ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂

║TWELVE║

    DURING THE COMMUNION service on a Sunday morning, Neil's phone vibrated in his breast pocket. Bringing out his cellphone from his breast pocket, he quietly stood up from his seat in church and walked outside the church to avoid distraction.
“Hello, this is Officer Selman speaking from London police department.” the voice said over the phone.
“Good afternoon Officer Selman, how may I help you?”
“I  am really sorry for bothering you right now but, there is an emergency. A mortgage bank has just been robbed and the robbers are on the run but my police men are doing their possible best to track them. I have ordered that all borders in London must be closed. From the CCTV footage, we saw that the robbers came with a black pick-up truck. Am at the crime scene at the moment.”
“Okay, give me fifteen minutes and I'll be right there.” Neil said and hung up. He went into the church and sat down quietly, informing his wife that he had an engagement to attend to and left the church with his car.
     The robbers were caught after the relentless pursuit by the police and were brought into the police custody for questioning.
“What is your name?” Neil asked the white teenage boy with spiky brown hair and  magnetic earring on both ears. The boy bowed his head not talking until Neil hit the table with his fist asking him the same question again.
“Tim,” the boy shuddered, answering.
“Tim what?!”
“Timothy O'Brien.” the teenage boy hesitated before answering.
“Hmm, that name sounds familiar.” Neil stroke his chin thoughtfully, saying, “Why did you rob the bank?”
“My friends and I were out of cash.” the boy confessed.
“Your friends?! Apart from the guy you robbed with, you still have another friend?”
“Yes.” the boy said.
“Do you know any girl by the name Janice Crawford?”
“Janice? No.” The boy said twitching his face.
“Tell me the truth!” Neil leaned close looking at Timothy sternly who sat across him.
“I… I know her from church.” Timothy confessed, fidgeting.
“How well do you know her?”
“We both go to New Hope Baptist Church. We are in the same teen class in Sunday school.”
“Have you had any relationship with her?”
“No,” he bit his lips “we're just friends.”
“Friends? You mean your relationship with her is not more that friendship?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She is not my type and she's too young.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
Neil sighed nodding his head as he jotted down on his notebook. “Do you know this man?” Neil asked showing Timothy a portrait drawing of Jasper an artist drew when Janice described how Jasper looked.
“Um…yeah.”
“Who is he to you and what is his name?”
“He's my friend and I only know him as Jasper.”
“Jasper. You aren't telling the whole truth!” Neil snapped.
“Am telling the truth.” he took a quick glance at Neil before starring back at the table.
“Are you two close?”
“Yes.”
“And you don't know his name?” Neil chuckled silently shaking his head.
“Since when we first met he only told me his name was Jasper and nothing more.” the boy said rubbing his cold palm together.
“Jasper,” Neil muttered before writing something in his notebook. “Please take him back to his cell, he will be brought back in for questioning tomorrow evening.” Neil said to the police officer who has been standing in the Interrogation room while he interrogated Timothy. When the police officer left with Timothy, Neil reviewed what he has written. The other robber who was caught alongside with Timothy, introduced himself as Mortimer Schlesinger, a Latino. He also said the same thing Timothy said though he didn't ask him about Janice's case. Now Neil was to focus on looking for Jasper, once Jasper is found then Janice's case and this robbery case is settled.

