Ten Forty Seven

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Abstract

haking. The last words his father said echoed in Joseph’s mind; choking on his own blood and spitting, “I love you son.” By the time the ambulance arrived, it had been too late. Dad had bled to death on Joseph’s birthday.In the following months, Joseph’s mother had fallen into a deep depression and taken her own life. The killer had never been caught, disappearing into an underworld. Joseph had not been able to defend his father and he felt afraid. He had started arming himself, before long he never went anywhere without a weapon. It wasn’t long before he used it in a robbery. For the first time since his father died, as he counted the money, he was no longer afraid.BZZZZZZ! His mobile phone was on the seat between his legs. The sound of it jolted him back to the present moment like a hard slap across the face. He shook his head rapidly and wiped his blurry eyes. It was Eva “Where are you?” He grabbed the phone and typed with both thumbs “Working. Sit tight. With you soon.” Eva didn’t know all the details of what Joseph did. But she knew it wasn’t legal. They had to move around a lot, and more than once they’d had to run from the police, or other criminals seeking revenge. Eva had stuck by him. Joseph had been working hard and he was sure this would be his last job.Every Saturday just after 11 pm a car would park at the end of this road, a man with a carry-all would walk past the car and hand it to the driver, who then handed another bag to the man on foot. That bag was full of money. Joseph had done his research and he knew the loot was going to be good. There would be £20,000 or more in the bag. He took a long deep breath and closed his eyes. That much money would be enough to get out of this town. To start afresh somewhere without enemies and without a past. The getaway car was ready and bags were packed. Eva was waiting for him. They would be on a ferry by 5 am, their old lives behind them, across the sea to the continent. Joseph twisted his wedding ring around his finger, the smooth cool metal calmed his nerves.At the end of the road, a car pulled around the corner and slowed down, its headlights slicing through the night like a laser, scraping across his face and making him squint painfully. Was it them? The driver turned into a parking space and killed the engine. His window opened slightly and smoke spiralled out lazily into the blue night. They were staying put. Joseph shrugged his shoulders up and down and circled his head, one eye

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on the end of the road, one on the parked car. Another sound broke the cold silence as a light appeared around the corner, there was only one light, and the engine was louder. Joseph sunk down into his seat and waited for the motorcycle to pass. But that didn’t happen, the motorcyclist pulled up by the mark and hoisted a bag over his shoulders; it was the holdall.“Damn! What the hell?” Joseph began to panic, slamming his seatbelt into the buckle as he gripped the steering wheel with the other hand. This wasn’t part of the plan. The mark was meant to be on foot. As soon as the motorcyclist had the bag of money, he began speeding up the road. Joseph kept his lights off and swung the car violently into the road, hitting the motorcycle head-on. The man with the bag flew over the bonnet and landed with a heavy thud on the roof, before slamming into the road and skidding several metres on the tarmac. Joseph was already out of the car chasing the body. The men in the car were out on the street cursing and shouting after him. “You’re dead! You’re dead!” Joseph used his knife to cut the bag off of the motorcyclists back and ran as fast as he could.Eva had heard shouting from the bedroom. Four or five men threatening to kill someone. Her heart sank, could it be Joseph? This wouldn’t be the first time they’d had to run. Eva grabbed her coat and the packed bags, then ran down to the car. As soon as she was in the driver's seat, a silhouette burst onto the road, carrying a bag and running frantically. A second later, four others appeared, one waving a weapon above his head. Eva flashed her fog lights at them, before jumping into the passenger seat and kicking open the driver’s door for Joseph. The engine already humming. “Joe! Baby! Run!”As Joseph jumped into the car and floored the accelerator, they both laughed crazily! Had they made it? Their hearts thumped rapidly and their eyes shined. As the car sped towards the gang gunshots rang out. One bullet found its target, smashing through the windscreen and ripping through Eva’s heart. Another grazed her face, peeling the flesh away from her cheekbone.Joseph was hyperventilating and screaming. The car ploughed straight through the gunman, sending him and one of his friends flying onto the pavement. All of Josephs and Eva’s belongings were in bags on the back seat, along with nearly £100,000 in cash. He sped towards the horizon, engine roaring and his wife dying in the seat next to him.</article></body>

Ten Forty-Seven

A short story

Photo Credit: Nasar Karim

22:47, time seemed to have stopped, but Joseph could see the seconds moving. “How could it still be 22:47?” He pulled up his collar to stay warm and wiped mist away from the windscreen. Joseph gritted his teeth and sat up. His right hand patted his left ribs checking for the knife. It was there, as always, inside his pocket. Joseph pulled the knife out and rested it on his palms, which were turned up as if in prayer. The weight of the cold metal felt good in his hands. He felt reassured by its presence.

He turned the blade over ritualistically, light from a streetlamp running along its sharp edge. For a second his heartbeat quickened and he held his breath. Joseph had seen light glinting on a blade 5 years ago, but it was sunlight, and the blade had not been his. As the light danced on the knife it reminded him of that painful day.

