We can see through a chink in the curtain that Alberto has got off and gone away with the soldiers. They seem to be having a serious talk.
It goes on and on for such a long time that we get truly worried.
By the time he gets back Golam is asleep.
We drive on as we are still some distance away from the actual old village of Gonta, and even further from the camp, which is on the other side towards our village.
There are soldiers everywhere.
I’ve never seen so many soldiers in all my life.
I’m almost getting as bad as Golam for fear of them.
I’m only too happy that Alberto is with us. I don’t know what we’d have done otherwise – or, more important, what they would’ve done. Alberto stops in front of the little building which is part of the little hospital.
We get out, looking all around us to make sure the soldiers can’t be seen. Golam is awake now and we don’t want to make him frightened any more than he is already.
On our way into the building Matt asks Alberto why there are millions and millions (you know how Matt goes on!) and millions of people in the camp where we’ve just come from, when the hospital here seems much better.
Alberto says that camp is near Bader where the main airport is and where all the food and medical supplies first came. So everybody tries to get to it. No one is allowed to go any closer to Bader so they just camp there. Every day it gets bigger and bigger. And the bigger it gets the worse it gets.
By now we are inside the first room on the left.
There are one or two people there, but none that we know.
After Alberto has greeted them and so on, he takes us to one side and says, ‘Now tell me truthfully, what’ve you been up to?’
We’re surprised that he asks us that, and we tell him we’re surprised he asks us that.
‘We’re surprised you ask us that,’ we say.
Well, I say.
Matt just looks at Alberto in surprise.
Golam stares at nothing with no surprise.
Alberto is quiet for a long while, looking at our faces and into our eyes as if trying to make up his mind if we are really surprised or just pretending.
He can tell we’re truly surprised he asks us something like that.
‘Some of these soldiers are especially looking for you.’
The moment he says that Golam’s face turns like burnt wood.
He begins to shake like a rattlesnake’s tail.
‘Oh Lord,’ says Alberto, ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’
But it’s too late for that.
Still, we manage to calm Golam down by giving him a drink of precious water, and holding him in our arms.
While we are doing that we’re dying to find out what it’s all about and why the soldiers are looking for us.
Matt says, ‘Now that you’ve said some of it, you best say the rest. If Golam knows this much he might as well know all. It’s often better than knowing half.’
‘But I don’t know much else. That’s the whole point,’ says Alberto.
‘That’s why I asked you. I thought you must know something. After all, the soldiers wouldn’t be wasting their time looking for you without some reason. They even had your photos.’
We can’t think of nothing to say.
‘It can’t possibly have anything to do with the coup,’ says Alberto after a long while, almost to himself.
‘What coup?’ says Matt, jumping up from the floor in his corner.
‘What is a coup?’ say I, without jumping up from my corner on the floor.
‘Change of Government, sort of,’ says Alberto, looking at me. Then to Matt, ‘Nothing exciting. One General has taken over from another. Happens all the time in the world. I doubt if there will be any real changes.’
‘I think there will be,’ says one of the men in the room.
‘Who is the new General?’ Matt asks as he sits himself down again, his excitement dying down.
‘Some General Dnomo,’ says Alberto. ‘The name is vaguely familiar but I don’t think I know anything about him.’
‘Not much is known about him,’ says another man. ‘He’s always been a pretty powerful man, from the little I’ve heard, but behind the scenes. Something to do with defence.’
‘What else!’ says the first man.
‘Left wing?’ asks Alberto.
‘No one knows. That’s the trouble,’ says the second man. ‘Already there is a four-way split in the air. The soldiers who still support Tako and those behind Dnomo on the one hand; the hardline rebels led by Jabbar and the Peace Piper rebels led by Mobu on the other. These last want to meet with Dnomo to see if they can come to an arrangement, but with Tako supporters and Jabbar supporters both dead set against it, it’s going to take some doing.’
‘It’s funny, the two who hate each other are most in agreement for once,’ says the first man.
‘Isn’t that often the case,’ says the second man, ‘sadly.’
‘And while all this is going on,’ says Alberto, ‘the world will sit back and wait to decide whether or not to give aid to the starving, depending on which side Dnomo takes.’
‘True.’
Matt’s been listening to all this, becoming more and more excited.
‘Hena,’ says Matt softly.
I don’t understand. I say so.
‘General Dnomo is Jak,’ explains Matt.
I still don’t understand. But nobody cares.
‘Who’s Hena?’ asks Alberto.
‘You know her,’ I say to Alberto, ‘our Hena.’
Alberto looks like he don’t believe us.
