Chapter 16

November 15, 06:55 SAST. Cape Town, Newlands Safe House.

The sun came filtering through the slight crack in the window curtains. It was summer; therefore the sun rises earlier in this part of the country. Not as early as in Europe or Canada in their summer, but way earlier than in winter.

I stretched my aching body and yawned. Next to me, emerald green eyes opened and smiled up at me.

“Morning sunshine, slept well?” I asked.

“Like a log!” Angie said and turned on to her back. “And that rumbling you hear ain’t thunder. It’s my tummy telling me I’m hungry!”

“Likewise, sweetie pie, likewise. But first, let me tend to the morning ritual, then I’ll see what we can rustle up for breakfast.”

Giggle. “Sounds like you want to go rustle a steer, cowboy!”

“I’ll rustle you!” I said and turned on my side towards Angie and tickled her exposed tummy.

“Wheee! Stop it! You bully!” Angie squealed, kicked her legs up to protect her tummy and squiggled out of my reach. The blanket went flying.

“I can still reach you,” I challenged, and reached for her. She tried to dodge me, and her feet tangled up in the blanket laying on the floor. She went down on her backside.

“Ow! Now look what you’ve done! I hurt my bum.” She moaned.

“Come here, and I’ll kiss it better.”

“Oh no, mister bully. You just want to tickle me again!” Just then there was a knock on the door. “Come in and rescue me!” Angie called. The door opened, and a pyjama clad Darya with a tray of three mugs of wake-up juice walked through the door.

“Oh my, Angie! What are you doing on the floor?”

“Morning exercise! What do you think? Mister Doofus here wants to tickle me, and I fell off the bed,” she replied, pouting her lips and feigning her patented sad look.

“Oh no, we have domestic violence in paradise...” Darya quipped and placed the tray with coffee on the dresser. Then she jumped on top of me and held me down. “Come, Angie! Now’s your turn while I hold him down for ye!”

Angie got up, and giggling, jumped on top of me as well.

“Now we’ll see who’s who, you bully!” And Angie started to tickle me in the ribs.

“Hey! You’re two against one. It’s not fair!” I chuckled and tried to roll away.

‘“Fair’ is where you go to ride Ferris wheels and spinning teacups!” Darya laughed, siding with Angie. I was losing the battle.

Well, even with the two of them on top of me was not that much, as both weighed like feathers. With a heave I sent them flying and in the process I got hold of Darya, grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back on to the bed. Her long t-shirt that she used as pyjamas rode up to reveal her tummy and oh my, a pair of lacy powder-blue panties and long shapely legs.

I pinned her to the bed by sitting on her legs and holding her hands above her head, flat on the bed.

“Good, now punishment for tickling me!” I said and bend down, placing my lips on her navel and blew.

“Help me, Angie!” Darya squealed, and Angie jumped on my back and pounded her small fists into my back.

“Ow!” I exclaimed but kept blowing on a squealing Darya’s tummy. “Got you!”

I got up off Darya, who was reduced to a fit of giggles, rubbing her tummy.

“Now back to you for calling in reinforcements,” I said and made a move on Angie.

“Oh no, you don’t!” she squealed, and ran off towards the on-suite bathroom.

“Ah, running away, are you?”

Giggle. “I won!” Angie said and closed the bathroom door, blowing me a kiss and leaving me with Darya sitting on the bed, trying to recover her composure, her long black hair in disarray, but she was smiling.

“I did not have so much fun in a long time, Ash,” she said, shyly, and I wondered about the change in personality in Darya. Last night she giggled when she shot a guy, but this morning she was playful and silly, like a young schoolgirl; a completely different person.

“Now let’s have coffee while we wait on momma-Angie to get back ... Dad.” she teased, and handed me a mug from the tray she had brought in.

“Thanks, Darya-daughter,” I said, playing the game as I took the cup from her. For a moment our fingers touched, and she looked into my eyes. I could not catch her expression, but she said nothing, just smiled and sat down next to me on the bed.

“I think it will be fun to be around you two...” she said after a while and took a sip of her coffee.

“It will be fun to have you around as well, Darya. Much fun.”

“So, what’s up for today. No more baddies to bust up?”

“We’ll see ... I still need to take care of that knifing Williams guy.” I said. “But let’s take it easy a bit. Maybe we should all go back to Overberg for a while...”

“Are you going to give me a flip in Angie’s Bandit?” she asked, looking over her cup at me with a playful glint in her eyes.

“Maybe we could do that. Nadia also wants a flip in Bandit ... Maybe Angie can take you up.”

“Sounds like a plan in the making,” Darya said and added: “Are you going to take her supersonic if you fly us?” Giggle.

“Why not! Let’s see what gives. Maybe we should have Bandit play a little for the last time before they take her away to a strange and fearful land, away from her home...”

“You make it sound so ... lonesome ... like she’s going to an orphanage to just be a number.”

