A Little Mess - Max Sledge (philippa perry book .txt) 📗

turned around to face the place we had exited the field. A large rusty bus with no passengers was on the edge of the cornfield resting on the embankment that had made us stumble. The bus had lost its left front tire and smoke rose from its hood. It still had its lights on and illuminated six motionless bodies scattered out in front of it. Vivian was underneath the right front tire. His grass skirt was covered with blood. The guy without pants and one sandal had been decapitated. Moments later the driver exited the bus. His hands rubbed his eyes furiously as he knelt low to regain his balance. Frustration and anger filled his voice as he repeated the same line over and over in Shona.
“What’s he saying Smart?” I asked.
“My eyes, my eyes.” Smart replied. Silence. Smart grabbed my pants and kissed them. I slid both of my legs into the shiny gold lame' with pride. I pulled the picture out of my sweatshirt pocket and walked over to Vivian’s lifeless body. I released the picture and watched it fall to Vivian’s side. Smart put his arm around me and smiled. Slowly we made our way down the dirt road. We were linked together as we walked. Smart had decided not to wait for the police. We walked back to Smart’s house. The little lights of fires from neighboring huts glittered around us as we paced in unison down the road. As we made our way up the small path to the familiar group of huts we saw Mess outside. She was lying on a cardboard mat asleep next to the fire. We gently woke her. Smart gave Mess her medicine. I watched as Smart hugged his daughter and kissed her goodnight. Smart’s wife took Mess inside to sleep. It was late and the sun would be coming up soon. Smart invited me to his kitchen for some food. We sat around the fire eating sudsa and Tom.
“Smart, let me give you back your pants.” I said.
“No…Mr. Brain. You can keep. You need them mo than me.” Smart chuckled and smiled. I smiled back and shook my head. I thanked Smart for his generous gift.
“Kathy will never believe me.” I thought. Eventually sleep overtook us. The sun rose and upon waking I peeled my face off of the cold mud kitchen floor. I walked outside and saw that the Land Rover from the hospital had arrived to take me. Smart turned to look at me.
“Thank you for coming Mr. Brain,” Smart showed me his perfect teeth for the last time.
“Thank you for letting me stay with you, Smart.” I replied. Suddenly Smart’s eyes got wide, he rummaged into his pockets and pulled out a pencil. Shortly after he ran over to the cardboard mat that Mess was laying on the night before and pulled a corner of it off. He then scribbled his address on the piece of cardboard and handed it to me.
“Remember” he said.
Upon entering the vehicle Kathy turned around from the driver’s seat.
“How did it go?” She said. As we drove away the dust from the Land Rover cleared. I saw Mess, waving from the kitchen door.
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Publication Date: 11-06-2009

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