Close to the Wind

by Jon Walter

  ‘No, Malik.’ Vex laughed softly and wagged a finger over Malik’s head. ‘You shouldn’t make accusations like that. I met your grandfather at the docks and he gave me the jewel to ensure your safe passage on the ship. What’s more, he gave me his blessing. That’s the truth of it. You should be grateful to me and return what’s mine.’

  Malik suddenly felt like he would burst. He planted his feet firmly on the deck and raised his voice. ‘You told Papa you had nothing left when all the time you had enough money to buy your own tickets. You didn’t even have to sell the diamond. All that stuff you said about how your clothes were old. You were lying from the start and you’re lying now. I know you are.’

  Vex pinched his lips together. His eyes flicked from left to right, checking that the gangway was clear. ‘Who do you think people will believe?’ he hissed at Malik. ‘Me or you, eh? They will think you’re making up stories about me. They will think you’re a liar. They will ask how a child such as you came to be in the possession of such a magnificent jewel.’

  ‘I swapped it!’ Malik shouted. ‘Fair and square. A deal’s a deal and anyway –’

  Vex pointed a finger at Malik’s face. ‘I will tell them that you stole it from me. They will believe you are the thief, Malik. And they will punish you. I will insist on it. Do you understand me? They will lock you away and they won’t let you out for a very long time.’ He put the lid back on the pink hat box and thrust it once more against Malik’s chest. ‘Now take back your cat.’

  Malik stepped away again.

  Vex took a deep breath and ran his hand across the bald patch in the centre of his head. He drummed his fingers on the railing. ‘I really don’t have time for this. This is your last chance before I ask the purser to call ahead and have the police meet us at the dock. You should take your cat while you have the chance and you must tell me where you’ve hidden the jewel.’

  Malik moved his hand to his trouser pocket and Vex saw him do it. He smiled widely.

  ‘Unless you haven’t hidden it at all?’

  Malik brought out the black leather box and he opened the lid. There was the tooth with the diamond. Vex’s eyes widened and his tongue wet the edge of his lips.

  Malik took four quick steps backwards and made a sudden movement with his left hand up to the box and Vex saw his chance. He lurched at Malik, but then stopped dead. Malik held the black box out over the side of the ship. His fingers were loose across the closed lid. ‘I’ll drop it if you come any closer.’

  Vex’s top lip twitched. He suddenly pulled Booty from the hat box, held him by his collar and thrust him out across the railing so that he hung like a kitten in its mother’s mouth, all four of his legs stretched long and rigid over the open sea. ‘Now don’t be a stupid little boy,’ spat Vex. ‘Just give me the diamond.’

  Malik dropped the box.

  They both watched it tumble through the air, arcing left then right before it hit the dark water and sank from sight beneath the waves.

  Vex staggered against the railings. His eyes were wild and his arm swung sharply downwards so that Booty squealed as he banged up against the white metal bars.

  A voice shouted, ‘Stop!’

  Vex recovered his feet. He brought the cat back inside the rails as the purser rushed past Malik and stood between the two of them. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing to that cat?’

  Vex bristled. He threw Booty onto the deck at Malik’s feet and Malik scooped the cat into his arms and held him tight.

  Angelo Vex pointed at them. ‘He … that boy … he has lost … something of mine.’

  ‘Good God, man!’ the purser bellowed at him in disbelief. ‘Whatever the boy may have done, it does not give you the right to torture a harmless animal.’

  Vex collected himself and stood up straight. He adjusted his tie and the purser hesitated, perhaps remembering who he was talking to. Vex turned his back on them and leaned across the railings, transfixed by the waves that washed against the bottom of the hull.

  The purser looked between Malik and Vex and back again. He said, ‘Do you wish to make a formal complaint against this boy, Mr Vex?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘If you would like to tell me the nature of your complaint …’

  Vex shook his head. ‘It’s of no matter.’ He waved them both away as though he was sick of the sight of them. ‘A misunderstanding.’ He laughed weakly. ‘It was a simple misunderstanding. That’s all. I apologize.’

