THE DANGEROUS INFORMATION

By Ammaarah Habib

"You must not tell this to anyone else," said Anne to her long-time acquaintance and neighbour Georgia in a hushed voice.

Georgia was used to the thirteen-year-old's habit of sharing any gossip be it important or futile with everyone. Had Georgia known what tumult the information she received that evening would cause, she might have done something to prevent Anne from delivering it.

"I heard the constable tell my father that there is a group of ruffians living in the abandoned house up in Leville Street opposite Mrs. Allison's house and they are the ones causing all sorts of trouble but the constable cannot do anything because of their connections to important people." Anne divulged with a suggestive nod.

Georgia smiled but didn't say anything. Wanting to impress her, Anne continued with wide eyes, "I've heard it might have been them who are responsible for Little John's disappearance."

This definitely grabbed Georgia's attention. John's disappearance was the most talked about topic in their locality. You could not go through the day without someone mentioning the sorry incident every other minute.

Two weeks prior to this evening, John's mother was seen knocking on every door in the neighbourhood with tears streaming down her face, asking the question- "Did you by chance see my son?" Saying this accursed sentence would cause her to sob with greater intensity.

John was just eleven, so the disappearance had roused everyone. Children had to come back home by 4 o'clock before it became dark. Mothers didn't let their dear ones far from their hawk eyes.

It had been two days since and no news of John. His mother, Mrs. Eliot had since then receded to her house and would gaze at the door waiting for John. Hearing Anne say that the newcomers of the neighbourhood had a hand in John's disappearance made Georgia contemplate. It did make sense, she thought. After all, the young men did arrive in Little Hamington a day before the incident and they did not seem the 'right sort'. None of them came to visit any of the villagers or converse with the folks.

Georgia acknowledged that it did make sense which pleased Anne very much. They parted ways and Anne skipped to her house with a satisfied smile.

When Georgia arrived at her house she saw her mother sitting with a few other ladies around the tea table talking in soft voices. She absently greeted them and took a seat next to the fireplace and sat with her needlework.

"Yes! The police are well informed. They will find the boy in no time." Mrs. Colton asserted in her characteristic loud voice.

Hearing this, Georgia couldn't control her next words. Without a second thought, she uttered, "I've been hearing from many that the strangers living up in Leville Street might have a hand in the unhappy business. Even the constable believes so but his hands are tied." She let out a gloomy sigh.

There was absolute silence after Georgia's proclamation for a second and then there was the loud noise of glass shattering.

Georgia had not noticed Mrs. Eliot sitting at the end of the sofa with a bowed head and holding the teacup in her hands. The effect of Georgia's words was immediate.

In an instant, Mrs. Eliot was out of the house without a word rushing towards the town hall yelling for people to save her boy, and with a crowd of concerned and angry villagers headed towards Leville Street.

Imagine the surprise of the young men who had retreated there for a restful summer when a horde of enraged villagers rushed into their house looking for a little boy and throwing curses and stones at them.

It was unsurprising that the house was vacated that very evening.

The constable had indeed called those young men 'ruffians' as they were seen behaving in a manner which the village folks were unaccustomed to, but them being connected to John's disappearance was nothing but Anne's speculation. The appalling incident brought a lot of negative attention and created an unfavourable image of the town for the following months as the young men were indeed well connected.

What about Little John then?

He had gone to his grandfather's house after breaking his mother's favourite ceramic vase and was brought back home the following day by John's grandfather who was oblivious to the mayhem that took place.

Moral- A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

By Ammaarah Habib