Everyone who had helped with the clearing of the house boarded the black coach. They were all excited to be taken to the celebration of the completion of this mammoth task.

As the last person to leave the building, I was also the last person to reach the coach – just as it was pulling away. I grabbed onto a trailing rope in the hope that I could either stop the vehicle, or at least run after it.

The rope snapped, and I was left behind, all alone.