The Disappeared Read Free

physically more adept than his older brother. Even though he was more than
two years his junior.
    As usual, it
was the older brother who was now hesitant and fearful, eyeing the gushing
water with trepidation. He couldn’t believe his crazy younger brother wanted
him to jump in there .
    ‘Josh, there’s
no –’
    Insects .
    No. Davey
definitely wasn’t going in there. But as usual Joshua persisted. On his knees,
pleading and begging his older brother. And – as usual – David relented. Joshua
wasn’t sure if it was because Davey didn’t want to appear cowardly or if he
just couldn’t resist the potential adventure of the floodwaters. Whatever the
case he was glad to be able to share the adventure with his older brother. His
best friend.
    They stood next
to each other. ‘Okay, on the count of three.’ David nodded but Josh could see
he was worried. ‘Hey, it’s gonna be fine. Ya hear?’ David nodded, unconvinced.
‘Okay. One ... two ... three!’ The boys jumped.
    Immediately
things went wrong.
    The rough
contours of the creek bed had created a powerful eddy in the water. This was
where David jumped in. He was immediately sucked under. When he surfaced again
Josh could see that he had inhaled a lung-full of the muddy water and was
choking. There was panic all over his face. Instead of trying to swim, he was
floundering ineffectually. Hitting the roaring water with open palms. While the
river continued to suck him under and spew him out again. He was swallowing lots
of water. And he was drowning.
    Like a fish on
dry land.
    The ridiculous
thought flashed through Josh’s mind as he swam with powerful measured strokes
towards his brother. ‘David! David! Grab my hand. David!’ Josh tried to reach
for his brother but failed. He could see that Davey was sinking below the surface.
Completely at the mercy of the current.
    Oh Jesus
please don’t let him die. Please oh Jesus!
    And then
another crazy thought – even as his mind was focused like the sharp point of a
hunting knife; focused on saving his brother. The huge terrifying thought. Mom
is going to kill me.
    And then. Just
like that. It was over. The current had steered his brother onto a little
promontory of land where the slope was less steep. After floundering like a
dying fish for an eternity his brother’s kicking feet had found land and he
simply walked – almost calmly – out of the rushing stream. It was a ridiculous
anti-climax.
    Josh exited
the stream and went to sit next to his brother. He could see Davey was badly
shaken. ‘Are you okay, bro?’
    Josh felt like
–
    Insects !
    There were no
insects!
    Joshua whirled
around. The duffel bag plopping against his back. He stared in bewilderment at
the river that flowed past the little hamlet of Bishop. Then at the river bank and
the surrounding scene. There were no insects! Joshua remained perfectly
still. He listened carefully cocking his ear this way and that. Nothing! There
was only the sound of rushing water.
    In the seven
or so days since he had been sleeping outside he had become intimately
acquainted with the countryside’s insect life. He had become accustomed to the
subtle rhythms and moods of the bush veldt; knew which of its residents came
alive at which times of the day. He had learned to read the insect sounds. Tracing
slight variations in light and temperature in the constant symphony of insect
sounds. He didn’t know what their names were or even what they looked like. But
he knew the sounds they made. And right now there was nothing.
    In the short
life that Joshua had lived he had learned to be observant. It was a skill
further sharpened by Davey – his brother who was aspiring to be an aspirant
writer – who had taught his brother the value of quiet observation. Taught him
how much you could learn from shutting up and just watching and listening.
Since then Joshua had honed it to a fine art. It had served him well especially
in the rough cruel world of –
    Joshua scanned
the