  The purser touched his beard as he thought it through. He turned to Malik. ‘Perhaps you should get some breakfast. We’ll be arriving within the hour. You have a long day ahead and it would be good for you to eat.’

  Malik didn’t go to the canteen for breakfast. He took Booty down to the kitchens and begged a last plate of food from the chef.

  ‘How come your hand’s shaking?’ asked the chef when he handed him the plate and Malik said, ‘I don’t know … I must be cold,’ and he carried the plate below deck with Booty sniffing at the silver foil.

  Everyone was still at breakfast and the dormitory was empty. Malik went to his bunk and put Booty down at his feet and the cat rubbed himself against Malik’s ankles and purred as though they had never been apart. Malik unwrapped the plate of fish and put it on the floor, just under his bunk, in the usual place. Booty put his head down and began to eat and Malik gave him plenty of space.

  He pulled out his rucksack from underneath the bunk, put it on the bed and opened it up. He took out a clean pair of pants, unfolded them and laid them on the mattress. He took out his penknife and opened out the blade, then he found the gaffer tape in the side pocket and pulled at the folded tab till he had a strip the length of his hand. He cut it with his penknife, and stuck the corner of it to the bedpost so it was ready to use.

  Then he stepped out of his Wellington boots. He undid the waistband on his trousers, dropped them to the floor and stepped out of them so that he stood in his shirt and underpants. He turned back to the door to check that he was still alone, and once he was certain he put his hand into his pants and brought out Papa’s tooth. He turned it once, to see it sparkle, then he stuck it to the top of his left buttock using the strip of gaffer tape.

  He stepped out of his pants and tried the clean pair on. The top edge fitted snugly over the small lump. He pulled up his trousers and twisted round to check, with a hand upon his hip. If he wore his shirt untucked, no one would ever know.

  Oskar was suspicious. ‘How come the cat’s back?’

  Malik shrugged. He tied Booty’s string to the bunk bed. ‘Sonny’s dad said he couldn’t keep him. Anyway, I changed my mind …’ He stroked down the length of Booty’s spine. ‘We’re going to stick together. If a new family doesn’t want my cat, then they can’t have me either.’

  Oskar’s eyes travelled the length of Malik’s legs. ‘Aren’t you going to wear shorts?’

  Malik had left his pair out on the bed and he handed them to Oskar. ‘You have these. I’m going to stick with long trousers.’

  Steffan came in from the bathroom, walking stiffly with long white legs. ‘These are a bit too small but they’re better than nothing.’ He blew his nose and held up his set of keys. ‘Look! Miss Price gave me them back.’

  The boys were standing by their bunks, packing their things into bags. Alex had nothing but a canvas satchel. When he saw Booty he grinned at Malik. ‘I knew you couldn’t do it.’ He gave Malik the paperclip ball and told him to keep it.

  Miss Price came down with her clipboard and she called them all together. ‘The ship will be docking soon. Is everybody packed and ready to go?’ She looked around the dormitory at the gathered boys. ‘Good. We shall wait here till I lead you out on deck. Please keep together in lines of two – it’s important that I don’t lose anyone. Once the ship docks we need to do some checks before we assign you to your families. There will be lots of waiting, so please be patient.’

  Already there were people in the corridor, with suitcases in their hands a
nd children holding onto the pockets of their coats. The babble of conversation got louder as the rhythm of the ship’s engines changed and Malik felt excited and nervous at the same time. From somewhere above them, the captain sounded the horn.

  When Miss Price took them out on deck, the Samaritan was still slipping into port, gliding past little fishing boats and large container ships with cargo stacked above the bows in bright bricks of yellow, red and blue. The boys were squashed so tight that Malik shifted Booty up onto his shoulder to keep him safe. He could feel the cat didn’t like it. No one liked it. All the faces of the boys were tense.

  The captain sounded his horn again as the ship slowed. Malik could feel the floor shudder as the engines strained and the big ship began to turn. Alex was close, pressed tight up against the backs of taller boys. He tugged at Malik’s sleeve. ‘What can you see?’

