He Gave It All Away
He gave it all away (this was actually written in 1999) The old shopkeeper, who was almost bald, came up to Jacky and peered out of the rims of his steel-framed glasses. The Parrot was sitting on top of his cage and started to talk. ‘Did he really say all that’ asked Jacky.’ ‘Oh yes you can teach him anything, look he even like to drink out of my cup at tea times’. He replied. ‘How much is he’, she asked. ‘500.00 pound’ replied the shopkeeper. ‘500.00 pounds! You must be joking’ replied Jacky... But still, he was worth it, Jack bought him straight away. Harry was an African Grey; it took him 3 months before he said his first word. He was intelligent indeed. Before long Harry would pick up the colors from a pack of pencils. When the telephone rang, he would copy it. Ricky was always arguing with Jacky. She would wash and cook for him he would not give her any housekeeping money. Jacky felt much trapped her only escape was the time and joy she had with talking to Harry. She felt like she was made to look like some sort of a coward, she could walk out this very minute, than who would cook for him. Sometimes when Ricky was at work, Harry would start to mimic every word of argument. Jack could not believe at the amount of word coming out of Harry’s head. Every morning as soon as Ricky went to work, Jacky would go upstairs and collect his was clothes and tidies the bedrooms. Jack took the heap of wash clothes downstairs, “Are you good boy?” Said Harry as usual. Jack was so happy just to hear his voice. Jacky had to empty the pocket before putting them in the wash. As she went through Ricky’s trouser she found a letter. She sat on the floor to read it. It was signed Sam. I’ll see you at 3 0 clock during our late lunch break, I cannot wait to go abroad on that business trip! Jack was so shocked that she put her head in her hands and had a good cry. No wonder he keeps being rude to me, he has another girlfriend. What good will that does if l confront him’. So she put the letter back and took his trouser up stairs as if she knew nothing about it. I shall ring him up at 3 O’clock and ask where he is. That’s no good because all they would say is that he is on lunch break. With all the stress, Jacky started to get a migraine attack. She did not confront Ricky, but fell asleep. Next morning he went to work without saying goodbye or even asking her how she was feeling. He had no feeling at all about Jacky. Jacky carried on doing the housework as usual during the same routine, cooking and ironing his clothes, now she was beginning to feel like just a slave. That was left behind just to look after his house for him. He never took her out once since the 20 years of marriage. ‘Rock a bye baby on a tree top, when the cradle rocks the baby shall sleep’, sang Harry. He picked the word with in 3 weeks. He was so amusing that the depression that Jacky had in her started to lift. Her attention was more and more on Harry. He was her only escape from the reality of life. Every morning Harry would speak full sentences, it would chat on for about half an hour. Than all morning he would be quite. At 1’0clock he would start to talk again, sometimes he could shout like Ricky does. He was such a joy. ‘I don’t what I would do without you’, Jack would say to Harry. Soon Harry would be repeating these words to her. ‘He treats me like a slave’, replies Harry. He was a great pal. And could bring laughter and smiles on Jacky face. Tears rolled down Jacky’s cheek, and she stood ironing her husband’s shirt. Ricky was assistance Manager; Jacky had to make sure her husband looked smart. She felt like she was being used. ‘If I didn’t iron his clothes, to make him look smart may be that Sam woman might have not liked him’. She started to blame herself for a lot of thing. Jacky found another letter in his shirt pocket. It read, Dear Ricky, Thank you for that expensive perfume, you must have spent a bomb it. PS I hope you like that after-shave. It’s my favorite you know. Loves you lots, Jacky read no further, ‘now he is spending money on this other woman!’ Jacky cried out loud. There was no question in it, when Jacky asked for a couple of pound to go to Ealing just to do the grocery, Ricky violently, broke a plate in front of her. Now she was that scared to ask. The same answer would be fired at her. I go to work I pay the bills. But no one paid Jacky to do the housework. No one paid her to look nice. Jacky never wasted a penny in the twenty years married to Ricky. Because he was well loaded with money now, he had no right to abuse her that is mentally. Out of the 40 pounds for the grocery, sometimes, Jacky would have a couple of pounds left, of which she would save up for special occasion. During the sales in the local shop, she saw a jumper, which originally was for 14 pounds and was put on the sale rack for 2 pounds. There was as lot of dropped stitches. Jacky bought it anyway. When she got it home, she took out her crochet hook, and picked the stitches up. Now it looks like the 14-pound jumper, thought Jacky. Jacky picked up the wash basket, and stepped into the garden, the wind hit her face. It was not a bad day, just windy, just right for the washing. As she hung the clothes, she caught