The Good Daughter (10 page)

Brian put his hand on my shoulder. ‘We don't mind.'

I clasped Brian's hand. ‘You've gone so far out of your way.'

‘What if they're waiting for you near your house?' Jesse asked.

My palms were sweaty. ‘I don't want you caught up in this bullshit.'

Jesse searched my face. His cheeks reddened. ‘I'm not scared of stupid girls.'

‘I know you're not.' My voice was flat, revealing my doubt.

Brian smiled. ‘We've been bullied by worse.' He turned me to face Main Road West.

I was unconvinced, but tried to hide it. He took my hand in his and walked with me. Jesse hung back. He was still upset. When we got to my corner I waved across the street. ‘There's the bus stop.'

Brian nodded and surveyed my street. ‘We'll walk you to your house.'

I let out a sigh of relief and squeezed his hand. When we were two houses away I stopped. ‘You can go back now 'cause I don't want my Mum to know.'

Brian kissed me on the cheek. ‘I'll see you at school.'

Jesse stood a few metres away.

‘Thanks guys,' I said. Jesse turned and walked off. Brian smiled ruefully and followed him.

I watched Jesse's back and felt angry. Why did he have to be so sensitive? I couldn't say anything without him taking it the wrong way. I tried to chill, remembering he'd walked me home, completely out of his way, to protect me. That pissed me off more. He was such a pushover.

When they were halfway down my street, I scuttled up the driveway. Even though the street was deserted, it was as if the Twins were hiding behind a tree and laughing at me.

I was reading in my bedroom when the phone rang. Mum answered. A few minutes later she burst into my room. ‘Suada just called!' Suada was Dina's Mum.

‘You got a phone call.' I did a fake cheer.

Mum squinted at me. It was her version of a dirty look, but she just looked like the sun was in her eyes. ‘She was driving past and saw you kissing a boy.' She was always driving through our street, dropping off or picking up Edin, her father.

‘I wasn't kissing a boy,' I said. Suada and her husband were Born-Again-Muslims too. A year ago they'd found Dina's brother with marijuana in his room and kicked him out. I could just imagine how she was spinning this story.

‘Were you with a boy in front of our house?'

‘Yes,' I said. ‘But—'

‘You're too young to have a boyfriend.' Mum paced.

‘He's not my boyfriend,' I raised my voice.

She stopped abruptly. ‘Is he Muslim?'

‘I can have a Muslim boyfriend?' Maybe I'd found the loophole in her reasoning? I almost saw the hamster turning on the wheel in her brain as she thought.

‘No,' Mum said uncertainly. ‘You have plenty of time for boys.' Mum swept my hair behind my ear. ‘Who was this boy you were kissing?'

I jerked away. ‘He was someone from school.' I threw my book on the bed. ‘And we weren't kissing.'

Mum sneered with disbelief.

‘You believe that short-sighted cow over me?'

‘Don't call Suada a cow.'

‘But you agree she's short-sighted?'

‘I didn't say that.'

‘You didn't dispute it, so I assume you agree.'

She had the hamster-on-the-wheel look again. ‘I don't want you walking with any more boys.' She opened the door.

‘I'm at a co-ed school!' I yelled as she closed the door.

I almost felt sorry for Mum. She didn't have it in her to match my comebacks. Sometimes I felt like I was torturing a helpless puppy. And other times, like today, I felt like a million bucks.

The next morning I was in the library at 8.00 a.m., typing a story, when Brian sat next to me. I'd left later than yesterday so I didn't freeze my tits off waiting for the library to open.

‘You're early.' I pushed my things off the table to make room for him.

‘So are you.' He sat.

‘Where's Jesse?' I asked.

‘He's at home.'

‘Is he still angry at me?'

‘No, he's busy,' he said.

‘Doing what?' I demanded.

Brian shrugged. ‘What are you up to?'

I didn't answer straight away. Jesse was such a sulk. I opened my mouth to whinge to Brian, but thought better of it. ‘English homework,' I said instead. ‘Let's go outside?'

While we were waiting for Jesse, Adnan arrived. ‘You playing today?' he asked Brian.

‘Yeah,' Brian said. ‘Been watching the cup?'

My eyes glazed over. Who cared? One group of idiots fought to get the ball from another pack of idiots and, if they managed to score a goal, one pack of idiots cheered while another pack of idiots booed. Big deal.

