Anniversary Surprise: The Cry for Help Hidden in a Gift
Husband Buys Wife a Purse on Anniversary, Finds Note “Help Me ASAP!” inside
A woman discovered a piece of paper inside a purse she had purchased at a flea market. She said, “What is this?” and took it out. She had no idea that the message scrawled on it would take her in an unexpected direction.
“Observe, Nick. This purse is like new.” Jane gestured to a cart at the flea market filled with bags.
A week before their second wedding anniversary, Jane and Nick were out at the flea market. After saving a significant amount of money on luxury jackets during their previous visit, Jane’s eyes were set on a vintage handbag.
Yes, it does appear well. But your closet already has so many purses’, Nick remarked.
“This is not anything I own. Take a look at how good this one is!” Jane covered the handbag with her hand.
Nick shook his head, turning to face his wife. He said, “We aren’t buying this, Jane.”
Jane and Nick got into a fight while standing next to the bag cart. The large, burly owner of the cart stood with his wife behind him, staring at Nick.
After a short while, Jane started crying. “All right, all right! I apologise. I’ll get the bag for you. Please put an end to your crying.” Nick begged.
“How much is this for?” Nick enquired with the store owner.
The shopkeeper’s wife gave Nick a sidelong glance but remained silent. Nick took his wallet from his pocket and gave the store owner the money once he disclosed the amount.
When she noticed a piece of paper inside the bag, her smile vanished.
But as Nick stood close to the trolley, he felt something strange. The wife of the shopkeeper felt as though she should say something, but she just stood there and looked at him.
“Can I help you with something?” Nick questioned the frail woman.
With a firm reply, the storekeeper stated, “She is mute.” “She is mute.”
“Oh, right,” Nick gave the man a smile.
Nick saw the shopkeeper’s wife twitch her lips to express something before turning to leave the cart. Nick did, however, abandon the cart when Jane expressed her desire to get home as soon as possible.
Jane arrived home, showered, and took a seat on the bed to unfold her new acquisition. She replied, opening the main pocket and exclaiming, “This is so beautiful!”
When she noticed a piece of paper inside the bag, her smile vanished. What is this? She pondered as she took it out. She read the writing on the paper after unfolding it.
“Aid me! Immediately!” Jane perused a book.
“Hi Nick! Look what I discovered right here!” From the other room, she made a call to her spouse.
“What is it, honey?” With concern, Nick enquired.
Jane then gave him the message and informed him that she had discovered it within the bag. After reading the letter, Nick’s eyes became wide and he scowled, thinking he knew who must have written it.
Nick said to Jane, “It’s the woman… she wanted to say something,”
“Which woman?” inquired Jane.
“The wife of the shopkeeper,” Nick uttered. “Didn’t you notice she moved her lips to say something before we left?”
Jane shrugged, “But the man said she couldn’t speak, Nick.” “You’re overthinking.”
“No, Jane,” Nick said with a shake of his head. “This communication is from her, I know it. She requires our assistance.”
Nick took up the purse and slipped the note inside. “To assist the woman, I’m returning to the flea market. Jane, I’m sure she needs us and is in distress,” he remarked.
“All right, honey,” Jane gave her husband a hug. “Be safe!”
After driving back to the flea market, Nick looked for the store owner. Sadly, the man and his spouse had vanished from sight. He found out the pair had left for home when he spoke with the other shopkeepers about them.
Shall I inform them of the note? Nick pondered. Nick asked the other shops about the couple instead of disclosing what he had seen inside the handbag.
“Did you ever see them fight in the market?” Nick enquired.
The store owners all nodded, but Nick had the impression that they were withholding something from him. He believed that they were reluctant to speak the truth.
“I’d like to know their address. Nick lied, saying, “I want to give them back this bag because I found something priceless inside.”
Only one salesman approached Nick and revealed the whereabouts of the man and his wife. “His name is Brad,” the store owner informed Nick.
“Thank you!” Nick gave the store owner a smile before heading to Brad’s house.
When Nick left the flea market, it was getting close to nightfall, and he still had thirty minutes to go to Brad’s house. On the outskirts of town, the shopkeeper and his spouse resided in a caravan tucked up between shrubs.
“Hi! “Open the door!” Nick yelled.
Nick pulled up to the address, parked next to the caravan and turned off his headlights. Through the curtains covering the window of the caravan, he noticed two moving shadows. “It seems like they are fighting,” he stated.
Nick heard the man yell at his wife as soon as he got out of his car. Nick responded, “She certainly needs my help,” and rapped on the door of the caravan.
Brad stopped talking abruptly and moved to check who was outside the door. Considering how far away from the city he resided, having guests was unusual. “Who is it?” Brad let out a sigh and swung the blinds to let in some fresh air.
“What are you doing here?” Brad’s eyes grew wide and his eyebrows knitted together. When he saw Nick at his door, he became irate. “Go away!”
Brad shut the curtains and turned out all the lights inside the caravan before Nick could reply, making sure he wouldn’t see anything.
“Hi! “Open the door!” Nick banged on the door and yelled, but Brad did not answer.
Now what should I do? Nick pondered. Though he couldn’t assist her, he was positive Brad’s wife had placed the message in the handbag. He was determined to speak with the woman before leaving.
“Miss, I’m here for you,” Nick yelled.
“If you’re in trouble, use the torch on your phone. I’ll lend a hand to you.”
