{fb1904000"What did you say?"{fb1000000 she asked. The reply was the same. {fb1904000"Your father is dead, and I have some things for you".{fb1000000
Some people, on hearing such personal news would be overcome with grief. Not McGraph; she'd left home at the age of twelve, partly because of her father and partly lured by the images and stories of the big city and it's bright lights. Like many people she discovered her visions of happiness and success didn't live up to life's realities. She ended up performing a multitude of jobs to earn a living. Currently working by day as a Transporter, and secretly as a Hostess in on of the City's many Pleasure Towers at night. Quite a colourful life you might think. You'd be right. Many useful contacts were made, both at night and by day useful for her 'other' occupation.
{fb1904000"You'd better come up"{fb1000000, she shouted to the messenger, who's arms were aching sorely with the weight of the parcel. {fb1904000"Use the stairs. The lift's out of order".{fb1000000 She called, after he'd disappeared from view.
Ten minutes later she answered a knock on the door and in he came. {fb1904000"Sign here please miss",{fb1000000 he panted and pushed the delivery note under her nose and produced a half-chewed biro from behind his ear. {fb1904000"Thank you"{fb1000000. He said automatically, and left without closing the door, muttering something about 'tall building and service equipment breaking down just when you need it'.
McGraph placed the parcel on the floor in the middle of the room and stared at it. She walked around it. She wondered what it was inside. It must contain something her father really wanted her to have. What things though? Why did he want her to have these damned 'things'? What could be that important to have them especially deliver- ed by a messenger. Messeng- ers who charge a fortune just to get parcels safely across a city. God knows how much it costs to transport it half way across the country! Father wasn't a rich man by any means. He'd had money once, but that was all 'used up' tracking her down when she left home all those years ago. At first she felt guilty, but they were desperate to find her, so decided she must be worth it for them. Although she didn't want to see them, she would allow them to keep in touch, via her brother Mical. After her discover, Mical had written to her regularly and acted as a go-between. So at least her family knew she was alive and well. Sometimes they sent her presents, on birthdays and such, but she never opened them, nor did she consider sending them anything in return.
Unhappy memories filled her head as she stared at the bulging parcel. What could it be? She went in to the bathroom and turned on the shower. After a couple of minutes she realised there was no hot water again! Which means Nailer will be banging away into the night again 'fixing' the boiler. Why doesn't he just provide a proper service. He steals our hard- earned cash and promises the earth when we complain. Well at the next residents comm- ittee meeting he gets the ultimatum. A new boiler or be boiled!
Suddenly McGraph is snapped back to reality, disturbed by a noise outside and below. She moves across to the balcony to see what all the commotion's about.
{fb1904000"Bloody kids, always making someone's life a misery",{fb1000000 she mumbles. Looking closer she realises it's the messenger being chased by a gang of youths with a dog. {fb1904000"Phuh"{fb1000000, she thinks to herself, and goes back inside.
She stared at the parcel again and again. She began to speculate what could be inside. Her 'wedding dress' for the wedding that never was? No, not even father would be so cruel! Maybe other items of clothing from her childhood, it certainly felt like clothes. Bulky, soft, yes clothes of some sort.
{fb1904000"Why the hell would he send me clothes after he dies?"{fb1000000 she thinks.
It's not the sort of thing most normal people would include in their Will. She thinks back to when she was growing up in that small town. Such a small unhealthy place. Such an unhappy childhood. Thank god she had the courage to get out when she did. 'Clothes! Why would he send me clothes?' she thought.
By now her curiosity has got the better of her and she begins to pluck at the coarse knotted string around the brown paper, but stopped mid-way through to turn up the