“To them she is only a number, a tool. To us, she is part of our history; a part of a bygone era when the South African Air Force was still a force, and not the watered-down cash starved relic that it is now, with aircraft rotting away because they don’t have fuel for them, or the expertise to service them, and keep them where they are supposed to be: in the sky. I am thrilled that Grumpy Charley at least saved Black Widow, before she ended up on the scrapyard’s books.”

“Why don’t you make the Americans an offer for Bandit?”

“And where do you suppose do I get eighteen million US dollars from? That’s like two hundred and seventy-nine million South African Rand ... I can buy a Pilatus PC 24 for half of that.”

“Oh...” and she looked down into her coffee mug.

“They bought her in a batch of twelve, and made an offer to the SA Government on the batch. They will be using her in the training of pilots and in Operation Red Flag.”

After a while she looked up at me, eyes moist, and she placed her hand on my arm. “Then let’s take her supersonic for one last time, here in her home sky...”

“It will be wonderful ... I’ll consider it ... A ceremony to celebrate her existence...” I said, draining my coffee. “Now, let’s get dressed in our day clothes, and start this day!”

The bathroom door opened and Angie peeked out. “Is it safe to come out, Darya?” she giggled.

With breakfast out of the way, I had a phone call to make. The girls all pitched in to clear the breakfast debris and clean the dishes. TC and his band of warriors decided to stay behind at the Newlands place and keep the Jeep and the Nissan with them. They would give the Angels, Lorie, Roxy and me a lift to the Puma at Cape Town International, so we could fly the rest of the way to Overberg.

I walked out onto the patio and dialled Rashaad’s number. It rang for a while before he picked up the call.

“Mister Smith. How are you this morning?”

“I think better than you. I had a good night’s rest.”

“And took care of the Japanese guy, and his band of scum, I suppose?”

“I just went to fetch what was mine...” I sighed.

“And made him a true demon in Satan’s lair?”

“Now why would you say that, Lofty?”

“I heard through the grapevine that you took him out.”

“I did not do such a thing, Lofty. He jumped off the roof of his own accord. I did not so much as touch him.”

“You must have been a scary devil yourself to have him do that?”

“Do you think I’m scary, Lofty.”

“Well, if I think back to our first meeting ... you could have done me in by just a snap of your fingers.”

“I could have. But fact is I did not.”

“You are one crazy motherfucker! Don’t set up shop here in Cape Town. The street gangs would not live it down.”

“I don’t intend to stay around here. Actually, I just called to ask you to deliver what you promised, and I’ll be on my way.”

“And where would that be?”

“Oh, come on, Lofty. Do you really think I’ll tell you?”

“No, just as long as it is far, far away from Cape Town.”

“Fear not! You’ll never see me again, Lofty.”

“Good! Now, our business transaction. I have your merchandise ready for you, but I need something else also from you. I want Roxy.”

“You can’t have Roxy. She works for me now. A better job offer that you can’t afford.”

“Without Roxy, then the deal is off.”

“Well, seeing that you feel that way, Mister Williams. Goodbye,” I said and terminated the call. It took ninety seconds for my phone to ring.

“Mister Smith!”

“I thought I said ‘goodbye’ to you, Lofty?”

“Wait! I need the money ... I don’t need Roxy. The stuff is on a fishing boat out in Kalk Bay harbour.”

“The name of the boat and the contact person?”

“The boat’s name is ‘Seagull,’ and you can speak to Abdulla. He’s the skipper.”

“Good! Payment will be made as soon as I secure the product.”

“You can trade with Abdulla. He is trustworthy.”

“In that case, this might be the last time we speak. If you double-cross me, you’ll hear from me sooner than you know it, else, goodbye Mister Williams.

“I’ll not double-cross you, Mister Smith. My word is my word. Go get your stuff, and then get out of town. Goodbye, Mister Smith,” he said and dropped the call. Well, this went better than I thought.

But something was still nagging at the back of my head. Why did he not push for Roxy? Does he suspect that Roxy was working for us all along? Or is he under the impression that he can get to her at her house in Ravensmead?

Either way, Roxy is now part and parcel of the Angels. There’s no way I’m letting that tender girl back into the folds of the street gangs. Grumpy Charley will just have to abide by my decision.

I got up and went back into the house in search of the girls. Roxy would be with them, and I need to speak with her.

I found all the girls in the games room. Roxy was teaching Angie and Darya the finer points of snooker. More pool than snooker, as they were all around the pool table.

“So, now I have to hit that red number three-ball with this white ball and get it into the corner pocket?” Darya was asking.

“Yes but watch the green and white number fourteen-ball on your right. If you just touch it with your three-ball, it will sink in the middle pocket, and you don’t want that!” Roxy said.

All went quiet as Darya took aim with the pool cue. Concentration lining her face and her tongue stuck out between her lips, as she assessed the situation.

“I can’t hit it from here!” she exclaimed and stood up, still looking at the table with the muti-coloured balls strewn over its surface.

“Yes! You can. Watch...” And Roxy pushed her out the way and bent down, taking aim with her pool cue. Then she came back up and walked over to the other side of the table. She placed her index finger onto the side of the table and said:

“Aim here and give it a medium whack...”

