The Good Daughter

by Amra Pajalic

  Dido and Edin kept playing chess. ‘Shah Mat,’ Edin exclaimed joyfully as he declared checkmate. ‘Three out of three?’ Edin asked as he pushed the figurines off the board. They always played three games of chess to determine the winner.

  ‘We’d better wait for Bahra.’ Dido collected the pieces and returned them to the box.

  I gulped. This was serious. Dido was saying no to a game of chess when he was on a losing streak. I prayed that Bobbie’s nosiness would fail her and she wouldn’t know the girls. I wanted to pretend the attack never happened.

  Mum returned a few minutes later. ‘Bobbie knows them. She says the girls are sisters and that they live at 30 Cottle Street.’

  ‘Hajmo,’ Dido muttered as he walked out the front door, Edin hot on his heels.

  I let them stride ahead of me, hoping that I could return home when they weren’t looking. I think Mum read my mind because she slowed. ‘Don’t be scared,’ she said as she took my arm. ‘Nothing can happen to you while we’re with you.’

  I thought I’d had crappy days since Dido moved in with us, but today was going down in the history books as the worst day ever.

  Dido and Edin moved up the footpath. Dido pounded on the front door. A man and a woman answered. The two girls hid in the darkness of the hallway behind them. I hadn’t noticed before, but they were dressed alike, as if they were twins, even though they obviously were not.

  Mum pulled me forward. ‘Your girls attacked my daughter.’ Mum lifted up my T-shirt, but I yanked it down.

  ‘I’m sure it wasn’t our girls,’ the Twins’ mother said.

  ‘Is that them?’ Mum asked in Bosnian. I wanted to lie, but I couldn’t show Mum up. I nodded jerkily. Mum turned back to the parents. ‘Your daughters attacked her in front of our house.’

  ‘What is she saying?’ Dido demanded.

  ‘They’re calling Sabiha a liar,’ Mum said in Bosnian.

  Dido smiled and stepped closer to the girls’ father. He was a head shorter and had to look up. ‘You’re calling my granddaughter a liar?’ he asked in Bosnian. Mum translated.

  ‘We’re not calling anyone a liar. We’re saying a mistake has been made.’ The Twins’ father lifted his hands in supplication.

  Mum shook her head. ‘He’s being a smartarse.’

  ‘He thinks we’re liars,’ Dido spoke to Edin in Bosnian. Even though Dido was like a small boy compared to the hulking body of the Twins’ father, his bluster made him puff up like a rooster. ‘Can you believe that in this country children can be attacked in front of their own house? Then the parents of the criminals can lie to your face?’ Dido’s voice escalated into a booming shout.

  The Twins’ parents glanced at each other nervously.

  ‘That’s enough,’ Mum said. ‘Let’s go.’

  Dido ignored her. His face was red and the vein on his neck bulged. ‘And the police tell you to piss off when you report a crime. If you raised your kids properly there wouldn’t be crime.’

  Mum tried to pull Dido away, but he wouldn’t budge. While Dido shouted Edin bellowed every English profanity he knew. ‘Fuck, piss, shit, prick, dirty dog, arsehole.’

  ‘You’d better leave!’ the Twins’ father shouted.

  ‘We have to go.’ Mum tugged on Dido’s sleeve. He jerked away from her, his tirade unrelenting.

  ‘We’ll call the police!’ the father shouted back.

  ‘Yes, call so they can arrest your criminal daughters,’ Dido shouted, recognising the word police.

  ‘Let’s go,’ Mum commanded, inserting herself in front of Dido.

  ‘Tell them they better keep a watch on their daughters because if I have to come here again I’ll give them the beating they’ve been asking for,’ Dido said.

  ‘And I’ll be beside him,’ Edin raised his fist in the air.

  Mum walked off without translating. ‘Tell them,’ Dido demanded.

  ‘Keep your girls away from my daughter or we’ll be back.’ Mum finally wrenched Dido away and pushed him towards the street.

  Following Dido as he strode ahead, Edin hitched his pants over his potbelly, his gait roly-poly as he shifted his girth with each step. ‘We showed them,’ he said to my grandfather.

  the bosnian way

  ‘That was so embarrassing,’ I hissed to Mum as we walked home.

  ‘At least they won’t be bothering you again.’

  ‘That’s how a real Bosnian deals with bullies,’ Dido said.

