Читать книгу By any means - Kurt Ellis - Страница 11

Captain opened the rusting refrigerator and sighed at what he saw. One half of a tomato in the beginning stages of mould, a pot with week-old baked beans, a colander of dried-out rice and three solitary eggs. He closed the fridge and pressed his forehead to the cold door. Gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes, Captain fought his anger. I fucking gave her R1 000 last week to buy food, and this is what there is?

Dressed in his school uniform, Captain struggled to contain his desire to scream out loud in frustration. He could guess where his grocery money had gone. It had gone to fund the drinks and cigarettes of his mother’s friends. Most meals, Captain ate at Nazneen’s house or he bought take-aways. A roti from Johnnies, a platter of chips from Wrap-it-Up or a bunny chow from Aunty Betty. But he always made sure his mother had enough money to buy food for the house. Always.

Rubbing his forehead, he removed a clean coffee mug from a curtained shelf above the sink and carried it to the boiling kettle. He added coffee, sugar and powdered milk, then filled the mug with hot water.

He took the coffee over to his mother’s room. The odour of stale cigarette smoke was strong in the small space. His mother lay beneath the duvet, a large photograph of a painting of Jesus above the headboard. Captain placed the mug on a side table, next to a packet of cigarettes.

“Why aren’t you in school?” his mother asked, opening her eyes, her voice heavy and deep with sleep.

“I’m leaving now.”

“Are you late?”

“A little, but it’s fine.”

She sat up in bed and took a sip of the coffee he’d brought her.

“Ma,” he started. “Why is there no food in the fridge?”

“What do you mean?”

Captain gritted his teeth. “I mean, there’s no food in the fridge. I gave you money to buy food, but there’s no food in the fridge.”

“Oh, Aunty Edna borrowed some money so she can get her lights switched back on.”

Captain almost lost it. “Edna? Who was sitting outside and drinking with you last night? Who’s got money for alcohol, but doesn’t have money to put her own lights on? That Edna?”

“She’ll pay it back.”

“When?”

“When she pays it back. I didn’t raise you to be selfish.”

Captain took a deep breath. “I’m not being selfish. That woman is going to take that money and buy drink with it. And her lights will stay off, Ma. She already owes you money. She’s going to drink your money away, and now we’re left with no food in the house.”

“She’ll pay it back, Anthony.”

Captain realised it was pointless to continue arguing. He sighed. “Okay, Ma.”

His mother took another sip of coffee while he dug into his wallet and withdrew a R20 note. He laid it on the table.

“For bread and milk,” he said.

His mother nodded. “Are you being careful?”

Captain forced a smile. “I always am.”

She gave him a look of concern. Captain and his mother had an unwritten agreement between themselves. She would pretend that she did not know where the money was coming from, and he would pretend that she did not know what he did to make the money. The arrangement worked pretty well for both parties.

“Bye, Ma.”

He got to his feet and walked out of the house. Under the metal awning and down the cement path that led to the front gate. His car was parked on the side of the road, but he walked past it. He needed to calm himself down. To get the tension from his shoulders and from his jaw, because he desperately wanted to walk in the opposite direction. Away from school and to Edna’s house. To get that money back. He did not doubt for a second that the money he’d given his mother had been spent on beer.

He wouldn’t have this much of a problem if the money had been lent to a person who would use it for what they said they were using it for. If it went to feed a family, he was fine with that. To switch on the electricity for someone who was going through hard times – he was okay with that as well. But to give money to fucking Edna? Edna, who was too lazy to go out and find work? Who would take that money and find herself in a nightclub on the weekend? He could resist it no longer. At the top of his voice he screamed out, “FUCK!”

His breathing was rapid and his heartbeat raised, but he felt a little less tense. Nostrils flaring, he continued his trek to school. The only reason he didn’t go to Edna’s place was because he knew that his mother would be upset. He didn’t want to upset his mother, so he would not go looking for Edna. But God help her if he saw her in a club or shebeen any time soon.