Free State Ward by Alan Duff Page A

bouncing to an instant halt with a knee bend on hitting the canvas. A breeze had sprung up, or maybe it’d been there all the while. It was making no impression on George’s thick locks, yet blowing strands into Charlie’s eyes which he had to keep flicking away. The breeze was warm, yet Charlie felt cold.
    He stared at George. George looked away. He grabbed George by the shoulder.
    “What do you mean, it’s come back. So what happens now?”
    “I go.” George’s eyes nowhere near Charlie.
    And Charlie getting a sudden mental message derived from Mr Dekka, which he told George: “You can’t look the world in the eye, George …”
    Then George swung on him. And his eyes burned hatred. His jaw trembled. And when he spoke it was with an ugly sneer.
    “He bloody bastard teach you that shit. Look in the eye, look in the eye — bugger the eye. You like him, Dekka, now?”
    Charlie felt as if he’d been punched. He heard an “Oh!” escape him. He wanted to hit George. Or else hug him, tell him he was his best friend and why was he looking like that at his best mate? But Charlie could but take his eyes away from the piercing gaze of George and numbly shake his head.
    “He your fugging friend?”
    “No. I hate him.”
    “Liar! Dekka your fuggin’ friend, why you talk about look in the eye, look in the eye. Who fuggin’ care about look in the eye when my kehua come? You like Dekka his own son talk like that.”
    That’s when Charlie hit George. Just threw a right at him which knocked George off his feet, and he bounced on the canvas. And Charlie was upon him, punching and choking, and punching. Next Charlie felt himself in the air. George had somehow used the underneath springiness to lift Charlie off him and then hoist him skyward. Then he was sailing through the air and thumping into the grass. George’s turn then to be all over him, or so Charlie expected. Except George was face to face, he could smell George’s breath.
    “You and me, we go together this time, eh?”
    Charlie looking up at the face he knew so well; seeing the trust George had in him.
    “Boy, I’ll go right now,” Charlie deadly serious.
    Neither boy smiled. Yet Charlie knew his own excitement, as well as fear of everything, the escape itself, the journey to George’s village. The consequences back here.
    “Why do you always get caught, George?”
    “Dunno. Maybe not, if you come. So why you want to come?”
    Charlie taken aback. “Cos you asked me to.”
    George grinned. “I like to get you in trouble, eh? More trouble for Charlie, ne?”
    Charlie grinning back. “Trouble. And a bit of fun, too, eh?”
    George shook his head. “No fun. Hard work to findnew way of going Ruapotiki. Get there, and more — harder work for me. You, you watch.”
    “Watch what — the warrior ghost?” Charlie joking even as he felt the seriousness of the situation coming over him. The consequences, it’s always the consequences in this goddam life. But who cares. Now George is my best friend as he always was, who cares about consequences?
    “No, place where warrior ghost live.”
    “Eh?”
    “Uncle and aunty, their home. Understand?”
    “Nope. What, ya gonna do something to ’em?”
    “Not them. To curse on me. You come watch. Stick up for me to court. Not like last time in court, no one believe me. Cops tell lie. This time, my best mate say reason. Eh, Charlie?”
    “Sure, George. Long as they believe me!”
    Both laughing at that. George hauling Charlie to his feet. “You punch pretty hard, Charlie.”
    “That right?” Charlie flattered.
    “But left punch like pussycat, yeh?”
    “I doubt it! Wanna try it again?”
    For some reason George stopped seeing the joke, for his eyes hardened, and he said in a quiet voice, “You try pussycat lefts on him, Dekka. Then me, I give him rights — plenty. I hit him till he die. You know? He a bad man.” Then he seemed to pull himself together.
    “Sorry I say you like his son. Not like that. You