Chapter Ten
Deeta
It’s later, and my father has sent everyone to bed in preparation for his upcoming chat with Tom. Surprisingly my father asks me to stay and make a drink for them. Having arranged the tray I bring it to the small table beside the sofa, so that Dad can pour it out when Tom arrives.
“Three cups, Deeta.” My father smiles. “I think you’re going to be a necessary factor in this conversation.”
I fetch another mug from the sideboard, wondering what he could mean, and place it on the tray.
“What’s wrong, Deet?”
He reaches for my hand, finally having noticed my reluctance.
A loud and impatient rap on the door that signals Tom’s arrival interrupts my reply and, almost without realising I’ve moved, I find myself opening the door. Tom’s face leaves me in no doubt that he had expected me to be in bed, and as he enters the room I see a frown settling on his features.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I thought I specified that it was you that I wished to talk to.”
The stinging meaning of his words is not lost on me, and I almost spill the drink I’m pouring in my haste to put it down.
“I asked Deeta to stay; is that going to be a problem?”
My father seems a little bemused and Tom, realising he has been brusque, shakes his head.
“I don’t suppose it makes the slightest difference,” he concedes, but I can tell that he wishes me elsewhere. “I’ve come to talk to you, sir, because it’s necessary for us to start looking for a new home, a new compound.”
Whatever my father had been expecting; this wasn’t it. For a second this statement takes him by surprise.
“I had thought that there might be a need for that. I wasn’t sure, but obviously you think it’s unavoidable?”
“Yes, sir, completely unavoidable. The Andak will come back for me, and whether they find me or not they will never believe that this tribe isn’t protecting me. They already know that they can breach our security, and won’t think twice about doing so. Believe me when I tell you that you don’t want the trouble they’ll bring.”
“We don’t have time to find a place do we?” My father’s face is grey and drawn.
“No, sir.” Tom shakes his head. “Our best course is to go to another tribe for help, one with whom we enjoy peaceful relations.”
“The Marshalls.”
It is a flat statement, not a question.
“I would welcome another suggestion, sir,” answers Tom.
He’s sitting on the sofa, leaning forwards, his elbows resting on his legs. His face is deadpan calm, hiding his thoughts from us. “They will expect compensation for their help.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” answers my father dryly.
“Unfortunately we have little choice, sir.”
“That doesn’t make the idea any more palatable. What do you suggest we do?”
“That you send me, Jamie, and Nella to the Marshall council while the rest of the tribe strips this place. The Marshalls will make their terms, and whatever those terms are we’ll have to accept them. No matter what happens, by tomorrow night we must have left this building.”
“We haven’t even spoken to the other Elders yet!”
“Yes, sir; I was hoping that you would be ready.”
“You want to go now?”
“Yes, sir. At half past four tomorrow morning I’m leaving for Marshall territory with, or without, the Elder’s permission if a decision has not been reached.”
My father’s blue eyes regard Tom steadily.
“You’re in an awful hurry.”
“You don’t know them like I do. I just wish we could be gone sooner.”
“In that case; I’ll be right back.”
My father stands, and makes his way across the room to his bedroom. When he’s gone Tom and I sit in uneasy silence, and I find myself listening intently to his even breathing.
“It looks like you’re going to get what you want, Deeta.”
“How do you mean, Tom?”
“You always wanted to see what it was like out there ‘just once’. Well, now you will.”
“There’s no need to look so cheerful; you always said it would upset me.”
My tone is faintly teasing, but the smile slides from Tom’s face to be replaced by a frown.
“Pathetic isn’t it; all I’ve ever tried to do is stop you and the kids from getting hurt. Now here we are; I haven’t managed to protect you from anything, have I? Well, maybe one thing, but even then not completely.”
The sound of Dad opening the door prevents me from asking what he means. In truth I probably wouldn’t have the nerve to ask anyway.
“You’d better go to bed, Deeta, I’m sorry I kept you up. I was expecting something different.”
Tom turns sharply and meets my father’s eyes. For a second they look at each other, and then Tom drops his gaze and heads for the door.
“We should get going.”
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The room is quiet when they are gone, too quiet. It makes me feel lonely, but I don’t go to bed. I sit in the darkened room thinking until my head thuds with unspoken words.
How often I’ve wanted something to happen, anything that might change things, liven them up. How stupid could I have been?
Dad says that girls are never satisfied; they always want something different to what they have. I never knew that it was so true before; because now that everything is completely different, all I long for is that things should be as they were. I hate everything that has happened, and never thought that excitement could bring such pain.
“Deeta?” At the sound of my mother’s voice I jump nervously. “Why aren’t you in bed?” She sits beside me, and takes my hand in hers.
“I was just thinking; did Dad tell you what’s happening?”
“Briefly, is that what you’re worried about?”
“I’m worried where this is all going to end.”
“Honey, it won’t do a bit of good to worry about something that you can’t control or foresee.” She smoothes my hair back from my face.
“But all I can think of is how wrong everything is going.”
“That won’t do you any good either. Come on, you need to sleep; tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”
I let her pull me up from the seat, and we walk together to the door of my bedroom.
“Don’t worry; your father will sort everything out.”
She kisses me again and bids me goodnight.
I crawl into bed and feel the covers settle warm and comfortable around me. I realise suddenly that this will be my last night in this apartment, in this room, in this bed. Tomorrow we will be goodness only knows where, in a new building with new people.
I’m alarmed by the prospect.
All the people I know, I have known from birth. Apart from the Jepsjon children, Tom and Uncle Jep were the last outsiders to move to our tribe. I fall to wondering what these new people will be like, what their building will be like. Will I find new friends, or think the Marshalls an unpleasant people?
In all my imaginings I never thought that something as big as this would happen, it scares me with the vastness of the unknown.
Will we tell them Tom is Andak?
What if we don’t and then somehow they find out, what would happen then?
The questions stretch on, many and unanswerable.
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Tom