“Why there?” Darya asked.

“Don’t ask why, just do it, and I will explain later.”

I watched in silence as Darya did as Roxy instructed. A little hesitation and then: “CLACK!” The white ball careered across the table, contacted the shoulder and bounced back to connect with the three-ball, sending it spinning away and straight and true into the side pocket. Not the original destination, but a sunk ball is a sunk ball.

“Nice shot, Darya! Now, go for your four-ball,” Rocky instructed. “It’s open towards the other side middle pocket.”

I thought better than to disturb the girls. Angie was watching from the side with a frown on her face, obviously, planning something. I went and sat down on a couch next to Leah.

“The battle of Newlands manor ... Don’t interrupt, it might cause a full-scale war. By the way, Angie is winning...” Leah whispered, and I just nodded my head. Too many dangerous girls around with pool cues in their hands that could spell nothing good for my health, so I just sat quietly and watched.

Darya missed sinking the four-ball and Angie got up with a smirk on her face. She walked around the pool table, pausing here and there, licking her lips, and the smirk morphed into a dead-serious expression as her mind calculated options. This was Doctor A. A. Rothman tackling the physics of the game with her analytical mind.

She came to a decision and took aim at her fourteen-ball. A formality, as she sank the fourteen-ball in the corner pocket, the fifteen-ball in the side pocket, and then blasted the eight-ball into a corner pocket on the far side. She stood up, and the smirk returned to her sweet face, the ginger red tresses bobbing over her shoulders.

“Another round, Daughter?” She asked.

“Beginners luck, Mother!” Darya countered. “But yeah, I’ll take you on!”

“Good! But I first need to go, you know where...” she squirmed, and scampered off to the bathroom. I smiled at Leah next to me.

“Angie plays well,” Leah observed.

“I’ll keep quiet, but it’s not the first time that she’s played pool.”

“Sjuu! Don’t let Darya hear.”

“Nope! But I must root for the love of my life...” I said and saw Roxy getting up from her chair she went to sit in. “Roxy, do you have a moment? I need to ask you something.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Let’s walk outside. There’s something important to discuss,” I said, and Roxy looked a little rattled, but said nothing.

Outside, the heat of the day was getting on: not too warm, as the south-eastern was starting its gentle push from the Muizenberg side. Still, here in the tree-lined shelter of the estate, the tree leaves were barely moving. The sun filtered through the branches and painted funny patterns on the ground and grass below.

A flock of garden birds foraged on the lawn, looking for an unsuspecting worm, jumping and hopping along as they went.

Far off the dull rumble of the city traffic could just be detected if you listen closely. Else, the bird song emanating from the trees and shrubs were comforting to the soul. Somewhere a lone cicada was singing its shrill sharp song to the sun.

This was a wonderful part of the Cape Town Southern suburbs, nestling along the green forested slopes of the Back Table and Constantia Mountain.

From the open part of the estate, on the huge green grass lawn we could see out towards the east and the Hottentots Holland Mountain range, still spotted here and there by winter snow on the high peaks.

Between where Roxy and I stood and the Eastern Mountains, the Cape Flats laid flat with its white-grey shifting sand. A foggy vapour dimmed our view of the far-off mountains, but still we could faintly see across False Bay, over Strandfontein, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, and Macassar, towards Cape Hangklip, or “Rooiels,” as the little fishing town is known.

“Such a nice view...” Roxy said. “Somewhere over towards Parow Hill, is my home.”

“Do you miss home?”

“No, but it is roots, you know?”

“Will you be able to leave it all behind?”

“Life takes you across many foothills and valleys ... Yes, I can leave it behind ... if it means a better life,” Roxy said and looked up in my eyes.

“That’s what I need to talk to you about. Now you are working for Charley ... or Jonathan, as you know him. But I don’t want you to go back to the Cape Flats way of life. I want you to join the Angels and become part of us.”

“I had that feeling ... you were going to ask me...”

“Well, I need you to consider it and let me know if you can do it; will do it.”

“I have. Mai-Loan has spoken to me and asked me the same thing.”

“And?”

“Yes, yes. I told her I will join her tribe; be part of the Angels.”

“And you know what it all entails?”

“Yes. I do ... I must take that chance.”

“Rashaad wants you back. He said for the deal to go through we, I, must hand you over to him...”

“Are you going to do it? I mean, hand me over to him?”

“What did I just ask you, Roxy? To join the Angels, AND to not go back to the Flats.”

“So, you told Rashaad what?”

“That he can go pick daisies in the desert, or roses in the snow. I just did not say it in that gentle way.”

“And?”

“He said it’s okay ... He doesn’t need you,” I said, and Roxy looked down towards the ground. She was quiet for a few moments. Then she looked up at me with a determination in her eyes.

“Can I go fetch some personal items from my place?” She asked. “Mai-Loan and Nadia can take me...”

“Yes. I have no objection, Roxy.”

“Thank you, Ash...” she demurred, and looked out over the scenery of the Cape Flats before her. “Look! There’s a plane taking off from Cape Town international...”