Read Online The Sound of Thunder by Wilbur Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Wilbur Smith
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throat and she made a small choking sound.
“Dear God,” she whispered.
“Ma.” Sean fidgeted his feet awkwardly. “Hello, Ma. It’s good to see you. ” “Sean.” The colour flooded back in her cheeks. “For a moment I thought-you’re grown so much like your father. Oh, Sean! ” And she ran to him. He tossed his hat on to the sofa and caught her around the waist as she came.
“I’ve waited for you. I knew you’d come.”
Sean scooped her up and kissed her into a concision of joy and laughter, swinging her while he did it, laughing himself.
“Put me down,” Ada gasped at last, and when he did she clung to him.
“I knew you’d come back. At first there were bits in the newspaper about you, and the people told me things-but these last years there has been nothing, nothing at all.
“I’m sorry. ” Sean sobered.
“You’re a bad boy. ” She was sparkling with excitement, her hair had escaped from its bun and a wisp of it hung down her cheek. “But it’s so good to have you back-” and suddenly she was crying.
“Don’t, Ma. Please don’t. ” He had never seen her cry before.
“It’s just that … It’s the surprise. ” She brushed impatiently at her tears. “It’s nothing. ” Desperately Sean sought something to distract her. “Hey!”
he exclaimed with relief,
“I’ve another surprise for you.
“Later, ” she protested. “One at a time.”
“This won’t wait.” He led her to the door and out on to the front stoep with his arm around her shoulders.
“Dirk,” he shouted. “Come here.”
He felt her standing very still as they watched Dirk coming up the garden walk.
“This is your Gran’a. ” He introduced them.
“Why is she crying? ” Dirk eyed her with frank curiosity.
Later they sat at the table in the kitchen while Ada and Mary plied them with food. Ada Courtney believed that the first thing to do with a man was feed him.
Mary was almost as excited as Ada, she had taken full advantage of the few minutes she had been alone, and now her hair was freshly brushed and she wore a gay new apron, but the powder with which she had tried to cover the terrible disfiguration of the skin served only to call attention to it. In sympathy Sean refrained from looking at her, and Mary noticed. Shyly she devoted herself to winning Dirk’s attention. She fussed over him quietly-and Dirk accepted this as the natural order of things.
While they ate Sean filled in the missing years for Ada with a brief outline of his activities, glossing over the death of Dirk’s mother, and other things of which he had no reason to be proud.
He came to the end of it.
“And so here we are.
“Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.” Dirk, don’t put so much in your mouth and keep it closed when YOU chew.
“How long will you stay? Mary, see if there are any cream puffs in the jar-Dirk is still hungry,” said Ada.
“You’ll make him sick. I don’t know; not long though-there’s a war on. ” “You’re going to join?”
“Yes. ” “Oh, Sean. Must you?” Knowing that he must. While he selected a cheroot from his case Sean studied her closely for the first time. There was grey now as he had known there would be, almost as much grey as black; long streaks of it across her temples and the texture of her skin had altered, losing the moisture of youth, drying out so that it creased around the eyes and stretched tight across her hands to show the knuckles more prominently and the blueness of veins beneath it. She was plumper also, her bosom was full and round, each breast having lost its separate identity in the whole.
Yet the other qualities whose memories he had treasured so long ago still persisted, seemed indeed to have grown stronger; the composure which showed in the stiffness of her hands and body, yet was given the he by the humour that hovered around her lips; the eyes whose depths held compassion and a sure understanding of those things
“Dear God,” she whispered.
“Ma.” Sean fidgeted his feet awkwardly. “Hello, Ma. It’s good to see you. ” “Sean.” The colour flooded back in her cheeks. “For a moment I thought-you’re grown so much like your father. Oh, Sean! ” And she ran to him. He tossed his hat on to the sofa and caught her around the waist as she came.
“I’ve waited for you. I knew you’d come.”
Sean scooped her up and kissed her into a concision of joy and laughter, swinging her while he did it, laughing himself.
“Put me down,” Ada gasped at last, and when he did she clung to him.
“I knew you’d come back. At first there were bits in the newspaper about you, and the people told me things-but these last years there has been nothing, nothing at all.
“I’m sorry. ” Sean sobered.
“You’re a bad boy. ” She was sparkling with excitement, her hair had escaped from its bun and a wisp of it hung down her cheek. “But it’s so good to have you back-” and suddenly she was crying.
“Don’t, Ma. Please don’t. ” He had never seen her cry before.
“It’s just that … It’s the surprise. ” She brushed impatiently at her tears. “It’s nothing. ” Desperately Sean sought something to distract her. “Hey!”
he exclaimed with relief,
“I’ve another surprise for you.
“Later, ” she protested. “One at a time.”
“This won’t wait.” He led her to the door and out on to the front stoep with his arm around her shoulders.
“Dirk,” he shouted. “Come here.”
He felt her standing very still as they watched Dirk coming up the garden walk.
“This is your Gran’a. ” He introduced them.
“Why is she crying? ” Dirk eyed her with frank curiosity.
Later they sat at the table in the kitchen while Ada and Mary plied them with food. Ada Courtney believed that the first thing to do with a man was feed him.
Mary was almost as excited as Ada, she had taken full advantage of the few minutes she had been alone, and now her hair was freshly brushed and she wore a gay new apron, but the powder with which she had tried to cover the terrible disfiguration of the skin served only to call attention to it. In sympathy Sean refrained from looking at her, and Mary noticed. Shyly she devoted herself to winning Dirk’s attention. She fussed over him quietly-and Dirk accepted this as the natural order of things.
While they ate Sean filled in the missing years for Ada with a brief outline of his activities, glossing over the death of Dirk’s mother, and other things of which he had no reason to be proud.
He came to the end of it.
“And so here we are.
“Home is the sailor, home from the sea, And the hunter home from the hill.” Dirk, don’t put so much in your mouth and keep it closed when YOU chew.
“How long will you stay? Mary, see if there are any cream puffs in the jar-Dirk is still hungry,” said Ada.
“You’ll make him sick. I don’t know; not long though-there’s a war on. ” “You’re going to join?”
“Yes. ” “Oh, Sean. Must you?” Knowing that he must. While he selected a cheroot from his case Sean studied her closely for the first time. There was grey now as he had known there would be, almost as much grey as black; long streaks of it across her temples and the texture of her skin had altered, losing the moisture of youth, drying out so that it creased around the eyes and stretched tight across her hands to show the knuckles more prominently and the blueness of veins beneath it. She was plumper also, her bosom was full and round, each breast having lost its separate identity in the whole.
Yet the other qualities whose memories he had treasured so long ago still persisted, seemed indeed to have grown stronger; the composure which showed in the stiffness of her hands and body, yet was given the he by the humour that hovered around her lips; the eyes whose depths held compassion and a sure understanding of those things
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