His eyes opened wide. He kicked the covers from his body and sprinted to the door. He peeked outside for about five seconds then closed the door, very silently. ‘Mother; where are you?’ he spoke into the phone as he scurried back towards the bed. His voice was hushed. ‘Everyone is looking for you. And by everyone I mean the police.’
‘How have you been, son?’ she asked him. She sounded like she was in high spirits.He could feel her smile. Its warmth was radiating through the phone. He smiled too. ‘I’m fine, mother. Everything is fine this side but you…where are you? Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.’‘Do not worry about me, my boy. I’m fine, I’m seriously fine,’ she laughed as if in emphasis to her claim.‘Maybe now but definitely not for long,’ said Sineas. ‘The police are looking for you. You were on the news…’‘The newThey finally disengaged.‘Now that you are out, what’s the next step?’ he asked her enthusiastically.She looked ominously ahead of her. Her cap was pulled down way too deep on her head almost covering her eyes. She answered, ‘I'm not sure yet. Maybe somewhere quiet like Madagascar…or Australia. Somewhere far from all this lunacy. Anywhere but here.’‘That’s a good idea,’ he said. ‘If the police ever get a scent of where you are then it’s over. They’ve already looked for you in Aunt Janice’s house.’She shook her head. ‘These boys must be serious. The jackasses want to lock me up in that hole for another eleven years even after I convinced the doctor that I’ve recovered. It’s still not enough for them. They just still want to keep me holed up in there, pumping drugs down my throat four times a day, everyday. Eighteen pills a day! And after my escape, they might
The indoor basketball court or gym room was now packed. After two hours of students and teachers filing in, people finally got settled in the stands. The stands were occupied by the students and just beside them, chairs had been placed for the teachers. In the middle of the court was the podium and five metres to its right sat the victims’ families. The chairs were arranged in pairs and in the lead were Justin Foyer’s younger sister and mother and behind them were Justin’s other relatives and Miss Bale’s relatives as well. They had not been formally introduced. All of them summed up were at least twelve. Sineas and Clarissa were in the top stands, sitting patiently like the rest of the students, waiting for the service to get underway. A few teachers had attempted to quieten the students’ conversations down but were barely successful. They decided to give up. Even the hard-shelled Mr. Regwizini had tried his military no-nonsense tactics but had fa
He continued, ‘I loved Miss Bale too. She was a good teacher with so many years ahead of her. May the heavens keep her safe.’ He waved conclusively towards the stands, then the families and headed back to his seat amidst heavy applause.‘This has been one hell of a memorial,’ Clarissa said to Sineas as they sat in the stands waiting for the principal to announce the next speaker. Everyone had delved into hushed conversation whilst the principal scoped a piece of paper in front of him.‘What do you mean?’ Sineas asked her.‘No one seemed to know a lot about Miss Bale. It’s making this event look a little one-sided.’‘Are you saying that no one knows anything about Miss Bale? The whore that slept all the way to her job? Miss Bale, who dresses worse than a ghetto hooker? Miss Bale, who…’‘Okay, okay, I get it, Sin,’ she said stopping him with a hand. She looked remorseful. &lsq
‘I, uh…I never knew Justin. All I’ve ever heard about him is that he was a man of honour and promise and a man with a very bright future. And all I can say to that is…’ he looked up into the stands.Clarissa was still wearing that smile. She gave him another thumbs up.He turned back to the other eyes. The hundreds of executioners’ eyes. ‘…Yes…Yes he was,’ he continued. ‘Justin was a true sportsman. He was multitalented and was, in my opinion, the best student role model this school will ever know. He had plenty of scholarships in his pocket, awards in his closet, more than enough open doors but unfortunately, a sick and twisted person…or people, for their own unknown reasons, decided to cut Justin’s destiny short. I never knew Miss Bale that well either. But for the short time I was in her presence, she was able to bless me with her well advanced intellect and deep wisdom. I felt a sense of
‘Nice speech, kid,’ Said Trevor, nonchalantly placing his giant hands into his jacket pockets. His eyes were purposely drooping, his face slightly elevated.‘Thanks,’ Sineas replied.‘Where’d you get it from? A talk show?’‘From my head,’ Sineas answered.Trevor looked behind him, at his crew, massaging his chin slowly. He looked back at Sineas. His face was more hardened than before. ‘I don’t know where you got the idea that you could just get up there and talk about my dead pal like that.’Clarissa stepped in front of Sineas. ‘Trevor, please…’‘Na-ah, traitor,’ he said waving a finger at her, ‘I’m still talking to the ass. I’ll get to the ex later.’She opened her mouth to say something but Sineas pulled her gently to the side. He gave her a reassuring nod. Like a code, she nodded back.‘What do you want from m
Sineas could hardly believe his eyes. The Luciferian smirk on the inspector’s face made him feel like a real criminal.Aunt Janice said, ‘Can you fetch these two gentlemen some water to drink?’ She did not look up however.Sineas took his sweet time, first having his staring contest with the inspector. The deputy’s eyes were hidden from him. Sineas finally walked back into the kitchen and came back carrying two cups of cold water. He handed the two their water then sat down on Aunt Janice’s left side. Deputy James was facing Sineas and Inspector Charles was facing Aunt Janice. The fact that the two officers were in higher seats than him and his aunt made him feel vulnerable to a large extent.The inspector picked his hat from the floor beside him and placed it on top of his knee. He said, ‘Alright. Now that most of the family is here, I’m going to go ahead and tell you the rules of this talk before we begin. Rule number
Aunt Janice looked up at the inspector. She said, ‘Sineas could never harm anyone in that way.’‘And your sister? Your statement at the station in Breechwood, Janice, eleven years ago. You said she had moods. Violent moods. Maybe this is an example.’‘My mother is not a killer,’ Sineas muttered.‘You said something, kid?’ asked Deputy James.Sineas looked at the two officers in turn. He felt a bit of anger towards James because he thought someone of his own colour would at least try to show him some compassion. ‘I said my mother is not a killer,’ he said again with a little more boldness to his tone.‘All the evidence disagrees, Sineas,’ said the inspector.He answered, ‘You laid the evidence against us, Charles. You had your turn to accuse us but you gave us the floor so let me speak.’The inspector raised his hands apologetically, grinning. ‘Be my guest.&rsq
Even after the policemen had left, Sineas and his aunt stayed in their sitting positions for a bit longer. Both were obviously thinking.‘You think they’ll be back?’ Sineas asked her.She tried to look at him but she only gave him a glimpse then turned back to the carpet. She answered, ‘These are the police, Sin. What do you think?’He stood up and looked down at her. ‘Aunt Janice, I’ve seen first-hand how quick these guys are to jump to conclusions. They’ll do anything to make sure their half-baked evidence sticks.’‘I’m not going to prison, Sineas,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to let any prison record mar my job opportunities.’‘Aunt Janice, do you think that matters right now? If Charles makes this evidence stick on either or both of us we’re looking at life imprisonment with no possibility of parole!’Her eyes immediately flared up. She jumped to