Jay and the International Exchange (MF/fF)
Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2022 5:07 pm
1 pm
“Did you enjoy the rehearsal Elsa,” Helga asked as she looked round from the driver’s seat. “I certainly did – and it gave us both the chance to dress up.”
“Yeah, it did,” the eleven year old said as she looked out of the window. “These clothes are very different from my shorts and leggings.
“It was acceptable in the eighties, when I was your age,” Helga said as she looked in the rear view mirror at her granddaughter. “And it gives me a chance to relive something of my lost youth as well.”
“Got to say, it makes you look good,” Elsa said with a smile. Helga was wearing a large baggy sweater, yellow on the top and lime green on the bottom, faded blue jeans and over the knee white leather boots with a short heel. Her long grey-blonde hair fell loosely over her shoulders.
Helga smiled as she turned the corner, and looked back at Elsa. The young girl had her dark hair in a ponytail, held there by a flower band, and was wearing a white dress with a mesh top and a knee length pleated leather skirt. The skirt had a band of studs at the waist and a little lower down, the round necked matching top also with rows of studs. Finally, she was also wearing a pair of over the knee white leather boots.
“So did you hear from Mum and Dad?”
“I did – they will call tomorrow afternoon,” Helga said as she approached the driveway to her home. “In the meantime, Suki and Alison are coming round this afternoon, so the girls will be here as well.”
“Good – I told them what I had to wear today, and they promised they would come dressed in a similar way,” Elsa said with a smile as Helga turned into the driveway that led to her house. It was an old manor house, which stood at the top of a small hill which she drove up the driveway to. Coming to the top of the hill, she parked to the side of the front door of the house, smiling as she got out and the soles of her boots crunching on the gravel.
Elsa jumped out of the rear of the car and followed her grandmother to the front door, waiting as she unlocked and opened it before she ran into the front room. Helga closed the door and smiled as she made her way to the kitchen, intending to make some coffee – and then stopped as she saw the door leading to the rear of the house was open.
“What the… hmghdddhruhh?”
The leather gloved hand that was camped over her mouth took her by surprise as she heard a man speaking – a man who said in a soft Geordie accent “Now then, I need you to remain calm, Helga – you need to hear what I have to say….”
“Who are you?”
“Wehl, mah name is Mrs McPhee,” one of the two women in the front room said as she looked at the young girl, “ahn this is mah friend Ophelia.”
“Hello Elsa,” the other woman said with an American accent, “come and sit between us.” Elsa looked at both of them – they were wearing grey boiler suits, leather gloves and short boots, but they also both had balaclavas on, covering their heads so that only their eyes and mouths were visible.
“Are you – are you robbing Gran?”
“In a way,” Mrs McPhee said in her sift Scottish accent, “cum ahn sit doon, ah’ll explain.” Something in the way she spoke was calming Elsa, as she slowly walked over and sat between the two masked women.
“Noo then – we’re here wi a couple of freends,” Mrs McPhee said, “ahn yes, we are robbing yer gran – but her business, no her.”
“What it does mean, however,” Ophelia said with a smile, “is we need to make sure that you, your grandmother, and anyone else who comes here today cannot raise the alarm. It means we need you to do what we tell you to do, but we promise you, we are going to do nothing to hurt you, or your friends.”
“But you’re robbers – does that mean you are going to tie me up and stop me talking?”
“Yes,” Ophelia said quietly, “but let us show you it’s nothing to be scared of. Mrs McPhee?”
“Elsa, mah wee dahling,” the other woman said as she took from a pocket a length of white cord, “can ye put yer hands togefer in prayer?” The young girl looked at her, and then nodded as she heled her hands together, palm to palm, in front of herself. Ophelia smiled as Mrs McPhee doubled over a length of white rope, and then pulled it tight, keeping Elsa’s wrists together before she took the rope around and between her arms. It only took five minutes, but when the masked woman had finished Elsa was unable to move her wrists apart.
“Duhs it hurt?”
“No,” Elsa whispered as she moved her hands around, “it doesn’t hurt. Why doesn’t it hurt?”
“Because we know what we are doing,” Ophelia said with a smile as she stroked the hair away from Elsa’s face. “Now, I want you to put your ankles together – Mrs McPhee will then make sure they stay together in the same way as your wrists. Ready?”
Elsa nodded as Mrs McPhee knelt on the floor, doubling over another length of the white rope before she wrapped it round her booted ankles and pulled them together.
“So, what are you going to do if the telephone rings, Helga?”