  Malik stood on tiptoe. He could see buildings on the quayside and tall black cranes like the one back home, with hooks hanging at the end of long chains. He heard the shouts of dockers as they tied the mooring ropes and rolled the gangways into place at the back of the ship. ‘Are you all right?’ he shouted back to Alex, and the boy smiled nervously. ‘I think we have to wait while the first-class get off before us,’ Malik told him.

  Soon Malik could see passengers walking down the rear gangway. He spotted Mariam and her husband hurry down the steps, where they were met by a chauffeur carrying a placard which must have had their name on it. Malik looked for one that said ‘Vex’ but he was too far away to make out the letters clearly. He bit his lip, hoping that he would see them leave the ship soon. And then he saw them.

  Vex was leading the way in his fur-lined coat and Sonny was held in his mother’s arms, looking back at the ship. Malik watched Vex approach a chauffeur in a proper peaked cap, who stood on the dockside in front of a deep red Buick with brightly polished chrome. It wouldn’t be long now till they were gone for good. Malik watched their luggage being loaded into the back and saw the chauffeur walk around the car, settling them into their seats and shutting the doors. Finally the car pulled away from the dock.

  Malik put a hand round to his back and felt the lump. Vex was really gone. And he still had the diamond.

  The orphans were the last to leave the ship. With some of the passengers gone there was more room to move and they stood at the railings to get a glimpse of the city. Directly behind the port Malik saw buildings of old red brick give way to gleaming towers of glass that shone brightly in the sunlight, and at the very back of the city was a range of high hills that were a misty grey in the haze. It wasn’t how Malik had imagined.

  When it was time for them to leave, Miss Price led them down the steps and across the dock into a large warehouse behind the Port Authority building. The room had a single circular window at one end, about as wide as a bus, and it let in beams of sunlight that showed the motes of dust that floated in the air. A dinner lady got them to queue up and she served them tea from a large urn and apologized that she didn’t have biscuits.

  Malik didn’t normally drink tea, but he drank it now. He went and stood close to Alex who asked him, ‘What are you hoping for?’

  Malik didn’t have to think about it. ‘I’d like somewhere nice. Maybe somewhere with a white wooden fence and a garden. How about you?’

  Alex shrugged. ‘I don’t mind. My mum will come and find me as soon as she can and then she’ll take me to live with her. So I suppose it doesn’t really matter.’

  Miss Price came back and asked them to form themselves into lines across the room. A doctor and nurse set up a small table with a cotton screen to shield it from view and they asked the boys to take off their shirts and come behind the screen one by one.

  When it was Malik’s turn, he got Alex to hold Booty and he went in by himself. The stethoscope felt cold on Malik’s skin. He tried hard to breathe normally and when he was asked to cough, he remembered to put a hand across his mouth. The doctor made a note on the form, attached it to a clipboard and passed Malik on to the nurse who looked at the colour of his tongue and parted his hair with a nit comb.

  When the doctor had packed up and left, Miss Price called all the boys together. ‘Let’s form those lines again, boys, just as straight as they were before.’ Malik shuffled into position alongside Oskar and Steffan.

  ‘I’m going to ask some families to come in and meet you,’ Miss Price continued. ‘Please stay in lines and they will pass amongst you. They might ask you questions, so be nice and polite and remember to smile.’

  Miss Price gave them each a badge with their name.

  Malik looked straight ahead like they did in the army. He heard the chatter of the families as they came through the door, and when he looked down at the floor he saw Steffan’s feet next to his own, stepping from side to side. He heard him sneeze loudly, then sneeze again.

  Malik held Booty up high so people could see him clearly. He smiled at a couple who walked past and looked at him. They reminded him of Mariam and her husband because they were well-dressed, and although the woman smiled sweetly the man didn’t seem very interested. They didn’t stop to read his name and Malik thought it was probably for the best.

  He could hear Steffan muttering under his breath.

  In the row in front, a young couple stopped to speak with Alex. They had a boy with them who might have been their son, and Malik thought he looked only a year or two younger than Alex. Malik watched them smile and nod their heads. He thought they looked just right for Alex.

