The Umbrella Man, Part 2

"Come under here and keep dry, darling," my mother said. "Aren't we lucky. I've never had a silk umbrella before. I couldn't afford it."

"Why were you so horrid to him in the beginning?" I asked.

"I wanted to satisfy myself he wasn't a trickster," she said. "And I did. He was a gentleman. I'm very pleased I was able to help him."

"Yes, mummy," I said.

"A real gentleman," she went on. "Wealthy, too, otherwise he wouldn't have had a silk umbrella. I shouldn't be surprised if he isn't a titled person. Sir Harry Goldsworthy or something like that."

"Yes, mummy."

"This will be a good lesson to you," she went on. "Never rush things. Always take your time when you are summing someone up. Then you'll never make mistakes."

"There he goes," I said. "Look."

"Where?"

"Over there. He's crossing the street. Goodness, mummy, what a hurry he's in." We watched the little man as he dodged nimbly in and out of the traffic. When he reached the other side of the street, he turned left, walking very fast.

"He doesn't look very tired to me, does he to you, mummy?" My mother didn't answer."He doesn't look as though he's trying to get a taxi, either," I said.

My mother was standing very still and stiff, staring across the street at the little man. We could see him clearly. He was in a terrific hurry. He was bustling along the pavement, sidestepping the other pedestrians and swinging his arms like a soldier on the march.

"He's up to something," my mother said, stony-faced.

"But what?"

"I don't know," my mother snapped. "But I'm going to find out. Come with me." She took my arm and we crossed the street together. Then we turned left. "Can you see him?" my mother asked.

"Yes. There he is. He's turning right down the next street." We came to the corner and turned right. The little man was about twenty yards ahead of us. He was scuttling along like a rabbit and we had to walk very fast to keep up with him. The rain was pelting down harder than ever now and I could see it dripping from the brim of his hat on to his shoulders. But we were snug and dry under our lovely big silk umbrella.

"What is he up to?" my mother said.

"What if he turns round and sees us?" I asked.

"I don't care if he does," my mother said. "He lied to us. He said he was too tired to walk any further and he's practically running us off our feet! He's a barefaced liar! He's a crook!"

"You mean he's not a titled gentleman?" I asked.

"Be quiet," she said.

At the next crossing, the little man turned right again. Then he turned left. Then right.

"I'm not giving up now," my mother said.

"He's disappeared!" I cried. "Where's he gone?"

"He went in that door!" my mother said. "I saw him! Into that house! Great heavens, it's a pub!" It was a pub. In big letters right across the front it said THE RED LION.

What happens next?

My mother had the intention of getting into that pub, so we walked toward its entrance but before we could cross the street, two completely black cars appeared and two guys in black got into the pub.

My mother and I stayed outside with the powerful rain some minutes and then we heard the sound of the door being opened in a sharp way. The two men in black were forcing the little old man to their car.

I said scared, “Look mom, they have the old man!” My mother told me to be quiet and to stay still.

I of course did it, until we heard one of the men in black saying to the old man, “Where is the umbrella, you’re going to tell us or…” I couldn’t hear more; they were at the other side of the street.

Even more scared I looked at my mother and she looked at my trying to not show fear.

We wanted to move but it all happened so fast, we just can’t, and everything went worst when one of them looked at us watching all the scene and shouted out, “The umbrella!”

The old man looked at us too and said out loud, “Run girls, run!”

We run backwards holding our hands, I didn’t drop the umbrella. I looked back and the man in black were in a running position but he wasn’t moving at all. 

My mother and I stopped and realized that everything was frozen in time. We were amazed of what was happening, but soon she told me to run again… and that is what we did for around ten minutes looking for a safe place, and we found it.