“I will say I cannot talk at the moment, and then hang up,” Helga said as she looked at the three men in the kitchen. All three were identically dressed – grey boiler suits, gloves and boots, and balaclava masks only showing their mouths and eyes.
“And if anyone calls at the door, apart from those you are expecting?”
“I will say it is a bad time, and ask them to go.”
“Good,” the man speaking said in his North of England accent. “Internet?”
“Access disabled,” one of the other two men said “as are the alarm systems Jay.”
“Good,” Jay Edwards said with a smile, before he turned to the second man. “Go to an upstairs room, keep an eye out, inform me if others arrive.”
As he left the kitchen, Jay passed Helga a mug of coffee. “I promise you; my friends are taking good care of your granddaughter – and all of you are going to have a great adventure today.
“So long as you do as I say.”
“I should not believe you,” Helga said quietly “but – I do. Why is that?”
“Natural charm?” Jay smiled as he looked at the clock, and then said “so, when are…”
The sound of his phone ringing made him fall silent, before he removed it and said “yes?
“Good.” Putting the phone away, he stood up and said “you have a visitor. Invite them to come in – and let them be surprised.”
Helga nodded as she slowly walked to the front door as the bell rang, and then opened it. A young Japanese woman was standing there, wearing a blue and white pinstripe shirt over a black vest, and dark blue jeans with the legs tucked into a pair of soft white leather cowboy style boots.
“Suki,” Helga said with a smile, “are the girls with you?”
“They are – Soo, Jen, come on,” Suki said as she stood to thew side and allowed her daughters to come over. The youngest was five years old, and was wearing a blue denim waistcoat over a long sleeved white top, and pink jeans with the legs tucked into her own over the knee white leather boots. She also had a pink hat on her head.
Her other daughter was a year older, and was wearing a black jumper with tiger print shorts, and over the knee black leather boots. “Can we come in, Aunt Helga,” she said with a smile.
Helga nodded and said “of course, Jen,” standing to one side as the two girls ran in – and they both stopped as Suki came in to find a masked man closing the door.
“Mummy…”
“Don’t be afraid, Soo,” the masked man said as both girls saw a masked woman come out of the front room. “Why don’t you both go with Mrs McPhee here?”
They both looked at Suki, who nodded as they went with Mrs McPhee, and she heard Elsa say “Heethrrr – chmhndjhnmh…”
“Did you enjoy the rehearsal Elsa,” Helga asked as she looked round from the driver’s seat. “I certainly did – and it gave us both the chance to dress up.”
“Yeah, it did,” the eleven year old said as she looked out of the window. “These clothes are very different from my shorts and leggings.
“It was acceptable in the eighties, when I was your age,” Helga said as she looked in the rear view mirror at her granddaughter. “And it gives me a chance to relive something of my lost youth as well.”
“Got to say, it makes you look good,” Elsa said with a smile. Helga was wearing a large baggy sweater, yellow on the top and lime green on the bottom, faded blue jeans and over the knee white leather boots with a short heel. Her long grey-blonde hair fell loosely over her shoulders.
Helga smiled as she turned the corner, and looked back at Elsa. The young girl had her dark hair in a ponytail, held there by a flower band, and was wearing a white dress with a mesh top and a knee length pleated leather skirt. The skirt had a band of studs at the waist and a little lower down, the round necked matching top also with rows of studs. Finally, she was also wearing a pair of over the knee white leather boots.
“So did you hear from Mum and Dad?”
“I did – they will call tomorrow afternoon,” Helga said as she approached the driveway to her home. “In the meantime, Suki and Alison are coming round this afternoon, so the girls will be here as well.”
“Good – I told them what I had to wear today, and they promised they would come dressed in a similar way,” Elsa said with a smile as Helga turned into the driveway that led to her house. It was an old manor house, which stood at the top of a small hill which she drove up the driveway to. Coming to the top of the hill, she parked to the side of the front door of the house, smiling as she got out and the soles of her boots crunching on the gravel.
Elsa jumped out of the rear of the car and followed her grandmother to the front door, waiting as she unlocked and opened it before she ran into the front room. Helga closed the door and smiled as she made her way to the kitchen, intending to make some coffee – and then stopped as she saw the door leading to the rear of the house was open.
“What the… hmghdddhruhh?”
The leather gloved hand that was camped over her mouth took her by surprise as she heard a man speaking – a man who said in a soft Geordie accent “Now then, I need you to remain calm, Helga – you need to hear what I have to say….”
“Who are you?”
“Wehl, mah name is Mrs McPhee,” one of the two women in the front room said as she looked at the young girl, “ahn this is mah friend Ophelia.”
