They are Coming

Chapter 34

132 2004 Chapter 34 He was walking into the school toilet. The walls and the air are as grey as a faded picture. His footsteps have a muffled echo; his ears feel as if they are blocked with water. He’s scared of the toilet, its mysterious rows of tiny cubicles, its emptiness, the chemical stench of dip, but his bladder is near to bursting. He reaches the urinal – and jerks awake. Slowly, he feels the blanket beneath him. It’s dry. His bladder is burning. He gets out of bed, gropes his way along the wall and switches on the light. He looks beside the sofa, but he’s forgotten to place the plastic container he uses as a pot there. Still not quite awake, he switches off the light. He turns the lock carefully, making sure it does not make any noise, so as not to alert any goblins outside. He pokes his head out into the night. The darkness is softly lit from the tower lights, and a few stars wink at him, as if sharing some mischief. Nothing seems to be waiting to gobble him up in the yard. He stands on the doorstep, contemplating relieving himself right there, but he knows that a damp patch on the ground will alert his mother when she sweeps the yard in the morning. Fearfully, he steps away from the doorstep, leaving the door open, and walks across the yard to the delele hedge on Ntando’s side of the yard, and pees, listening to his water pattering against the leaves. Although it was hot inside the house, the night is cool and a slight wind rustles through the air. 133 Turning, he jumps in fright as an animal appears through the hole in the hedge. It’s Ginger, and he’s carrying something furry in his mouth. He runs past Ambition, who follows, curious to see what the dog is carrying . Goblins are now the furthest thing from his mind. He walks to the front of the house, but Ginger is nowhere in sight. He walks to the gate, and sees the dog disappearing into the hedge of a house across the street. He looks down the street, just as a group of people emerge from the shadows at the end of it. Under the tower lights, he sees them running hard towards him.. As Ambition watches, the leader stops and points a finger at a house, and the group all throw stones at the windows. There is the sound of shattering glass, then they run towards Ambition, and the leader points at another house, stones are hurled again, glass shatters and the group runs on past Ambition’s home and then stops and looks back. Ambition swallows hard. He has ducked behind the hedge, but can they see him? The group mill around behind their leader. ‘This one also?’ The speaker slowly lifts his right hand and points towards Ambition’s home. Terrified, Ambition hardly knows what he is doing as he rises naked from behind the hedge and steps into full view. ‘Ntikolotshi!’ a voice yells, and the group bolt away in dissaray. Ambition is shivering, partly with fear, partly because he suddenly feels very cold, very exposed. There’s someone standing alone in the street. ‘Ambition!’ he hears the whispered shout, ‘What are you doing outside the house after midnight?’ It’s Senzeni. Heaving a sigh of relief, he calls, ‘I’m watching you.’ ‘Stark naked?’ ‘Yes’ ‘You really are a strange kid. My friends now think you’re a goblin. Did mother see you leave the house?’ ‘No.’ ‘Then go back inside quickly. Things are bad tonight.’ ‘Let’s go in together.’ ‘You go!’ ‘I don’t want to. You found me outside.’ Senzeni steps nearer and lays a hand on her brother’s bare shoulder. ‘I miss you,’ she says in a low voice. ‘We also miss you,’ Ambition replies. His sister’s hand is warm on his skin. 134 Senzeni steps back. ‘You miss me?’ There is disbelief in her voice. ‘Yes, we miss you. Please come back home, father and mother have forgiven you.’ Senzeni snorts. ‘It’s too late. I’ve been promoted and I’m going away to work in the rural areas until the elections are over. We’re going to win the elections and when I come back, I will be having a good job...