2020-04-07
828
There are several opinions concerning what happened to Ucle Oscar, but nothing is known for certain. He just went off to work one morning and was never seen again. No trace of him was ever found. My cousin Elizabeth is sure her father was in the bus that crashed and caught fire in North Avenue; everyone in it was burned beyond recognition. It was the bus Uncle Oscar took to work every morning, although he usually took the seven-forty-five, and this was the seven-fifty-five. Elizabeth is sure he missed the seven-forty-five bus and took the next one.
This belief is not shared by her brother Julian, however. Uncle Oscar had been quite ill that winter and even the following spring would occasionally fall in a faint; when he became conscious again he did not know who or where he was for a while. Julian is sure that his father had one of these attacks of amnesia and never came out of it, and that he is still wandering around in the world somewhere, not knowing who he really is.
Of course I've got an idea, too, and I'm sure I'm right. But first let me describe Uncle Oscar. The day he disappeared he was forty-seven years old. An accountant in a bank and a very good one. Uncle Oscar was one of those quiet little men who go about unnoticed. I suppose it was mainly because of Aunt Agatha that he seldom had much to say; my aunt had plenty to talk about and did so all the time. We often wondered why Uncle married her.
Their two children, Elizabeth and Julian, were unfortunately more influenced by their mother than by their father. I say unfortunately because both of them were large and unpleasant people like their mother and their behaviour was like Aunt Agatha's, too — selfish and greedy.
But as far as I know Uncle Oscar never complained about his dull existence. He went to the bank every morning, worked hard all day and returned home each night. If on a rare occasion he was a little late, however, he was told about it in uncertain terms. "You're twenty minutes late, Oscar. Where have you been?"
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The only times I saw my uncle show real interest in any thing was when he was working on his stamp collection. Hewould become quite excited over a new stamp or a rare old one. Elizabeth and Julian took no interest in their father's hobby, or in their father himself for that matter.
When, after a reasonable length of time, it seemed certain that Uncle Oscar was never coming back, I was given his entire stamp collection. If his children didn't share his interest I, his nephew did, and I often went to the Leighton's to talk about stamps with Uncle Oscar and examine his very fine collection. I remember being taken into his study one day and shown an unusual new stamp.
The morning of October 11th, 1951, was like any other. Uncle Oscar got up as usual at six-forty-five, made his own lnrakfast (Aunt Agatha, Elizabeth and Julian were still in bed; they never got up before 8), left the house, and started in the direction of the bus stop. But later, when they were questioned, the people at the bus stop couldn't remember seeing him that morning. Some were sure he had been there; others weren't so sure. But that was the kind of person Uncle Oscar was; other people seldom noticed him. One thing was certain: he never reached the bank that morning.
At about ten-thirty Aunt Agatha received a telephone call from Mr. Wilton at the bank. "Where is your husband, Mrs. Leighton? Has he been taken ill again?"
" Isn't he there? I thought he left on the seven-forty-five bus as usual."
"Aren't you sure?"
" I do know that he was gone when I got up at eight. I found his dirty breakfast dishes where they had been left on the table, unwashed. I couldn't understand it. He always washes up before he leaves.”
"Well, as yet he hasn't been seen by anyone here at the bank, and we've got a meeting in just fifteen minutes. He should be here; his presence at this meeting is essential. He's got all the figures that are going to be discussed."
"I don't know what to say, Mr. Wilton."
No one answering to Oscar Leighton's description had been taken to any of the hospitals. By midday the police had been called in.
Not one bit of evidence could be found leading to the whereabouts of Oscar Leighton. He had simply disappeared from the face of the earth. That he had missed the seven-forty-five bus and taken the seven-fifty-five seemed the strongest possibility, but even that was doubtful. If he had been suffering from amnesia, surely he would have been found by the police; but he never was.
Uncle Oscar had left enough money in his account at the bank to take care of Aunnt Agatha. Elizabeth soon married and Julian fimshed university and got quite a good job as an engineer.
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A year passed. The fact that her husband would never be found was soon accepted by Aunt Agatha and she took a job in an office. She enjoyed this return to a life where she could once more run the lives of many people instead of only one family. She saw her children at weekends, which was a satisfactory arrangement for all three of them. Uncle Oscar's name was seldom mentioned, but that was nothing unusual.
A second year passed. About the middle of the third year a letter arrived for me from Brazil. The name and address were typewritten. I looked carefully before opening. How strange! I knew no one in Brazil. I turned the envelope over but there was no return address to be found on it. That evening I took from the shelf one of the albums of stamps given to me by Aunt Agatha, and prepared to enter the stamps from Brazil. Looking through the album I saw the last ones Uncle Oscar had put in and I felt sad for a moment. Then my eyes fell on the several empty spaces m the book. His most valuable stamps were missing! Suddenly everything fell into place. I smiled. I knew now where Uncle Oscar was and how he got there, that quiet little man unnoticed by everyone.
Of course! It had all been planned for a long, long time. He wanted me to know and he discovered a way to tell me, a way that could be understood by no one else. Of course his secret will be kept. I'll never tell anyone. As far as the world is concerned poor Oscar Leighton was burned to death in a bus accident on October 11th, 1951.
Notes:
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And even the following spring would occasionally fall down in a faint - следующей весной иногда даже падал в обморок
it wais mainly because of Aunt Agatha that he seldom had much to toy -г главным образом из-за тети Агаты он редко имел что сказать
No one answering to Oscar Leighton's description had been taken - Никто, похожий по описанию на Оскара Лейтона, не был замечен
She could once more ran the lives of many people instead of only one famiily — она могла опять распоряжаться жизнями многих людей вместо того, чтобы заправлять в своей семье
Suddenly everything fell into place — Вдруг все встало на свои места
as fair as the world is concerned — что касается всех остальных