Jesse walked up the street. He waved when he saw me looking at him. I didn't wave back. ‘Did you have any problems this morning?' he asked.

I shook my head. There was grease on his jeans, but I didn't tell him.

‘Do you want us to walk you home tonight?' he asked.

Adnan broke off his conversation with Brian and interrupted us. ‘Why would they walk you?' he asked.

‘She got attacked on the way home the other day,' Brian said.

‘So?' Adnan said, as if it was my fault.

‘Up yours.'

‘She got hurt,' Brian said.

Adnan was angry. I didn't smile, but I wanted to. He caught me at my locker between class breaks. ‘Why didn't you come to me?'

‘What are you talking about?'

‘When you were bashed.'

‘Why?' I put my Maths textbook in my backpack.

‘Next time, come to me for protection,' he hissed.

‘Get real,' I said. ‘You've never cared about protecting me.'

He gripped my arm. ‘You embarrassed me today,' he muttered. ‘I shouldn't have to find out what happened from Brian.'

I wrenched my arm away. ‘You embarrassed yourself jerk-off.' I pushed him and walked off.

At lunchtime we went to the oval, but I adopted Jesse's trick and read J. C. Burke's
Starfish Sisters
. Adnan tried to talk to me, tapping me on the leg to get my attention. I moved away. At the end of school, as I walked towards the front gates, three figures stood immobile.

‘Do you want us to walk you home tonight?' Brian asked.

Adnan held my arm and squeezed. ‘I'm visiting my grandfather.'

‘I can walk by myself.' I was getting sick of being special-needs.

‘I'm going that way,' Adnan said.

‘You haven't seen Dido since the
zabava
,' I shot back. Dido and Aunt Zehra were going through another stand-off after the family reunion night.

Adnan put on a pained expression. ‘We don't know how long he'll be around.'

‘Puh—lease,' I muttered under my breath so only he could hear.

‘We'll see you tomorrow.' Brian slapped Adnan's hand and kissed me on the cheek.

‘See ya,' I waved. Jesse lifted his hand and waved clumsily as he left. What a dork. ‘Quite a performance,' I said.

Adnan smiled. ‘I have a gift.'

‘The gift of being a bullshit artist.'

He laughed. That was the thing about Adnan: he was impervious to insults. He gestured at Safeway. ‘Let's go inside.'

‘What for?' I followed him in through the electronic doors, grumpy that he thought I was his lackey.

‘Research.' In the cereal aisle he took out a notebook and listed various items. After ten minutes or so, when I was about to scream with frustration, he closed his notebook.

‘What was that about?'

‘It's how I'm making my fortune,' he said mysteriously.

‘You're going to be a homemaker.'

‘I've got a much better plan,' he retorted.

‘And?'

‘Not telling.'

‘Wanker,' I muttered under my breath. He smiled slyly.

We walked the rest of the way home in silence.

‘Little one, make us coffee,' Dido barked as we entered the living room. He was playing chess with Edin, his right hand poised above the chessboard.

‘Is that how you greet your only grandson?' Adnan smiled beside me.

Dido hugged him. ‘Ado.' He caressed Adnan's head, his eyes glassy as if he was about to cry. ‘Did Zehra come?' He looked at the doorway for my aunt.

Adnan shook his head.

My grandfather hugged him. ‘You're Dido's brave one.'

Disgusted at Adnan's performance, I went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. ‘Can I have one?' he called out.

I took my plate and sat at the table. I waved at the bread and condiments on the kitchen counter. ‘Help yourself.'

Adnan made a pitiful face. ‘After I walked all this way to protect you. You should show me some respect.'

‘You—I—' I was so pissed off I couldn't speak. His only motivation was his macho pride. I slapped my sandwich on the plate and passed it to him. ‘Your Mum will go off at you for coming here.' Auntie Zehra's temper was legendary.

‘Probably.'

‘Aren't you scared?' I asked.

‘I've got a plan.'

‘And?'

‘Watch and learn.' He leaned back and picked his teeth with a toothpick.

‘Sabiha, coffee!' Dido shouted from the living room.

I opened my mouth to shout back, but Adnan put his hand on my arm. ‘I'll help,' he said.

I squinted. ‘What are you up to?' He
never
helped around the house.