‘Hena,’ says the first man, ‘known among the city kids as Hena the Whore. A little chit of a girl who frightens big men. Or so we hear.’
‘You’re joking,’ says Alberto.
‘I’m not really sure of anything,’ says the man, ‘except one thing. I most certainly am not joking.’
‘No wonder the soldiers were looking for us,’ says Matt. ‘Hena must’ve got our ransom note. She must’ve also learnt from Reza that we’re no longer with the RAFFs. So she’s sent the BASTOs to look for us. She must’ve given them the pictures Jak made of us. Strange.’
‘They’re not BASTOs no more,’ I say, trying to be clever, cleverer than Matt. ‘BASDOs perhaps, but not BASTOs.’
‘What on Earth are you talking about!’ says the first man.
‘How well do you know this Hena?’ says the second man.
‘Only too well,’ I say.
‘Not well enough,’ says Matt.
‘Wow!’ I say after everybody’s dropped the subject. ‘Just think, all those soldiers – looking for us.’
‘I hasten to disillusion you,’ begins Alberto, ‘but…’
‘You what!’ I go, without really meaning to be rude.
‘I am sorry to disappoint you,’ he begins again. ‘Oh sorry. Forget it. I mean they are not all looking for you. Most of them are there to see there’s no trouble over the new Government.’
I am a bit disappointed to hear that. Disillusioned even, whatever that may be.
But I’m glad as well.
The thought of hundreds of soldiers looking for us is a bit frightening; even if they are sent by our Hena.
We’ve now to decide what to do.
Golam being the way he is, he won’t go with the soldiers.
Truly speaking I am none too keen to go with them myself. Who knows, the Government might change again. Or something. I wouldn’t want to take a chance with the soldiers.
We could go on to our village, but it is likely Hena’s got in touch with our folks and maybe called them to Bader.
Although we are truly pleased that we’ve got rid of Tako and our Hena has a hand in looking after our country, we are also a bit lost about what to do next. But I expect you’ve gathered that by now.
Matt says it would be best to stay here and somehow get a message to Hena so she can send Reza or some non-soldier to fe
tch us.
The plan sounds good, but there are two problems.
The first being how to get the message to Hena without getting the soldiers involved.
The second is that after all this time we are so keen to see our families we just want to go ahead and see them. I’m even dying to see big sister, whom I hate.
But then again they may not even be there.
We are back full circle.
Alberto says to sleep on it tonight and decide the next day. When you’re rested and refreshed you think better, he says.
As it happens we don’t get a chance to rest and get refreshed.
Not a proper rest, on account we’re woken up by smoke and fire in the middle of the night.
Three
Dust, Ashes and Dallas
Matt is the first to get up and see what’s going on.
He tells us to hurry up and move out – us being Golam, me and two of the people who help around the camp: Madru and Dano.
We are in this open shed just outside one of the rooms where the medicines are kept.
A part of Madru and Dano’s job is to see the medicines are safe and not stolen or anything. Not that anyone would do something like that, but still, it is best to play safe – as the doctor says.
When we are out and fully awake we see the strangest and most beautiful sight we’ve ever seen; and hear the strangest and most frightening sounds we’ve ever heard.
Leastwise me.
It’s like you’ve left your old life and come to a new life to see the whole world burning away the traces of the old life and preparing for a new life.
It’s Grandma Toughtits’ vision of the big night of fire come true.
The real thing. Not the kitchen fire or the big bangs in the copse all those years ago.
There are flames as far as the Spirits can fly, and further – only there is no further.
The dust that rises from under the screaming feet of the half-dead running from the dead mixes with the flames and burns; its fairy dots flicker and flash and dance, and dance and flash and flicker, like stars gone mad.
The smell of burning bodies is the smell of baking bread.
Some say the fire started in the little shack by the bus stop where the petrol is stored. Some say it started in one of the little straw huts.
Some say it started in the room where the medicines are kept.
All we know is it didn’t start in the room where the medicines are kept.
Some say it was started by the ‘new’ soldiers to show their power.
Some way it was started by the ‘old’ soldiers to show their anger.
Some say it started by itself.
Some even say it was started by the Spirits annoyed at people for their sins.
All we know is it started somehow, somewhere, and is now everywhere.
While I’m still too dazed to do no more than wonder – it happens. So quickly I don’t know it’s happening till it’s happened.
So slowly it’s still happening.
Matt lurches forward, from neutral to top in no time flat.
He is in the fire of the burning huts, with the burning people.
I try to rush after him; to stop him, to hold him, to bring him back; but Madru and Dano grasp my arms so hard I can’t break free.
I remember the heat, the loneliness and the beauty.
