Titty leaned on Liedjie all the way down the hill to the old area, her knees folding every few steps. They were late and already Liedjie was regretting dragging someone half drunk with her. It had been madness insisting Titty come with her to school but she couldn’t stand her hopelessness anymore. School gave a person a future. When they arrived, the building was dark and a paper was tacked to the classroom door. In the dim light Liedjie made out the word “Cancelled” in chalk.
“Why is it cancelled?”
Titty slid to the floor and sat with her back against the door.
“This rush for nothing, a person pays for the classes and then the teacher doesn’t come,” Liedjie said, tears welling.
She sat down next to Titty and put her head between her knees. This was all so hard. School, Deddie, the house, Titty. And Robert. She hadn’t seen him for a week and she felt a dawning realisation that there was something else going on with him. His kiss had been soft and his smile so lovely.
“Don’t cry, Liedjie.” Titty rested her head on Liedjie’s shoulder. Liedjie took her hand and for a while they sat like that in the gloom.
“It’s all too much,” Liedjie said.
“Too much,” Titty repeated.
Another girl arrived and, when she saw the note, she swore.
“On off, on off, how must we get Matric?” she said.
“Ag, what does crying help?” Liedjie stood up and pulled Titty to her feet. “Let’s go and I will make us beans.”
They walked part of the way with the other girl and, when she turned off to take the road to her house, they carried on up the hill. Liedjie wished there was tea at home. The beans were something and she hoped her mother was boiling them. She wondered where she could skimp a potato for the pot.
A car passed then and Titty stumbled and cried out.
“Who’s it?” Liedjie asked.
“Mr Lou—” Titty stopped, then mumbled, “the municipality man.”
“That one. The last time he was in the lokasie they smashed his windscreen. He must have had it fixed.”
“What do you think he wants here now?” Titty was nervous. “And who’s with him? There were two in that car.”
“Ag, he’s probably up to his nonsense stories again,” said Liedjie. “Looking to see who he can pick on and make scared with his eviction stories. I’m sick and tired of always worrying about this man. He must just do his own things now.”
When they came to the track they couldn’t see where the car had gone, but then Liedjie saw a flame from a match and, in the fading light, the outline of a man leaning against the container where the builders kept their equipment. The car was parked, facing the road, behind the container.
“They’re trying to hide that car—” Liedjie dropped Titty’s arm and ran. The house was dark but the door stood wide and, inside, she saw the man on his knees over a body on the floor.
“Mammie!”
Esther gurgled and Liedjie saw his hands were around her throat and, even in the bad light, she could see lifelessness in her mother’s open eyes. Liedjie’s legs gave way and she fell forward. When Mr Louis saw her, he let go and stood, but Liedjie was on her knees crawling to Esther, pulling her into her arms.
“Ma— My mammie.”
Liedjie touched her face and Esther stirred.
There was talking and Liedjie saw the other man had come in behind her into the house.
“Where’s the key?”
His voice.
“Robert, it’s you. Help me,” she said, holding Esther up, pulling her bruised face into her chest.
The two of them were moving through the house, throwing things out of boxes and pulling things down.
“Please, help my mother.”
“I want the key.” His voice bit into her.
“My mother must go to the hospital.”
There was banging outside and Titty’s voice cut into her terror.
“Antie Esther, Antie Esther!” Titty was at the door and then she was gone, screaming in the street, “Antie Esther! What are they doing? Kom julle, kom!”
“Go and shut that woman up!” Robert shouted. “This was supposed to be a quick in-and-out.”
Mr Louis went to the door and looked out, but stopped. “Robert? Why are you here, with this man?” Liedjie was stunned, but looking up at him, standing over her and her mother, she knew in her heart what was happening and she thought she would be sick.
“Where is the key?”
But Liedjie’s attention was on Esther who was moaning softly and she said nothing.
“Kom, kom, Antie Esther!” Titty was right outside again, banging on a metal dustbin lid with a rock.
“She’s calling the people,” Liedjie said. “Listen to them. They are coming.” In the street, Titty’s voice had become part of a confused babble.
“We must go,” Mr Louis said.
“It’s here, Pa. She’s hidden it, to blackmail me,” Robert said.
The old woman who had made her a sandwich that morning came, and then the new woman who had occupied Katjie’s house when she left to build a hok again. The men who were drinking at the fire outside the shebeen heard and came to see. Dogs barked, children ran.
Mr Louis loomed over Liedjie and Esther. “Tell your whore-mother we will be back. Find that key.”
“Come, Pa, we must get the hell out of here.”
“What key?” Liedjie asked, but they were gone, into the night, where the drumming was starting and the shouting was getting louder.
“Larney, what are you doing here?” a boy shouted.
Titty dropped the bin lid and pointed. “He is the one mixing up all the houses.”
Mr Louis pushed through the youths, but they ran with him to his car.
“Larney, larney,” they were chanting now. “Where is the houses, where is the houses?” They taunted him and he hit out at them and they jumped back and laughed.
Mr Louis looked for Robert. Where was he? They must go. He was frantic now. The boys pushed him into the front seat and one went through his pockets while another jumped on the bonnet and bounced.
“No, stop that!” He tried to get out but was pushed back again. The boy laughed and jumped on the roof.
The windows shattered and Mr Louis covered his eyes. Then he stopped hearing or seeing as sticks and rocks beat down, like rain in the flooding season.