Mind Games

Mind Games

-I’m really just worried about her safety at this point, she gets very forgetful these days. I’m not sure how long I can stay here either, so I am concerned. -

- Yes, Friday that would be lovely. I look forward to meeting you.-

Mary listened from behind her bedroom door. She held the door slightly ajar pressing her ear against the tiny gap. She had opened it just enough to hear but not be seen.

Who the hell was he speaking to now? Dan had been having a lot of hushed telephone conversations over the past few weeks making her increasingly nervous.

“Mum?”

Oh crap, here he comes.

Mary hurried back to her bed and placed a big pillow over her husband’s old satchel.

“There you are,” he said standing in her doorway. “I was just on the phone to the lovely people at Shady Pines and they can fit us in for a tour on Friday.”

“I see,” Mary answered avoiding eye contact with her only son.

“It sounds like a lovely place. It’s no harm to have a look yeah? Their waiting lists are so long and it’s good to…you know…,” he shrugged “to have options.”

If it’s that great then you move there, Mary wanted to say, feeling her anger rise but she held her tongue. He had twisted her words before so she was careful not to allow him an opportunity to do that again.

“So you’re still serious about taking this trip then?” Dan said frowning as he eyed his mother’s small suitcase on the bed.

“Yes I am Dan,” Mary said straightening up blocking his view, “my friend is dying for god’s sake.”

“Okay, okay, I am just thinking of you. A trip like this might be too much for you. You know how tired you get?”

How tired I get when you mess up my pills you mean.

Mary clenched her teeth in anger.

Oh how I would love to punch him in the mouth right now, she thought. But she had to remain calm.

“I will be fine,” she said slowly but firmly.

“I wish you’d let me drive you and then we could be back by teatime, and you wouldn’t have to overnight.”

That’s exactly how you’d like it isn’t it, thought Mary, to keep me in your sight, in your control.

“No thank you, it’s all arranged. Martin and Muriel will be here any minute now to collect me so can you leave me to get on with my packing please?”

“Hmm, well okay then.”

She could tell he wasn’t happy with this arrangement. He had folded his arms rubbing his upper arms vigorously just like he did as a boy whenever he felt stressed.

“Did you get a chance to look for my birth cert?” he said turning back as he reached the door. “I’m sure Dad kept all that stuff in his old work satchel didn’t he?”

Oh funny how you remember that.

Birth certs, passports, house deeds, and his will. Poor Ted, how horrified he would be to see how cold and selfish his only son was being.

Following Ted’s death six months ago Dan had moved himself back into the family home, having avoided their doorstep for years. Initially, Mary had been glad of the company especially the first few nights without Ted, but it didn’t take long for Dan to show his real reasons for being there.

Mary and Ted had spent many a sleepless night trying to figure out where they had gone wrong with him. Had they spoilt him? Were they too easy on him? Too quick to defend him when he brought trouble to their door? Eventually, they made peace with the fact that they had done their best.

When Dan dropped out of college Ted had lent him money for some sure thing investment he had got himself involved in. When it failed, Dan disappeared for about a year only returning to borrow more money. There was always an excuse for not repaying the loans and it was never Dan’s fault.

In the end, they stopped lending him money and he stopped coming to visit only showing up when he heard his father was dying.

“I could have a look for Dad’s satchel while you are away,” Dan said nervously. “Have you any idea where it is?”

Mary took a deep breath. “Yes, it’s in the attic.”

“The attic? Why would he keep it in the attic?”

“To keep everything safe, I suppose. There are some very important documents in it,” Mary said turning away from him and fiddling with a cardigan on top of her suitcase.  

“Okay great!” he said cheering up and walking back into the living room.

Mary closed her door and smiled to herself.

That should keep him busy for a while, she thought thinking about the tons of old boxes in the attic. She quickly took Ted’s satchel from under the pillow and tucked it in with her clothes, closing the suitcase quickly.

A week after Dan arrived she told him she was fine, and he didn’t need to stay any longer. She felt uneasy with him around. He was on his phone all the time and he rarely asked her anything about her life or how long Ted had been sick and he never apologised for not coming home sooner to help out. He stayed up watching TV or looking at his laptop for hours. Mary wanted him gone.

When she approached the subject, he said he was in between homes at the moment and accused her of wanting to throw him out on the streets.

He then began to ask her where she was going every time she left the house, his controlling behaviour making her feel nervous and claustrophobic.

And then things started to go missing. It started with her glasses. Mary mislaid them just before she was heading out for a bridge night and as a result, she couldn’t go. Dan found them an hour later in the bathroom and Mary was sure she did not leave them there. Another day she found a bag of sugar in the fridge and Dan insisted she lie down saying she was getting confused because she was tired. Mary knew she was not tired, but she was getting very worried about the strange goings-on in her house.

It was only when she saw a poster in the Post Office about elder abuse that she could put a name on it. That very night she got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and heard Dan moving around. She peeked out the bedroom door to see him taking her glasses out of her bag and putting them under a cushion. Then he opened her handbag and took some notes out of her purse. Mary shut the door quietly and lay awake all night wondering how she could get out of this nightmare.

The final straw came when she was meant to fly to London to see her sister for a weekend. She was packed and ready to go the night before but somehow overslept and did not hear her alarm. She missed her taxi to the airport and missed her flight. She overslept by hours and was sleepy all day.

Dan tried to convince her that she was coming down with something and urged her to stay in bed. Mary was an early bird all her life. Had he drugged her? The thought was terrifying, but Mary could not think of any other reason for sleeping so much. She knew then that she had to get help.

That help came in the form of her most trusted friends Muriel and Martin. Ted and Mary met Martin and Muriel when they first moved to this street. Dan was born the same year as Muriel’s oldest daughter Nuala and the children had been great friends in the early years. The two couples met socially every Saturday night and holidayed many times together. When Muriel and Martin moved away they made sure to keep in touch and continued to holiday together every year. They were the only people Mary could trust completely.

When Mary heard the doorbell ring she quickly gathered up her things. She was so relieved to see Martin and Muriel at the door but made sure to act calmly.

“Goodbye Dan,” she said buttoning up her coat as Muriel took her suitcase to the car. She paused and took a last look around her little bungalow.

“See you Friday then,” Dan said moving to stand right beside Mary looking down on her small frame. “And remember we have that appointment at two o’clock for the tour, okay?” Mary stared right back at him but said nothing.

“Right, let’s get going,” said Martin stepping in between Dan and Mary placing a protective arm around her and leading her to the car.

“Don’t look back” he whispered as they got into the car.

“Are you okay Mary have you got everything?” Muriel said putting an arm around her friend in the back seat.

“Yes, thank God.”

“Right let’s go,” said Martin “Nuala is waiting for us at the solicitors to collect the house deeds and Ted's will which states that Dan is entitled to absolutely nothing.”

“And I spoke to Emma at the estate agents. As soon as the Nuala delivers Dan his eviction order, they will put your house on the market,” Muriel added. “They have everything under control Mary and Dan will have no contact details for you. You’re safe now.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you two,” Mary said shaking, unable to hold back the tears.

“Now, now. You and Ted are like family to us. We promised him we would look after you and I couldn’t be happier to have my best friend retiring with us to our villa in Spain. Put all of this behind you,” her best friend said. “In a few hours, we will be sitting by the pool watching the sun go down and you can let your new life begin.”

Mary nodded and let out a big breath as Martin’s car left the town she knew so well, and joined the motorway heading for the airport taking her away from danger to her new life and her freedom.