The unexpected guest

Besides my father and mother, there are my elder brother Gerald, my younger brother Kenny and my younger sister Rita. Gerald is a seaman, and he is away from home most of the time. I remember his stories about his voyages around the world, and the many fascinating things which he has seen on his long journeys.

When Gerald’s twenty-first birthday drew near, both Mother and Father decided to organize a birthday party. We did not have much to spend but we knew that Gerald would be delighted with whatever we could raise. We also decided to give Gerald surprise and vowed that we would not tell him about the proposed party until the last minute.

Gerald walked in and out of the house ignorant of what we were preparing. Rita helped mother bake a cake for Gerald while Kenny cleared the house and arranged furniture. Mother promised to give me some money to add to what I had in my savings box so that I could give Gerald something worthwhile. Rita, however, refused to let us know what she intended to buy.

When the big day came, we all persuaded Gerald to go and see a film so that we could surprise him on his return. He was surprised by our unusual insistence but he complied. Perhaps he knew all along that we were planning something for him. All of us dressed up for the occasion and waited downstairs for his arrival. Father estimated that if Gerald came straight home after the cinema, he ought to be home any time then. Sure enough, we heard a knock on the door. Rita ran forward and flung it open and as she did, we all shouted: “Happy Birthday, Gerry”.

To our great surprise, the man standing at the door was not Gerald but some stranger. He could have been a policeman; he could have been a lost traveler, and he could even have been a robber. He looked embarrassed. He apologized for the intrusion and said he had no idea about our party. He also stated that he was looking for a certain Gerald D’Souza. Father went out to talk and when he was fairly convinced that the stranger was well-meaning, he invited him in. Just when the stranger had seated himself and was about to accept a glass of orange from mother, there was a loud noise at the door. This time we knew that it had to be Gerald. Rita went up to the door, Peered through the letter window and waved excitedly at us. She flung the door open and we all yelled out, louder than before “Happy Birthday, Gerald”.

Gerald Walked in, beaming broadly and hugged everybody. All of us thrust our gift parcels into his hands. He put them all down on the table and thanked us. Then he walked up to the dining exclaimed at the size of the birthday cake and picked up some tarts. It was then that he noticed the stranger. Gerald was having a difficult time trying to recall where he had met the man before. The stranger, however, smiled and extended his hand. introducing himself as John Snewin, a solicitor from Perth.

The stranger said he was acting on behalf of a certain James Levin, a miner with his offices in Perth. Some two years ago, Gerald had called at Sydney and had been involved in an incident in which he rescued the same miner from some kidnappers. This miner, as the solicitor Levin disclosed, had died some weeks ago and bequeathed a hundred thousand Australian dollars to Gerald in his will. The solicitor had come all the way to settle Gerald’s claim.