Chapter Twenty
In the morning we took a quick shower before breakfast. Someone had put our sun-dried clothes on the door handle. They were still warm. The drapes had been o.k. for the moment, but it really felt good being back in our own stuff again. The sun shone in through the open windows and I felt like reborn.
Who’s Mom had prepared several huge pots of tea, fresh home-baked bread and at least eight different kinds of jam. Louis was outside busy packing and storing away our things in the bus. He’d join us in a second, he said. The others were all gathered around the table. Except for a silently grinning Tiko, everyone was blabbering about the good night sleep, the weather and all kinds of other trivial talk.
Then suddenly Mark got up, looking all serious and determined. At first I thought he was to announce their wedding or such.
“I have been thinking a lot over the last few days,” he said. “You don’t really know me. You probably saw me as this one-legged surfer dude, always out for the ultimate fun.”
From the way he was holding onto the table, I could tell we were in for a sermon.
“Well, you’re wrong. First of all surfing is much more than balancing on a board and riding the waves. It’s a feeling like being close to heaven. Having power over nature while also being totally delivered to its moods. Losing control while a huge wave breaks in over your head is kinda scary but also big fun. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. The surfin’ is just one part of me.”
What now? Lucy was staring up at him, slowly melting away with admiration. I just hoped whatever he had coming now wouldn’t be too pathetic.
“Another part is responsibility. I feel responsible for my behavior and that of my friends. We’ve met some funny people lately, some bad, some good.
“Like I said, I thought things over and I decided I don’t mind if I’ll get to L.A. a couple of days later. The tournament will still be on in a week time. What’s far more important to me now, is to reach out for the others who are in need of help. According to Ma Who’s tale and the priest’s descriptions I believe that the two Russians we buried were just half of the gang.”
So we had both come to the same conclusion. They were four – originally that is.
“I bet the other half is living in L.A. One of Nudjia’s friends told me the brothers had often called L.A. Until now the others haven’t gotten in our way, but somehow I have the funny feeling that they will soon enough. The group did lots of damage to our friends’ lives and probably to numerous others. They need to be stopped. I’d like to visit the police station, tell them what we know and ask for help. If L.A. county is out of their jurisdiction, we can still think about if we want to do things on our own.”
He was so right. Although I’d been thinking in the same direction, he was the one who pushed our thoughts into action. Without this speech of his we probably would have just travelled on.
“Yeah, great! Bravo, let’s go for it!” we all yelled in complete disorder.
I then remembered one of the concrete tits shooting that strange antenna into the sky. Maybe someone had warned the other brothers we were coming. But who would have wanted to do such a thing. The girls were the only ones left alive in the building … I decided it was the wrong time for doubts. After all I didn’t want to chicken out. No way.
Who and her Mom didn’t know what to say. “We thank yo’all for yo’ courage.”
I hoped their tear-jerking didn’t get out of hand. After all we hadn’t delivered, yet.
Bending over, their noses nearly tipping the floor, they continued: “We’re so grateful thet yo’all are taking care a’ thangs thet ain’t necessarily yo’s.”
Isn’t it unbearable? I desperately needed to stop the crap. And I worried about their backs. It looked as if they’d snap any second. Is the human body able to adapt to anything? They were obviously used to it. Maybe it was their way of saying hello or thanks.
“Wow, nice workout,” Louis said, walking in. “We ain’t promising you nothing Mam, but we’ll try our best and see what will come of it.”
“Ah know dea’ boy,” she said. “We ain’t expecting anythin’, but lemme tell yo’all we suah do appreciate yo’ tryin’. In the meantime, lemme ge’ yo’all a lille somethin’ ta chew on.” Saying that, she disappeared into the kitchen.
Who came over: “I’d love to come along,” she said. “But I can’t. The others would feel left out. It wouldn’t take long before they’d quit work and all.”
I said: “Hey Who, calm down. Nobody questions your courage or whatever. We know you can’t be missed here, so please just accept our offer to help out, o.k.?”
“Thanks, Damon. Although I know you don’t think much of it, I’ll pray for you.”
I wasn’t what you’d call a practicing Christian, still her words touched me deeply.
“I think I speak for us all when I say a big thank you for all your hospitality and the wonderful dinner yesterday evening,” I said. “But now the time has come to move on. I don’t know how long it will take us to convince the police, that is, if we succeed. But whatever comes of that, I hope you all agree we need to hit the road for L.A. without adding any more interruptions.”
At that moment Who’s Mom reappeared from the kitchen, carrying huge baskets filled with the finest food. She’d prepared us each a package containing several sandwiches, fruit, chocolate and drinks.
“Yo’all look as if yo’d like to leave,” she said. “But Ah cain’t let yo’ part witout the necessary lille thangs ta keep yo’ engines runnin’, now cain’ Ah?”
We each took turns thanking her. Then Nudjia and I quickly checked the room and made up the bed while the others went off to say goodbye to their hosts.
“Why don’t y’all put your stuff on the porch,” Louis said. “I know best where to stow things and Tiko can lend me a hand if he feels like it.”
“That’ll be fun,” Tiko said.
I wasn’t sure if I liked the new Tiko better than the old one. The ever grinning Buddha-face. He sounded as if he’d been drugged. Maybe he’d taken some damage after all. Whatever it was, I hoped he’d get over it soon.
While Nudjia and Who’s Mom were saying their goodbyes, again crying endless rivers, I watched Pops doing warm ups in front of the TV. I thought of Christian Slater watching the Kung Fu special in ‘True Romance’. Patricia Arquette sure was lucky he didn’t fart like Pops here.
Nudjia went to fetch our stuff from the back of the house and I kissed Who goodbye.
“I hope we’ll meet again someday,” she said.
“Yeah, so do I.”
“The police station is just a straight drive out of town. You can’t miss it.”
“The rundown house with the junkyard - no, I’m sure we’ll manage.”
“Here, these photographs of the girls might help you find them. L.A. is so huge. But you can’t give up hope. Maybe someone will recognize them.”
“The bus is ready,” Louis called out. “Passengers for L.A., please take your seats.”
“Thanks Who, thanks for everything,” I said.
Nudjia and I got in. We watched Mark saying farewell to Ma Who, Lucy next to him practically melting away staring at her man, full of love and pride.
I hoped we didn’t need to kick the policemen’s butts so as to get them going. Who had managed without much fuzz. But she was from around here whereas we were total strangers. Would we succeed? Could we? I hoped they hadn’t fallen back to sleep just yet.
Then again, maybe I worried too much. First take a look, think things over and then handle the situation – Louis taught me that once.
As each of us had taken his seat, Louis put the bus in motion. Amidst the whirled up dust, I watched Who and her Mom becoming shadows in the gray. Like so often before, those we left behind got lost in the sand.