Leopold Blue Read Free Page B

future of this country? In what way would her being angry at the government, or the newsreader, change anything?
    We all sat and thought about the killings and the families of the dead people until Mum decided that it was OK to start eating. As though waiting until our food was thoroughly cold was our small way of honouring those who had lost their lives.
    â€˜Yummy!’ I said after a silence. ‘This is delicious. Well done, Marta!’
    Dad shook his head at me.
    â€˜Does no one have anything cheerful to talk about?’ I asked.
    â€˜The under-12s netball team is being announced on Monday,’ said Beth, ‘and Juffrou [*] Kat said I’ll be in it. Well, she said maybe, but she winked, so I’m pretty sure.’
    â€˜Good girl!’ said Dad.
    â€˜And,’ Beth continued, ‘and, for camp, next year, guess where we’re going? Guess!’
    â€˜Sun City,’ I replied.
    â€˜Don’t be a spaz,’ said Beth.
    â€˜Where then?’
    â€˜Strandfontein! We’re going to the beach!’
    â€˜Rubbish. They’ll never take you there. They’ll take you to Juffrou du Plessis’ farm, because that’s where the standard fives [**] always go.’
    â€˜This time it’s different. Juffrou said it’s because we’re the best year. All the teachers think so.’
    â€˜Sorry to crash the party, but I have even better news,’ said Dad.
    He waited, enjoying a rare moment of our full attention. ‘My book is finally due to be out next year.’
    â€˜Fantastic!’ said Mum.
    â€˜What are you going to call it, Dad?’ asked Beth.
    â€˜
Hot Rocks and Flirty Fossils
.’
    â€˜Timothy!’ Mum groaned.
    â€˜That’s more likely to sell than “A Palaeontological History of the Cederberg Region”.’ He turned to me. ‘How about you, princess? Any good news to share?’
    â€˜Nothing,’ I said. ‘But don’t let that dampen the mood.’
    â€˜Oh, darling! The sweet agony of being fifteen!’ said Mum.
    I rolled my eyes.
    â€˜All those hormones, all those
feelings
,’ said Beth, shaking her head.
    â€˜Hello! You’re eleven years old. What do you know?’
    Dad put down his fork and cleared his throat. ‘Beth, under no circumstances are you to enter adolescence until Meg is safely out the other side. This household will not survive both of you wandering the valley of despair at the same time.’
    â€˜So hurry up!’ said Beth, leaning forward over the table.
    â€˜Actually, I have some good news,’ said Mum.
    â€˜You’re pregnant!’ said Beth.
    I snorted.
    â€˜Pregnant?’ Mum looked confused. ‘No! Thank God,’ she added, which caused Dad to sink. ‘My friend Bibi wants to write a feature for an English newspaper on the AIDS education I’m doing. Isn’t that great?’ She put a forkful into her mouth and chewed on it for a moment. ‘Who knows, maybe we’ll even get some funding out of it.’
    â€˜I thought you said you had good news,’ I said. It slipped out too quickly. I glanced at Mum to see her reaction. She made a show of breathing in slowly.
    â€˜When are you going to stop this?’ Beth asked.
    Mum looked at Beth. ‘Sweetheart, if by “this” you mean telling very poor, uneducated people how they can avoid getting a disease that will kill them and their children, the answer is I’m not. It’s important.’
    â€˜No, it’s not,’ replied Beth, unusually stubborn.
    â€˜Yes, it is,’ Mum laughed, her eyes darting to Dad for support.
    â€˜You’re not listening!’ I said.
    â€˜How about for once in your life –’ Mum started, her voice rising.
    â€˜Ronel’s mum says you’re upsetting the volk and making the famers cross,’ Beth spoke over her. Her face was red. ‘And everyone wants you to stop.’
    â€˜
Every
one,’ I