Read Online The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo - Free Book Online

gate o!”
    Papa calls to Joseph. The young man runs and Papa strides across the drive to the gate. Sade and Femi watch from inside next to Mama. She has an arm around each of them. They are silent and tense .
    “I want proof of your identity and your warrant.” Papa’s voice is strong. How can he sound so calm?
    “Eh-en, so! You think say I dey play? Open am now, now!”
    “I am not playing either. I follow the rules. Pass your warrant through here first. If it’s in order I shall of course open up.”
    Sade is squeezing Mama’s hand .
    Femi is crying. “Why have they come, Mama? What are they going to do to Papa?”
     
    What would the police do to them? The unspoken question whipped through Sade’s brain as they huddled in the corner close to the shattered glass. Video Man had shut his ears to their pleas to let them go. Huffing and puffing, he stalked back and forth from his counter across the littered floor to the locked door. He cursed hooligans and he cursed the police for taking so long.
    A flickering blue light and a siren announced the arrival of the police. Video Man’s hand trembled as he jostled with the key. Two police officers, a man and a woman, stepped calmly inside and glanced around the shop. The man looked especially tall with his high black helmet next to the woman with her pot-shaped hat. As Video Man spoke in a furious stream, both officers listened with folded arms. The policeman’s gaze shifted so silently and coolly that, before she could look away, Sade found herself caught for a moment. Video Man broke off.
    “Well, what are you going to do?” he demanded.
    “Can you tell us again, sir—what exactly did you see these kids do?” asked Cool Gaze.
    “I’ve just told you!” Tiny bubbles of froth appeared at the edge of Video Man’s lips. “The others sent ’em in to distract me. You could tell from the way they looked at each other! And three of ’em was black as these two.”
    “But what did you actually see them do? Did either ofthese two kids do any of this?” Cool Gaze pointed to the mess strewn around the floor and the shattered window.
    The woman officer took the children aside. She pulled a notepad and pencil out of her pocket.
    “I need to know your names, your parents’ names and where you live. I’ll start with you.” Miss Police Business raised her eyebrows at Sade. The pencil remained poised above the pad.
    “Do you understand me?” Miss Police Business spoke a little louder and slower. “You have to tell me your names.”
    Sade stared at the notepad. Miss Police Business turned to Femi.
    “Well, let me ask you then. What is your name?”
    Femi’s eyes remained glued on his sneakers.
    “Well, who are your parents? What are their names?” The voice was sharper now.
    Sade felt as if her brain had crashed. Like Papa’s computer. When that happened, you could tap in as many commands as you liked but nothing would come out.
    “Do we know if they speak English?” asked Cool Gaze.
    “Oh they speak English all right. I heard ’em!” declared Video Man.
    Cool Gaze now towered them.
    “Look. If you’ve done nothing wrong, there’s no need to be frightened.”
     
    Papa has read the piece of paper and Joseph opens the gate. Men in khaki uniform and black berets surge into the yard. Papa is surrounded. Mama lets out a small cry .
    “Stay here!” she orders the children and rushes out of the sitting room to get to the yard. By the time she sprints down the steps, the police have hustled Papa out of the gates .
    “Where are you taking him?” Mama cries .
    Sade glimpses Papa’s white shirt among the khaki as police push him into the back of their truck. No one answers Mama. The children run outside. When they reach Mama, the truck is already roaring down the road .
     
    Sade had never felt so cold in all her life. Frozen inside and out. None of the people standing in front of her and Femi made any sense. The crazed Video Man still frothing at the side of