  ‘So I’m not a real Bosnian because I don’t shout at people like a maniac,’ I spat, and marched ahead of them.

  ‘What the hell’s her problem?’ Dido asked.

  ‘Nothing,’ Mum answered tiredly.

  ‘Three out of three?’ Edin asked, eager to continue their chess tournament.

  ‘You’re on,’ Dido said.

  The next morning I waited out the front of school. Brian and Jesse crossed the street and waved. Brian kissed me on the cheek. ‘You’re early today.’

  Jesse hung back. We still hadn’t got the hang of the touchy-feely thing.

  ‘How’s your mum?’ I asked him.

  ‘Good.’ He stared at his feet.

  I frowned at Brian, but he just shrugged.

  ‘Why are you early?’ Brian asked as we walked to our bench.

  ‘I can be on time.’ I climbed with them to sit on the table with our feet on the bench, in our usual formation. Jesse, Brian and then me.

  Brian took off his backpack and threw it on the stool. ‘Not that I’ve seen.’

  ‘I did my Maths homework. You can copy my notes.’

  ‘Who are you?’ He peered into my face. ‘What have you done with the real Sabiha Omerovic?’ He lifted my hair and looked into my ear.

  I laughed despite myself. ‘Do you want to see?’

  ‘You betcha.’ Brian tickled my waist. ‘Cause I don’t believe you did it.’

  I unzipped my backpack and searched for my notebook. ‘It’s here.’

  ‘Sure, sure.’ Brian patted my head.

  I jerked away. ‘It is.’ I tipped everything onto the table and checked each notebook. ‘I left it in the library.’

  ‘Are you sure the dog didn’t eat it?’ Jesse asked.

  ‘Smartarse,’ I muttered.

  ‘Let’s go and look.’ Brian gestured for me to lead the way.

  ‘Ms Swan!’ I called out as I ran to the counter.

  ‘Looking for this?’ She held out my notebook.

  I smiled and hugged it to my chest. ‘Thanks heaps.’ I turned to give Brian and Jesse a triumphant look.

  ‘It was a pleasure having your company this morning, Sabiha,’ Ms Swan said.

  ‘I wonder why a girl who can’t be on time to class would be early to school?’ Brian asked when they caught up with me. ‘Are you blushing?’ He peered at my cheek.

  My left cheek was red from the Twins’ slaps and I’d put blush on my right cheek.

  ‘Perhaps she has a new crush she’s stalking?’ Brian nudged Jesse suggestively.

  ‘No, I wanted to avoid the crowds,’ I said sarcastically.

  Brian and Jesse guffawed. Brian cupped his ear. ‘We have a late-breaking announcement. Sabiha Omerovic, a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl from St Albans, Victoria, this morning woke at the crack of dawn and scurried to school to avoid the monstrous crowds at peak hour.’

  I was starting to get that empty, sick feeling in my gut.

  ‘Congestion peaked at 8.30 a.m., but thankfully no one was crushed to death. Keep tuned and we’ll have more updates later.’ Brian shifted his eyes from side to side as if he was reading a teleprompter. ‘And now we go to Jesse James, our on-location correspondent who has a live interview with our fearful schoolgirl.’ Brian turned to Jesse.

  ‘When did you develop this fear of crowds?’ Jesse thrust an imaginary microphone in my face.

  ‘Piss off!’ I pushed his hand away and ran to class.

  During Drama I joined another group for improvisation and ignored Brian. At recess I hid in the li
brary and read Maureen McCarthy’s In Between. It wasn’t until fourth period in History that we were together again. Instead of sitting in my usual spot in the back row with Jesse and Brian, I sat in the middle row. During class Gordana passed a note onto my lap.

  Whats up your arse?-B

  I turned and stared at Brian. He stared back.

  Nothing-S. I scrawled and passed the note back. Ten minutes later it returned.

  Whats with the mood swings?-B

  Whats your problem?-S I passed the note back.

  You were a bitch to Jesse-B

  I glanced over at Jesse. He was slumped in his seat. When class finished we met at the door. Lunch was subdued. Jesse avoided me and didn’t join in the conversation.

  ‘You two have English together now, don’t you?’ Brian said to me when the bell rang. ‘I’m off to Science.’ He headed down the corridor.

  Jesse stood next to me like a lump of wood. ‘Let’s get going,’ I said, my voice fake cheerful.

