Writing for Fun
April 2016
Vengeance - Maureen Rampersaud
The young man looked startled when Margaret picked up his pen from the floor and touched his arm.
'Excuse me, but you dropped this when you were asleep.'
'I wasn't asleep,' he said defensively.
'Of course. I find I think better when I close my eyes too, especially on train journeys.'
Margaret felt a rush of maternal feeling towards him. He had such an air of sadness about him. It made her think of Jon.
'My grandson is about your age, he's just started university, but he's very unhappy and I'm worried about him. Are you planning to go to university?'
He wanted to ignore her, but his early training in good manners forced him to emit a grudging,'No.'
Margaret was undeterred.
'Jon is a bit of a loner and he misses the few friends had down here. So different from his sister, vivacious and chatty, chalk and cheese those two!'
Before he could take evasive action, Margaret was waving a photo in front of him, showing a brooding young man next to a girl in fits of laughter.
'I always think this picture sums them up, I do hope Jon makes some friends soon. Of course he loves the work there, he's always been clever . . . just not very sociable or streetwise. I suppose you think I'm fussing, but I bet your grandmother worries about you too.'
Margaret sighed, then looked into his eyes, 'I know you'll always make us proud.'
She was taken aback with the fierce anger in his eyes, so she spent the rest of the journey looking out at the dismal back gardens. She woke with a jolt when the train pulled into London. There was no sign of the boy, but there was a piece of paper sticking out of her bag.
Dear Lady,
I want you to know something. I was on my way to hurt a lot of people today. That rucksack didn't hold school books. I'm angry about the way my people have been treated and I wanted vengeance. You reminded me of my grandmother who died when I was fourteen. You made me see what I was about to do through her eyes, and I can't do it. I am going home and I will try to live my life in a way that would make her proud of me. I hope your grandson does o.k.
Margaret felt a sudden need to see her beloved Jon.