Хелен Нейлор (Helen Naylor)Introduction
Moreland Road is a street in the city of Bath, England.
One Friday evening in March, at six o'clock, people were coming home from work as usual. The schoolchildren were already at home.
A woman's voice was coming from number 12. 'Jason, are you doing your homework? You've got to do it before you go out to see Maria tonight.' But there was no answer. Jason was listening to music and couldn't hear his mum.
At number 48 David Sen wasn't home yet, but his wife was. Thirty-two-year-old Nina Sen was tired after a long week of work at the bank. She had some news for her husband, but she wasn't sure how to tell him.
Across the street was number 75. Maggie was in the living room, sitting on the sofa. She was thinking about something. It was a nice something, because she had a smile on her face.
And then there was Sam Davies, from number 56. He was walking slowly home, looking a bit worried. Actually, he always looked worried. Money was his problem. He never had enough for everything. How was he going to tell his wife that they couldn't have a holiday this year?
So, just another ordinary Friday...
CHAPTER ONE
Jason's future
'Jason! Did you hear me? Are you working?' Jason's mum heard nothing from his room. She decided to go and see what was happening.
She stood outside the door of his bedroom for a minute and then she walked in. Jason was sitting on the floor and looking at some photos.
'What are you doing, Jason?' she asked.
Jason turned off his music and looked up.
'Do you remember this?' He gave her a photo. 'It's me when I was five, and Maria. She was really pretty - well, she still is. It was my birthday party, wasn't it?'
'Yes, I think so,' his mum said.
'It was the last birthday before Dad left,' Jason said. 'I remember it very well.'
'The party, or the day Dad left?' asked his mum.
'Both,' said Jason. 'In my mind, they both happened on the same day.'
'They didn't, but it all happened a long time ago,' his mum replied. She walked to the window so Jason couldn't see her face.
Simon, her husband, left their house in Moreland Road early one morning twelve years ago. He wrote her a letter and put it on the kitchen table. And then he left. For twelve years she didn't hear from him. No letters, no birthday cards for Jason. Then, last week, there was a phone call. 'Why did you go?' she asked Simon again and again. He wanted to meet her. 'No,' she said, but she wanted to say yes.