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My own flesh and blood

Who could have robbed me while I was still grieving?


Published by: Jessica Gibb
Published on: 29 September 2011

Curled up on the sofa, I stared at the empty screen of my mobile phone. I'd have given anything to see it light up with a text message from my husband Eddie.
When a chest infection had caused his irregular heartbeat to flare up, he'd needed to go into hospital. As I'd packed his bag, he'd handed me a mobile phone.
‘I bought it so I can text you every night before you go to sleep,' he'd smiled.
I'd been chuffed that we were still as in love as we were when we'd married 39 years earlier - even when we were crossing the road, he'd hold my hand tight.
When Eddie, 65, was in hospital, every night as I tried to get comfortable in our bed that felt too empty without him, he'd sent me a text - I love you, special
girl. Goodnight x.
I love you too x, I'd replied. Then I'd popped the phone on my bedside table, alongside Eddie's silver watch.
But after he'd been in for a week, I'd had a phone call from the hospital. ‘I'm sorry, but Eddie's taken a turn for the worse,' a nurse had said. The next day, I was there when he had a heart attack and passed away.
Now I'd never see his smiling face again, never hold his hand as we crossed the road, and never have a text from my special man.
A few days later, I received a letter. ‘My God,' I gasped, opening the envelope - it was a cheque for £8,000!
Eddie had taken out a life insurance policy without telling me. ‘Even in death, you're looking out for me.'
Still, it didn't help my grief. And just three weeks after he'd passed away, my grief doubled - my brother Norman, 63, died as well after suffering lung cancer and a brain tumour.
With so much to think of, I just popped the money into the safe in my wardrobe. I did the same with the £2,100 Norman had left me to pay for his funeral.
Amazingly, one good thing did come out of all my grief though - because me and my sister Marcia, 66, grew closer.
Suddenly, my mobile lit up. Talk of the devil, it was Marcia! Let's go shopping together tomorrow, she suggested. Be nice to spend some time together, and you need your family more than ever right now.
Bless her. We had such a nice day.
‘That was just what I needed,' I grinned as Marcia helped me indoors with my bags.
She'd not been gone long when my neighbour Janice, 61, came in.
‘Make yourself at home,' I said. ‘Just need the loo.' I lived in a three-storey house, and the loo was on the ground floor. Nipping down the stairs though, I felt a breeze... Oh God, a panel was missing from the PVC back door. ‘Janice!' I cried. ‘Come quickly!
‘Someone must have tried to break in!' I said. ‘But nothing's missing upstairs. Unless...'
I bolted up to the top floor.
My bedroom door was ajar - but I always closed it. Hands shaking, I pushed it open.
‘No!' I screamed, seeing my wardrobe doors were wide open. There was just a big, empty space where my black safe once was.
All that money from Eddie and Norman had gone!
I'd just sold Eddie's car too, for £7,000. Then there was my own life savings of £1,500 - well, I'd never really trusted banks - so that meant £18,600 had been nicked.
I was only insured for £500.
‘Eddie left me that money so he knew I'd be looked after,' I cried to Janice. ‘I feel like someone's robbed a little bit of his memory.'
Desperate to feel close to him, I went to get my mobile. I'd stored every message Eddie had ever sent me, and I wanted to read them all now to feel close to him.
But going into the living room, my heart stopped. It wasn't on the chair where I left it... or on the coffee table...
I was devastated. ‘At least his watch wasn't taken,' Janice hushed.
Five days later, an officer rang. ‘We found the person responsible,' he told me. ‘He was taking heroin in a car, with £5,000 under the seat, plus £4,000 worth of drugs.'
‘Drugs,' I spat, disgusted. ‘What's his name?'
‘James Barnes,' the officer said.
Hold on... ‘My great-nephew James?' I whispered softly. ‘M-Marcia's grandson...'
Last time I'd seen him, 10 years ago, it had been Christmas. Eddie and me didn't have any children, so we'd invited Marcia and her grandchildren to ours.
We'd been so upset when we'd heard James had got involved with drugs. As he'd sunk into his addiction, we'd lost touch.
When we'd gone out shopping though, Marcia had mentioned James was getting better. She was wrong. Addict or not, he was a wicked man who'd betrayed his own flesh and blood.
‘I'll never forgive him,' I told Janice. ‘He must've heard through the family about my money.'
James, 27, admitted the burglary charge at Merthyr Crown Court.
‘He said he'd wasted the money on a five-day drug binge,' my police liaison officer explained afterwards. He got three-and-a-half years, including two years from previous convictions. I don't think justice has been served.
But there was no sign of my mobile - I'll never read Eddie's messages again.
Worse, my relationship with Marcia has been tested because I'm hurt and angry. When her grandson robbed me, he stole my memories and the closeness with my sister, and I can't forgive him for that.
Diane May, 64, Pentre, Mid Glamorgan