Read Online The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Beverley Naidoo
Tags: Fiction, General, Refugees, Social Science, Historical, África, People & Places, History, Family, Juvenile Fiction, England, Social Issues, London, Brothers and sisters, Siblings, London (England), Values & Virtues, Nigerians - England - London, Nigerians
Ads: Link
his whitened mouth like their neighbor’s old guard-dog. Miss Police Business with an irritated frown like Sade’s teacher, Miss Okoya, when a student had disobeyed her. Cool Gaze with his searching green eyes as pale as unripe almonds.
The police officers moved to the counter. They talked in low voices before coming back. Miss Police Business spoke briskly.
“If you refuse to tell us who you are and where you live, we shall have to take you to a place of safety.”
“What? Aren’t you going to arrest ’em?” butted in Video Man. “Make ’em tell you about their friends?”
“Not enough evidence for that, sir,” said Cool Gaze.
“Useless lot!” Video Man muttered loudly, turning his back.
“Come on, you two!” Miss Police Business pointed to the door. “You’re coming with us to the police station. The Emergency—”
Sade’s mind crashed again.
CHAPTER 12
STATE OF EMERGENCY
THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE SPREAD across Papa’s desk. He has brought them home to show Mama after returning late at night. They don’t notice Sade creeping into the study. Silent tears slip down Mama’s cheeks .
“How can they do this, Folarin? Wasting such young lives!”
Mama holds up a picture. Bodies sprawled over the grass. She picks up another. A young man’s body slumped across steps, arms clawing forward. As if he was trying to get up the stairs but didn’t make it .
“Where was this, Folarin? Where was he?”
“Outside the library.”
Mama shakes her head, almost in disbelief .
It was the same university where Papa and Mama had met as students. Papa had traveled up there to report on “student disturbances,” as the authorities called them. The students had planned a large demonstration that started off loud and noisy but not violent. They intended marching into town with their placards. GENERALS CLEAR OUT! FREE ELECTIONS! NIGERIA WANTS A FREE PRESS! RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS ! But before theyhad even left the campus, a convoy of army trucks had arrived, crammed with soldiers. They spread from the trucks like flies. The shooting began without warning .
Sade remains very still, listening to Papa tell Mama what he has seen. He is hardly at home these days. There are so many terrible reports about what the soldiers are doing. Some newspapers are too scared to publish them. Others have been shut down, but Papa’s newspaper has been moving from office to office to stop the soldiers’ finding them. Papa says the Brass Buttons like to pretend to the world and themselves that everything is normal. But actually they are living under a state of emergency .
Two days later, after the photos and story were published, the soldiers came to take Papa away.
CHAPTER 13
TWO PARCELS, NO ADDRESS
A YOUNG MAN, WITH GINGER HAIR hanging in a tail behind his neck, examined them from across the bare wooden table. His face was serious but not unfriendly. Miss Police Business had brought him into the room where they had been waiting nervously.
“This is the Emergency Social Worker,” she began.
“Hello. I am Robert.” He bowed his head slightly forward in a greeting.
“I’d like you to come with me. I think you need somewhere safe to stay for the night,” he continued in a soft, unhurried voice. “I shall try and find something for you. Is that OK?”
Sade looked at Femi. Neither had spoken from the time the police arrived at the video shop. Since their journey in the police car, Femi’s body had become almost rigid. His eyes avoided his sister but Sade knew he would follow whatever she did. She tapped his hand lightly as she stood up and, without a word, walked in silence to the door.
Sade didn’t even try to take in where they were going as they were driven away. Outside everything was strange andthreatening. Darth Vaders in alleys. Thieves. Vandals. Crazed people. Police who might lock you up because you couldn’t tell them who you were or who your parents were or where you lived. Sade knew they would
The police officers moved to the counter. They talked in low voices before coming back. Miss Police Business spoke briskly.
“If you refuse to tell us who you are and where you live, we shall have to take you to a place of safety.”
“What? Aren’t you going to arrest ’em?” butted in Video Man. “Make ’em tell you about their friends?”
“Not enough evidence for that, sir,” said Cool Gaze.
“Useless lot!” Video Man muttered loudly, turning his back.
“Come on, you two!” Miss Police Business pointed to the door. “You’re coming with us to the police station. The Emergency—”
Sade’s mind crashed again.
CHAPTER 12
STATE OF EMERGENCY
THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE SPREAD across Papa’s desk. He has brought them home to show Mama after returning late at night. They don’t notice Sade creeping into the study. Silent tears slip down Mama’s cheeks .
“How can they do this, Folarin? Wasting such young lives!”
Mama holds up a picture. Bodies sprawled over the grass. She picks up another. A young man’s body slumped across steps, arms clawing forward. As if he was trying to get up the stairs but didn’t make it .
“Where was this, Folarin? Where was he?”
“Outside the library.”
Mama shakes her head, almost in disbelief .
It was the same university where Papa and Mama had met as students. Papa had traveled up there to report on “student disturbances,” as the authorities called them. The students had planned a large demonstration that started off loud and noisy but not violent. They intended marching into town with their placards. GENERALS CLEAR OUT! FREE ELECTIONS! NIGERIA WANTS A FREE PRESS! RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS ! But before theyhad even left the campus, a convoy of army trucks had arrived, crammed with soldiers. They spread from the trucks like flies. The shooting began without warning .
Sade remains very still, listening to Papa tell Mama what he has seen. He is hardly at home these days. There are so many terrible reports about what the soldiers are doing. Some newspapers are too scared to publish them. Others have been shut down, but Papa’s newspaper has been moving from office to office to stop the soldiers’ finding them. Papa says the Brass Buttons like to pretend to the world and themselves that everything is normal. But actually they are living under a state of emergency .
Two days later, after the photos and story were published, the soldiers came to take Papa away.
CHAPTER 13
TWO PARCELS, NO ADDRESS
A YOUNG MAN, WITH GINGER HAIR hanging in a tail behind his neck, examined them from across the bare wooden table. His face was serious but not unfriendly. Miss Police Business had brought him into the room where they had been waiting nervously.
“This is the Emergency Social Worker,” she began.
“Hello. I am Robert.” He bowed his head slightly forward in a greeting.
“I’d like you to come with me. I think you need somewhere safe to stay for the night,” he continued in a soft, unhurried voice. “I shall try and find something for you. Is that OK?”
Sade looked at Femi. Neither had spoken from the time the police arrived at the video shop. Since their journey in the police car, Femi’s body had become almost rigid. His eyes avoided his sister but Sade knew he would follow whatever she did. She tapped his hand lightly as she stood up and, without a word, walked in silence to the door.
Sade didn’t even try to take in where they were going as they were driven away. Outside everything was strange andthreatening. Darth Vaders in alleys. Thieves. Vandals. Crazed people. Police who might lock you up because you couldn’t tell them who you were or who your parents were or where you lived. Sade knew they would
Similar Books
