The Beat of Safiri Bay

Chapter 1

A left hook then a right hook, breathe, a jab that will break her nose for sure. I swing my arm around for another hook and she falls backwards but attacks again. “That’s it Lane, one more,” the encouragement comes from behind me and I punch the bag one last time. “Well done, that was very good technique.” I wipe the sweat from my face with a hand towel and remove the wraps from my wrists and hands; the clean sterile smell of the gym has changed to salt and iron, I prefer the first. As always, she made me work hard. These boxing classes have become my favourite and as I stand there thinking about it she interrupts. She must have thought I was thinking of her request. “Don’t worry Lane; you will be fine,” she says with a bright smile while wiping the boxing bags with antiseptic liquid. She is trying to reassure me and she succeeds. Lin has that ability. Even though I think, it’s a dumb idea I agree to it anyway. She knows why I do what I do but somehow she wants me to do more... sigh. There is still a lot of time to figure it out; I mean I am only eighteen.

Some of her clients are entering the thatch roof rondawel we call gym and I try to work faster with packing away my stuff but Lin doesn’t mind, she understand my unique rhythm  so she carries on with her next class.

Lin is my friend and at twenty-five, she has made a big success of her gymnasium. She owns this private gym and my dad is one of her private clients. The two of them sort of bullied me into doing some training. I didn’t want to at first for many reasons but I guess it’s good for the body so I am happy to do on my terms. I would never confess to her that I actually enjoy it. I like making her think I hate exercise. “What time can you run tomorrow?” she wants to know with that ‘you won’t get away from it’ look. “Has to be around seven, I have to be at school at nine, holiday is over,” I say with a sad face and she smiles. “Okay, see you at seven then, don’t forget we’ll do some sprints,” off course. She is always pushing me, but that’s all right, my body has never been more toned. “Yes Mam,” I salute and laugh as I walk away.

At home, my dad’s girlfriend is in the kitchen cooking something that looks like chicken and smells like burnt plastic. “Hi Sweetie,” she greets with a too big smile. “Christina” is all I could get myself to say. “How was training?” she asks without any real interest.

“Fun,” is my not so interested answer. I wish she wouldn’t try. I find Thandi in the lounge cleaning the mess Christina made with afternoon tea. She is the best housekeeper I have ever seen. She can run this household with her eyes closed. I wish she did the cooking tonight. I am famished but the smell off burnt onion and overcooked chicken has now spread throughout the house, and I find myself thinking that I would rather have rice cakes and nut spread.

Dad will be home at five and I still have to take a shower and get my equipment ready for school tomorrow. That ghastly burning smell follows me to my room, I close the door behind me, and hopefully the smell stays that side of it as well. I switch on the fan, open the windows and press the air-sanitizer dispenser button twice. Christina is a gold digging, cheap and unsophisticated... lady. I try to calm my thoughts. I have tried my best but I just cannot get myself to look past the thickly layered make up and red nails. This is woman number six for my dad and year number three of his wild dating phase.

I suddenly miss my mom so much. She died five years ago, breast cancer. All the treatment came to nothing in the end and I thought I would die with her from a broken heart. Dad mourned for two years and then started dating these fake women. At least he never married one of them but having them in the house was not an easy thing to bear. We moved here to Safiri Bay soon after my mom went. It has never really been my home. I went to boarding school at the time and my weekends were spent either at school studying or with my family in Paulsburg. I decided to take a gap year before I go study music at TUMS and my dad insisted I stay at home at least half of the year so I could meet his friends and make some new ones of my own. It has been three months now and I have had enough. If it wasn’t for my part time job at the school I would have left a long time ago. I get started with my equipment. Tomorrow will be another long day.

