Patrick George Callaghan

Episode 75… The Return of Herbert Marks… (Part Three) Charles and Esme try to convince Mrs Plum to change her mind… It was somehow in that moment of time that Charles could see the side of Esme that only her mother could have provided for her from childbirth. In that instance, he felt he was listening to Constance and in a way it warmed the cockles of his heart, just as a dram of whisky would have taken on the same effect. Mrs Plum seemed to retreat a little at this relaxation in this revelation, seemingly, this had not been part of the singular mental state of her mind just now. ‘I have known Herbert for many years.’ said Charles. ‘He is a very dear and loving person. But he would not make a good husband for he has some terrible afflictions of the mind that trouble him from time to time. Do you know that just a few years back he was sectioned at Rampton for almost strangling his former wife to death!’ ‘You mean to say that he has been married before.’ Mrs Vera Plum looked ev

Episode 74… The Return of Herbert Marks… (Part Two) Charles and Esme visit Herbert’s shabby office in Brick Lane… The sign above the door simply read Herbert Marks Theatrical Agency 3rd floor. Herbert’s long association with The People’s Palace as a placement agent was well known to Charles. That was an establishment of quite reputable entertainment on The Mile End Road serving up nightly its form of working men’s enjoyment. Now, here in Brick Lane, that venue seemed just a distant memory. Pushing the door inwards he and Esme took to the well worn and rickety stairs carefully counting each step in front of them. ‘I’ve been here before’ said Esme quietly. ‘More than once, and when I was looking for you again.’ ‘I know sweetheart, I know, and I’m so thankful you did. The horror of Hinckley Common and that dreadful relative you had in France is all too vivid in my memory.’ They stove their thoughts, wishing Herbert could afford something a little less tiring on their limbs. ‘

Episode 73… The Return of Herbert Marks… (Part One) Esme has returned to Charles in Bayswater and their reunion affords a dear friend of Charles… It was late that following morning when Charles awoke, he glanced wearily at the unwound clock, its alarm had retreated some hours earlier. Esme lay gently sleeping beside him, it seemed little had disturbed her through the night. Downstairs he could hear the faint sounds of Toby or Barney moving around, perhaps even dealing with a client. He smiled to himself, perhaps they were tiding up for once. Lunch saw them all in the Parlour and enjoying a chicken casserole with some fresh crusty bread, all procured, cooked and provided by the brothers. ‘We thought, after your traumatic and welcoming night. You might both like a square and fulfilling meal.’ Toby looked at the others around the table and Barney nodded agreement. ‘But, how did you know?’ inquired Charles. ‘My dear friend’ replied Toby. ‘I have an insight into these things, or p

Episode 72… Charles and Bayswater… Rebecca’s spell has returned Esme to Moscow road…  There could have been a number of reasons why Charles had lifted his tired body from an uncomfortable bed and slowly dragged himself down the two narrow stairways and into the shop. Could it have been the thoughts of Esme that had given him such a sleepless night, yes it must be that, he told himself. He fumbled for the flashlight that he knew must be somewhere on the counter, then, its beam picking out the light switch in the far corner. ‘Must get that moved’ he groaned. He flipped the switch and yellow light entered the dark corners of the room. Bleary eyes told him Toby needed to tidy before retiring. Perhaps, just maybe, he thought he could hear a faint sound, as if shoes on pavement, slow and apprehensive, as if unsure of movement. He moved to the window blind, but could see nothing without disturbing it. The door blind was also down. The sounds were directly outside the shop, he felt they

Episode 71… Rebecca’s Spell… (Part Five)… Sisters of Heaven ‘Are you the Mother Superior?’ began Toby as they left the table. ‘I think you could be.’ ‘No, my young friend’, replied Sister Ann. ‘She is away from us at present, attending to some pressing matters in the North of England.’ ‘Pressing matters?’ inquired Celia. She felt she wanted to lend support to Toby’s opening conversation, and after all, she rather liked this young man. ‘Nothing too serious.’ Sister Ann answered sharply, then gave Celia a gentle smile. ‘Just business at another order that must be attended on.’ Celia blushed with slight embarrassment. Perhaps she had been a little forward, she told herself. Further along the corridor they were ushered into what looked like a small workshop, where several nuns were seated at intervals and busy with their hands in what seemed to be the hand sewing of garments. ‘A number of our Sisters are engaged in reclaiming clothes for the local poor,’ explained Sister Ann,

