What Is Written on the Tongue by Anne Lazurko

Author:Anne Lazurko
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: 2022-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

This Strange Family

February 1948

The sky threatens to drown them. The Brantas River roars with the deluge of rain, ready to suck felled trees and debris down its length and toss it all up on the boulders downstream, threatening to sweep away the village and the post. It thunders on the tin roof of the barracks while Sam sits inside, sweat dripping under his arms and gathering at the waistband of his shorts, the humidity stuck to his skin and crushing his lungs.

He finishes writing in the notebook and lies back, arm over his eyes. He doesn’t write to Petra anymore. What would he tell her? That he’s starting to believe in witch doctors and spirits. That he has a homosexual friend who treats Sam as though he hasn’t been an asshole, making him feel even smaller than before. That he can’t tell friend from enemy, the lines so blurred they shade the space between right and wrong.

Sari only wanted to help her father in the clinic. He understands that. But he wonders what more she is doing, who else she is helping with her beautiful brown eyes and her gift for healing. He knows the power of such people. Like his sisters, or Father Pete. Even Rudy. Do these people choose to do good? Or are they somehow chosen? He sighs and pulls on his flask. He’s drinking too much. He should talk to Father Keenan, but knows he won’t.

On a rainy Saturday, Andre and Darma corner him, sitting on either side of him on his bunk.

“There’s a woman that opened a pub in town last week. We’re taking you for a drink.” Andre is excited at the prospect of this new thing. When Sam protests, they simply heave him onto his feet and push him out the door. “Oh come on, Sam. Whatever it is, let it go. A few beers won’t hurt you.”

They run through the rain, sliding into the muddy village and ducking through the door of a low building. On the outside it’s like many village buildings — three-quarter bamboo walls, red tile roof, a wood floor — but inside it’s filled with round tables, a bar at one end and a small dance floor at the other. A radio plays a loud and crackling “Lili Marleen.” Darma and Andre lead Sam to sit at the bar, Welcome to the jungle carved into the wall behind. They order double whiskies.

“Well, you’re starting hard.” The accent is unmistakably Limburgish. A blue-eyed woman surveys them from behind the bar, crashes three more shots down and motions for them to drink up. Sam slugs one back, sputters, eyes watering. She smirks and sets a beer in front of each of them. “That’ll hold you a while.”

A short woman, she is thick and strong, breasts almost bursting the buttons on her shirt, dark stains under her arms. She wears a skirt, and sandals with a heel, the men watching as she struts away to bang a tray full of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.