As I get up this very sunny morning, I know I have to tell Matt that I need some time off for Laurie’s mom’s opening. I get in the shower and again that melody is in my head, loud and clear. I know it but from where? Urgh, never mind I will remember it later. I get started with my normal washing ritual. After the process of showering, I dress in shorts, sandals and a cotton top and rush to the kitchen. The neighbour’s chickens are in our back yard and my stomach suddenly churns at the thought of that sticky burnt dish Christina made last night. I finish half a bowl of my Oatees and pour the rest into the dog’s blue dish. Rocky wags his tail at me happily. How nice would it be to be this dog, love, food and a soft bed, that’s all that matters right? I have no time to sit and ponder, right now, I need to get to work. I start my quad bike. It is a yellow Suzuki 250cc I got for my birthday last year and it still makes me smile. I love my dad more for buying me it. I drive carefully down the track from our house and out onto the narrow tar road that leads out of the estate. ‘What a beautiful road’ I think for the umpteenth time. The road winds down the dune of the estate over a little bridge that overlooks the sea and into the thick lush green indigenous forest. I drive the four kilometres into the village with a smile on my face and the wind in my hair.

The school is a private one, owned by the parents so the owners keep on changing with the years. Matt has been the principal there for four years now. I have known him for three. We met at a farewell party in my school holiday. One of the few residents of Safiri Bay was leaving and of course my dad insisted I join him and his Girlfriend Jackie to the occasion. I was glad I did. He was there, making music with some old man who turned out to be Light of Dawn’s guitarist. I was glad I found something that would keep me busy that night. He noticed me staring and came straight to me when it was their break. We started chatting music right away and we clicked. He has since become my best friend in the village. So weird, I never thought I would have one, not here. But now I do and he's like a brother to me.

I park my quad in its usual spot under the little tree and make my way up the cement stairs. The sun is shining brightly against the white walls of the school and I am glad for my sunglasses. I walk straight to the library I use for my lessons because it is the biggest room, the coolest and the cleanest. Even autumn here is hot and to have 100 little people singing at you doesn’t make it less so. I set up my stand, which I keep in the storeroom, and then make my way over to the office. Jill is waiting there with a frown on her old little face and her pack of cigarettes on her desk “Join me for a quick one?” she asks, I smile and nod. She knows I don’t smoke but it’s her way of saying good morning so we leave the office and go sit under her smoker’s tree. It’s a beautiful water berry tree with a few fruit remaining. I guess the monkeys had enough.  I am grateful for the breeze. I quickly clean the seat with a tissue and position myself so the smoke blows away from me. She doesn’t notice.

She starts with her morning moan. “You won’t guess what happened.” I know it’s nothing worth talking about so I fake interest. “The department wants me to fill in a three page form on each and every child. Can you imagine that? I don’t have the time for all this nonsense. I am getting too old for this.”

I shake my head as if to say ‘not at all’ and she continues.

“Now who is supposed to do my work while I sit and do all this?” I nod. By now, I know she doesn’t expect an answer; she just likes to talk so I let her. “And of course I am not getting any help from Matthew, no, he is so busy with Sandra (the substitute teacher) because she is not cracking it so he spends half his day there trying to help her with the class. No Lane, I think I have had enough now.” I just smile a sympathetic little smile and nod again. She doesn’t mean a word she says, I’ve learnt. Just as she is about to start again Matt joins us.

“Bonjour Mademoiselle Rose,” he says in his, now not so dominant anymore, French accent and I laugh “Good morning Mr Mallard,” I tease. He gives me his best smile and I know he wants something. “I was hoping you could take the whole group today, off course not together but maybe one after the other.” I raise an eyebrow. “I need to go to Phinda to pick up some papers for Jill”. Jill gives him a deathly stare and gets up from her wooden bench. “I have your book in my office Lane,” that’s her way of showing her annoyance with him and reassuring me. He shrugs when she leaves. “Its fine I’ll do it,” I say.

“Thanks, you are a star.” I am a bit nervous of taking the senior class. I am still young and they know that but I am still a teacher, well sort of, well I didn’t study for it but I know what I am doing and I deserve some respect for that. I get up and he walks with me to the library. I see this as my chance.