“Hello Elsa,” the other woman said with an American accent, “come and sit between us.” Elsa looked at both of them – they were wearing grey boiler suits, leather gloves and short boots, but they also both had balaclavas on, covering their heads so that only their eyes and mouths were visible.
“Are you – are you robbing Gran?”
“In a way,” Mrs McPhee said in her sift Scottish accent, “cum ahn sit doon, ah’ll explain.” Something in the way she spoke was calming Elsa, as she slowly walked over and sat between the two masked women.
“Noo then – we’re here wi a couple of freends,” Mrs McPhee said, “ahn yes, we are robbing yer gran – but her business, no her.”
“What it does mean, however,” Ophelia said with a smile, “is we need to make sure that you, your grandmother, and anyone else who comes here today cannot raise the alarm. It means we need you to do what we tell you to do, but we promise you, we are going to do nothing to hurt you, or your friends.”
“But you’re robbers – does that mean you are going to tie me up and stop me talking?”
“Yes,” Ophelia said quietly, “but let us show you it’s nothing to be scared of. Mrs McPhee?”
“Elsa, mah wee dahling,” the other woman said as she took from a pocket a length of white cord, “can ye put yer hands togefer in prayer?” The young girl looked at her, and then nodded as she heled her hands together, palm to palm, in front of herself. Ophelia smiled as Mrs McPhee doubled over a length of white rope, and then pulled it tight, keeping Elsa’s wrists together before she took the rope around and between her arms. It only took five minutes, but when the masked woman had finished Elsa was unable to move her wrists apart.
“Duhs it hurt?”
“No,” Elsa whispered as she moved her hands around, “it doesn’t hurt. Why doesn’t it hurt?”
“Because we know what we are doing,” Ophelia said with a smile as she stroked the hair away from Elsa’s face. “Now, I want you to put your ankles together – Mrs McPhee will then make sure they stay together in the same way as your wrists. Ready?”
Elsa nodded as Mrs McPhee knelt on the floor, doubling over another length of the white rope before she wrapped it round her booted ankles and pulled them together.
“So, what are you going to do if the telephone rings, Helga?”
“I will say I cannot talk at the moment, and then hang up,” Helga said as she looked at the three men in the kitchen. All three were identically dressed – grey boiler suits, gloves and boots, and balaclava masks only showing their mouths and eyes.
“And if anyone calls at the door, apart from those you are expecting?”
“I will say it is a bad time, and ask them to go.”
“Good,” the man speaking said in his North of England accent. “Internet?”
“Access disabled,” one of the other two men said “as are the alarm systems Jay.”
“Good,” Jay Edwards said with a smile, before he turned to the second man. “Go to an upstairs room, keep an eye out, inform me if others arrive.”
As he left the kitchen, Jay passed Helga a mug of coffee. “I promise you; my friends are taking good care of your granddaughter – and all of you are going to have a great adventure today.
“So long as you do as I say.”
“I should not believe you,” Helga said quietly “but – I do. Why is that?”
“Natural charm?” Jay smiled as he looked at the clock, and then said “so, when are…”
The sound of his phone ringing made him fall silent, before he removed it and said “yes?
“Good.” Putting the phone away, he stood up and said “you have a visitor. Invite them to come in – and let them be surprised.”
Helga nodded as she slowly walked to the front door as the bell rang, and then opened it. A young Japanese woman was standing there, wearing a blue and white pinstripe shirt over a black vest, and dark blue jeans with the legs tucked into a pair of soft white leather cowboy style boots.
“Suki,” Helga said with a smile, “are the girls with you?”
“They are – Soo, Jen, come on,” Suki said as she stood to thew side and allowed her daughters to come over. The youngest was five years old, and was wearing a blue denim waistcoat over a long sleeved white top, and pink jeans with the legs tucked into her own over the knee white leather boots. She also had a pink hat on her head.
Her other daughter was a year older, and was wearing a black jumper with tiger print shorts, and over the knee black leather boots. “Can we come in, Aunt Helga,” she said with a smile.
Helga nodded and said “of course, Jen,” standing to one side as the two girls ran in – and they both stopped as Suki came in to find a masked man closing the door.
“Mummy…”
“Don’t be afraid, Soo,” the masked man said as both girls saw a masked woman come out of the front room. “Why don’t you both go with Mrs McPhee here?”
They both looked at Suki, who nodded as they went with Mrs McPhee, and she heard Elsa say “Heethrrr – chmhndjhnmh…”