  Another couple walked past Malik without even pausing. Next to him, Steffan was rocking on his heels. He was looking at the floor and talking fast under his breath now. ‘She’s got brown hair, she’s got brown eyes, she has a mole on the side of her neck and a tooth that isn’t quite straight. And Dad’s got, Dad’s got …’

  Oskar put a hand on Steffan’s shoulder. He whispered, ‘Steffan, stop it. You’ll ruin our chances. What’s the matter?’

  But Steffan stepped from foot to foot and he didn’t seem to notice. He said, ‘Dad’s got hairy legs and a hairy chest and he laughs like there’s no one else around and I like it when he laughs because I can see all his teeth and I like how big his mouth gets when he’s happy.’

  Oskar picked up the heavy leather holdall and slung it across his back. He grabbed Steffan by his shirt and led him out toward the door with a hand around his shoulders. ‘It’s all right, Miss,’ he called out. ‘I’m taking him to the bathroom.’

  Malik watched them go, not sure whether to follow them and perhaps miss meeting his family, so he stayed where he was and the couples passed among the boys and it seemed they talked to everyone but him.

  The boys were asked to sit on the warehouse floor while Miss Price took the families to a different room to discuss which of the children they might take home with them.

  Everyone was anxious and quiet and Malik was worried about Oskar and Steffan, who still hadn’t come back. He watched the double doors at the end of the room but nobody arrived or left. The dinner lady offered them more tea.

  Alex sat down next to Malik. ‘What do you think? Did you have any luck?’

  ‘I don’t think so. How about you?’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘I saw that couple who talked to you. The ones with the boy. I liked the look of them.’

  Alex nodded. He held his hands in his lap with his fingers crossed.

  The double doors swung open and Miss Price took two steps inside and smiled at a boy who wore a green school cap. She held out a hand, ‘Come and meet your new family, Christopher.’ The boy hurried over with his bag and coat and she led him from the room.

  Malik gave Booty to Alex and stood up. ‘I’m going to the toilet,’ he said. ‘I won’t be a minute.’

  He hurried out into the corridor. A sign showed the toilets with an arrow pointing left and Malik followed it. He turned left again and then right. As he passed one of the doors he looked in through the glass and saw a woman at a desk on a telephone. He w
ent into the toilets and found them empty except for a single locked cubicle. Malik knocked on the door. ‘Oskar? Steffan? Is that you?’

  A man’s voice asked, ‘Excuse me?’ and Malik said, ‘I’m sorry,’ and he left the room.

  He looked left and right. He didn’t want to get lost. He should go back the way he came, but decided instead to go as far as the next corner, and he walked on until he reached a hallway with a staircase. He stood at the bottom of it and looked up through the centre. There must be at least three floors up above, maybe four. They could be anywhere.

  Then Malik heard a sneeze. It came from the space beneath the stairs, and he walked around the banisters and bent down to look into the shadow.

  Steffan was sitting on Oskar’s long leather holdall, blowing his nose. He looked surprised to see Malik. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Malik crouched under the stairs and crawled up close. ‘I was worried. Are you all right?’

  ‘I’m not going with them. I’ve decided. I don’t want a new mother and they wouldn’t have us anyway. Not both of us together. We’re better off on our own.’

  ‘Where’s Oskar?’

  ‘He’s finding a way out of here. Do you want to come with us?’

  Malik thought about it. ‘No. I don’t know …’

  There were quick footsteps on the tiled floor and Oskar appeared. ‘It works. I found a key that works.’ He held a thin flat key separate from the rest on Steffan’s ring.

  ‘Malik’s coming with us,’ said Steffan.

  ‘That’s great. It’s better to be independent – you’ll like it. I found a door that opens out onto the street. There’s loads of places out there we can go.’ Oskar pulled his bag from under Steffan. ‘Come on. Come quick. It’s just down here.’

  He led them down another a corridor. Malik was thinking quickly. Should he go with them? Or should he stay and chance to luck with a new family? They reached a door. Above it was a window that looked out onto open sky and Oskar put his bag on the floor and slid the key into the lock. ‘It takes a bit of wiggling about.’ He pursed his lips as though it were unpleasant.