Silent Genius

Chapter 4

July 2008

I watch Mum as she watches Claire build a sand castle, with Dad’s help. We are at the beach, in the middle of winter. It had been Dad’s idea. For the past few weeks, Claire’s psychiatrist had been assessing her motor skills. She’d been watching Claire as she built houses with Lego. She’d told Mum and Dad that she knew exactly where each piece should go. I’d seen a couple of her creations. A little house. The wall was made of yellow bricks and the roof was made of red. Each window was strategically places so that the little Lego people inside could see outside perfectly. I had been five when I made something with Lego that was even half as good.

Mum jumps a little every time Claire points to where the bucket of sand should be upturned. Being so small, she can’t lift the bucket herself, so she just shows Dad where it should go. Dad just nods and carefully lifts up the bucket to reveal the perfect little turret. Tom snaps photos. I smile and clap as Claire shoots me a questioning look and points to the cone-shaped sand-mould beside me. I pick it up and hand it to her. She gives it to Dad, who holds it upside down so she can fill it with sand.

I’m wearing my new purple bikini. I am very cold and very well aware of the group of teenage boys sitting a few meters away. They are from my school, in Tom’s grade. I can hear them laughing and feel their eyes on the bare skin of my back and legs. My blonde hair is tied back in a loose pony tail. Tom gets a few shots of me with his camera. I laugh as I try to hide behind my towel. He just keeps taking pictures.

Mum shoots us an annoyed look from beneath her large, floppy blue sunhat and we both stop immediately.

‘We’re just having fun,’ Tom complains, sitting down to take more photos of Claire as she directs Dad to upturn the mould on top of the turret.

‘This trip isn’t about having fun,’ Mum replies in a monotone voice, ‘it’s about watching Claire make a sand castle.’

I roll my eyes at Tom and he sighs in reply.

‘I’m going for a walk,’ I say, not that anybody is listening.

I stand up and walk down the beach, away from the grade nine boys. A few seconds later, a small hand slides into mine. I look down at my little sister. Claire is wearing a light-pink one piece with a yellow sun hat on her head.

‘I don’t think she wants you to leave,’ Dad laughs.

‘How ‘bout I take her for a walk and you guys relax a bit?’ I say.

Mum doesn’t look too pleased. Dad smiles. Tom just takes another photo of us. I turn around and Claire and I walk up the beach. We head for the rocks. I held Claire climb to the top of the pile and we sit down. She sits in my lap.

‘Are you having fun?’ I ask her.

She nods her head and smiles up at me. She points back at the sandcastle.

‘You’re very good at building,’ I comment and her smile broadens.

We sit in silence for a bit, watching the waves break on the sand. Suddenly, she sighs loudly and stands up. Then she starts climbing back down the rocks. I follow her curiously, helping her when she needs it. At the bottom, she runs ahead of me, towards the group of boys. Before I can catch her, she is pulling on the pant leg of one of the boy’s swimmers. He looks down and smiles at her, before looking up to smile at me. He has large green-gold eyes and tousled black hair. I recognise him as one of the guys from the grade nine soccer team.

‘I’m so sorry about her,’ I laugh self-consciously, picking up Claire.

She just smiles innocently at me.

‘It’s ok,’ he replies, smiling broadly, ‘I’m Tyler,’ he says, holding out a hand.

‘Tanna,’ I shift Claire onto my left hip so I can shake his hand, ‘and this is Claire.’

‘You’re Tom’s little sister,’ Tyler says.

‘Yeah,’ I nod.

‘You’re in the grade below us, right? Grade eight?’

‘Yeah,’ I brush a loose bit of hair behind my ear.

‘Oi, Tyler,’ one of his friends call out.

‘Coming,’ Tyler yells back, ‘I’ll see you at school.’

‘Yeah, at school,’ I say stupidly.

With that, he smiles one last time before running off to join his mates.

‘Claire, how could you do that to me?’ I say when he is out if ear shot.

Claire just smiles up at me. I put her down and she runs back to Dad. Tom walks up to me, a mischievous smile on his face.

‘Tanna and Tyler, sitting in a tree,’ he sings under his breath.

‘Shut it,’ I reply, elbowing him in the stomach.

He jumps back.

‘K-I-S-S-I-N-G!’ he sings loudly.

I jump at him and he jumps out of the way, running back down the beach.

‘First comes love!’

‘I’m gonna kill you,’ I yell, running after him.

‘Then comes marriage!’

I don’t let him finishing the rest of the rhyme. I just tackle him into the surf, hoping his camera is water proof.