  When it got hot and I took off my jumper in class, Jesse’s eyes were on my elbows. I followed his gaze to the bruises where one of the Twins had held me.

  ‘What happened?’ he asked.

  ‘I fell.’ I put my jumper back on, turning to see if anyone else had noticed.

  ‘Is that the reason you came to school early?’ Jesse pushed.

  I didn’t respond, pretending I was engrossed in copying the teacher’s notes. I felt his stare on me throughout class, but ignored him. During sixth period a knot gathered in my stomach as I watched the clock hands move towards going-home time. My big plan was to run home. I’d put all my heavy textbooks in my locker. I thought about hanging around after school, but I was more likely to bump into the Twins later in the evening.

  Jesse and Brian waited for me at the school gates. ‘Let me see,’ Brian demanded as soon as I was in earshot.

  ‘What?’ I played dumb.

  Brian grabbed my top and lifted. I slapped his hand away and wrenched my top down. ‘Arsehole,’ I looked nervously at the students walking past.

  ‘Let me see,’ Brian insisted.

  ‘Fine.’ I stomped behind the bushes. When I was satisfied we were hidden from everyone, I lifted my top.

  Brian whistled between his teeth as he gently touched my skin. ‘Those are beauties.’

  ‘Who was it?’ Jesse asked.

  I pulled my top down and stood awkwardly between them, trying to figure out how to fob them off.

  ‘Was it your Mum?’ Jesse asked softly into the silence.

  ‘As if,’ I laughed.

  ‘Who was it?’ Jesse persisted.

  ‘Some girls,’ I waved my hand dismissively.

  ‘That’s why you came to school early?’ Brian asked.

  I nodded, on the verge of tears. Brian put his arm around me. ‘I’m such a loser,’ I said into his shoulder.

  ‘My bully was Tommy Jones in Fifth Grade,’ he said.

  ‘Mine was Joe O’Shea in Year 7,’ Jesse said.

  I laughed. ‘We’re all losers.’ I found a tissue in my pocket.

  ‘Stay away from them,’ Brian said.

  ‘No shit Shirl.’ I screwed up the tissue in my hand.

  ‘Who are they?’ Jesse asked.

  ‘Bitches who live in the next street from my house.’ I blew my nose.

  ‘You’re stuffed,’ Brian said.

  ‘I know.’ I chucked the tissue at a bin and missed.

  ‘We’ll walk you home tonight,’ Jesse said.

  ‘Really?’ I asked Brian.

  Brian nodded. ‘We’ll catch the bus back.’

  I hugged him. ‘Thank you,’ I whispered into Brian’s ear. I opened my eyes and gave Jesse a gummy smile. ‘You’re the best.’ Jesse smiled back.

  ‘Which way do we go?’ Brian asked.

  ‘Straight down Main Road West.’ I pointed.

  The train tracks divided Main Road into East and West. Most of the kids at my new school, including Brian and Jesse, lived on the east side of St Albans. Walking from school to the train tracks was easy. When we crossed over to the west side the nerves kicked in. We were now officially in the danger zone.

  Brian put his arm around my waist. ‘We’re here with you.’

  I tried smiling, but my face was frozen. Now that Brian and Jesse were my escorts I realised I’d been conned. What would they do if the Twins came after me? And even worse, what if they tried to do something and got attacked? I’d lose the only friends I had.

  I stopped. ‘You can turn back now.’ As I spoke it seemed as if the sun disappeared and sinister shadows stretched across the footpath.

  Brian put his hand on my shoulder. ‘We don’t mind.’

  I clasped Brian’s hand. ‘You’ve gone so far out of your way.’

  ‘What if they’re waiting for you near your house?’ Jesse asked.

  My palms were sweaty. ‘I don’t want you caught up in this bullshit.’

  Jesse searched my face. His cheeks reddened. ‘I’m not scared of stupid girls.’

  ‘I know you’re not.’ My voice was flat, revealing my doubt.

  Brian smiled. ‘We’ve been bullied by worse.’ He turned me to face Main Road West.

  I was unconvinced, but tried to hide it. He took my hand in his and walked with me. Jesse hung back. He was still upset. When we got to my corner I waved across the street. ‘There’s the bus stop.’

  Brian nodded and surveyed my street. ‘We’ll walk you to your house.’

  I let out a sigh of relief and squeezed his hand. When we were two houses away I stopped. ‘You can go back now ’cause I don’t want my Mum to know.’