Strange, for I was shivering with cold, surrounded by people, and swallowed by ugliness.
After Matt has brought many people out he starts to burn.
He tries to rush back to see if he can do more, but realises half way he can’t make it.
Then he turns, as if to come to us and say his last farewell, but can’t.
He stands there, fixed on the burning sand, burning.
His arms rise as if to embrace us, his whole body glowing with flames.
It is then I start screaming.
I barely notice a crowd of men in white robes, their heads covered in white hoods to save their faces from the blowing flames, standing around to watch Matt burn.
Dano is still holding me back, but Madru lets go and says in total disbelief: ‘Where on earth did they come from?’ his voice is hushed and full of fear.
I keep on screaming and Matt keeps on burning and the hooded men in white keep on watching.
Golam turns to Madru and says, ‘Dallas.’
The word sounds so unreal in the middle of all this that I turn round to look at him.
Suddenly there’s no one there except Golam and me, ashes and dust. Golam again says, ‘Dallas.’
The red in the sky is not just the glow of the fire.
The wind whirls and howls. A dust storm of the greatest power starts up as all the Spirits of the Desert sigh and moan and wail, angry at being disturbed by the fire.
No wonder anyone who can run away has run away.
Four
End of the Line
We’ve been travelling – Golam and me – with the lost caravan of the sick and the burnt and the hungry.
We are going somewhere. We don’t know where.
We’re just walking. Dragging ourselves bit by bit.
We don’t know where Alberto is. We don’t know where anyone we know is.
To tell the truth I don’t know where Golam is.
I look at the skelly next to me.
He is bald. On his head, instead of thick bouncing hair, is a big many-mushroomed boil. In his mouth are rotting gums instead of flashing teeth. His silky black skin is dry and flaking in parts, wet and leaking in others.
We are not walking any more.
Golam can’t take a step any longer.
To tell the truth I can’t take a step any longer.
I’d rather be anywhere than here – even Pasadena, California, USA – but I can’t make the effort to go anywhere.
Poor Tom.
He had only two balls after all.
I try to look at my balls. It seems like I haven’t got any.
Funny that.
Leastwise I think it is.
I try to smile, but my face is too stretched and hard. I think it will crack and fall to bits if I smile.
Golam lets out a little squeal and a little shit and dies.
I thank the Spirits.
I want to carry Golam’s body to hide it under a bush, but I can’t.
I try to drag him. I can’t.
But it’s not easy. I have to first lie down and drag myself – it’s easier than walking – then pull him across the sand.
It is an ocean of sand. I can see a bush. Like an island. It is always the same distance away, no matter how near I get to it.
I give up.
There’s not much point in getting to the bush anyway.
It is better if buzzards get Golam here. At least he’ll provide food for them.
I take his robe off, tidy its tatters and place it over his body.
The wind blows it away.
I wish I could mark a little cross next to his body.
I know Golam hasn’t had his soul saved, but I think he’d like that.
Leastwise that’s what Matt would’ve done.
There is nothing to make a cross with.
I lift a handful of sand and sprinkle a cross on Golam’s chest.
The wind blows it away.
Then I have an idea.
I wipe some of the shit off Golam’s thighs. It is still warm and fresh.
I make a shit cross on Golam’s chest.
It stays there.
The blood in the shit makes it look real pretty.
I put my head on Golam’s chest, a little to one side, so as not to disturb the shit cross. I put my arms across his waist and lie down next to him.
I remember wanting to do that years ago.
I go to sleep truly happy.
Five
My Friend Matt
I am woken up by my friend Matt. ‘Wake up,’ he says in the gentlest voice I’ve ever heard. ‘Wake up. The time has come.’
&
nbsp; I stretch and curl at the same time, like a cat; contented and happy.
‘The time has come for you to take over,’ says Matt.
‘You are now the Earth; and the Earth is yours.
‘I’ll shine on you when you are dark.
‘I’ll rain on you when you are thirsty.
‘I’ll smile on you when you are happy.’
He ruffles my hair and smiles.
His tears fall like dew on my face. The dew turns to rain. Gentle rain.
Like dew. Like Matt’s tears.
I look up at Matt. It is raining a gentle rain outside.
It is falling on everything I can see.
My stomach fills with joy.
I smile at Golam, at Matt, at Hena.
Dada puts his arms around me. Mam gives me a hug.
I feel like a flower.
I feel like grass.
I feel like a tree.
I feel like a tree again. And why not? After all, our family are Spirits of trees.
Ask Grandma Toughtits if you don’t believe me.
My Friend Matt and Hena The Whore Page 22