Silent Genius

Chapter 13

February 2011

Tyler and I are at the park. Just sitting on the swings. He knows I’m upset. He doesn’t say anything, he’s just watching me. I watch my feet.

‘You wanna talk about it?’ he asks quietly.

‘About what?’ I mumble.

‘Your parents fighting.’

‘They’re not fighting,’ I say stubbornly.

‘Tanna, I’ve seen it.’

I don’t say anything. I don’t want to talk about it. I know that they are fighting about Claire. Mum says Dad isn’t being worried enough, that he’s not taking her silence serious enough. Dad says Mum needs to take a break and appreciate Claire as she is, to stop trying to turn her into Kirra. Then Mum started yelling to stop bringing me into it. Dad’s not sure what she meant by that. He’s worried about her. I am too.

Tom’s stopped taking photos when Mum’s in the room. She only tries to make him stop. And she’s started treating Claire like a baby again, the way she treated her when she was six months. Claire hates it, she doesn’t understand what’s happening. I don’t blame her. If she can’t figure it out, none of us can.

Tyler stands up and takes my hand. He drags me to the other side of the park, to the opening to the walking tracks. He leads me along one we haven’t taken before.

‘Where are we going?’ I ask.

‘Don’t know. But we’re not stopping until you stop sulking,’ he sighs.

I sigh and hurry to keep up with long strides. Soon the path is covered in darkness with nothing but a green glow to light it. It’s really pretty. Off to one side is a white-rose bush. Tyler carefully picks one, putting it in my hair. He pulls out his phone and takes a picture. I blush and shy away from the flash. He pulls me back to him and takes the photo.

I run up the path away from him. He yells and runs after me. I just laugh, doing my best not to fall over the tree roots. He could easily catch me if he wanted, we both know that. But he hangs back just enough. He carefully reaches forward but I jump out of the way and to the right. He spins, trying to follow me.

‘How’d you do that?’ he asks.

‘Years of ballet,’ I laugh back.

I jump again and twirl before sidestepping to the right and running on. Behind me I hear Tyler slide along on grass in order to make the turn. I jump and spin again and again, using a tree at the end of the path to spot. I do one last jump and spin, five-hundred-and-forty degrees, so I’m facing back down path where I’d come. Tyler’s only halfway down the track, staring at me in awe. I duck my head, hiding my face behind a curtain of blonde hair.

‘That was really cool,’ is all he says.

‘Thanks,’ I reply.

‘What do you think of this?’

I look up. Before I can ask what he’s doing, he prepares himself and does a perfect la seconde grand pirouette. I gasp.

‘But how?’ I ask.

‘When I was little my Mum made me do ballet. I really enjoyed it and I’ve been doing it even since,’ he shrugs, ‘don’t tell the guys at school. They’d hunt me down.’

‘I wouldn’t think of it,’ I giggle.

He smiles and laughs.

‘What dance school are you with?’

‘I’m not,’ he looks at his feet, ‘my mum used to teach me. She used to work at Laffita’s.’

‘I dance at Laffita’s,’ I laugh.

‘My mum is Laffita,’ he says sadly.

He looks sad too. I walk down the path towards him.

‘Did I ever tell you about my mum?’ he asks.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Have I ever told you why I live with my aunt?’

I shake my head. He takes my hand and sits down on the grassy path, pulling me down with him. I cross my legs and try not to stare at him too intently. I love a good back story. He shakes his head at me and laughs.

‘When I was little my mum meant the world to me and my siblings. Our dad left when I was born, the dick. When I was about five, she started to get really sick. Not sick as in coughing or anything. But like sick in the head. She started to get nervous about us kids. She wouldn’t let us leave for any reason, not even school. She’d hit us if we tried to leave a room without telling her. She yelled at us that, if we left her, our dad would come and take us away. Me and my brothers did our best to protect our sister, she got the worst of it. She was twelve at the time but she had a five year old and two six year olds taking care of her. Mum wouldn’t let her out of her site. Us boys could crawl away for a bit and hide. But not Sarah, Mum literally had her on a chain. After a few weeks, the school started to notice our lack of attendance. They called home but Mum had unplugged the phone out of fear that our dad would call. So they sent the police. Mum was arrested for child abuse but later found insane. Me and my siblings were sent to live with our aunt. My mum was sent to the mental hospital in the country. I visit her sometimes. I dance for her. That’s probably the only reason why I still do it.’

He sighs sadly. I put my arm around his shoulders and pull him to me.

‘Can I meet her?’ I ask.

‘What?’

‘I want see Miss Laffita, see if she recognises me.’

‘Oh, sure, I’m going next weekend,’ he pauses, ‘Miss Laffita?’

‘Miss Laffita, your mum, she was my first teacher. Taught me from when I was two to when I was four. When I was five I went into the next class. Plus, I wanna meet your mum.’

I look shyly at my feet.

‘I’ll take you next weekend.’

There’s silence. He’s playing with the string of a bracelet on my wrist.

‘Let’s get you home,’ he stands up, pulling me to my feet.

I brush the leaves off my dress.

‘I don’t want to go home,’ I whine.

He picks me up and throws me over my shoulder. I grab the back of my dress, making sure I don’t flash.

‘Well if I don’t have you home by dinner you sister will eat me,’ he laughs.

‘I can’t believe you’re scared of a four year old.’

‘A four year old who’ll smash me at checkers, chess and monopoly without even a hint of sympathy if you’re home late.’

‘You big softy.’

‘That girl shows no mercy at games of skill.’

I laugh.

‘Can you put me down now?’ I ask.

‘Will you let me walk you home without complaint?’

‘I make no promises.’

‘Then I can’t let you down.’

‘You know, I have an older brother who’ll smash you at hockey practice on Tuesday if he sees you carrying me like this,’ I tease.

‘Good point.’

He stops walking and puts me down on my feet. I straighten the skirt of my dress before putting my hand in his and letting him lead me home. At the front door, we kiss before going inside. He says a quick farewell to Tom, Claire and Dad and then leaves. When he’s gone, I look around the quiet kitchen.

‘Where’s Mum?’

Tom picks up Claire and carries her from the room. Dad sighs and looks at his feet.

‘Dad?’ I’m nervous now.

‘Tanna, you’re mothers not coming back. She left us,’ he says sadly.