Nick stood outside the caravan in the dark, waiting for the woman to answer, not sure if this trick would work. For almost fifteen minutes, he was outside, but neither Brad nor his wife took any action. Inside the caravan, the silence was deafening.
Is everything in order? What is Brad not saying or doing? Nick pondered. Even though he was exhausted already, he didn’t want to go without seeing the woman.
For ten more minutes, he waited outside the caravan, but nobody came. Am I thinking too much? What if that note wasn’t from you? Nick pondered. Nick waited a few more minutes, then noticed a bright light and turned to go.
“Yes!” Nick let out a cry and bolted towards the door of the caravan. He sensed something fall to the floor and heard Brad shout at his wife before he could knock. “Brad, open the door! Now open the door!” Nick growled.
Nick kicked and forcefully pushed the door after Brad remained silent and yelled at his wife. In the end, he snapped. Brad glared at him, saying, “You have no right to be in my home without my consent! Leave now!”
Nick realised what was going on when he noticed Brad’s wife standing behind him. Brad’s spouse required assistance since she was a victim of domestic abuse.
“Why do you have your eyes on my wife? What are your desires?” With a sigh, Brad moved a few paces in Nick’s direction.
“I just came here because…”
“Because you desired to gaze upon my spouse? How are you acquainted with her?”
“Brad, it’s nothing like that,” Nick remarked. “Don’t get me wrong.”
Brad then turned to face his wife, staring at her. “Do you know him?”
He said, “I’ll run away before they come here,” and bolted out the door.
She shook her head, scared that her husband would snap again. Brad then turned to face Nick and gestured to the door.
“GET OUT!” Brad yelled.
Nick shot back, “I’m not leaving until you let your wife leave.” To let Brad know he wasn’t scared of him, he folded his arms across his chest.
“Oh, really?” Brad laughed a devilish laugh. “You want me to let my wife go with you, huh?”
“She doesn’t want to live with you!” Nick yelled.
“So now you’re going to tell me what my wife wants?” Brad glared at Nick and turned to face him.
Brad was about to hit Nick when he heard police cars approaching his caravan with sirens blaring. “Did you call the cops?” Brad snarled. “You will pay for this!”
After entering his room, Brad picked up a bag. He said, “I’ll run away before they come here,” and bolted out the door.
Before Brad could get away, two police cars pulled over and he was apprehended right away. The cops thanked Nick for phoning them and then took him into the police van.
“I found this note inside the handbag my wife bought from Brad’s cart,” Nick informed them.
A couple of cops entered the caravan and gave Brad’s wife the reassurance that she was secure. “Will you kindly accompany us to the police station? They informed her that she needed to lodge a complaint against her spouse.
The woman filed a complaint against Brad at the police station with Nick’s help. Nick found that her name was Anna over there.
Anna left the police station after filing the report, intending to return home. “Hello, Anna! Would you please visit my home? Nick said, ‘I want you to meet my wife, Jane.
After bringing Anna home, Nick gave his wife a call. “Hello Jane! He remarked, “Look who’s here to meet you!” and motioned for Anna to take a seat in the living room.
When Jane came, he presented her to Anna. “My name is Anna. Do you recall that we met her at the flea market this morning? That note that she left for us,” Nick clarified.
Jane put her arms around Anna and wept when the dumb woman sobbed uncontrollably while resting her head on Jane’s shoulder. “Hey, hey. “It’s alright, Anna,” Jane comforted her by giving her a back rub.
She was once married to a wealthy man who looked after and adored her.
Nick remarked, “We’re here for you, Anna.” “You won’t get injured by that man again. He will learn a lesson from the police.”
Anna stopped crying, opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “Should I bring you a pen and a piece of paper?” Nick enquired.
He hastily went to get a pen and handed it to Anna along with some paper when she nodded. Anna then recorded her narrative for Jane and Nick in writing.
She informed them that she was not born silent. She was once married to a wealthy man who looked after and adored her. Regretfully, he passed away after five years.
After that, Anna got to know Brad and started dating him. He appeared like a good dude at first. A few weeks after they got married, the reality about his personality revealed itself to her, contrary to her initial expectations that they would live blissfully together.
“He spent all my money in a casino and forced me to sell all my branded clothes, shoes, and bags,” Jane wrote. “He had a drinking problem and frequently lost his anger. Living with him has always made me feel afraid.”
Brad returned home upset after losing all of his money at the casino one day. After their argument, Anna lost her capacity to talk since she was too agitated.
“Since that day, I haven’t spoken a word,” Jane said. Brad used to tell everyone that I was born stupid. He brought misery into my existence.”
Upon discovering Anna’s tragic tale, Nick and Jane made the decision to assist her. They took care of her medical expenses and let her stay with them until she was able to secure employment.
Nick told Jane that he would never raise his voice again and apologised for yelling at her. He took her hand and said, “I love you, Jane.”
“I’m sorry for quarrelling with you.”
Anna found a job and a safe location to live a few weeks later. She left Jane and Nick’s home, but she made a commitment to stay in touch.
After six months, Jane and Anna founded a support group for victims of domestic abuse. They helped these women live in a secure environment, free from the males who brought them into disarray, by raising money for them.
What lessons may we draw from this tale?
- Speak out against abuse of domestic partners. Silencing domestic abuse is tantamount to endorsing the oppressor. People like Nick and Jane ought to speak out against it.
- Always be of assistance to others. The note written on the paper inside the purse may have been disregarded, but Nick and Jane chose not to. They found Brad and saved his spouse.