    ☬                 ☬                ☬

         Nicole's unpacked curly hair flapped in the cool evening breeze when she stepped out of the restaurant with Alfred by her side and their fingers intertwined. Alfred opened the passengers door of his car for her and she entered. Alfred had asked her out on a date, offering to pick her up from her house.
“The restaurant's  Tuscan chicken soup was superb.”   Nicole said as Alfred drove out of the parking lot entering the main road.
“Maddy restaurant's food are always on point.” Alfred smacked his lips, smiling. “but their food is no where compared to mine.” Alfred glanced at her grinning before focusing on the road.
“Really?! You cook?” Nicole asked surprised.
“Uh–huh, my mother taught my sister and I how to.”
“Wow! I can't wait to taste your food.”
“Don't worry one of these days, I'll invite you over to my house for dinner.”
“That sounds cool.”
       After a brief silence, Alfred said, “How well do you like our date?”
“Perfectly well.” Nicole grinned rubbing her thigh.
“But there is still one place I want us to go to.”
“Where? This night?”
“Yep,” Alfred nodded.
“Uh–oh, you never told me, Mr.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Surprise?” she creased her eyebrows, asking.
“Yeah surprise or don't you like surprises?” he turned to look at her.
“Who doesn't but there are surprises that kill”
Alfred laughed “Well, this one won't kill you I promise.”
“I can't wait to know what is up your sleeves this time.” she pouted and a gloaty smile appeared on Alfred's lips.
     Anxiousness engulfed Nicole as Alfred drove through a deserted dark road but she tried to conceal how she was feeling.
“Here we are!” Alfred announced as soon as he parked along the road, near the the mouth of a cave. He came out of the car to stretch his body.
“What are we doing here?” Nicole asked terrified.
“This is the place.” Alfred said  as he jerked the passenger's door open.
“This place looks creepy. It's a cave.  Wild animals and dangerous things could be in there for goodness sake.” she said petrified.
“C'mon, don't judge this place by how it looks.” he said holding out his hands to her.
“I'll hold you by your words, if anything happens to me…”  she trailed off and then pinched his arm as she got out of the car.
“Ow, I promise nothing will happen.” he laughed.
       Alfred switched on his phone torch as they walked through the cave, they finally came out at the other end of the cave and they were standing on top of a mountain.
“Oh my!” Nicole shrieked as she looked down from the mountain, she could see water beneath. She felt scared as she thought of herself falling off the mountain, she was quite acrophobic.
“Take it easy,” Alfred said taking hold of her hand as they walked through the narrow path of on the mountain. “Can you do me a favour?” Alfred said as they stopped walking.
“What?”
“It's nothing much, I just want you to close your eyes until we get to our destination. I will blindfold you.” he took her purple scarf that was wrapped around her neck, blindfolding her. Nicole held unto Alfred hand tighter as they continued walking before coming to a halt like as if her life depended on it…of course it did, anyway .
“Nicole, I always wanted to tell you this but I think now is the right time.” Alfred said taking hold of her other hand which was cold. “The very first day I met you on that lonely road called Swiss road, I fell in love with you. I saw you as an innocent, energetic, brave and beautiful black English lady. You loved me despite the fact I told you I was a mechanic, you didn't despise me…unlike some ladies.” he sniffled.
“Are you crying?” Nicole asked.
“Unlike some ladies who brought out my bad side…they made me who I didn't want to be, they turned me to their puppet making me do only what pleases them, they made me feel like I was nobody, but you,… you make me feel important, you accept every gift I give you even if it isn't up to your expectation. Nicole it is so rare to find someone as beautiful as you are with a beautiful heart.” he said and caressed her cheeks.
“Aw, you're going to make me cry.” Nicole said her eyes glistening with tears. No one has ever spoken so highly of her just like the way he did, not even her parents. She squeezed her eyes shut, tears soaking her scarf as she cried. Alfred removed the blindfold and told her to open her eyes. A gasp escaped Nicole's lips as she opened her eyes to her beautiful environment. Fireflies danced around illuminating the environment, the waterfall displaying different beautiful colours, the moon… she could have a better view of the big round moon that was smiling at them, that was what she thought as a child that the moon always smiles.
She drew in a deep breathe, drinking in the beauty of the place… Alfred was right after all “Don't judge this place by how it looks.” his words echoed in her mind.
“Read what the fireflies formed.” Alfred told her.
“WILL YOU MARRY ME, MISS NICOLE HARPER?” she read the words one after the other then turned around to see Alfred already on his knees and a small red ring box opened revealing a silver ring on his outstretched hand.
“Will you marry me, Miss Nicole Harper?” Alfred repeated the words kneeling down.
     Nicole felt the earth stop rotating. Hearing her full name from his mouth sent chills down her body. She wasn't expecting him to propose now, not so soon. They have known each other for close to two years now and they have dated for a year.
“I…I…” Nicole stuttered still taken aback by his sudden question as tears trickled down her cheeks.
Alfred got up and said, “It's alright if you don't have an answer right now. I will wait until you have an answer.”
“Alfred you are really full of surprises,” Nicole said blinking rapidly, “How did you make those flies form those words?”
“Training.” Alfred smiled.
“How did you know a place like this exist?”
“Remember I told you I grew up here in London. My family used to come here for picnics then.” he said as they left the place
“This place holds lot of hidden treasure”
“Like I told you, don't judge this place by how it looks. This area is still remote that's why Londonians haven't discovered the treasure they possess but once development gets here hmm, this place will turn to a tourist centre.”
     When they got back to where the car was parked, Alfred immediately drove off to Nicole's house without wasting time.
Opening the passengers door, Alfred kissed Nicole on her forehead after she had come out of the car and said,
“Have a wonderful night sunflower!”
“And you too. Will you be able to make it to Bristol this night?”
“Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.” he kissed her cheeks before going over to the drivers seat.
“Bye,” Nicole waved as he drove off and entered her home afterwards. Closing her door, she threw her handbag to the couch and plopped her exhausted body on the couch. She unbuttoned her flannel T-shirt , kicking her flat shoes off her sore feet. As she thought of the question Alfred asked “Will you marry me, Miss Nicole Harper?”, she couldn't help but smile.