A Time To Pay

by David Woods

  In the morning he awoke feeling much better but still weak. Breakfast was the first meal he had had for a long time, but he could not eat much. He tried again to ring his wife, but was once more unsuccessful in obtaining a line, and was just wondering what to do next when he heard a knock at his bedroom door. His heart sank and he froze, but when he heard another knock he slowly opened the door convinced that uniformed men would be standing there. Andrew smiled at him. “Hello Brian. My God! You do look bad.”

  “Thank God it’s you, Andrew.”

  “I’ve come to take you to the airport.”

  “Those are the sweetest words I’ve heard for a long time.”

  “Yes. I imagine things have been pretty bad.”

  “Things have been bloody awful.”

  Andrew picked up his bags and they walked slowly down to the car, drove to the airport and the plane took off almost as soon as he boarded.

  At work on Monday Anna had to face questions about Brian’s return, and had to hold back the tears as she announced. “He will be back soon.” She sat in his office trying to concentrate on the correspondence awaiting attention, but just drifted into thoughts of gloom. She had tried to prepare herself for very bad news, and was sure the next call would be to announce his life sentence or worse.

  She was in a deep state of depression when the Foreign Office did eventually ring, and her heart sank even further until a cheerful voice said “Good news, Mrs. Wilkins. Your husband is on his way home.”

  “That is fantastic! Wonderful! I just cannot believe it.”

  “It’s true. You can meet him in a couple of hours.”

  “I will be there.” She broke down and cried with joy.

  Brian walked slowly from the customs hall as Anna arrived. She stood rooted to the spot, stunned and shocked at his appearance. He looks ten years older, she thought.

  Their reunion was tearful. For Brian the relief at seeing Anna again was so overwhelming he had to sit down. Another pair of tearful eyes watched the scene from a distance. Irina guessed what he had been through, and wished she could comfort him but wrenched herself away unobserved.

  Anna said “I cannot believe how lucky I am to have you back.”

  “I’m the one who’s lucky, having a wonderful woman like you to come back to.”

  “I would have waited for you for ever.”

  “Do you think I’ve paid for taking those stolen diamonds?

  “Yes, my love, many times over.”

  A Time To Pay. By David Woods.