Читать книгу By any means - Kurt Ellis - Страница 14

Kyle was a little annoyed that Jimmy had come looking for him. He had been sitting quietly at the back of the empty classroom, frantically scribbling across the back pages of his algebra book. It had started as a sonnet, but had just begun to evolve into a free verse poem when Jimmy walked in. Kyle had quickly closed his book. He didn’t want Jimmy to know that he was writing an angry poem asking his mother how she could have abandoned him. He was grateful that Jimmy hadn’t asked to see it, as he didn’t want to talk about it. Both Jimmy and Captain knew of his passion for writing. Be it poems or stories, Kyle loved to write. It was an escape for him. He wrote stories with characters leading lives like he wished he could lead. Stories with happy families. Stories of financial freedom, and of seeing the world outside South Africa. But these stories were for his own eyes only. Private thoughts and dreams that were to be shared with no one but the white pages and blue lines of his books.

Kyle and Jimmy joined Captain’s circle. Kyle shook hands with every person there, many of whom had been his friends from primary school. Long before they’d made their allegiance to the Godfathers.

“Now please explain to me, Kyle, how did young Jimmy here convince you to come to Carmen’s party?” asked Lester.

“Ja,” agreed German. “When we choon you to pull in, you always duck and dive.”

Kyle smiled, a polite smile. “What can I say? The guy made me a promise I couldn’t refuse.”

“A promise? A promise on top of … ?” Captain raised a questioning eyebrow.

With a smile and a wink, Kyle replied, “On top of talking to … you know who.”

Captain’s forehead furrowed with confusion for a second, then his eyes sparked with understanding and he laughed. “No jokes? About fucking time.”

The three cousins revelled in their private joke until Kyle saw the smile on Captain’s face slowly slip away. Captain was staring at something over Kyle’s right shoulder. Kyle followed his glare and saw a handsome guy talking to a beautiful girl with striking red hair. Nazneen, Captain’s girlfriend. And it was Wesley talking to her.

Spider too had followed Captain’s eyes. “Whoa, Cap,” he said. “Take it easy. They’re just talking.”

Wesley’s hair was neatly trimmed and gelled away from his face. A gold earring twinkled in his left ear-lobe and his smile radiated confidence. He looked as if he’d stepped straight out of the pages of a GQ magazine, and he was known to have a silver tongue that could make girls weak at the knees.

Kyle knew that Wesley embodied everything Captain hated in a person. His family was wealthy and he’d had everything handed to him on a silver platter. He was good-looking and he was arrogant. He was what they’d call a “glamour boy” or a “pretty boy”. The type of guy who would apply deodorant three to four times a day. The type of guy who’d flee from a soccer ball for fear of scuffing his shoes.

Kyle frowned. Captain had been getting particularly annoyed with Wesley of late because he and his punk friends had begun calling themselves the Sydenham Mafia.

But worst of all, Wesley was Nazneen’s ex-boyfriend.

“Relax, Captain,” Kyle said. “They’re just talking. It’s innocent. I’m sure it is.”

But Captain did not seem to hear his cousin’s words. His eyes swelled with anger and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists at his side.

Spider tried to say something, but it was too late. Captain was off, moving with purpose and aggression.

Kyle and Jimmy hurried after him. “Cap,” Kyle said, softly so as not to cause a scene. “Relax. Don’t do this.”

Captain ignored his words. His feet thundered on the cement path. His lips moved as he spoke to himself, cursed to himself.

Wesley looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of the impending doom and pain. To Kyle’s relief he turned and hurried off.

Nazneen turned around, confused. “Anthony? What’s going on?”

“You tell me!” he said in a harsh whisper and with a glare.

“What are you on about?” Nazneen glared back. Her fair skin had turned even whiter, which made the freckles that peppered her nose and cheeks stand out even more.

Kyle saw Captain’s fists unclench and the tension leave his shoulders. “We need to talk,” he said in an uneven voice. Nazneen nodded and the two of them disappeared up the stairs and into a Grade 9 prefab classroom.

Kyle sighed with relief. He patted Jimmy on the shoulder and the two of them returned to the group.

“Bru, was it really necessary for Captain to get so pissed off?” Kyle looked at the others.

Spider shook his head slowly. “Actually, Kyle, the answer is yes, outie. Captain has a reputation he must maintain. Especially now that Tyson is around again. We all do. Everyone knows Wesley is a ladies’ man. For him to be seen talking to Nazneen in front of everyone, in front of Cap, is a bit of an insult. Everyone knows they were an item.”

“Come on, man, that’s bullshit,” Kyle said. “They broke up years ago.”

“True,” Spider agreed, slowly. “I know she wouldn’t do anything like that … But Captain cannot be seen as weak. If he is seen as weak, then the whole crew is seen as weak. Ripe to be picked off by Tyson and the NBKs. It’s a fucked-up time now, bru. We need to make sure we keep our strength.”

Kyle looked at Spider. Maybe this made sense to the Godfathers, but it made absolutely none to him. Still, he wasn’t going to pursue the matter. He just let the talk of the others flow around him.

After about ten minutes, Captain and Nazneen came out of the classroom. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, but the look on his face was grave. He was as white as a sheet. And it looked as if Nazneen had been crying. Captain kissed her on the forehead and gave her a hug before she hurried away and he came back to the group.

Kyle could see he was worried – he rubbed his forehead the way he always did when he was stressed.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Captain appeared not to have heard him, so Kyle tried again. “Cap, what happened?”

Captain’s eyes snapped wider with the surprise of someone who had been shaken from a daydream. He stared at Kyle.

“Nothing. Nothing,” he finally replied softly.

But Kyle knew he was lying. He could see the concern floating just beneath the surface on Captain’s face, but he didn’t pry. Captain would tell him when he wanted him to know. When he was ready.