“Matt, I’ll need some time off next month.” I look at him with my best ‘I am sorry,’ look.

“Where are you going?” he asks without sounding nosy.

“A friend of mine and Lin’s, Laurie, would like me to perform at the opening of her mom’s restaurant,” He looks at me with wide eyes, “but you don’t do...”

“I know,” I cut him off before he reminds me. “I know, but she was just so convincing and I thought I could spend some time with her.” Anyway, I need to get to a town that is somewhat bigger than this village,” I smile at him “I might live on music but hey, a girl has needs.” He laughs but I see the concern for me in his eyes. “I’ll be fine it’s just a few songs anyway and I have enough to keep them busy the entire night if I have to,”

“Sure you do but please...” a little voice interrupts

“Mr Mallard, I can’t find my homework book.” He looks at me with a ‘we are not done’ expression and I pretend not to see it as I make my way into the coolness of the air-conditioned library.

Mr Marks always peeks in at about five minutes to go. We end off our lesson with the Beatles’ song ‘Here comes the sun’ and he claps his hands with enthusiasm. I dismiss the group and he walks over to me. “That is starting to sound really good Lane,” he seems genuinely impressed. “Why thank you Vince,” I say with appreciation. Vincent is the senior Grade teacher and has always been friendly and kind to me. I cannot say the same for the rest of the staff at the school but hey, I don’t care at all. I am only passing time by doing this. They have to do this all day every day. And with an attitude like theirs, I feel sorry for them.

After the half an hour break I have to take the senior Grade music lesson. I do not usually do this but because Matt asked so nicely, I will try my best. He does the senior music lessons himself. At first when Matt realised I could play the guitar this well he was impressed but he didn’t realise I have so many hang-ups. I have never been comfortable singing in front of him or anyone for that matter. He thought it might be a good idea if I started by singing in front of kids and so the music lessons started. It worked, very well, but I was still not comfortable with singing in front of adults and even the senior class was a bit more intimidating but I said I’d do it.

I wipe my guitar, pack it away in the hard case and file my papers in alphabetical order. My throat stings a bit. I am not used to trying to sing louder than fifty senior primary kids do. They did really well but right now I am exhausted and all I want to think of is a cool drink and the beach. I switch my Blackberry on and what seems to be a hundred messages sound off.

First message:

Lin: where are you???

Lin: I’m going to run without you.

Lin: Is everything ok?

Oh no, I made her worry. She knows Christina and I don’t get along and recently we have had some very bad rows especially in the evenings. I check my watch, half past one. She’s free now. I press T to speed dial her. I thought T for training would be a good speed dial assignment and it also suits torture. I smile at my own private joke.

“What happened to you lady?” she is not angry, okay good.

“I am so sorry,” I try to sound sincere; I don’t know how I forgot. There are just too many things swimming around in this brain. I try the soft voice technique “I overslept and then I had to rush to school”

“You are in trouble. I will make you pay for this later,” oops and ouch. I know she will do as she says and cringe at the thought. “I’ll see you at three and don’t forget your gloves,” she is not happy. “Yes, yes off course,” I say in a panic

“Bye” she disconnects. Oh crap!

I quickly go to say goodbye to Jill and she only mumbles something under her breath obviously not happy to be staying at school when I can leave. She is not that bad, old and cranky but not bad. Back in the library I collect my stuff and almost fall over as I swing my guitar onto my back, geez this thing is heavy. I try to regain my balance. Dad bought me a strap that you can attach to the hard case then you wear your guitar on your back as you do with a bag. As I get back on my feet, I look up into his eyes. Boy I must have tripped harder than I thought. Matt? No. Who? “Hello” he says, in a perfect British accent.  I blink. I blink again. Oh boy, “H-hi” is all I can force out and I struggle past him making sure I do not touch him. Do not look back I keep on telling myself. I get on my bike and leave as quickly as my shaking legs allow me to. What the hell just happened? My racing hearts wants to know.