Episode 70… Rebecca’s Spell… (Part Four)… Sisters of Heaven They approached the archway silently, careful their feet made no sound. The archway that would take them to that large oak door. They had all secretly told themselves that they would run if the man seen earlier, opened the door to their knocking. ‘What are we doing,’ whispered Charles, ‘We must be completely mad!’ It was Bridget who knocked loudly on the door. The others took a step back. They waited for what seemed a life-time, and then the door opened slowly to a woman wearing a Nun’s habit. She was a person of small statue, with somewhat rounded features and a very welcoming smile. She looked upon the six. Then in a moment of recognition, said: ‘Yes, you must be from the school. We know all about your given free time. Your Head Mistress wrote us an interesting letter saying that some of you will want to visit us.’ Heads were turned to Bridget. ‘Come in, you are most welcome. The Sisters have hot porridge for you

Episode 69… Rebecca’s Spell (Part Three)… The Woods Memories of a lifestyle in Bayswater had fled from Esme’s mind, as if being mystically replaced by surroundings she now found herself in. She could not imagine any other existent lifestyle. This was where she belonged. This felt very natural to her. Here were her friends and here she was. There was simply nothing else. After twenty minutes they came to a hilltop clearing that overlooked some disused and overgrown workings, long thought by the many locals of Mill Hill to be the ancient diggings of charcoal burners. ‘Disturbances of the ground would have created this vale,’ remarked Charles coldly. ‘They would be digging out trees, large ones.’ ‘I don’t like this place,’ added Celia. ‘Please lets move on.’ The boys had introduced themselves firstly as friends of Charles and then gave their names as Barney and Toby. For a strange moment Esme felt they were familiar to her, at least in name only. Then the moment was gone and sh

Episode 68… Rebecca’s Spell (Part Two)… Friends Bridget Moynihan’s Irish parentage had given her the gift of wonderful and imaginative story telling and soon the three of them were plunged into another of her spellbinding tales of mystery and intrigue. They passed the plump butcher’s boy who waved from his delivery bike. ‘Do people really want meat at this time in the morning,’ remarked Celia, with a somewhat narrowed eye. Bridget continued her tale of the secret sisters convent order that existed deep within the woods they were now heading for. ‘There are stories,’ she said: Of ritual sacrifice and other pagan practises.’ ‘Come on,’ stated Celia ‘For goodness sake. These are Christian Nuns. ‘They have taken their vows.’ ‘Taking to the order, does not mean they don’t have dark and foreboding secrets,’ replied Bridget with some sincere determination. ‘Ok.. Ok’ Celia gave way with a sigh. Ahead of them and walking quite slowly, almost sauntering purposely were a group of three

Episode 67…Rebecca’s Spell (Part One)…Awakening Esme awoke that morning to the sound of her mother’s voice calling from downstairs. ‘Esme darling, your breakfast, it’s tea and toast, your favourite. You will be late for school if you don’t hurry. Would you also like some Porridge? Hurry now my sleepy.’ She wiped sleep from her eyes, stretched, and threw the bed covers back. She sat for moments on the edge of the bed, her feet just dangling near to the floor. Somehow, she felt this was unreal, that in her mind, she was looking through a veil that formed a mist inside her head. Her mother called again, the same strange message, to get up and dress. Dress for what she asked herself. Where is Charles. I should not be here, at home with my mother. No, this is all wrong. Something was very amiss. This must be a dream. It can’t be so.’ “It is so, for the present, Esme.” Rebecca’s gentle voice whispered inside her mind. This is my gift to you. I have given my gift to Charles, now you sh

Episode 66… The Farewell  (Part Two) ‘Father!…Mother!’ Tears began to well up within Charles. He rushed forward and hugged them both as they stood up to greet him. They were just how he remembered them…. Pictured exactly, those long ago years. ‘Son, it’s wonderful to see you again.’ Frank Hepworth stood back, then shook his son’s hand vigorously. He was a slightly rounded man of medium height, nearing his early fifties. A man who sported a magnificent handle-bar moustache. He looked at his father. It was inside his mind what he would say. He had struggled to recite it to himself, over and over. Now, the words, just would not come. Charles garbled something, then suddenly his confusion was gone. He realised in that moment, he was being supported by Rebecca once more. He sat beside them on that ornate seat. The feeling of joy was overwhelming. They talked and talked and smiled together, over so much that had been missed. Finally and apprehensively, Charles said. ‘Will you retur

Episode 65…Rebecca’s Spell… The Farewell (Part One) The blackness began to clear. He found himself in the park. The green park he had seen from his bedroom window. He felt Rebecca was with him, but could not see her and yet her gentle voice was inside his mind. Sunshine, now spread down upon him and wrapped his body and face with pleasing warmth. “Just walk Charles, until you reach the Garden of Remembrance, soon to be within your view.” Rebecca’s voice guided his footsteps forward. “You will know, when you have reached it. Your parents will be there. Just waiting for you. Waiting to give you their love. They will listen to your thoughts.” He walked on, quickening his step. Then, apprehension filled his head. “What would he say to them. How should he greet them. What could he say. “No! He would be himself. That’s how Rebecca would want him to be.”  Her voice now inside his mind. “Yes, he would be himself. That’s what they would expect of him. Yes, of course.” The path in front

