to be quite that easy.
The car slowed down and they heard the driver speak into his earpiece.
“OK man, I’ll take a different direction.”
“Everything OK?” Said Mike who was now anxious to get back to his Jen. She'd decided not to come out after all. He was worried sick about her.
“There’s been some sort of incident up ahead and the roads are blocked, I’m just going to take a different route.” The driver said he span the car round.
**
The car pulled up onto Tre’s driveway and they all piled out. Julia was at the door, she must have been looking out for them.
“You were ages, what took so long?” She said, Ramona, Emily and Estelle appearing behind her.
“There was some sort of incident the driver said so we had to take a detour. The traffic was awful. Hey I thought Franky and everyone would be back here by now,” said Tre glancing around his driveway wondering where the little red mini was.
“Perhaps they got caught up in the traffic somewhere,” said Mike.
“I hope they’re back soon,” replied Tre as they all entered the house. “Little Hope will be due her feed.”
Half an hour later…
They’d all got themselves a drink, Julia had put some snacks out onto plates but still no sign of Franky, Hope, Adrienne and Charlie.
“Shall I call her up?” said Ramona.
“Its probably just the traffic,” said Mike. “But I have to go shortly, I need to see if Jen’s OK.” He said finishing off his drink.
“Yeah but they were getting in their car at the same time as us, they couldn’t have been far behind us and we didn’t get held up. We must have just missed the incident by minutes.” Ramona said.
Tre’s heart started pounding and Billie felt sick. They both reached for their phones at the same time and began calling Franky’s phone.
“It’s switched off.” They both said at the same time, just before the house doorbell went.
“There she is,” said Tre, a wide smile appearing across his face. “She must have been caught up after all, and poor Hope must be hungry, Julia could you warm up Hope’s milk?” he said going out of the room to answer the door. “And she must have forgotten her key. What is she like?”
But it wasn’t Franky.
There were two policemen at the door when Tre opened it. Two policemen who took off their hats as soon as he opened the door.
“Mr Wright?” One of them said, the smaller one of the two.
“Yes, what is it?” Said Tre. He couldn’t think straight. Why were they here? Where was Franky? Hope would need her feed.
“May we come in?” Said the other one, tall, much taller than the other one.
Tre just let them passed, his heart beating fast as he followed the policemen into the room where everyone else was.
He heard Julia gasp as she saw them, he noticed that Billie’s face had turned ashen white, Ramona was chewing her thumbnail, Emily stood up and went over to Julia who took hold of her daughter’s hand. Mike was just sitting there in a daze, Estelle holding onto his hand while he, Tre didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be somewhere else; he wanted to be with his daughter and granddaughter. Where the hell were they? He didn’t like this. Why were these two policemen here?
“I’m afraid we have bad news.” Said the shorter of the two policemen. “There was an incident earlier, a traffic accident involving a car and a lorry. I’m afraid it was your daughter’s car that was involved Mr Wright.” He said turning to Tre who felt as though he was somewhere else, in another place because this wasn’t really happening. He reached out to hold onto the back of a chair.
Ramona, Estelle and Emily started crying as the policeman finished what he had to say.
“I’m afraid there’s been a fatality. The driver has been killed and the other three passengers have been taken to hospital. One has been seriously injured.”
That was the moment Tre passed out.
Because they’d done it.
They’d got back together and surprised everyone at the same time. They were so happy.
They’d been planning it for months; they’d given each other code names, GD1, GD2 and GD3 just in case anyone suspected anything.
Ramona was the only one that Tre had told, he’d told her their secret and she’d kept it from everyone. She’d enjoyed being told it and it had made him closer to her. She’d even helped organise the surprise gig.
Mike hadn’t told anyone and neither had Billie but it had been difficult for him not to tell Franky, he was dying to let her in on the secret but at the same time wanted it to be special for her.
His smile grew wider as he remembered the moment he’d asked her to marry him. He could see her face clearly, her beautiful face had lit up as she’d said yes to his proposal and at this moment in time as the car took them home to Tre’s for drinks he felt as thought he was the happiest man alive.
“I can’t wait to record the new stuff,” said Tre turning to Billie. He was glad Billie was marrying Franky, they were meant to be together and it was about time they were. Franky needed to tell Billie about Hope, that was the only thing that concerned him. He just wished it would all turn out perfectly, that Hope would be Billie’s child and they all would live happily ever after like in a fairytale but something told Tre it wasn’t going to be quite that easy.
The car slowed down and they heard the driver speak into his earpiece.
“OK man, I’ll take a different direction.”
“Everything OK?” Said Mike who was now anxious to get back to his Jen. She'd decided not to come out after all. He was worried sick about her.
“There’s been some sort of incident up ahead and the roads are blocked, I’m just going to take a different route.” The driver said he span the car round.
**
The car pulled up onto Tre’s driveway and they all piled out. Julia was at the door, she must have been looking out for them.
“You were ages, what took so long?” She said, Ramona, Emily and Estelle appearing behind her.
“There was some sort of incident the driver said so we had to take a detour. The traffic was awful. Hey I thought Franky and everyone would be back here by now,” said Tre glancing around his driveway wondering where the little red mini was.
“Perhaps they got caught up in the traffic somewhere,” said Mike.
“I hope they’re back soon,” replied Tre as they all entered the house. “Little Hope will be due her feed.”
Half an hour later…
They’d all got themselves a drink, Julia had put some snacks out onto plates but still no sign of Franky, Hope, Adrienne and Charlie.
“Shall I call her up?” said Ramona.
“Its probably just the traffic,” said Mike. “But I have to go shortly, I need to see if Jen’s OK.” He said finishing off his drink.
“Yeah but they were getting in their car at the same time as us, they couldn’t have been far behind us and we didn’t get held up. We must have just missed the incident by minutes.” Ramona said.
Tre’s heart started pounding and Billie felt sick. They both reached for their phones at the same time and began calling Franky’s phone.
“It’s switched off.” They both said at the same time, just before the house doorbell went.
“There she is,” said Tre, a wide smile appearing across his face. “She must have been caught up after all, and poor Hope must be hungry, Julia could you warm up Hope’s milk?” he said going out of the room to answer the door. “And she must have forgotten her key. What is she like?”
But it wasn’t Franky.
There were two policemen at the door when Tre opened it. Two policemen who took off their hats as soon as he opened the door.
“Mr Wright?” One of them said, the smaller one of the two.
“Yes, what is it?” Said Tre. He couldn’t think straight. Why were they here? Where was Franky? Hope would need her feed.
“May we come in?” Said the other one, tall, much taller than the other one.
Tre just let them passed, his heart beating fast as he followed the policemen into the room where everyone else was.
He heard Julia gasp as she saw them, he noticed that Billie’s face had turned ashen white, Ramona was chewing her thumbnail, Emily stood up and went over to Julia who took hold of her daughter’s hand. Mike was just sitting there in a daze, Estelle holding onto his hand while he, Tre didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be somewhere else; he wanted to be with his daughter and granddaughter. Where the hell were they? He didn’t like this. Why were these two policemen here?
“I’m afraid we have bad news.” Said the shorter of the two policemen. “There was an incident earlier, a traffic accident involving a car and a lorry. I’m afraid it was your daughter’s car that was involved Mr Wright.” He said turning to Tre who felt as though he was somewhere else, in another place because this wasn’t really happening. He reached out to hold onto the back of a chair.
Ramona, Estelle and Emily started crying as the policeman finished what he had to say.
“I’m afraid there’s been a fatality. The driver has been killed and the other three passengers have been taken to hospital. One has been seriously injured.”
That was the moment Tre passed out.