The Writers' Circle

It was monday morning, just like every other monday morning had been for years, except this particular monday morning something had changed, Old Alf just sensed something was drastically wrong.

Old Alf went about his business as usual before he went off, to check on the Donkeys, and to let them out into the field for the day. For a moment he stood frozen, because the stable doors were wide open. There was no sound, no Jingle jangle of the brass bells that hung around their necks.

"Where's Skip?" Alf shouted, looking all around the stables, panicking.

He rushed out into the field. Somehow the other Donkeys had all been let out, but, by whom, and where was Skip?

The bell would ring for every step that Skipper would tread, and a chorus of bells in procession chiming along behind him from the other Donkeys, as Alf let them out of the stables. But this time there was nothing, a feeling of emptiness, and of complete silence! Alf was horrified.

With that funny little saddle on his back, with the name 'Skipper' embedded into the polished leather, it was just right for the children to ride on him with the reins which were made of leather and well worn. Now they just hung proudly up in the barn!

"Well..., I don't know," Old Alf said as he lifted his cap to scratch his head with one hand and the other on his hip, and then sighed as he layed back in his armchair, staring at the old, worn-out photograph that had really seen better days. 

You see, Skip was the best donkey Alf he had ever owned. Sure, the others were special too, but Skip and Alf had been through so much together, and besides, Old Skip was 'Top Donkey'! Especially since Skip had retired a few years ago now, and the children would still come and visit, and bring him treats. One child even brought him his very own teddy bear! Another child brought a handmade paper rosette filled with colours of the rainbow! All of these precious little presents Alf hung on the walls of the stables, it was just a momentum that he'd made, but he was so proud to make the children happy and for them to come and learn more about the Donkeys.

"Without the Donkeys," Alf would say to people, "I'd just give up, I reckon! It's all for the children and the Donkeys, you know" Alf went on, as he pointed to the stables as the Parents and children listened.

Sergeant Spears arrived to eye up the situation and take a statement. He was a rather large man, who wore thick-rimed glasses that seemed to come to the end of his nose as he peered over the top of them! Both Alf and the Sergeant had been born in this village. They also went to the same school as well! 
As the sergeant walked in, he wiped his size eleven boots on the mat, and then closed the door behind him, as he walked through to a darkened room; there was a musty smell that clung in the air.

"Hello Alf, my old friend, I heard about Old Skip and the others," he said shuddering, like someone had just walked over his grave.

"Hello, Sergeant" Alf replied, holding back the tears and wiping his nose on his handkerchief.

The Sergeant spoke to Alf who was still sitting in his armchair, on the stone mantel fireplace  beside him stood a large wooden clock, it was one of those that you had to wind up!,  Two urns stood proudly either side of it, they were very old and dusty too. Alf only had a small amount of furniture, two armchairs and a dining table under the window, with two upright chairs pushed underneath it.

"Wicked business," he said tapping Old Alf on his shoulder to somehow reassure him. 

Alf found a photograph that he'd taken of Old Skip with the other donkeys, on the Beach a few years ago, Alf gave it to Sergeant Spears to use as identification.

"Well, I've lost my wife, now I've lost Old Skip too!" Alf spoke with a lump in his throat. "I remember when my Wife use to make the children special treats for when they came to see the donkeys" he continued pointing to a photograph of his late wife. 

"I will do my best Alf, leave it to us" Sergeant Spears announced as he got up to leave.

With that, the Sergeant then left Old Alf to reminisce by himself. In the tiny village the cottages were very old with quaint thatched roofs, tiny windows and doors, and most of the streets were still cobbled. Everyone in the village was heartbroken that anyone could have done such a thing.

"Poor old Skipper!" cried some children almost in tears.

All the villagers formed a 'Donkey Search', even the school children joined in the search for Old Skip and the other Donkeys, the children even drew colourful Posters and pinned them up around the village with the help of their teachers. They were determined to find them!

Another day, and another, then another went by. Everyone was hoping for news of old Skipper, anything at all.

The whole village was worried about Old Skip and the other donkeys, and they were especially worried for Alf too.

Posters of old Skip and the other Donkeys were posted up around the village and in the different villages nearby. It seemed that poor old Skip and his friends had just vanished!

Alf would get up and walk over to the window at any little noise he heard, desperately hoping, that it would be Skipper. He'd turn away from the window, with tears in his big old eyes, and then sit back down with a heavy heart. As he sat in his big old thread bear armchair, (and very old at that, but he found it very comfortable), he tended to his newspaper and sipped his cup of tea.

Muttering to himself, 'Why my old faithful, Skipper, Old Skip, Why?"

