BooksBarbecue
Back The Human Zoo
Chapters (37)
  1. THE HUMAN ZOO
  2. Also by Sabina Murray
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. Part I
  8. I
  9. II
  10. III
  11. IV
  12. V
  13. VI
  14. VII
  15. VIII
  16. IX
  17. X
  18. XI
  19. XII
  20. XIII
  21. XIV
  22. XV
  23. XVI
  24. XVII
  25. XVIII
  26. Part II
  27. I
  28. II
  29. III
  30. IV
  31. V
  32. VI
  33. VII
  34. VIII
  35. IX
  36. Acknowledgments
  37. Back Cover

Outside a light rain had begun to fall, spattering in large drops on the windshield. I looked out on the sidewalk as a man pushed a cartload of bottles and old newspapers. A child in shorts and slippers jumped into a puddle, annoying his mother. And then on the corner I saw my coat—the pink fur coat—moving in slow circles at the corner of Twelfth Street. Beng was wearing the coat, looking up at the sky and the inconvenient rain with benign resignation. She was carrying a backpack and a tote bag, no doubt following orders with her usual cheerful solicitude. Tita Rosa must have put her in the coat so that I would be sure not to miss her on the crowded sidewalk. Chet had surely called my aunt, knowing it likely that Gumboc’s people would head to the house, and they must have beaten me there.

“Pull over,” I said to Top Gun. “That’s Beng.”

Top Gun quickly navigated across a lane of traffic and brought the car to a stop. A chorus of horns blared in protest. Alerted by this, Beng came quickly to the car.

“Ate,” she said. “There are men at the house looking for you.” She handed me the backpack and then the tote bag and, slipping off the coat, pushed that through the window of the car as well. “Your things are in the backpack,” she said.

“Thank you, Beng,” I said. “You should go.”

Top Gun had gotten out of the car and placed the bag of jars and the brooms on the sidewalk, but now back in the driver’s seat, was shooting me nervous looks in the rearview mirror.

“Ate Ting,” said Beng.

“What?”

“When are you coming back?”

“Very soon. Don’t go to Dubai.” I reached my hand out the window of the car and she held it squeezing hard with both of hers.

Top Gun said, “We have to go.”

I released Beng and then watched her pick up the brooms and bag, turning to make her way back to the house. I wondered if my aunt would be safe. But she didn’t know anything, and that would quickly be determined. I didn’t even know what was going on and I was sure that Chet had kept this from me so if something did transpire, I would be convincingly clueless.