The Mystery of the Materialising Money
I love a mystery. Well as a sort of magician I would I guess,
but I really do love mysteries. If there’s a mystery film I’m there, in rapt
attention for the clues. Woebetide
anyone who says anything at a pertinent moment in the plot. Of course I mostly watch alone now, poor old
sod. Anyway I love mysteries and I’ve
just been a major player in a real life one!
I had had a hard day at the chalk face
today in Dinas Bran school in Llangollen, with my theatre company. Two times two hour sessions this morning so I
was feeling shattered but quite happy with the prospect of an afternoon
pottering in the allotment. I called at the Big House to collect my mail. Mostly predictable as always, but then I came
to a thin re-used paddy bag that had my name on it spelled as ‘Mister
Alexander’. Quite rare that. Usually ‘Mr Alexander’. No sender’s name on the back and I wasn’t expecting
anything. The bag had a label that had
been franked when it had been originally used and this label was still in
place. At first I thought that the
package was from this company, but then noticed that a large first class stamp
(I mean a first class stamp for a large letter) had been stuck on below the
printed sticker. The new postmark was
blurred and unreadable. The original postal sticker was from a very well known
Covent Garden theatrical makeup company.
Anyone who has been five minutes in the business will know the name and
I thought maybe it was a flier from them.
A long shot maybe but no. The
paddy bag had been sellotaped and was obviously a re-used envelope. My curiosity was racing now. It was thin, no lumps to be felt inside. Originally the envelope had been sent to
someone in Brentford in Essex. I don’t
think I know of anyone in Brentford who buys theatrical makeup.
I know you’re thinking why don’t I just get
to the point and open it. But I love a
mystery! I will often spend ages trying to work out who has sent a letter before I open it. There were no more clues on the outside so I did open it. I almost
expected some sort of odd letter. Inside though was yet another
envelope. White C4 sealed. This was becoming wonderfully
tantalising! No marks, messages, notes
on the outside of the second envelope. Would there be a third and so on like that great trick where something is found inside a nest of envelopes?
So yes I opened it, and inside folded
neatly was £50 in cash. And that’s
all. No note, no message, no clue! Two ponies in a paddy!
Now I have had some nice surprises in my
life but I have never ever had a mystery donation of cash! When I am busking and someone puts a bank
note in the hat this is a real bonus and I have had a £20 note a few
times. That’s definitely an Italian! (I
make cracks in the show when I receive notes in the hat – a fiver is ‘Chips
tonight!’ a tenner is ‘Chinese tonight’ and £20 is an Italian!) So £50 is a really special night out!!
But then is the money really mine? No-one owes me money and surely no-one I know would
just put £50 in an envelope without a
message. Curioser and curioser…
So do I have a sugar daddy? I think I would prefer a sugar mummy really,
but you know what I mean. Or is there an
obvious simple explanation? Is the sticker on the envelope a clue? This could have been torn off but
wasn’t. And a theatre makeup
company. Very specialised in fact. And Brentford in Essex. Only a place I’ve ever driven through.
It’s going to drive me nuts in nice way! If the mystery benefactor is one of my
blog readers then I must say a real thank you.
I will consider it an investment rather than a gift and it will be
placed in my emergency busking tin, which is now down to about a fiver in
pennies and twos until such a time as I either really need it (which might well be very soon!!) or I discover where it came from.
And hey if anyone else wants to support the
cause... No only joking. But a lovely way to end a day and if anyone
can throw some light on the mystery, please get in touch! Or maybe no, don’t, because it wouldn’t be a
mystery anymore and I loved the mystery!
£50 richer, result, happiness, to misquote
Mr Micawber.
All the best from a road near you,
Mr Alexander