He did his usual inscrutable smirk. He carried the tray back to the old men. ‘I'll pour.' He sat on the ottoman and poured coffee in the three
fildjani
. Dido raised his eyebrows in surprise, before he smiled. I left them to their mutual appreciation club.

I was in my room writing about my day, well actually about signs that Brian liked me, when Adnan walked in. He wasn't big on respecting other people's privacy. I put the diary in my desk drawer.

He sat on the bed. ‘I'll teach you self-defence.'

I frowned. ‘What for?'

‘So you don't do your punching-bag imitation for every bully.'

I stuck my middle finger up.

‘Come on. It'll help.' He tugged my arm.

Reluctantly I followed him into the backyard. ‘This is stupid,' I moaned.

‘The first thing to learn is to deal with movement.' He shadow-boxed at my head. I flinched. ‘You need to stop closing your eyes.' He imitated me, screwing up his face.

‘You look like a toothless hag.'

‘Come on. Let's get serious.' He punched again.

I flinched.

He stopped and put his hands on his hips. ‘What's the worst that can happen?'

I gave him a dirty look.

‘Okay, one more time.'

He aimed for my face, giving me time to see him coming. I clenched my muscles, determined to stand my ground. As the fist approached my face, I squeezed my eyes shut and hunched like a turtle hiding in its shell.

He put his hand on my shoulder. ‘I'm doing this for you.'

With my eyes on his face I didn't see his fist pull back. It wasn't until my guts pushed into my spine that I knew he'd punched me. I dropped to my knees, holding onto Adnan's arm as I heaved for breath.

st albans fight club

‘Embrace the pain,' he urged, his eyes glittering with joy.

Bile rose in my throat and I gagged. Adnan pulled away and I fell on the ground. After a few minutes my breath came back, but my stomach throbbed. I sat up.

Adnan crouched beside me. ‘That wasn't so bad.'

‘Arsehole.' I aimed a punch at his stomach.

‘Not bad.' He caught my fist in mid-air and pulled my thumb out of my fist. ‘Try again.'

I lifted my foot and hit him in the stomach.

He fell on his arse with a grunt.

I scrambled to my feet and walked off.

‘We've just started,' he called.

The flyscreen burst open and Dido stood in the doorway. ‘What's going on here?'

‘Adnan punched me.'

‘I'm teaching her how to fight,' Adnan said.

‘Good,' Dido said. ‘She will stop being a cry-baby.' He went back into the house.

Adnan grabbed the flyscreen before it closed. ‘Any time you want more fight lessons, let me know.' He closed the door in my face.

When I went back into the living room Adnan was watching TV. Dido was scowling, but didn't shout at him to turn if off. ‘Turn off the TV,' I said. ‘It's ruining Dido's concentration.'

‘Is it okay if I have it on softly?' Adnan lowered the volume with the remote control. Dido grunted without looking up from the chessboard.

I sat on the floor next to Adnan. I was in a bad mood. Cheesy game-show music played. The camera panned to a cheering audience. ‘George Georgiou. Come on down,' the voiceover proclaimed. A man ran down the aisle waving his arms. Another three people were called down. They jumped as if they were in a mosh-pit, smacking kisses on each other's faces and hugging like they were at a wedding. ‘You are our first contestants on “The Price is Right”. And now your host, Larry Emdur,' the voiceover proclaimed, while the host made tacky small-talk with the contestants.

I leaned closer to Adnan. ‘This is your big plan?' I laughed.

‘Quiet!' Dido shouted.

Adnan grinned.

I shifted and ‘accidentally' hit him with my elbow.

He nudged me back and shushed me.

The camera focused on a stereo and the contestants were asked to estimate the price. After they each locked in a price the host slid a card out of an envelope and read the correct price. The contestant who estimated the closest, without going above, had the chance to play for another, much more expensive prize and ultimately the opportunity to play for the showcase. At each stage of the game Adnan guessed the price of the prizes and was uncannily correct. By now Dido and Edin were watching too, cheering with glee when someone won.

Adnan handed Dido the remote when the show finished. ‘That's the only TV show for wogs,' he said in Bosnian. ‘Every other show is whitewashed with Anglo-Australia. Look at “Home and Away”, “Neighbours”, “McLeod's Daughters”.'