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Edgar and Isabelle Woodban are a Married couple.

They live in rural Co. Clare.

Both of them are employed.

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Isabelle is a Music Teacher and Edger is an Electrical Engineer with Electric Ireland.

They don't have many friends.

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One day they meet a crowd of very lively people.

They get to know them and there confidence is high.

They think they have found the perfect friends.

The following day, unknown to them they find out that the people they meet the previous night are professional kidnappers. They didn't know that these people had a very strange background. Their confidence suddenly went through the floor.

Questions started to form in their heads: "Where do they live?" "Are we their next victim?"

They went to sleep that night, but they didn't sleep well. They thanked God that today was Saturday and not a working day. They listened to the news and started to relax a little bit.

They heard the Taoiseach announce that the country was going into lockdown. This was a St. Patrick's Day like no other. Edgar knew this would have more of an effect on Isabelle than on him. He knew that Isabelle would have to give online classes to her Secondary School pupils and also to her private pupils.

Both of them knew this was a severe test on their relationship.? Edgar was classed as an essential worker and this created tension between himself and Isabelle.

The Government had essentially closed the country. ??For the first time in their lives fear had taken over. Edgar was worried that he would bring the virus home to Isabelle.?? Confidence was low.

The house in which they were living was an old cold house. They were relying on central heating and a fire in the kitchen and sitting room to heat the house.

What really caught them by surprise was the announcement that Climate Change had reared its ugly head and that it was a current issue. The alien words retrofit and insulation came to the fore.? They knew that they had to start making a household budget for the first time ever.

Both of them knew that valuing the house was the most important job. This would help them with Local Property Tax as they did not know the value and they failed to ask the estate agent.

Edgar rang an estate agent and asked if someone would value the house.

"Hello, my name is Edgar Woodban.? I am looking to value a house my wife and I recently bought. It is a country house.? The Revenue Commissioners are looking for a professional valuation for the LPT. Can you do it for us? "

The Estate Agent asked his secretary to check his diary for the weeks ahead.? The secretary told her boss, "You have an opening on July 15 @ 2pm, would that be ok?"

The Estate Agent said to his secretary "That would be fine. Thank you."?

The Estate Agent went on and told Edgar that "July 15 @2pm is the only opening? I have for the moment. " Edgar looked at Isabelle and she agreed with Edgar "That would be fine for us. " "I will see you then," replied the Estate Agent.

They started to gather all the house paperwork into a folder so that it would be ready for the agreed date? and time.? They left the folder on a corner of the kitchen table for later use.

In the meantime both of them saw a large dark shadow passing by one of the windows. They looked at each other in terror and said: "I hope that we don't have unwelcome guests!" They wanted to call An Garda S?och?na, but thought better of it for the moment.? The large dark shadow didn't go away.

They decided to call An Garda S?och?na.? Edgar made the first move and rang 112 from his mobile phone.? The operator said: "Give me your Eircode vvv257988. Thanks I will pass this on to the Garda? in Ennis. They will be with you as soon as possible after giving them this information."

The Garda? arrived. One of them knocked on the door and said: "Thanks for alerting us to this gang of kidnappers.? They have been causing a lot of trouble for An Garda S?och?na lately.? We have arrested them. I hope this will give you the confidence to go out and socialise more."

Edgar thanked the Garda and closed the door. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief after their ordeal.

July 15 came and Edgar and Isabelle were looking forward to the valuation. Two O'Clock came and a knock on the door. Isabelle answered it. It was the Estate Agent. Isabelle showed him in and they went straight down to business.? He explained the process to them and that their would be a written report once it was finished.? They would get a copy of the report. He examined every centimetre of the house inside and outside including the patch of land that came with the house.?

When he was finished he said to Isabelle and Edgar that he would be in touch with the report in a few weeks.?

No sooner had the Estate Agent left that another gang of kidnappers arrived.?? This was not good news.? They were watching Edgar and Isabelle's every move from one of the windows.? They didn't want to call An Garda S?ochana again.? They devised a plan. Edgar and Isabelle said "Let's throw a kettle of cold water on them to make them go away."?

They did walk out of the house with a kettle full of cold water and went towards the gang and poured the kettle of water on them.? This confused the gang and the gang and they headed for the hills after that.

Edgar and Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief and started to enjoy themselves again, so much so that they started to plan a family.? Life was wonderful for them at long last.

They could socialise and feel comfortable in their surroundings without the hassle of being watched.

They took the brave step to start a family and tried and tried to get pregnant.? This happened on the 4th attempt and Isabelle got pregnant.? She and Edgar went to the doctor to receive conformation of the news.? Finally, they had something to celebrate.

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