eye of the next door neighbor. Who didn’t even bat an eyelid, he must think that I am just some sort of run of the mill person. Even the old man next door couldn’t find Jacky attractive, or was he just plain ignorant. At 7 o’clock it was the usual routine, Ricky’s food had to be ready on the table when he came home from work. She heard the key turn, and as he came straight to the kitchen, like a hungry dog. He stumbled to the table; there was smell of mixed alcohol and after-shave. It was such an over powering smell that it killed the smell of the roast. ‘Where’s my suite case’, he asked Jacky. ‘I’ll look for it’, replied Jacky. He looked dazed with laughter on his face; he was so drunk he didn’t know what she was talking about. His dinner was on the table, he sat down to eat it, and suddenly he got up and vomited in the kitchen sink. Moaning and groaning he went and lay down on the sofa. ‘Sam, Sam, I love you’, he kept shouting. The following morning Ricky had gone to work. Jacky felt much better and went to the kitchen to have some breakfast. ‘I love you Sam’. It was her husband what was he doing back home, thought Jacky. ‘I love you Sam, are you good boy?’ It was only Harry! He was picking up everything! His voice sounded exactly like Ricky. For a moment she thought it was Ricky. That very minute Jacky put everything down and went up to Harry. She had joy in her heart, and was pleased that it was Harry and not her husband. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you’, said Harry. ‘I don’ know what I’d do without you’, laughed Jacky. . It was Friday, now when Ricky came in, and demanded for the packed suite case. ‘I’m not feeling well, please leave me alone’ Jacky said panicking. ‘Please leave me alone, I got a migraine,’ cried Jacky. He heard her voice. She could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer. The migraine attack was getting worse and worse she could hardly see. Her vision was distorted due to the Migraine. She could smell that strong smell. Before she knew it, Ricky got hold of her hair and pulls her off the sofa. He was shouting, ‘You stupid cow, your haven’t washed my clothes’. She opened her eye, and could only see half of his face. She than felt a very sharp kick to her back. ‘Please don’t kick me Ricky, please Ricky don’t hurt me.’ He got on his knees and put his hands around her neck and shouted. I won’t hurt you; I’m going to kill you’. He’s hands were so tight, that her vital organs were deprived of oxygen, it didn’t take long before her body went limp. Ricky fell backwards on the floor, exhausted and fell asleep. He put his arms around Jack’s dead body. ‘ Sam I love you’ he muttered. In the morning, he realized what he had done. He got up quickly and shook Jacky; it was no good she was dead. He had to do something fast. He took her upstairs and made everything look like as if someone else had murdered her. Before he went out, he smashed the kitchen window, and left the back door open. Obviously hoping that burglars would come in and help themselves to anything they want and would get blamed for the death of his wife. A week had passed, when Mr. Higgins noticed the broken window, He went around the front of the house and saw the door was wide open, he went in, it was dark in the living room the curtains were drawn. ‘Are you there Madam?’ he called. He walked into the bedroom, it was a mess, and he saw Jacky on the floor. He quickly got to her and felt her pulse it was not there. She was stone cold. He immediately he phoned the police. Mr. Higgins who had found her was arrested as they found his footprints all over the house, and they did not believe that he had left his footprints whilst was looking for the telephone. Ricky was notified, whilst on his trip. The police took Harry in care, as Ricky didn’t have the time to look after him. So the staff in the office was caring him. ‘It’s no good he has to go’ he is too noisy. ‘If anyone want him they can have him at their own home, or we have to give him away to the RSPCA. ‘Oh no, don’t do that’ cried Jane, ‘I’ll have him; at least he can keep me company after work’. Jane took her new pet home. It took him another 3 weeks before he was fully speaking with confidence. ‘See you after work’, said Harry. He was repeating her voice in the exact tone. One day Harry shouted, ‘I am going to kill you’ Jane put two and two together; here she had a murder mystery. Harry always said, ‘I love you Sam’. He never said I love you Jacky. Her husband must have been having an affair thought Jane. Sometimes, the parrot would make smashing noise and repeating out arguments between the two couples. Jane pulled out the file on the couple and read it. At home she continued to write down every sentence that Harry could repeat. The story was unfolding before her eyes. It was like a puzzle at first. Than it click. ‘ It was her husband who had killed his wife’; the wrong person was in prison. thought Jane. Harry was handed to the forensic team, with the pile of paperwork in what Harry said was also hand to them. Mr. Ricky was arrested and admitted to manslaughter. Harry was given star treatment, and was on every front line paper with the heading, ‘He gave it all away’.
Copyright © 2006 Amarjit Bhambra |