Just a thought?

I will always remember the day Mum’s favourite jacket was stolen! It was four years ago now!

It was the day that the Harrow youth football team was chosen, and I had applied. Unfortunately, I had not been able to attend the choosing! It was an event that happened only once every five years! I was six years old then.

We went to Harrow shopping centre. Of course we had to go through boring old Monsoon first, but Mum had promised that afterwards, we’d go to Sports Direct to choose a new sports kit!

When we went to Monsoon, Mum hung her jacket on an empty peg in the dress section. Suddenly a thought came to my head “What if someone steals the jacket?!” It told me, so I carried the jacket and started to shuffle towards my mum.

“Michael!” My mum sighed irritably, “Put the jacket back where you found it or things may fall out!”

Boringly, we went through the whole of the huge shop, Mum studying every dress she could lay her eyes on!

Finally, she detached herself from the dress she had just been clinging into and we made our way out of the shop.

“Wait!” Mum said, remembering her jacket. We looked where I had left it but it was gone!

We looked on every peg but it was nowhere to be found!

Mum went to the till but the cashier had not seen the jacket either and it had not been handed in. His assistant nodded his head in agreement to the cashier’s words “Yes,” Said the assistant, “I haven’t seen it either.”

“ Please give me your number . . .” He requested, “And some details about the jacket, suppose we were to find it, we could call you?"

Mum wrote down some information about the jacket in a notebook.

“My phone, address, keys, money and bank cards were in that jacket!” Mum answered shakily, “But I’ll give you my husband’s number, 07596092845."

“May I call him now?” She asked.

“Be my guest dear . . .” replied the cashier, and handed her the phone to dial.

An hour later Dad came driving towards us at the shopping centre car park.

“Get in the car Micky!” Dad bellowed strictly, he seemed quite stressed.

When we got home it was quite late! Too late! Too late to buy a sports kit! Too late to attend the team choosing!

I was crying. Mum was weeping. Dad was shouting.

“What are we going to do David?!” Mum muttered questioningly.

“Don’t worry so Sara!” Dad answered “I will personally sort out everything! But please, stop whining! Nothing will happen between now and tomorrow!”

“But David!” Mum answered, “Would you really like to take the chance?!”

Dad sighed and left the room, and I crept to my bed.

A little while later, Mum came to kiss me goodnight and read me a bedtime story. She read me Hairy Maclary, which made me laugh and gradually my eyes began to droop. “Goodnight Mick. . .” She whispered, and left the room.

Afterwards Dad came as well “Goo’night son!” He mumbled, “Sorry ‘bout ya team choosing goin’ a bit wonky!” he laughed at his own humourless joke and left me.

The house was dark and quiet. Too quiet and too dark! I saw a black figure in my room! Someone or something, was lurking around!

“Mummy?” I asked.

“No son.” Came a voice.

“Daddy?!” I asked.

“Yeh dat’s right son!” The voice answered, but it wasn’t Dad’s voice!

“Probably Daddy’s idea of a joke!” I thought and closed my eyes to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, I was jerked upwards by the figure! Not Dad, Dad had a big red beard and when he wasn’t stressed he had a big grin. The figure had a big black moustache and a smirk, a mean smirk.

He dragged me down the stairs. I squirmed. I wiggled. I stamped. I heard footsteps upstairs. Mum’s footsteps, going to the toilet probably. The man picked up my feet so I could no longer stamp, I tried to scream but I was gagged I tried to hit him but my hands were tied up!

The man walked to the front door, carrying me.

Then, he opened the door and screamed. I cheered but couldn’t hear myself doing it!

A policeman was standing outside! The man dropped me and ran away!

“Oh well!” The policeman said, “At least you are safe!”

I tried to thank the policeman, but I was gagged so unfortunately, I could not!

I was so grateful to Mum for staying awake, and calling the police as well!

The next day Dad called a locksmith to change the locks, he came at around nine o'clock in the morning.

Sam was a kind man as far as I could see, smiling and making jokes that I actually found funny!

He stayed working for over two hours and Mum gave him a cup of tea when he was done.

When the locksmith had left, Dad and I went to the phone shop to ask the workers to block Mum's phone from usage and request a new one, the worker was a woman, short and a bit chubby, she was quite rude and rather full of herself! Finally the woman understood what we had requested and blocked the phone.

"My colleague Colette will help you to choose your new phone."

She waved her hand, ushering to us that we should go to the right where another woman was sitting. Colette was the opposite of the chubby lady, she was a good size, and looked quite athletic. Most importantly she was much nicer.

"I must apologize for the way Matilda has been behaving," She began, "Her father recently passed away and she's been out of sorts."

"Oh . . ." Replied Dad, "Sorry to hear that!"

Colette showed us around the shop and after a while we went outside with a bag containing a nice new phone for Mum!

"Next," sighed Dad, "The bank!"

We went in Dad's car and drove to the bank.

When we were at the bank, Dad told me to sit on a chair while he sorted everything out.

After what seemed like an age, Dad came and we could finally leave.

Dad and I finally arrived home, twenty minutes after leaving the bank.

Mum was relieved everything was sorted,

"Now we can pretend nothing ever happened!" She laughed.

But I will never forget! No, I will never ever forget the day Mum's favourite jacket was stolen!