Time of the Swallows by Dianne Stewart

Author:Dianne Stewart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Published: 2022-06-13T09:40:54+00:00

Fourteen

Peering out of my bedroom window, I notice a pair of swallows, with rust heads and checked breasts, flitting around their mud-nest, one at a time. Their entrance is a narrow passage, and I wonder how they squeeze through it so easily to feed their babies.

Sitting at my desk, pushing words around on a sheet of paper in front of me, I hope to create a poetic structure. After concerted effort, over many days, my poem is only now slowly taking shape.

Suddenly, I hear Si talking to himself through the walls of his bedroom, that is next to mine.

Because he is talking to himself and his voice is agitated, I decide to see what is troubling him. Opening his door, I witness a stage performance of a melodramatic monologue. Si’s face contorts with emotion, as he reads from a script.

“And this?” I interrupt.

“Well, for the uniformed, this is one of Hamlet’s soliloquies ...”

“I should have known.” Si stares at me, angry that I have disturbed him. “Don’t know where I am now. I’ll have to start again, Anele.”

“Sorry. What’s this for?”

“The drama department’s putting on a modern version of Hamlet. There’re open auditions for the whole high school. Haven’t you heard?”

I close Si’s door behind me and run to answer the heavy knock at the back door.

As Emma bounds in, she asks: “How’s Jabu doing, Anele?” Following me down the passage, Em sinks into the beanbag in my room. “I bought her some cool picture books.”

Warmed by Emma’s kind gesture, I explain that although Jabu has a bad chest infection, she should be out of the incubator tomorrow.

Suddenly, Emma cocks her ears, wearing a puzzled expression on her face. “Who’s talking to himself?”

“It’s just Si! Such a pain! He’s practising for the Hamlet audition.”

“I’m trying out for Ophelia,” quips Em. “No pressure. Few others trying out for the role!”

Emma stands up and slices the air dramatically with her thin arms, while reciting a short piece from Hamlet. “Don’t you think the part’s perfect for me Anele? I’m a real free spirit.”

I gaze at Emma with her ethereal expression, expressive green eyes and beautiful straight hair that tumbles past her shoulders. “Well, yeah! Of course!”

“I really came to see you about the social, Anele. It’s this Friday night!” Emma stares at me.

“Have you heard from Daniel?”

“Just a quick SMS to tell me his band is playing at the social, which I already knew! I guess I’ll only see him during his breaks.”

“I’m so disappointed that I haven’t heard anything more from Monde, Em.”

“But he’s invited you to the social, right?”

“Ages ago.” Emma follows me into the kitchen, where I pour cold water for both of us, adding sliced lemon and ice.

“Maybe he’s shy.”

Before long, my mother bursts into the kitchen with grocery shopping, and Emma sees this as a sign to leave. She knows my mother’s rule about finishing homework as soon as we arrive home from school. While my weary mother unpacks the milk and cheese to put in the fridge, she mentions that Jane and her baby are coming home tomorrow.

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