He was taken to the UK with twenty-seven other unaccompanied minors some of whom were placed in foster care within the communities throughout the UK.
“Hello Jamal.” Smiled Ms. Lake brightly.
Jamal nodded to Ms. Lake. “I’m going out.” He announced simply.
“Won’t you stay and have some tea with us?” Asked Mrs. Bennett turning to Jamal.
“No thank you,” Jamal replied politely but coldly and turned towards the door.
“Dinner at six!” Mrs. Bennett called after him at the sound of the front door closing.
Mr. Bennet turned to Ms. Lake who was looking a little puzzled.
“Well, he does go out sometimes.” Mr. Bennet added helpfully.
Love in London
Inverness, Scotland
David awoke in his flat in Scotland. He reached out to the other side of the bed and his hand clasped an empty pillow. He remembered Kathy. It was cold in the flat. He got up shivering, pulled on his trousers and a thick sweatshirt. Then took his jacket from the coat rack by the front door and put that on and taking his Spur’s cap from the peg, he put that on too. Then he lit the gas hob on the kitchen stove, briefly warming his hands on the flame, before filling the kettle with water and placing it on the hob. Opening a cupboard, he took out a mug, a teaspoon and a jar of instant coffee and placed them on the worktop. Standing at the glass patio door while he waited for the kettle to boil, he gazed out over the river. It was a clear, crisp morning and he watched with fascination as a small pod of dolphins swam under the bridge and out to sea. As he followed their progress, he caught his reflection in the glass of the door and focusing on his Spur’s cap, remembered the last time he had seen Kathy.
♦ ♦ ♦
Kathy was still sleeping when he awoke. It was a sunny Monday morning and the sunshine flooded the bedroom of the London flat despite the thin, flower-patterned curtains still being closed. He could smell the roses in the vase on the bedside cabinet that he had bought for Kathy yesterday. He smiled. He was happy. He reached over to Kathy and gently brushed her golden hair from her face, and she opened her eyes. He smiled again and she smiled back. Kathy and David had been together now for almost a year. David had his own flat less than a mile away but increasingly spent more nights at Kathy’s place. They had met when David first started doing jobs for the Mitchell gang. Jack, the youngest member of the Mitchell gang, and David had become good mates almost immediately due to their mutual love of fast cars. Jack had brought David to his mum, Debbie’s fortieth birthday party where he had first met Kathy. Kathy, as it turned out, was actually Jack’s aunt although only five years older than Jack and they had grown up playing together in the same East London street.
David moved to get up.
“Oh no . . . ” She moaned as he sat up in bed.
“Sorry babe but I gotta go.” David apologized.
Kathy’s face registered disappointment and David noticed.
“Hey, you know I agreed that I would drive for the Mitchells today.” David gently reminded her as he sat on the side of the bed and pulled on his socks.
“Is Jack going with you?” Kathy asked.
“No, it’s just me and Gazza,” David said calmly although he was bracing himself for what he knew was coming.
“Just the two of you?” Kathy said incredulously and now sitting up in the bed.
“More money that way, Sweetheart. Split it fifty-fifty.” David replied, standing up and pulling on his trousers.
“I don’t like you working with Gazza, David. He’s a nutcase!” Exclaimed Kathy.
“Gazza? Nah he’s just a big kid really. Besides, he’s taking all the risk, I’m just doing the driving.” David assured her.
“I don’t like it, David.” Kathy was upset and wanted David to recognize the fact.
“Hey, don’t worry yourself, babe,” David reassured her. “I can take care of myself and besides it’s just this one more job and then I’ll have enough cash to go legit.”
“But it’s always just one more job!” Kathy sulked.
“Babe don’t be like that . . . ” David glanced at his watch. “Besides you better get up and get yourself off to school. You don’t wanna be late again and get in teacher’s bad books.” David grinned mischievously.
“But I am the teacher!” Kathy replied her face broke into a reluctant smile despite trying desperately to show how upset she was.
“And the most beautiful one at that!” David replied planting a kiss on her forehead. With that, David pulled on his sweatshirt, picked up his shoes and made for the bedroom door.
“Would you like me to make you some coffee?” She called behind him.
“Coffee? Nah, I’ll grab some on the way. See you tomorrow tonight though eh?” he replied.
“Yeah and BE CAREFUL!” She emphasized.
“For you, babe, anything,” David reassured her.
Kathy reached over to the bedpost where David’s Spurs cap was hanging and placed it on her head.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” She said coyly.
“Oh, yeah, chuck it here, love,” said David.
“Come and get it!” Kathy replied temptingly as she pulled the duvet up to her eyes.
“Oh, so now that’s your game, is it?” David replied and ran and dived onto the bed as Kathy pulled the duvet over her head and let out an ear-piercing shriek.
♦ ♦ ♦
The kettle was whistling. David smiled to himself as he savored the memory. He turned off the kettle and placed the coffee jar back into the cupboard.
“I’ll grab some on the way.” He repeated to himself.
David missed Kathy and reflected on the futility of his life without her. He picked up the leaflet from the kitchen table that he’d been given on his last drop yesterday. He had read it last night before he went to bed. He read it again and noticed the telephone number on the bottom of the leaflet.
“Why not?” he thought to himself.
Pulling his mobile phone out of his pocket, he dialed the number.
“Hello, Roy speaking.” answered the voice.
The Most Northerly Mosque
Inverness, Scotland
In a small side street in Inverness, a dilapidated stone building is undergoing renovation. The building was built in the 1800s as a church for the Free Church of Scotland and paid for entirely by donations from the local community. In its heyday, the church was often full