Episode 64 …Rebecca’s Spell…. ‘An adventure?’ Charles echoed the thoughts of the others. ‘That really sounds grand. I think we all can do with a sense, now of purpose.’ They grinned enthusiastically and Rebecca beamed, as if with a fortified new energy and life. ‘I shall take you into an adventure, such as you have never known’, she said. That will be my gift to you all, each and everyone sat around this table. It will be your alternative path that you may wish to tread in order to reach your dreams. I will give you those thoughts of your past and I will give you a sense of your futures. We will embark on our voyage in the morning. Today, I want to hear all about you. Your lives, your loves, and above all… Your dreams.’ The remaining day was spent first in idle chatter, then of personality, of likes and dislikes, and as the day wore-on to mid afternoon, talk became more honest and more serried. Charles… And Rebecca’s Spell It became light and slowly Charles opened his eyes to

Episode 63… Rebecca’s Tale… Part Two Toby looked across to Charles, somewhat helplessly. Then said warily: ‘The connection… The thoughts… Are with Esme, that’s where we are now Charles, believe me. Esme is the connection, the joining with Rebecca…Just remember.’ Rebecca chose to sit close to them, almost in some confidential manner, as if wanting to be accepted into their little gathering. She was stunningly very beautiful, perhaps in her early twenties, with long flowing golden hair that reached down to her finely shaped shoulders. Charles studied her sea blue eyes and thought to himself: “How could any man reject such beauty.” She was dressed now, in the clothes Esme had carefully selected for her, gone was the smoke ridden dress that she had worn earlier. Here was a refreshed Rebecca, of Lilac fragrance, a relaxed spirit, perhaps. She spoke gently, and yet, with some small determination. ‘You have been my rescuers and I thank you all for that. You have brought me beyond a mo

Episode 62… Rebecca’s Tale (Part One) Later that day, Rebecca woke from her deep sleep, and when gently roused by Charles, agreed to meet them all in the Parlour downstairs. ‘She seems quite flesh and blood to me.’ remarked Charles quietly to the others whilst they sat and waited. ‘That is because her spirit is in limbo between two different worlds, you might say.’ stated Toby, ‘In the present, the only thing she will know, when she begins to understand, will be the difference in time. Right now, she is in her own time, the life that she knows. She will simply take us to be her rescuers. Her form, that we all see… is simply a dressing. An illusion projected by her spirit form… for the purpose of acceptance.’ ‘But how can we deal with that?’ questioned Charles. ‘Years have passed since Rebecca’s earthly life time.’ He looked inquiringly at Tobias. ‘Yes, please tell us how Toby.’ chorused Esme. Barney and Toby looked at each other with a somewhat cautioned eye. There was a he

Episode 61… Barney Unlocking the door, Charles had opened it to a slightly built youth with a tousled shock of black hair and a warming grin. ‘Hi.. I’m Barnabas’ he announced, ‘But everyone calls me Barney. I’m Toby’s younger brother. I’ve heard a lot about you from him, all good mind you. Sorry it’s so early, my College friends seem to be early birds too.’ ‘Come on in Barney, we have been expecting you. I guess you could do with some breakfast. Just let me change from these pyjamas and I will let the others know you’re here. Bacon and eggs be ok?’ ‘I can certainly go for that!’ came a rushed reply. ‘My friends don’t do much in the way of cooking and prefer to eat on campus.’ ‘Just go through to the Parlour Barney. I will be with you in around ten minutes.’ As Charles climbed the stairs, he could hear Barney whistling to himself in quite a pleasant way. It settled in his mind that Barney was instantly likeable. “I’m impressed with Toby’s younger brother” he told himself. By

Episode 60… An Excellent Talk The three sat around a table in the small dining room of the little photographic shop on Moscow Road in Bayswater. Charles had brought forth a bottle of excellent single malt whisky for them to enjoy. Esme began to sip warmly on her half-full glass tumbler and then looked directly at Toby. ‘What happened to Edward in the end?’ she asked. Tobias smiled very kindly. ‘Are you really that concerned, or is it just simple curiosity?’ ‘Yes, I would like to know,’ she replied. Just to put my mind at rest.’ ‘Well, he was simply spirited away, he is a good boy now. I’m sure you would approve.’ While the warming whisky was beginning to reach parts of the mind within all three of them, tiredness lay just around the corner. ‘You mean… He was killed!’ Esme looked shocked. ‘Of course not!  There are gentler ways to reform a person’s character. Edward was introduced to what you might say… a better life… That is, one that would suit his crime more adequatel