Free Black Teeth by Zane Lovitt Page B

me.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Look…’ His tone had settled. ‘Please.’
    A word so gapingly unexpected that I couldn’t find a response.Genuine vulnerability. From this guy. I stammered and glanced at Marnie. Her arms raised either side of her like a shruggie. Her face told me to get off the fucking phone.
    ‘When?’
    ‘Right now.’
    ‘I can’t right now.’
    His voice cracked and he took a moment to swallow. ‘I need you to help me, Jason.’
    Was that the first time he’d said my name? Gooseflesh prickled my arm. I felt my excitement in the back of my shoulders and fought against that feeling, said, ‘Let me call you later.’
    ‘I know you’re in a shit about last night. You’ve got to admit, it’s strange this happening the same time you show up. Just show up out of the blue. So of course I’m just…I’m careful.’
    ‘Strange that what has happened?’
    ‘I don’t know…’ A long, agitated sigh. ‘There was someone in my backyard.’
    ‘You should call the police.’
    ‘Come over. I need to talk to you.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘It’s a long fucking story, mate. Just come over. I haven’t been able to sleep. I’m going nuts.’
    ‘You understand I’m out? I’m having dinner—’
    ‘Please, matey.’ So imploring you’d think he was mocking me. ‘If I am who you think I am, you can help me just once, can’t you?’
    I didn’t answer.
    ‘ Can’t you? ’
    Now, in the food court, we spot each other. Tyan’s pudgy frame rises on the escalator in exactly the outfit he wore yesterday. He approaches, watching me watch him. How disappointing it must be, to think this weedy dork is his own flesh and blood. Every few steps he shoots a glance to his left or right, analysing the people. I try to relax. I’m not going to speak first. I will wait for Tyan to start speaking.

14
    Tyan angles a chair to face the way he came, grunts loud as he sits, murmurs something that might be ‘Thanks for coming’ with that coconut-husk voice. I don’t say ‘You’re welcome’, just shuffle my chair across so that we’re not seated side-by-side. I do it noisily. Then Tyan says:
    ‘How did Helen die?’
    It is not how I expected him to open. I shift and scratch at my shoulder.
    ‘Umm…It’s called pulmonary fibrosis. Her lungs kind of went bad.’
    Tyan nods. But like he’s got any idea what he’s nodding at.
    ‘Did you say it was last year?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘She would have been, what? Fifty-nine?’
    ‘Fifty-two.’
    What passes behind his eyes, I don’t know if it’s Tyan remembering her or just pretending to.
    I told Marnie that I had to see a client, that it was an emergency. I waited for her to say something but she just glared, shook her head, offended. On my way out I heard her say, ‘Have fun.’
    So here we are. Me and Tyan. Having fun.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ Tyan says. ‘I lost my old man when I was your age. No mum around. No brothers or anything. I know it’s…’ He frowns, hopeless. ‘…shithouse.’
    This genuine emotion is another surprise.
    I don’t want to talk about Mum so I ask, ‘Are you married?’
    Tyan pushes air out of his nose. ‘No. I told you last night—’
    ‘Any other kids?’
    ‘ Other kids? Mate, I’m not…’
    He laughs breathily. He doesn’t want to finish that denial.
    Across from our table a horde of adolescents rounds the corner, lured by pizza slices and dumplings and the kind of chicken burger that’s yodelling in my stomach, too many of them to be anything less than a school group and sure enough an adult woman, younger than me and somehow older, speaks with a forced smile to three or four that are lingering, waving them on towards food.
    Tyan tries again.
    ‘How do you know…I mean…How do you know I’m the one?’
    ‘Mum told me.’
    ‘My name’s not on the birth certificate.’
    ‘I know. She said that was your idea.’
    ‘We didn’t know if…if I was responsible.’
    ‘She always seemed pretty sure to me.’
    ‘She shouldn’t have