Midnight Message

Chapter 3 - A typical Monday

The house is empty and quiet as Gemma finishes her breakfast on Monday morning and reads over the note she’d found on the kitchen table.

Gemma, I got called into work this morning but I didn’t want to wake you. Is there any chance you could pick Zack up from school this afternoon? Angie can’t because she’s studying with friends after school. Let me know. Mum x

Gemma got along well with her family. Her parents were both doctors and were often called upon to work long hours at the hospital. However, they always made time for their three children. In Gemma’s house, family came first, and her parents led by example. It wasn’t uncommon for her parents to turn down shifts at the hospital in favour of a family outing. Moreover, when she didn’t see one of her children in the morning, Gemma’s mum would often leave little notes on the table or at their bedroom doors.

Gemma smiles as she scrunches up the note and drops it in the bin beside the kitchen bench. She pulls out her phone and texts first her mum, then her brother.

No worries mum. I’ll see you tonight. Have a nice day at work. Gemma xo

Bro, I’m picking you up from school this arvo. And yes, we can do a Maccas run on the way home. Gemma.

Gemma smiles as she sends the second text. There was no end to the amount of McDonalds 14 year old Zack could eat. Gemma often joked that his stomach was a bottomless pit. He could demolish a pack of McDonalds fries quicker than a flock of hungry seagulls converging on a box of hot chips at the beach. Lucky for him, he was blessed with the good genes her whole family seemed to have. The Stantons were all relatively thin, but in a healthy, athletic sort of way. They lived fairly active lifestyles and always ate healthy meals for dinner. However, they were also able to snack on various forms of junk food throughout the day with no obvious effects on their bodies, for which Gemma was eternally grateful. She didn’t go a day without eating chocolate.

After sending the messages to her mum and brother, Gemma scrolls back through her conversation with Trent. He’s got an ego bigger than Uluru. Gemma shakes her head and purses her lips as she reads Trent’s messages. He hasn’t sent her anything new since asking what her name was in the early hours of this morning.  Good. Maybe he finally got the message that I’m not going to fall for his confident, bad boy, charm act. Gemma clicks on his number and adds her to her contact list: Trent (ego boy). Then she pulls her long hair into a pony tail, hops in her car and drives to the library.

‘Morning sunshine!’ Jan greets Gemma as she walks into the library ‘how was your weekend’.

‘Quiet’ Gemma replies as she runs her fingers along the pile of books waiting to be re-shelved.

‘You need to get out more, pretty missy’ Jan says. She gives Gemma a playful poke in the ribs.

Gemma smiles. ‘I had an essay to work on for Uni. It’s due on Wednesday’.

‘You work too hard girly’ Jan says ‘did you at least catch the game on Saturday?’

By ‘the game’ Jan meant the Richmond Tigers AFL match. Having lived in Richmond all her life, Gemma had been brought up barracking for the Tigers. She often went along to games at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) with her dad and Zack.

‘Sure did’ Gemma says smiling ‘I watched it on TV with Zack. Dad had to work so we couldn’t actually go. It was a good win! Did Frank go?’

Frank was Jan’s husband. Aged 61, Frank was a passionate Richmond supporter. Not only did he try to attend every Richmond home game, he also followed Richmond’s VFL team. It wasn’t uncommon for Frank to watch the VFL team play in the afternoon then attend the AFL game later that day.