‘Kiama, please wait.’

‘Nah. It’s fine, Yvonne. I’ve already asked too much of you by making you come here.’ He takes a few steps backwards, his face set into a sulk.

‘I’m sorry. But I’m being honest with you.’

‘It’s fine,’ he calls over his shoulder as he walks off. It’s almost amusing, this throwback to how he used to be, storming off when his mum refused to let him play on his PlayStation for hours or stay out late with his friends running about the local adventure playground. But he’s not a child anymore; he can’t kick off because she doesn’t go with his every suggestion. And she won’t let him emotionally blackmail her like this.

Chapter Eighteen

… And Beer

October 2020

Kiama

He’s not in a sulk, he’s angry. Yvonne makes out like she’s here for him, like she came all this way to help him face up to something, but really she’s just in it for some flashy holiday where she makes herself feel better. He knows she feels guilty about not keeping in touch with him after Mum died, of course he knows, he’s even played on it a few times. But it seems like her guilt doesn’t stretch enough to want to help out some orphans, or take the time to understand why he does.

Purity should be back at the house by now, but even if she’s not, Kiama’s decided he’ll wait on her for as long as it takes. Maybe it shocked her to see him this morning, maybe that’s why she was in a rush to get away. He’s come to understand that people who knew Mum fall into two camps when they see him, either they’re desperate to talk about her or the whole thing makes them so awkward they can’t get away quick enough.

He hears someone call his name and looks around.

Yvonne stops too and looks up. ‘There,’ she says.

Delia hangs over the rail of a balcony above them. ‘Enjoying the sights of Kikuyu?’

‘Yeah. Something like that,’ Kiama calls. ‘Is Purity home yet?’

‘No. Turns out Toby does have malaria so she’s at the hospital with him. Sarah’s not there either, the house is locked. Come up for a drink?’

‘She locked the house?’ Yvonne says. ‘How can she do that? All our stuff is in there. I said we’d be back.’

It’s the perfect situation. ‘I’m going for a drink.’

‘I don’t think so,’ she says.

Kiama scoffs. What’s this about? Is she really trying to step into some kind of mum role? At what point did he suggest that’s what he needs? It pisses him off.