On Tuesday, Riesling called Walter at home and he assured her that he submitted the application first thing on Monday. He explained that the appropriate procedure wouldn’t allow him to process his own application and that it has to be done by one of his colleagues. He said that it would normally take a few days to process and they just have to wait and see. Later that evening, Walter went home and worked on his computer to describe his ideas on how to prevent illegal copying of videos and films from the iPatch.
Walter and Riesling spoke on the phone every night and promised to get together at the weekend. Walter said he had a surprise for Riesling and she couldn’t wait. He said he would come and see her at 6:13 on Saturday outside M&S. On Thursday night, Walter returned to his computer and finished working on the solution to the possible illegal copying of videos from the iPatch.
By 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Riesling gave up on Walter turning up and she began to worry. As she had no mobile phone of her own, she walked to the public phone across the street and dialled his number, there was no answer. She went back outside the staff entrance and waited for a while longer but there was no sign of Walter. It began to rain so she buttoned her duffle coat and opened her umbrella; she was sure he would eventually turn up. At 8:00 Riesling decided to go home and try calling Walter from her house. She called him at 8:15, 8:30, 8:45 and every 15 minutes after that until 10:00 o’clock. She was really worried by now and wondered what became of him. Walter is a clever man but he wasn’t street wise and was not in the habit of going out on his own or with anybody; he had no friends anyway. By this stage, Riesling could only think of bad things. She thought he might have had a heart attack at home; he might have been run over by a car; he might have been mugged by a bunch of drunken youths in the city centre on his way to meet her. She tried to remember if she had heard ambulance or police sirens while she was waiting for him outside M&S. BY 10:15, she made up her mind she was going to call the police and report a missing person. She picked up the phone and began to dial 999. The front door bell rang, which made her jump out of her skin. She put the phone down and ran to the front door.
Riesling: who is it?
Walter: it’sh me
Riesling: who is me?
Walter: eh, jusht a minute. It’sh me Water Platch
Riesling: Walter pet, where have you been, I have been worried sick about you, isn’t it?
Walter: I am here
Riesling: you are here and you are drunk as a skunk, come in pet
Walter: I am not a shkunk, I am shick
Riesling: since when do you drink pet?
Walter: shince yeshterday afternoon
Riesling: you have been drinking since yesterday afternoon? What in heavens name for pet?
Walter: I wanted to forget
Riesling: forget what pet?
Walter: dunno, I forget
Riesling: sit down here while I make you a strong coffee
Riesling quickly made a cup of coffee and returned to the lounge to find Walter leaning against the wall with his mouth open and his eyes shut. She helped him out of his duffle coat and sat him down on the sofa to drink his coffee. He still wasn’t making much sense. Finally, she took his shoes off, loosened his tie and got him to stretch out on the sofa. She shoved a couple of cushions under his head and covered him with a blanket. As she was about to leave the lounge she noticed a box by the side of the sofa, she picked it up and opened it, inside was a beautiful diamond ring! She smiles, closed the box and put it back inside Walter’s duffle coat. She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and went to bed.
In the morning, Riesling woke up early, went to the bathroom, had a quick shower and went to the kitchen. She made two cups of tea and took out some biscuits. She went to the lounge and found Walter still asleep with Izha sleeping on top of him. Walter woke up to find Riesling sitting by his head. She said: “good morning pet, how are you feeling?”. Walter said he had a head ache; she gave him his tea and said he would feel better after drinking it. Finally, Walter was coming round to his normal senses.
Walter: how did I end up here?
Riesling: you turned up at my front door after 10:00 last night pet?
Walter: oh, yes, yes, yes
Riesling: I thought we were meeting at 6:00 outside M&S, isn’t it?
Walter: yes, yes, yes, I am sorry, I had a lot on my mind
Riesling (blushing a little): did you pet, is there something you want to tell me?
Walter: yes, yes, yes. I don’t know how to say this pet
Riesling: just say what’s on your mind and in your heart pet, you can trust me
Walter: I know, but it is so difficult for me
Riesling: listen pet, I can handle it, just tell me
Walter: alright. You know the iPatch invention?
Riesling (disappointed): yes pet?
Walter: well, someone else had beat us to it
Riesling (screaming): NO! I don’t believe it. How? When? Who?
Walter: I don’t know how but I know when and who
Riesling: alright then, when and who?
Walter: an application was submitted on Friday 9th November 2007, the day we went to the races. It was submitted by two people. I can’t remember their names, I wrote them down in my notebook in my coat
Riesling got up and brought Walter his duffle coat for him to get his notebook out. He rummaged around and felt the box in one of the pockets and automatically blushed. He finally found the notebook and took it out. He found the page he wanted.
Walter: the application was submitted on Friday 9th November 2007 by Mr Stephen Bawtree from England and Mr Geist Ball from Australia
Riesling: there is a surprise! Geist Ball again. Didn’t I tell you pet? There is something very fishy about all of this
Walter: well, it could be a co-incidence couldn’t it?
Riesling: pet, a co-incidence happens once, twice, may be three times. But not five, six and seven times!
Walter: I suppose you are right. But what can we do?
Riesling: we can fight back pet, isn’t it?
Walter: yes, but how?
Riesling: you leave the how to me. I am Riesling Damp, a Welsh woman who is astute in the market, a wizard in the kitchen and a terrier in battle.
Walter: I feel I let you down after what you have done for me, I am so sorry
Riesling: you haven’t let me down pet, it is not your fault
Walter: I thought we would have a nice weekend and celebrate the iPatch invention
Riesling: not to worry pet, we are going to sort this problem out together
Walter: how?
Riesling: I don’t know yet. First, we will have breakfast and we will then sit down and work out a plan. Now pet, you get up and have a shower while I prepare some bacon butties for us both.
To read the next chapter, please click here: Chapter 12
