They say that nothing is more shocking than lightning from a clear blue sky and I suppose that any disaster is that much worse if completely unexpected. I was living a tranquil life of real contentment, married for over ten years to Louise, my soul mate, with two adorable kids (nine and seven) and in a job that brought home a comfortable income without taxing my capabilities overmuch. From the start we believed that having a mother at home was more important than exotic foreign holidays but since the children both started school, Louise has helped out in the village shop, on a part time basis during the week supplemented by every other Saturday morning.
Our only real friends were Jerry and Davina. They lived just over three miles away in a much larger house than we could afford and they also had a couple of children roughly the same ages as ours. It was Jerry who was my friend originally. Twelve years ago we started together as young hopefuls in the same insurance office. Quite naturally we spent lunch hours and other off duty time together during the day but as we were both courting seriously at the time, evening socialising was not part of the friendship. I married first with Jerry as best man and when they tied the knot six months later, I returned the favour.
They became parents first - Davina was well pregnant at the wedding and her condition was the only reason that her parents had consented to the match. There was no doubt that Davina had married beneath her for she came from a moneyed background. But although she brought with her enough wealth to provide a lifestyle to which Jerry rapidly became accustomed, I have no doubt that had her parents regarded her husband with fewer reservations, there was far more that they could have done for the couple.
My name is Toby. I thought that I'd mention that and get the laughter over with before I continue the story. I reckon that when I was born my parents must have been going through an old fashioned Bulldog Drummond phase because there is no genealogical precedent and I can think of no other logical reason for the name. I can't deny that I would have preferred Vance or Brett but, apart from initial introductions, I have grown quite at home with the name - the diminutive 'Tobe' has quite an affectionate ring to it.
Soon after his marriage, Jerry left the insurance firm where we both worked and moved to a rival organisation a couple of blocks down the road. Over the intervening years, a different environment, greater ambition and (although I hate to say it) more ability have allowed him to rise until he now holds a position equivalent to that of my current immediate boss. Even though we worked in different buildings the friendship continued with us meeting most lunchtimes to either dine or play squash. That game gives a fair indication of his character because he was driven to win. I enjoyed the game but was willing to push myself only so far and no further so he generally left the court with the winners laurels - though my very rare victories did give me a great feeling of satisfaction.
Jerry is a bigger man than I, nicely topping six feet he can give me three inches and about twenty pounds. He is also a big womaniser. Blessed with a surfeit of charm he uses it to the full and seems to have developed an almost magic touch. Even while still engaged I know that he had flings with three different girls and in the months after the wedding when a bad pregnancy limited his marital sex he was like a tomcat on the prowl. He didn't change - that was just the way he was. I was never sure if Davina knew - at times I was convinced that she must at least have suspicions.
The incredible speed with which he worked on women was impressive. Some months before the point at which my story starts, we were lunching at our usual restaurant when an exceptionally attractive woman sat at a table near us. Jerry immediately enthused, "She is absolutely delectable - I'm just going to have to have a taste of that." For the rest of the meal he did not take his eyes off her and I felt rather embarrassed for the poor woman pinned by his relentless stare. When she left he jumped up to follow, saying to me, "You may not see me for a day or two but I will be in here on Friday for certain." When Friday arrived, I duly asked him if he had managed to find out who the woman was. "Yes, she's the wife of one of the law court officials," he said smugly. "You wouldn't know just by looking at her but she has the most incredibly erectile nipples. Very, very tasty - I'm afraid that you won't be seeing me many lunchtimes next week."
The friendship between Jerry and I extended to our wives and eventually our children. We never actually went on holiday together (although it was often suggested) largely due to the fact that our pocket was nowhere as deep as theirs. Nevertheless we spent a lot of time at each other's houses; the kids often slept over and during the summer there were frequent very enjoyable day out excursions as a group to local places of interest. One summer Friday night all four children had been invited to a birthday party thrown by a mutual school friend. This was in the nearest town and comprised a meal in McDonald's followed by a session of laser warfare.
Louise and I had driven to the venue to collect our two. I parked right outside the door while she went in to find them leaving me waiting by the car. After a couple of minutes, Jerry wandered up, indicating where he had left his vehicle at the far side of the car park. At that moment all four kids erupted out of the hall door and of one accord, in a flurry of excitement, ran across and piled into my car. I was about to try extricating the two who did not belong when Jerry suggested, "Leave them, I'll follow with Louise and pick them up at yours. In the unlikely event of you being back first, make sure to get the kettle on."
It seemed a good idea so I agreed. Driving out of the car park, in the rear view mirror, I saw Jerry share my wife's load of rucksacks and jackets as they walked to his car. After two or three miles he had caught up for I spotted him a couple of vehicles behind me but when we got to the road that leads past the pike, he indicated and turned off. I should explain that 'The Pike' is the local name for a large hill. We actually live on the opposite side of the hill to the town and the main road that skirts the base is roughly twelve miles. There are narrow country lanes that cross the hill, (one leading to the pike itself, a local beauty spot with an incredible view). The shortest route is only seven miles and can be marginally quicker than the main road but if stuck behind one of the ubiquitous farm vehicles the journey time is easily doubled and more. I smiled when I saw him detour - it was typical of Jerry that he would be determined to get back first without being crass enough to race on the main road.
When I pulled into my drive I was quietly pleased to see no sign of Jerry's car. I gave the kids crisps and coke and watched them disperse to PC, Playstation and the hammocks in the garden. With three mugs set out and the kettle boiled, I was actually delighted when the missing pair had not turned up after twenty minutes. Up until three quarters of an hour I was still chuckling to myself at the picture of Jerry fuming behind a hay wagon with a shed load but from then on I began to get more and more concerned. From an hour and a half onwards I was ringing my wife's mobile every few minutes and making regular trips to gaze down the road in the direction from which they should appear.
It was almost at the two and a half hours after my arrival that they finally turned up. Jerry acted completely unconcerned but Louise had the grace to look upset. "You must have been getting worried," she said.
"Frantic," I told her but I was grinning, such was my relief at getting her home safe and sound.
"Jerry had a puncture and when he went to change the tyre the spare turned out to be flat as well," she explained. "He had to walk down into Hotton to get someone from the garage to come out."
"Completely stupid," Jerry confirmed. "The damn thing had never been on the road so I guess it must have started with a slow puncture when they put the new tyre on the rim." He then proceeded to gather his brood and get them into the car. I did suggest that he might like to ring Davina in case she was also worried but he said she would quite expect them to have stayed at our house for a while.
"Why didn't you ring me? I could have come out - for that matter you could have rung the garage. I tried your number several times but you didn't answer".