No explanations emerged as to why on earth someone would want to take Old Skip, or indeed the other donkeys too!

Alf then reminisced about the time he first bought Skip home.

'What a lot of things have changed since then', he continued talking to the photograph, as though both, his wife and Skip was there.

No one would have dared to tell him otherwise.

'The rides have changed too, do you remember Old Skip?' he continued 'the first time I put that old saddle on you', he muttered wiping a tear away, and 'how you did jump and kick! And the first time I took you down onto the beaches, the first time I placed one of those screaming children on your back and whose holiday wouldn't have been complete without their 'Donkey Ride!' to tell everyone about when they got back home', Alf continued to mumble.

'Well the best thing I remember was taking you away from all those noisy tourists, and up along the old coastal path to the grazing land, how you did enjoy that welcome land, whilst I wandered along looking at all those wild flowers, just growing here and there, that's how they should be, not trampled on! And that's another thing it was always at a leisurely pace, not like today, everyone in a hurry, cars going at high speed. No thank you, I'd rather have my way of life, if it's all the same to you!' Alf said sternly, and getting up from his chair and then going to the window and glancing out of the window yet again.

Alf had adopted, (mostly from around the neighbouring villages), the rest of the donkeys, shortly after he'd purchased Skip. Most of the Donkeys had their names embedded onto their saddles, just like Skip's was, it was lovely to see them working on the Beach and to see the children's faces, mind you Alf would never let them get over worked, even if a spoilt child kept demanding a ride when he firmly said 'NO'. Alf was a gentle soul, he loved animals and to see children happy. Sadly he didn't have any children of his own, his wife had died shortly after they were married all those years ago, he's been alone ever since, though not completely alone, he had his Donkeys, his cat and dog too!.

The People of the village held a meeting; Sergeant Spears was the head spokesperson. 

"Alright" he said with a raised voice, "I've no doubt that Old Skipper and his friends have been stolen!" he continued as he waved his arms in the air to try to calm the people down. "It's up to us all, to try to find Old Skipper and the other donkeys, after all, they were much the part of everyone here, and I'm sure, everyone will search!" 

Considering the matter, everyone agreed that something should be done, and done right away. Everyone searched high and low throughout the village, there was to be no stone unturned. By now word had spread to the neighbouring villages, people gave up their time to help in the search for Skip and the others.
During the three day search Skip hadn't been found, but yet, somehow, it seemed, in the back of their minds and deep down in their hearts, Skip wasn't far away.
There were a few hoax calls of course, but no one really took them seriously, until one little boy rang the police station on his way to school, he lived about five miles away. He reported, that he thought he had seen a Donkey, like Skip, tethered up behind someone's shed. Immediately the police and a few local people, rallied round to investigate it.

Sergeant Spears took charge. He sent several men to go round the back of the dilapidated house, while he and Alf went around the front. 

They hadn't quite reached the front door when Alf felt sick and his knees started to tremble. As they were about to knock on the front door, a cry from the back of the house sounded an alarm! 

"Come on, quick" Sergeant Spears shouted to Alf.  And with that they hurried around to the back. 

"What on earth is it?" Sergeant Spears said catching his breath. They could hear some rustling noises coming from behind an old shed.

"Look!" one man shouted pointing to a very sad looking Donkey, that was tied up to a window frame and looking very ill.

"Oh thank goodness, thank god, your safe now Skip!" Alf cried with relief. "It's you Skip, I thought I'd lost you forever!" tears filled his eyes as he hugged Old Skip. Skip seemed to respond by making his old familiar grunt.

"Right then," began Sergeant Spears, "Search all around to see who lives here and any clues that you can and meet me back at the station" he ordered the men. "Alf, Mr Adams has his van here so we'll be able to take Skip home for you, and then get the vet to check him all over" he said pointing to Mr Adams and his van.

While they searched the property, a man by the name of Herbert, was found cowering in the outside privy. It was found that he stole Old Skip because he'd promised his grandson a Donkey, but he couldn't afford to buy one. 
More shame on him as he was led away to the cells. It's thought that his Son and his grandson disowned him after that!

This was to be a new turning point in Alf and Skip's life. At least there was some good to come out of this. The Mayor of the villages came out to commemorate Alf's 'Donkey Sanctuary'. There was even a photograph of Alf and Skip in the paper. What a proud day that was.

Everyone Loved Skip, and they also admired Alf for all his hard work. What a transformation, new paddocks and stables and there Standing Proudly in the centre of it all was Skip with his new Shelter, was it me or did I see Skip smile?
All this was possible with the help and dedication from the whole village. Thanks to them Alf now has a proper Donkey Sanctuary!

And as for the other donkeys they were found wandering in someone's field!