Like most things it all started very easily. I liked playing cards and I thought then I was unbeatable. How wrong I was. I had been playing for about eight hours, many people coming and going from the table through the night. The last hand was the killer, I had three Queens and two Tens and was ahead on the night by about $30,000. I bet what I had and continued on credit up to 150,000. When I lay my cards on the table, confidently. I could have died when the man opposite me put down four Kings and an Ace.

How was I to pay? What did I have to clear my debt? I could sell my house, my car, my wife's car and everything else I owned disappearing. I looked around and realised that in the hours we had been playing the crowd had drifted away until only the man and his friends were left besides me.

'Well, John, I have had enough for tonight what say we pay up and call it a night' said the winner.

'I don't have the cash with me' I said lamely, trying to think fast of how I might get out of this.

'What, you bet and can't meet your debts? I'm sure you must have something of value' he said.

'Look, I can raise the cash. I'll have to sell my house, car and some other things but you will get your money,' I said, more in hope than anything else. I could see that things were beginning to look ugly around me, his people were all looking at me with pity in their eyes. I was puzzled by this as I was expecting hostility, not pity.

'If you can't pay I will choose what I want from you, John.' said the winner.

'Let me introduce myself, Jake Diamond at your service.'

Now I felt really scared. There were many stories doing the rounds about Jake Diamond, all of them bad. He was alleged into running drugs, prostitutes and protection in the area and there were many stories of his enemies simply disappearing.

'I will take your wife for six months, after which she will be returned, and if she wants, you can then pick up your lives where they were interrupted.' said Jake.

'What? Why do you want my wife? She could not be of interest to you! She is forty five like me and the mother of two grown children. What could she possibly have that would interest you?' I asked.

'I have recently bought a cosmetics company that promises that they can transform anyone in six months, from any age to looking as good as a twenty year old, with no side effects or problems. All they need is a volunteer.'

'No way, you're not using my wife!' I shouted, moving in towards Jake.

I was grabbed from behind and held firmly. 'Let's go and ask her in person and see what she wants.' said Jake. One of his men grabbed my wallet from my pocket and retrieved my drivers license to get my home address. I was bundled out of the darkened club and forced into a large car. I was really frightened now and was begging that my wife of twenty five years be left out of this. I might as well have been talking to myself for the notice that was being taken of me.

After about 20 minutes we pulled up outside my house and I was bundled up the drive and one of Jake's men opened the front door using my keys. The men then moved around the house as if they had done this many times before. I heard my wife upstairs being woken up and after a few stern words she was dragged down the stairs and into the kitchen were we were all congregated.

'John, what is going on' she cried on seeing me.

Before I could respond I was hit very hard in the stomach and was pushed onto one of the breakfast stools.

'Mrs Jones, your husband lost very heavily at cards tonight and I would like to make it possible for him to pay his debt without any nastiness' said Jake. 'All I ask is that you give me six months of your time at a beauty spa in exchange for your husband's kneecaps.'

My wife went white at this statement and then promptly fainted.

She was gently placed on a stool and one of the men held her while one of the others got a cold cloth and wiped her forehead. After a few moments she came around and looking like a frightened rabbit asked 'What do you mean, you want me to spend six months at a beauty spa, why?'

'Well the spa is experimental and is using a new technique to reverse the processes of aging in women. You would go away a middle aged woman and return a twenty year old in looks.' said Jake. 'There are some slight risks involved as the treatment is still experimental, but nowhere near the risks of complications your husband faces with having both kneecaps shot at close range with a shotgun.'

'I'll tell you what, you have two minutes with your husband in the room next door to make up your minds on what you want to do.'

We were bundled into the hallway, with one of his men at each end, to talk. After a bit of argument each way, Helen said 'Look I love you and would never forgive myself if you became a cripple because of me.'

'It would not be because of you, I lost at cards and got carried away with my bets, there are some risks with this treatment they want you to take.'

'Whatever... I love you and I'm going to accept the treatment.'

After we went back into the kitchen, Helen said 'I accept.'

That was the last I saw of her for the next six months. Once a month I received a hand delivered note merely saying she was OK and that I was not to worry. I made up a story for our children that she had gone away to think about us and her life. Included in her letters to me were short notes for the children saying that she needed time to think and decide where she wanted to go for the remainder of her life.