Give Me Truth

BILL CONDON
's young adult novels,
Dogs
(2001) and
No Worries
(2005), were Honour Books in the Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards.
No Worries
was also short-listed for the Ethel Turner Prize in the 2005 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. His most recent young adult novel,
Daredevils
, was published in 2007 and made the longlist in the inaugural Inky Awards – Australia's first teenage choice awards. Before devoting himself to novels, Bill had a long and successful career as a writer of short stories, plays and poetry for young people. His work encompasses many genres and he has close to one hundred titles to his credit. He lives on the south coast of New South Wales with his wife, the well known children's author Di (Dianne) Bates.

COVER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALSO BY BILL CONDON

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT PAGE

IMPRINT PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1 DAVID

2 CAITLIN

3 DAVID

4 CAITLIN

5 DAVID

6 CAITLIN

7 DAVID

8 CAITLIN

9 DAVID

10 CAITLIN

11 DAVID

12 CAITLIN

13 DAVID

14 CAITLIN

15 DAVID

16 CAITLIN

17 DAVID

18 CAITLIN

19 DAVID

20 CAITLIN

‘I want to go back home,' Allie whimpers. ‘Please can we?'

‘No one hits my kids. No one.' Mum spits the words out of her like they're made of acid.

I'm jammed in the backseat of the car beside plastic bags full of clothes and boxes packed in a hurry. It's as if we've escaped from a fire and the jumble of things we've saved is all we have left of our lives.

 

It happened so quickly. They were in the kitchen. We heard Mum's voice first.

‘I've had enough! That's it! I want you out of my life!'

‘No! It's not that easy! You are still my wife! We exchanged vows! Do you remember that, Lorraine? Do you?'

Allie and I were in the lounge room. I cranked the sound up high on the TV. Cindy laid her head between her paws and puffed and panted. Spit dropped from her mouth and spotted the floor.

‘Aw, look at her, David. She's scared.'

‘She's a wimp,' I said. ‘There's nothing to be scared of.'

Allie got down on the floor and stroked Cindy's head.

‘It's okay. It's okay.'

I stepped around them and shut the door but the fight still broke through.

‘It's really bad tonight, David.'

‘Don't worry about it.' I shrugged. ‘Pass me the remote.'

A dish smashed. Cindy jumped up. Allie held on to her. ‘No one's going to hurt you, girl.'

I bit my lip and waited. A glass splintered across the floor. In my head, I could see it happening: Mum's face red and twisted, Dad roaring even louder.

‘We should do something.'

‘Like what, Allie?'

‘I don't know. Anything.'

‘Just watch the TV. They'll stop soon.'

They didn't stop. Tonight was a fight different to any other. The noises kept on and on. The house shuddered.

Allie looked to me for reassurance. I didn't have any, but when she gave me that look – as if I was the only one in
the world who could help her – I couldn't let her down.

‘I'll go and see if everything's okay,' I said.

We both stood at the same time.

‘I'll go with you.'

We argued a lot, me and Allie. She could be a pain and I guess she felt the same about me. But now, instinctively, I took her hand and squeezed it. It was only for a moment but it was important.

‘Come on,' I said. ‘They'll stop if we're there.'

We stepped into the hallway. Mum was up ahead. Dad behind her. Moving fast. Both of them. Yelling.

‘Leave me alone! I don't want to see you again! Ever!'

Crash
went the office door as she slammed it behind her.

‘You don't walk away from me, Lorraine! You don't!'

Dad hammered on the door with his fist.

‘I want you out here! Right now! Open this door!'

‘You stay here, Allie.'

‘I'm going with you.'

There were maybe ten steps between us and Dad. I walked just in front of Allie, pretending to be brave. When we got there she stood closest to him.

Allie said, ‘Stop, Daddy. Please stop.'

I said, ‘Come outside for a while, Dad.'

But he was in another place to us, much too far away to hear. He kicked at the door and broke through the outer layer, leaving splinters and the imprint of his shoe.

‘I'll smash it down, Lorraine! You know I will! Come out!'

The door flew open.

Mum: Red eyes and streaks of black down her face.

Screeching.

‘I'm sick of it, Mike! Sick of you! Sick of this incessant fighting!' She covered her eyes with her hands. ‘Please, please – leave me alone!'

Allie ran to Mum and hugged her. Both of them were crying.

‘Lorraine, for God's sakes.' Sighing, Dad slumped against the wall. ‘I don't want to fight with you – I love you. Can't you see that? I love you.'

‘Then don't! Just don't, Mike! Because I don't love you!'

Mum shoved Allie ahead of her, into the office. She dived in after her but before she could close the door Dad pushed it open.

‘Lorraine!'

He was rushing at her.

I reached out to him and caught his sleeve.

‘Dad.'

‘Go – away!'

He spun around and I saw a face I'd never seen before. My head sprang back and there was sudden pain and the room rushed past me and then I was down on the floor. My lip throbbed. I tasted blood.

Mum and Allie leaned over me. Behind them I saw
Dad. His eyes were shut and his mouth was open. He was crying. He was screaming. And he wasn't making a sound.

 

‘It's not fair, Mum.' Allie pushes herself back in the seat as far as she can go. ‘I didn't even get to say goodbye to Cindy.'

‘Not now, Allie. Not now.' Mum stares grimly at the road. ‘I have more important things on my mind right now than your bloody dog.'

Allie swivels around to face me. ‘He didn't hurt you, did he, David? I mean, not bad – there's nothing broken, right?'

‘Nah – I'm good. Fine. And he didn't even mean it, you know? I just got in the way. It was no big deal or anything.'

‘See, Mum? David doesn't care. Dad got angry, that's all. He made a mistake. Mum …'

Allie waits for an answer. It doesn't come.

‘This is a dumb fight,' she says. ‘Why can't we just go home and fix it up with Dad?'

Ignored again, Allie glances back at me for support. I don't hesitate.

‘I was the one who got hit,' I say. ‘And I'm over it. Completely. It was an accident. You don't just leave someone because of one thing. You know Dad, he's not like that. It was just – '

Mum leans on the horn and the blast kills our arguments stone dead.