Beg Your Pardon

Beg Your Pardon

By Paul McCann

 

Digby went to war but for all the wrong reasons , He didn’t go to serve for his country , he didn’t go to fight for a cause , he went to war for money. After he left the foreign legion he became a mercenary , up for hire to anyone anywhere . He would do anything for anyone at a fee . After each mission he went to ground disguised as a beggar on the street , sleeping rough for a while or in some homeless shelter in the city until he was contacted again for another mission .

He was contacted through a network of people who never knew where he was but the message was carried by a variety of couriers who Digby had put in place to protect himself from the police or secret service .

One day as Digby was sitting on the pavement with a cardboard sign around his neck that said Hungry and Homeless a very well-dressed businessman came walking past and hurled a mouthful of unwanted advice at Digby .

‘Why don’t you go and get a job”.

The man had this high-pitched sound . It screeched rather than spoke.

Digby answered back straight away,

“:You never know what tomorrow might bring , Tomorrow you or your son or daughter could be sitting here just like me on the pavement “

The business froze in fear at those words .
He had no answer to Digby’s comment and turned his back and walked away.

Digby had a message from a courier about a mission that needed his special skill with  MANPADS and accepted the job in the middle east . Most of the time he never knew where the orders came from , he just had to say yes or no for the mission .

Later that week he was in an aircraft on the way to a location where he would be given more details about the job that he had to carry out .

After he had all the information , he completed the job and soon returned back on the streets of London where he took on another appearance as a homeless beggar again . The next few months passed slowly and with winter setting in Digby found shelter in an abandoned warehouse .

The first night he was there Digby heard a noise inside the warehouse and silently made his way to where the noise was coming from . To his surprise he found another man there who was inside a large cardboard box trying to keep warm . Digby put his hand on his head and said ,

“Hey, are you a rat or not “

The other homeless man screamed and said   “

“Please don’t hurt me :”

His voice screeched in a high pitch and in that moment, Digby recognised who he was . The accent gave him away .

“ I remember you squire , do you remember me ?”

“ No, I’ve never seen you before in my life “

The homeless man in the box said .

Digby continued.

“Well , let me remind you “

“I have no idea who you are , just leave me alone: :

“Some things I never forget , let me twig your memory . One morning you were on your way to work and I was sitting there on the pavement as you passed by . I had a cardboard sign around my neck that said “Homeless and Hungry”.

“Oh my God , it’s you :”

“Now you remember , Didn’t I tell you . One day it could be you and look here you are “

“Please I beg your pardon . Don’t hurt me “

“Why would I hurt you . I can see you’ve been hurt enough . So, tell me squire what happened in your life since last we met ? “

The homeless man got out of the cardboard box and told the story of how he lost his job , then he lost his house and the next thing his wife left him and took everything he had in the bank . She also made sure he would lose all his reputation and spread stories about how cruel he had been , He was tainted as a woman basher and lost all his friends .

Digby could see the man had been through a hard time and never bothered to make things any worse .

He looked at him with sympathy and said ,

“So what’s your plan now then ?”

“My plan is to just survive somehow .  I used to think I was in control of my life and in my own mind I was untouchable but life taught  me a hard lesson . I’ve been living here in this old warehouse for a week now “

“How dis you loose your job?”

Digby asked

“Well I found out later my ex wife had been having an affair with the manager of the bank and they had this plan to break me financially and mentally .“

Digby looked away for a moment and then said ,

“Do you want to get even ?”

The homeless man seemed surprised and said ,

“ What do you mean ?“

Digby replied .

“What’s your name ?”

“My name is Hugh Davis”

“Ok listen Hugh , I’m not what you think I am , let me explain “

After Digby told Hugh what he did for a living , Hugh was dumbfounded and said .

“I beg your pardon ?”

 Digby said

“You must not tell  anyone . Ok so I’m going to help you Hugh to get revenge “
“Why are you helping me after what I said to you “
“ I don’t answer questions Hugh just listen to me .Do you know where the bank manager lives ?”

“Yes I do . He lives with my ex wife in a big house on the new Brighton Road in  Purely “

“:Good , tell me who else lives there “

”His aged Mother and his three young children ? ”

“So what happened to his wife then  ?”

“They devised a wicked plan to get rid of her and staged the murder of his old mother . His wife was convicted of a crime she never committed and went to prison . Once she was out the way my ex moved into his house and they are living the high life there with the three children who never want to see their Mother again for what she allegedly had done . “

Digby smiled and said ,

“I think I’m going to like this job “

He paid a visit to the big house in Purley and took some photos of his Hugh’s wife and the three children .

Then later that week Hugh went to the bank to make a large  loan  from the bank . After he filled out the application form he placed it in the front of the bank manager . When the bank manager opened the form to have a read of the information he found photos of his three kids and his new lover inside as well as photos of the big house in Purely “

The bank manger went white and started shaking .’

“How soon do you need this money “

He asked .

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes , Wil you have it ready by then ?”

“Of course , Not a problem . I’ll have your money here in my office when you return ?

Digby walked out of the bank and returned with Hugh . The two of them went int the bank managers office . The manager was very surprised to see Hugh standing there and Digby said ,

“Now you can hand over that money to my friend “

The bank manager handed over the grip bag filled with money and Hugh took it unchallenged and the both left the bank without any incident .

When they returned to the abandoned warehouse Hugh was dancing and screaming for joy .

Digby said ,

“You got even Hugh so tell me how does it feel?”

It feels just great . Thank you for what you’ve done for me “
Digby said  ,

“Ok take that money in the bag now and go and get yourself a life. “

  Hugh walked away from the warehouse and Digby lay down on the cardboard box and laughed then said .

“I just love it when things work out all right “

 

The End