The Last Reader
Page 3
the kids said to the others. “Where’d you get that from, kid?”
“I have friends in the reg-zone,” Sam said. He’d been rehearsing this line all the way there.
“Friends in high places, eh? Well, well. Come on in.”
One of the kids opened up the gate and Sam stood there for a minute, paralyzed, before walking through it. He heard the gate clang shut behind him and he glanced across the road to where Tommy stood, an expression on his face even more scared than his own.
Two of the boys led Sam up to the doorstep and then one of them opened it for him.
Inside, the walls were lined with posters of bands and motorbikes and naked women. Someone had spray-painted a dragon along one side of the corridor. Sam had never been into a real house before. Everyone he knew lived in shipping containers, caravans, or corrugated iron cabins.
“Just this way,” the oldest of the three said, and led Sam into a dark room. Curtains were over the windows, loud, angry music was playing, and two girls in bikinis were lying against a couch. Four men, about twenty, sat around a table playing something on their coms. The room was filled with smoke. The boy Sam recognized as Einstein sat in a chair of his own.
Every nerve in Sam’s body was telling him to run but he held his ground. If he ran they’d probably just kill him anyway.
“Who the hell is this?” Einstein said.
“Says he wants some heroin. Got friends in the reg. Got money, too.”
“Show me,” Einstein said.
Sam pulled out the notes. All up it was about three hundred dollars. Not much, but hopefully enough.
“Who are your friends?” Einstein said. “Anyone we know?”
“I doubt it. They’re more like my cousins.”
“If they’re into the business, then why haven’t we seen you around here before?”
Sam shrugged, not quite sure what he meant.
“Heroin, eh? That’s some serious shit, little man.”
Sam nodded. “I know.”
“Any more where that came from?” Einstein said, as the boy who had escorted Sam in took the money from his hand.
“I suppose so.”
“And what are you getting out of this, might I ask?”
This was the second time Sam had heard that today. He could hardly tell them he was going to learn to read. He wracked his brain for an answer. One that wouldn’t piss them off, but would sound genuine at the same time.
“I’m going to take a cut,” he said.
“Ha. Are you indeed? A cut, eh? Here that, Snake? The boy’s going to take a cut!” The other boys all laughed.
Sam suddenly knew these boys. Knew what they were like. They were like dogs. If you let them, they’d rip you to shreds. If you stood up for yourself, showed them you weren’t afraid, they might back down.
“I’m going to charge them extra,” Sam said.
“How much extra?” Einstein said.
“Ten percent.”
“Well why don’t you just give that ten percent to us? Maybe we’ll have to charge you ten percent more.”
“Then what’d be in it for me?” Sam said.
“The fact that we wouldn’t kill you.”
“Why would you want to kill me? I’m bringing you business, aren’t I?”
Einstein looked at him. His eyes were almost entirely black. The whites were bloodshot. Dark hair hung over either side of his face.
“You’ve got a point there, kid. But we generally like to do business direct, don’t we boys? Cutting out the middle man, so to speak. Isn’t that what you are? The middle man?”
“Yes. But it’s not going to cost you any more. Just them. You can charge me whatever you like.”
Einstein nodded.
“Do you know where the name Einstein came from?” Sam said then.
“The footballer. Everyone knows that,” the boy next to Sam said.
“He was a physicist,” Sam said. “He invented the nuclear bomb.”
Einstein looked at him in a way which made Sam think he was about to kill him, and then he smiled. “I like you, kid. You know that?”
Sam stood there and nodded.
“Okay, give him what he wants,” Einstein said to the boy next to Sam. Then he said to Sam, “I want you to work for me. Full time. You’re a smart kid. We could use some smart kids around here.”
Sam’s heart sped up and jumped into his stomach.
“I can’t,” he said.
“And why is that?”
“I’m at school.”
“What school?”
“Home school.”
“Well come and live here. We’ll give you a schooling. A real good schooling.”
“I don’t work well under others,” Sam said then, repeating something he’d heard his mom saying once to a guy who was trying to get her to work for him. “I’m an independent. A freelancer. You’ll make more money from me if you leave me up to my own devices, trust me. It’ll be a win-win for everyone.” Sam wasn’t even sure what he was saying now, the words were just coming out of his mouth. But he could see that Einstein was listening to him.
Einstein sat there for a minute, thinking. Then he nodded again.
“You know what, kid? You’re a fast talker, I’ll certainly give you that. How about this? We’ll see how things go. We’ll give you a little trial. If things work out well, maybe we can come to some kind of better arrangement for everyone involved. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a deal,” Sam said, still talking as if he were possessed by someone else.
“Give him his stuff and show him out.” Einstein nodded to the boy beside him. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Sam.”
“Catch you round, Sam.”
Sam was given a small bag of brown powder and then he was shown outside. He’d never appreciated quite so much as at that moment the feeling of sunshine on his face, and he closed his eyes for a second and soaked it in. As soon as he was outside the gate his breathing started going a hundred miles and hour and he walked across the street to where Tommy was standing but shook his head at him and walked on past.
A few minutes later, around the corner and up the end of the street at the next corner, Tommy caught up with him, puffing.
“What happened?” Tommy said.
Sam shook his head. “Got it,” he said.
That night Sam went around to Old Man David’s house and handed him the packet.
Old Man David looked at him out of sweaty eyes and nodded.
“Thank you, boy. Now sit down over there at the table and let’s get started with this reading business. Do you know your alphabet at least?”
Nearly one year later, Sam arrived at Old Man David’s house one night but there was no light burning.
“Old Man David? Are you in?”
Sam felt a shiver run through him. Something was wrong. Old Man David could hardly move any more, let alone go out at night. Sam had not only helped the man buy drugs over the past few months but more and more the man had depended on him for help with other things as well.
Sam went inside and spoke into the darkness, but there was still no answer. He made his way over to the little table where the candle sat with the matches beside it, and felt around in the dark. He removed a match from the box and lit it up, and then held it to the candle, which spluttered. He turned around and there was Old Man David, propped up in his chair like he always was, but he wasn’t asleep, and Sam knew it.
Sam went over to him, slowly, afraid that he might suddenly come alive again, or that he himself might get caught up with him. But David was as still as soap.
On his lap, Sam saw a piece of paper with something written on it, and he picked it up.
Dear Sam,
I know that you can read this now, and that you no longer need me. I am going to join my ancestors in peace, as this life has worn thin. Please don’t ever blame yourself for this — you don’t know how much I have to thank you for. Yo
u made the final year of my life one of the best, and truly made me happy to die.
All of my books are yours, plus you will find a little something extra for yourself in the drawer by my bed. You can have this cabin too, if you like, and anything else of mine you want. Please burn the rest, along with my body.
With all my love.
David.
Dear Reader,
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