  Brian kissed me on the cheek. ‘I’ll see you at school.’

  Jesse stood a few metres away.

  ‘Thanks guys,’ I said. Jesse turned and walked off. Brian smiled ruefully and followed him.

  I watched Jesse’s back and felt angry. Why did he have to be so sensitive? I couldn’t say anything without him taking it the wrong way. I tried to chill, remembering he’d walked me home, completely out of his way, to protect me. That pissed me off more. He was such a pushover.

  When they were halfway down my street, I scuttled up the driveway. Even though the street was deserted, it was as if the Twins were hiding behind a tree and laughing at me.

  I was reading in my bedroom when the phone rang. Mum answered. A few minutes later she burst into my room. ‘Suada just called!’ Suada was Dina’s Mum.

  ‘You got a phone call.’ I did a fake cheer.

  Mum squinted at me. It was her version of a dirty look, but she just looked like the sun was in her eyes. ‘She was driving past and saw you kissing a boy.’ She was always driving through our street, dropping off or picking up Edin, her father.

  ‘I wasn’t kissing a boy,’ I said. Suada and her husband were Born-Again-Muslims too. A year ago they’d found Dina’s brother with marijuana in his room and kicked him out. I could just imagine how she was spinning this story.

  ‘Were you with a boy in front of our house?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘But—’

  ‘You’re too young to have a boyfriend.’ Mum paced.

  ‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ I raised my voice.

  She stopped abruptly. ‘Is he Muslim?’

  ‘I can have a Muslim boyfriend?’ Maybe I’d found the loophole in her reasoning? I almost saw the hamster turning on the wheel in her brain as she thought.

  ‘No,’ Mum said uncertainly. ‘You have plenty of time for boys.’ Mum swept my hair behind my ear. ‘Who was this boy you were kissing?’

  I jerked away. ‘He was someone from school.’ I threw my book on the bed. ‘And we weren’t kissing.’

  Mum sneered with disbelief.

  ‘You believe that short-sighted cow over me?’

  ‘Don’t call Suada a cow.’

  ‘But you agree she’s short-sighted?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘You didn’t dispute it, so I assume you agree.’

  Sh
e had the hamster-on-the-wheel look again. ‘I don’t want you walking with any more boys.’ She opened the door.

  ‘I’m at a co-ed school!’ I yelled as she closed the door.

  I almost felt sorry for Mum. She didn’t have it in her to match my comebacks. Sometimes I felt like I was torturing a helpless puppy. And other times, like today, I felt like a million bucks.

  The next morning I was in the library at 8.00 a.m., typing a story, when Brian sat next to me. I’d left later than yesterday so I didn’t freeze my tits off waiting for the library to open.

  ‘You’re early.’ I pushed my things off the table to make room for him.

  ‘So are you.’ He sat.

  ‘Where’s Jesse?’ I asked.

  ‘He’s at home.’

  ‘Is he still angry at me?’

  ‘No, he’s busy,’ he said.

  ‘Doing what?’ I demanded.

  Brian shrugged. ‘What are you up to?’

  I didn’t answer straight away. Jesse was such a sulk. I opened my mouth to whinge to Brian, but thought better of it. ‘English homework,’ I said instead. ‘Let’s go outside?’

  While we were waiting for Jesse, Adnan arrived. ‘You playing today?’ he asked Brian.

  ‘Yeah,’ Brian said. ‘Been watching the cup?’

  My eyes glazed over. Who cared? One group of idiots fought to get the ball from another pack of idiots and, if they managed to score a goal, one pack of idiots cheered while another pack of idiots booed. Big deal.

  Jesse walked up the street. He waved when he saw me looking at him. I didn’t wave back. ‘Did you have any problems this morning?’ he asked.

  I shook my head. There was grease on his jeans, but I didn’t tell him.

  ‘Do you want us to walk you home tonight?’ he asked.

  Adnan broke off his conversation with Brian and interrupted us. ‘Why would they walk you?’ he asked.

  ‘She got attacked on the way home the other day,’ Brian said.

  ‘So?’ Adnan said, as if it was my fault.

  ‘Up yours.’

  ‘She got hurt,’ Brian said.

  Adnan was angry. I didn’t smile, but I wanted to. He caught me at my locker between class breaks. ‘Why didn’t you come to me?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’