Blurb

In a crisis torn, South American country, only little Ann's faith, her determination, and one young woman could help keep her dreams of escape alive.

A true story...
Find a synopsis and other details about Sunday’s Child at my confidence blog (linked). Read excerpts here: List of Books on Amazon
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Back, Back to The Start

It occurred to me that I was doing a lot on this blog lately, but what I set it up to do. I thought that today I would go back to why I started it in the first place and bring you another excerpt of Sunday’s Child. This is a pretty special piece because it’s the beginning of the book. After years of writing and editing, this is where my story begins.


CHAPTER 1


JONESTOWN, GUYANA, AND THE CHASE


My usual shortcut through the building site for the new school seemed like a good idea, on account of it being so late and all. The evening sunlight glowed orange, signalling that dusk was crouching round the corner.


Piles of rubbish and concrete were scattered everywhere, but the men weren’t working anymore – something about shortage of materials or other. Even the grass had packed up and left the parched ground, leaving the entire site something of a mountain of brown and grey mess.


I mustn’t get home late, but with after-school lessons every day, I don’t know how I could help that. At least I only have one more year at primary school, after which . . .


A noise behind me snapped me out of my thoughts. It was coupled with panting – loud panting – and heavy, running footsteps on the hot, hard concrete.


The familiar, large hands of fear grabbed hold of my insides and squeezed them like play dough. It took me just one tiny instant to look behind me, but before I did I knew – I just knew I was in trouble.


When my head finally creaked around, the man’s eyes were dead set only on me.
That dreaded, unforgettable, dirty red cap!
Those blood shot eyes.
The mad stare.
I and all the other girls my age had seen him a hundred times before, slinking around the village.
Looking at us.
Looking for us.
Oh no!


My heart spilled over itself for one breathless moment. I took a hesitant intake of hot air before my whole body bulleted forward.


‘Please God, don’t let him catch me. Please don’t let him catch me.’


The pounding footsteps grew louder. I didn’t want to, but I had to take another glance – just a little one – over my shoulder. He was not alone! There was now a second man.
I sprawled on the ground when my knees buckled under me, and as I clawed the crisp grass to try to scramble up, I took another look back but I still couldn’t get up for crippling fear. I started to crawl away. Getting up was no good. I couldn’t use my dead legs anymore.

Dirty Red Cap, who was closer to me, turned, looking back when the second man yanked his belt off with a mighty swish. The bald man behind him raised his hand above his head and swung his belt as Dirty Red Cap straightened his body and picked up his speed.


Swoosh!


Dirty Red Cap stopped and grasped his whipped arm. His eyebrows shot up, as his mouth began to form an ‘o.’ Snarling, he barely ducked the second blow then darted back and ran away in the direction he came from.


He would live to fight another day,
And wait to catch me another way.


The other man looked in my direction then walked towards me, but the only message showing up in bright letters behind my eyes was, I should really go back to get my school bag.
“Child!” he shouted. “Yuh alright?”
“Yeah, Mister,” I whispered.
“Do you know who that is,” he asked, while picking up my old, green hand-bag-turned school sac.
“Yes, Mister.”
“He’s always hanging round here,” he said as he handed me my bag. “They can’t lock him up because he’s proved insane. Doan walk through here anymore. It not safe at all. I doan want to think what couldda happened to yuh if I wasn’t ‘round here. Brush yuhself off and tell your parents what happened when you get home. What’s yuh name, eh?”
“Ann.”
“You shaking real bad, Ann. Look, I’ll hold your bag and walk you out of the site, right?”
“Thanks, Mister.”
“Make sure you tell your parents when you get home,” he said again.

I had a feeling that if he had been looking at me when he said this instead of buckling his belt around the tyre in his belly, he would’ve seen through the emptiness in my words when I said, “Yes, Mister, I will.”


A minute later I was boring through the hole in the fence and walking away in the dry dust, legs still porridge-like. I was already making notes in my head of the details I would leave out when I did my nightly letters entitled, ‘Dear Aunty or Mister,’ to no one and everyone.


In the two minutes it took me to walk to the house I wished I didn’t live in, I tried to work out where the bald man had come from and why he was there. He had to have been an angel. Maybe even children who get themselves attacked have angels to save them.


I was really sure of this, just like I was sure that I had to stand under the house until I stopped shaking. Today, Red Cap was not the only bolt that penetrated through to the insides of my senses. At least it was lighter on my chest than the message I was carrying which hung like a sandbag from my stomach. This bag had started to fill up at lunchtime over at Aunty Meena’s house with something I heard on the radio.

10 comments:

Middle Ditch said...

Well, I couldn't stop reading and I want more. That's what a good book is all about, isn't it? So, where are those publishers who are screaming out for something good to publish? For something good so they can fill their coffers?

Keep going Anne, it's brilliant.

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

Thanks, Monique. It means a lot.

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

Thanks, Monique. It means a lot.

Glynis Peters said...

That was a powerful intro Anne. I wish you good luck and keep up the great work.

•°°• IcyBC •°°• said...

I'm glad that you've escaped what might have been one of the worst experiences in your life..

I believe in angels, Anne, because I was saved quite a few times by them throughout my life!

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

@Glynis, thank you for your kind comment.

@Icy, I think there are very people who do. As you know I'm one of them too.

Loree said...

Love it Anne. A really gfripping intro. And I believe in angels too :)

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

Thanks so much for the visit, Loree.

Unknown said...

I know there are angels and God allows us to do the bidding of angels at times too. What a blessing!

Your story gripped me and held me until the last word. You write magnificently.

Take care & God bless.

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

Thanks, Judy. NOw if I could get a publisher to say that, I'd be set.

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