Tom Murray worked at a foundry in his home town, it's here he met Mandy Grady; our two lovers fell deeply in love not realising that they were brother and sister.
After the devastating truth comes out it shatters their world, Mandy is with child, it's the result of their incestuous passion, and now with the help of his lifelong friend Tim Bradley, they hope to make a new start in America, where finally they can be a family.
*
"Tom...I'm sacred, I hope we are doing the right thing...Are we?" Mandy asks.
"We'll be fine...really, it's going to be ok; I promise you,it will." I say reassuringly.
Our flight is called for Boston USA, and nervously we board the jet, I keep thinking someone, I don't know who, will take my Mandy away from me.
We strap ourselves in and the plane roars into life, the plane takes off and as it rises into the sky it banks slightly and the pilot unknowingly gives us our last view of home.
Mandy is staring out the window, her eyes are filled with tears, and I touch her hand reassuringly and smile. I won't let you down Mandy, I won't. I think to myself.
After what seemed an eternity we touched down in Boston, we are both tried but excited as we get our first glimpse of the city from the air.
"Have you been to the USA before?" I whisper to Mandy.
"Yes...yes, mum and dad brought me to New York for a holiday when I was ten." She says, sadly.
"Well, we are here no together, let's make the best of it, all three of us."
"Ok Tom, I love you, love you so much."
We touchdown and after making our way through security we head to the baggage hall to collect our cases.
Instinctively I pull my mobile out to text Tim, and it has already signed on to a network.
Heeding Tim's warning I switch my phone off and I tell Mandy to do the same.
It's been so long since I've seeing Tim's uncle I am not sure if I will recognise him, we are like two lost souls in the airport and Mandy has a worried look on her face.
Suddenly I feel a tap on my shoulder and turning around I see a somewhat older version of Tim, it's his uncle.
"Tom and Mandy,am I right?" he says.
"Yes...yes we are, you, you are Tim's uncle Timothy,aren't you?" I ask.
"Yes, that's me my boy, and this must be Mandy, Tim told me about you."
"Yes, yes, I am Mr Bradley." She says, looking relived.
"Call me Uncle Tim, everybody does." He laughs
"Look, Uncle Tim, I...well, we can't thank you enough for helping us." I say.
"Now's not the time my boy, not here, let's get you both home safe first." He says, looking around.
We leave the airport and climb into his big black American SUV, its size has amazed me, I can scarcely believe how big it is.
We set off for his home in Wolderbash; he tells us it's about a two hour drive to his house.
Mandy and I are amaze by the sheer size of the roads and the amount of traffic as they go about their business blissfully unaware of the two illegal aliens onboard the big SUV.
I glance back at Mandy in the back and I see she has fallen asleep.
Finally we arrive at Tim's house and I am staggered by its size, there's a high wall around the perimeter and electronic gates with CCTV cameras.
He pushes a button and the gates swing open to greet us and we enter what I hope will be our sanctuary, our salvation.
"Right guys, this is going to be home now for a bit, best get used to it." He says.
"Are we here Tom?" Mandy asks sleepily, as she yawns waking up.
"Yes, yes we are my love...God would you look at the size of the place." I say forgetting Tim is beside me.
I'm looking at all this and wondering how on earth does a simple construction company that Tim runs pay for all of this, it has to be worth a few million I think to myself.
"Thanks Tim, I have worked hard for this, the US has been good to me." He laughs, as he gets out.
"Come on guys, leave the cases, Come, come this way and meet my wife." Tim says eagerly.
We enter the big house, if we thought the outside was incredible well...the inside was like something out of an American Cribs show on the TV, Mandy looks at me in disbelief at the size of it.
There's more CCTV cameras inside as well, I start to wonder what exactly this guy has to be afraid of with so much security about the place, what has he got to hide? I wonder to myself.
"Well now guys, this is Julie my wife, Julie these are the kids I told you about." Tim says.
I look at Julie, and somehow she looks familiar to me, she's about thirty and Uncle Tim I think is sixty, Tim never mentioned his uncle had a wife...I wonder why not? Well I suppose her forgot.
I suppose Timothy likes a young wife I guess. I think to myself.
"Welcome, welcome Mandy and Tom, we are delighted you made it over safe, come, come this way I have food for you both." Julie says, pointing to a dining room.
"Thanks Mrs Bradley, we'd be lost only for you and Uncle Tim." I say
"Call me Julie and Tom, there's no need to thank me guys, we have to help family." She says, smiling.
"God Julie, your home is amazing, really beautiful." Mandy says.
"Yes...Yes, both Tim and I are proud of it."
"Well Tom, how about a beer, I'd bet you could kill for a cold one?" Tim laughs.
"A cold beer would be most welcome, thanks."
"Come on this way to my Den, we'll leave the girls to get acquainted...That ok?" he asks
"Ya, ok, sure; lead the way."
We go into his Den, and it has it all, the pool table, video games, the works as the yanks might say.
He pulls me a glass of beer from his own bar and we settle down to talk but my eyes are drawn to yet more cameras, Jesus...! What is this guy up to? I think to myself.
"Oh, I see you noticed the cameras Tom." He laughs.
"Yes, yes I did, there are so many of them." I say, with a puzzled look on my face.
"Here, have a look at this, over here." He says, while pointing to a timber panelled wall.
Hopping up he takes a small remote from his pocked and presses it.
A concealed door slides back slowly to expose an array of display monitors and computer equipment.
He presses the remote again and all the small TV's flicker into life, you can watch almost every location in the house, every place, even bed rooms from here.
