A Fictional Cousin. Copy-write P. Audcent 2014
Jason was just sitting comfortably in their swing deck chair, he had a large tumbler of beer clasped in his hand. Then he heard the door bell ring.
'Deb can you get that please. I've just sat down this minute.'
A few minutes later Debra his wife came out onto the garden balcony. She peered down at him. 'Its your cousin complete with haversack and bicycle.'
'What cousin?'
“I left him at the door, so give me the beer and pop it on the table here and go see your cousin.'
Now Jason came from a large family with a horrendous number of Aunts and Uncles so he lurched up from the swing seat and went to the front door.
'I'm your cousin Rick.' said the stranger, now inside with his bike leaning against the hall wall. 'Rick Welby.'
'But I don't have a cousin by that name you must have the wrong house.'
“Your names Dentine, Jason Dentine, my mother was a Susan Dentine married a Welby from down south.'
Jason thought for a minute and then invited Rick onto the back balcony.
'I only want to stay a couple of days as I've job interview in town to go to and I asked Mom if she had any relatives up here in the big smoke, and she mentioned you.'
by this time Jason was scratching his head, yes he had an Aunt Sue but there was never any mention of her moving south, so he turned round to this long lost cousin who was slurping into his beer glass.
'Great beer this you must have been expecting me guess Mom must have rung ahead.'
'Well you can stay a couple of days I'll get Deb my wife to prepare the spare bedroom.'
Rick looked around him. 'Nice place you have here, Mom said she came from a large family, I guess you are one of Uncle Richards tribe?'
Jason nodded. But his mind was still racing mainly about Aunt Sue moving south, wonder if David his brother, the family archivist knew this?
And so after three weeks and no sign of movement, a cooling off from near found relatives by Jason and Deb occurred, and it all started on the shopping expedition. Rick had invited himself along to help carry the packages, and just as Jason and Deb entered the supermarket Rick disappeared. After shopping they both wheeled the trolley over to the car but still no sign of Rick. They waited inside the car for an hour and eventually he turned up, glowing as ever as he had found a long lost friend in a store not far away.
That night Jason closed the door of his study and rang David. 'Dave do you have any record of a cousin called Rick one of Aunt Susan's children, by the way she moved down south and got married. '
'Really Jas! That's strange as she lives close to us in the same nursing home as Mum and to my knowledge she's never been married. What name does this long lost cousin go under?'
'Rick Welby.'
'Wait on, I will go onto my listing and check it out, we do have a large family and I think there's a couple of W's in the south.' A few minutes went by, 'Jas we have a Wecome and a Wallis down there but no Welby. Just give me a few minutes you have to ring off and let me check an old mate of ours, do you remember our Dad's best man Uncle Syd?
'Yep deputy Mayor now I believe.' Jason rang off and went out to get a cup of coffee, Rick had helped himself to another beer and was lounging outside with a bag of crisps on the swing seat.
'Dinner will be ready soon Rick,' Jason called as he poured the coffee.
'By the by Jason that friend of mine I met in the shopping centre today wants me to go and stay with him for a week if that's all right. Off tomorrow OK?'
'Yes sure', said Jason but just then the telephone rang so he zoomed into his study to take it.
'Dave here Jas, I think you might have cookoo living with you so Syd has arranged a police visit first thing in the morning.'
'A what?', but Dave had gone.
Next morning as Rick was strapping up his haversack onto his bike Jason opened the door to allow him to wheel it out.
'Bye.' called Deb from the kitchen.
'See you in a week Jason thanks for the stay, don't change the bed sheets be back in a wink.'
'Oh I don't think so Mr. Deverell you'll be coming with us now.' And the two policemen guided Rick down the path and lifted his bike into the van, he was then handcuffed and led to the waiting car. One then returned to an amazed Jason and Deb at the open door.
'You and your brother are in for a tidy sum as reward, we've been chasing this conman all over the county, Good day to you both.'
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