Joseph was celebrating his 17th birthday, his father had taken him to their favourite restaurant for lunch. He had always been close to his Dad, he was Joseph’s hero. A big, friendly man who seemed totally indestructible. Until that day. As they had turned off the main road a man approached them and asked for change. Joseph looked at his Dad, who smiled reassuringly at Joseph and rolled his big brown eyes. He shook his head lightly and handed a pound coin to the man. Dad had always been generous, polite to everyone. The beggar looked at the coin in his hand like he had been insulted, his eyes narrowed. “A pound? What do you think I am? What can I do with a pound? Give me some more!” A few people had stopped to watch the commotion, but nobody did anything. Dad looked the man in the eye “Get out of my way.” That’s when it happened. The beggar pulled a huge blade out of his trousers and swung it at his father. “Dad!” Joseph screamed. His father turned to face him. “It’s okay son” and then the metal had sliced through his neck. “Dad!” Joseph’s began to scream “Dad! No!” His father’s huge, powerful frame fell towards him, like a tree that had been logged. Joseph tried to catch him but was too weak. Blood shot from his slit throat and soaked Josephs new shirt, a birthday gift from his mother. Dad gurgled and looked at his son with eyes that seemed to say sorry. Joseph held him close, crying and shaking. The last words his father said echoed in Joseph’s mind; choking on his own blood and spitting, “I love you son.” By the time the ambulance arrived, it had been too late. Dad had bled to death on Joseph’s birthday.

In the following months, Joseph’s mother had fallen into a deep depression and taken her own life. The killer had never been caught, disappearing into an underworld. Joseph had not been able to defend his father and he felt afraid. He had started arming himself, before long he never went anywhere without a weapon. It wasn’t long before he used it in a robbery. For the first time since his father died, as he counted the money, he was no longer afraid.

BZZZZZZ! His mobile phone was on the seat between his legs. The sound of it jolted him back to the present moment like a hard slap across the face. He shook his head rapidly and wiped his blurry eyes. It was Eva “Where are you?” He grabbed the phone and typed with both thumbs “Working. Sit tight. With you soon.” Eva didn’t know all the details of what Joseph did. But she knew it wasn’t legal. They had to move around a lot, and more than once they’d had to run from the police, or other criminals seeking revenge. Eva had stuck by him. Joseph had been working hard and he was sure this would be his last job.

Every Saturday just after 11 pm a car would park at the end of this road, a man with a carry-all would walk past the car and hand it to the driver, who then handed another bag to the man on foot. That bag was full of money. Joseph had done his research and he knew the loot was going to be good. There would be £20,000 or more in the bag. He took a long deep breath and closed his eyes. That much money would be enough to get out of this town. To start afresh somewhere without enemies and without a past. The getaway car was ready and bags were packed. Eva was waiting for him. They would be on a ferry by 5 am, their old lives behind them, across the sea to the continent. Joseph twisted his wedding ring around his finger, the smooth cool metal calmed his nerves.

At the end of the road, a car pulled around the corner and slowed down, its headlights slicing through the night like a laser, scraping across his face and making him squint painfully. Was it them? The driver turned into a parking space and killed the engine. His window opened slightly and smoke spiralled out lazily into the blue night. They were staying put. Joseph shrugged his shoulders up and down and circled his head, one eye on the end of the road, one on the parked car. Another sound broke the cold silence as a light appeared around the corner, there was only one light, and the engine was louder. Joseph sunk down into his seat and waited for the motorcycle to pass. But that didn’t happen, the motorcyclist pulled up by the mark and hoisted a bag over his shoulders; it was the holdall.

“Damn! What the hell?” Joseph began to panic, slamming his seatbelt into the buckle as he gripped the steering wheel with the other hand. This wasn’t part of the plan. The mark was meant to be on foot. As soon as the motorcyclist had the bag of money, he began speeding up the road. Joseph kept his lights off and swung the car violently into the road, hitting the motorcycle head-on. The man with the bag flew over the bonnet and landed with a heavy thud on the roof, before slamming into the road and skidding several metres on the tarmac. Joseph was already out of the car chasing the body. The men in the car were out on the street cursing and shouting after him. “You’re dead! You’re dead!” Joseph used his knife to cut the bag off of the motorcyclists back and ran as fast as he could.

Eva had heard shouting from the bedroom. Four or five men threatening to kill someone. Her heart sank, could it be Joseph? This wouldn’t be the first time they’d had to run. Eva grabbed her coat and the packed bags, then ran down to the car. As soon as she was in the driver's seat, a silhouette burst onto the road, carrying a bag and running frantically. A second later, four others appeared, one waving a weapon above his head. Eva flashed her fog lights at them, before jumping into the passenger seat and kicking open the driver’s door for Joseph. The engine already humming. “Joe! Baby! Run!”

As Joseph jumped into the car and floored the accelerator, they both laughed crazily! Had they made it? Their hearts thumped rapidly and their eyes shined. As the car sped towards the gang gunshots rang out. One bullet found its target, smashing through the windscreen and ripping through Eva’s heart. Another grazed her face, peeling the flesh away from her cheekbone.

Joseph was hyperventilating and screaming. The car ploughed straight through the gunman, sending him and one of his friends flying onto the pavement. All of Josephs and Eva’s belongings were in bags on the back seat, along with nearly £100,000 in cash. He sped towards the horizon, engine roaring and his wife dying in the seat next to him.