(no subject)
Her leg rubbed against his, like a warm snake. He glanced over at her. In the dim light he could see her smiling at him. She reached over, grasped his hand, and held it in her lap and caressed his fingers as if she was smoothing down the ruffled feathers of a frightened bird.
she asked him, ‘Are you talented?’ ‘At what?’ ‘At writing poetry, or something like that.’ He shook his head. ‘Liar!’‘But why” ‘You are talented!’ ‘But at what?’ She stopped walking and, gazing steadily up at him and trying not to laugh, said. ‘In the use of silence.’
She pressed her face into his shoulder . ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.
He realised that he was trying not to like her.
The girls of the school suddenly took an interest in him, and he lost his virginity one night after a school dance, behind the gymnasium under the eucalyptus trees. It was quick, clean, almost meaningless for him.
They lay down on the warm lid of the grave. The pine trees hummed above them.
Where did you learn to drink like that? He asked. From my old man, she said with a laugh.
By loving her, he was feeling for the first time a growing and meaningful attachment to the country which had bred her.
The starless sky seemed to press down on the car as it rushed headlong into the neon lights of the city, pursuing tram rails that glittered like knife blades. I love you. I love you too.
One time they found that two of the rats had died. They conducted a mock burial service , built a small funeral pyre out of some dry boxes, wrapped up the shriveled corpses in newspaper, placed the bodies on the pyre, and set it aflame. They pretended to cry, like some adults they had seen at real funerals, as the bodies burnt in the crackling flames.
The old man reached the creek and knelt down and washed his hands. For the next hour or so he just sat on a box and gazed into the water. He remained perfectly still; it was as if he was frozen. The boys grew impatient. The older one hurled a small rock down into the creek. The old man jerked up to his feet. ‘Don’ shoot, please !’ he cried. The boys giggled and dug each other in the ribs . For a moment the old man shook as he looked all about him. Then he shut his eyes and seemed to sigh.
His father had been well known for his healing skills. He came from an ancient line of healers.
But most of the villagers were frightened of him because he could also cure illnesses and diseases caused by ghosts and evil spirits. They invested him with supernatural powers and referred to him as a pagan, a fearful reminder of the times before the missionaries arrived in the islands.
This was only one of his father’s many strange ways.
The first patient the man had seen his father cure was a girl who had been suddenly and mysteriously taken ill. Her family brought her to him at night so that the pastor would not notice. They told him that she was possessed by an evil spirit.
The boy grew frightened. Beads of sweat glistened on the girls twitching face, and saliva dripped fro m the corners of her mouth. Her eyes rolled round in their sockets and she stank of urine.
He chanted an incantation which the boy didn’t understand, and waved his right hand in a strange circular manner over her face. Then he opened the bundle of herbs, poured some coconut oil into it, mixed it with his fingers, and started rubbing the herbs over her cold forehead and then gradually down over her face, all the time reciting the incantation in a whining voice.
The boy noticed that she had shut her eyes and was breathing easily. Shortly after, the girl began to speak in a strange male voice . Frightened again the boy looked at his father. He told him there was nothing to be afraid of. It was only the illness leaving her.
His father told him that there were no such beings as ghosts or evil spirits - only fear and ignorance.
‘How can two people live together year after year, slowly destroying each other?
"Is God white?"
Wendt, Albert (2012-10-29). Sons for the Return Home (Kindle Locations 435-439). . Kindle Edition.
she asked him, ‘Are you talented?’ ‘At what?’ ‘At writing poetry, or something like that.’ He shook his head. ‘Liar!’‘But why” ‘You are talented!’ ‘But at what?’ She stopped walking and, gazing steadily up at him and trying not to laugh, said. ‘In the use of silence.’
She pressed her face into his shoulder . ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.
He realised that he was trying not to like her.
The girls of the school suddenly took an interest in him, and he lost his virginity one night after a school dance, behind the gymnasium under the eucalyptus trees. It was quick, clean, almost meaningless for him.
They lay down on the warm lid of the grave. The pine trees hummed above them.
Where did you learn to drink like that? He asked. From my old man, she said with a laugh.
By loving her, he was feeling for the first time a growing and meaningful attachment to the country which had bred her.
The starless sky seemed to press down on the car as it rushed headlong into the neon lights of the city, pursuing tram rails that glittered like knife blades. I love you. I love you too.
One time they found that two of the rats had died. They conducted a mock burial service , built a small funeral pyre out of some dry boxes, wrapped up the shriveled corpses in newspaper, placed the bodies on the pyre, and set it aflame. They pretended to cry, like some adults they had seen at real funerals, as the bodies burnt in the crackling flames.
The old man reached the creek and knelt down and washed his hands. For the next hour or so he just sat on a box and gazed into the water. He remained perfectly still; it was as if he was frozen. The boys grew impatient. The older one hurled a small rock down into the creek. The old man jerked up to his feet. ‘Don’ shoot, please !’ he cried. The boys giggled and dug each other in the ribs . For a moment the old man shook as he looked all about him. Then he shut his eyes and seemed to sigh.
His father had been well known for his healing skills. He came from an ancient line of healers.
But most of the villagers were frightened of him because he could also cure illnesses and diseases caused by ghosts and evil spirits. They invested him with supernatural powers and referred to him as a pagan, a fearful reminder of the times before the missionaries arrived in the islands.
This was only one of his father’s many strange ways.
The first patient the man had seen his father cure was a girl who had been suddenly and mysteriously taken ill. Her family brought her to him at night so that the pastor would not notice. They told him that she was possessed by an evil spirit.
The boy grew frightened. Beads of sweat glistened on the girls twitching face, and saliva dripped fro m the corners of her mouth. Her eyes rolled round in their sockets and she stank of urine.
He chanted an incantation which the boy didn’t understand, and waved his right hand in a strange circular manner over her face. Then he opened the bundle of herbs, poured some coconut oil into it, mixed it with his fingers, and started rubbing the herbs over her cold forehead and then gradually down over her face, all the time reciting the incantation in a whining voice.
The boy noticed that she had shut her eyes and was breathing easily. Shortly after, the girl began to speak in a strange male voice . Frightened again the boy looked at his father. He told him there was nothing to be afraid of. It was only the illness leaving her.
His father told him that there were no such beings as ghosts or evil spirits - only fear and ignorance.
‘How can two people live together year after year, slowly destroying each other?
"Is God white?"
Wendt, Albert (2012-10-29). Sons for the Return Home (Kindle Locations 435-439). . Kindle Edition.