Entwined

by Cheryl S. Ntumy

  “You should really start studying,” he tells us imperiously. “Before you know it the exams will be here, and you’ll have nothing to show for it.”

  Lebz yawns. “Thanks, Professor.”

  Wiki shakes his head. “I think you two need to forget all the supernatural drama for the next few weeks. It’ll still be there after exams.”

  “I’m not sure Ma-fourteen will still be there,” I tell him, “so please understand if Maths and Science aren’t my main priorities.”

  He frowns. “You don’t really think he’ll hurt them, do you? He needs them.”

  “For now,” says Lebz ominously.

  Wiki falls silent. He doesn’t want to argue, but I know he thinks we’re not taking our schoolwork seriously, but I have more important things to focus on now, real-life things, not equations in a book.

  Rose arrives, all smiles for a change. “I have some great news,” she says, taking a seat beside Lebz. “Emily’s ready for you to take her necklace, the way you took mine.”

  I love the way she says this as if it’s going to be the simplest thing in the world.

  “When are you free?”

  Oh, let’s see – I have a free slot on Wednesday, between vampire-slaying and wand practice. I look at Lebz and Wiki, who shrug in a most unhelpful manner. “Rose, it took ages just to get you to trust me enough to let me near you. I don’t think I can do it. It’s too soon. I’d have to meet her a few times first, to practise, and then –”

  “Connie, there’s no time,” Rose interrupts. “Emily isn’t even supposed to be talking to me, and if the others find out, she’s dead. Please, she’s counting on you!”

  Good to know there’s no pressure. I still have no leads, my planting skills aren’t nearly strong enough and I’m running out of time. I take a deep breath. “Fine.”

  “Connie.” Wiki’s voice holds a warning. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  “I’m not promising success.” I turn back to Rose. “I’m only promising to try.”

  Rose flings her arms around me. “Thank you! I knew you would help! I’ll tell Emily. When do you want to do it?”

  I pause to think. I’ll need as much time as possible to prepare. “Thursday, two weeks from now, after school.”

  “That’s the week before exams,” Wiki protests.

  I ignore him. “We’ll meet at Main Mall and go to Rakwena’s house.”

  “What?”

  I didn’t see Rakwena approaching. I offer him a conciliatory smile. “I was just telling Rose that your house would be the best place to take Emily’s necklace. No overprotective parents, no nosy siblings…” I bat my eyelashes.

  Rakwena rolls his eyes and makes an impatient noise in his throat. “Fine. But next time it would be nice if you asked me first.”

  “He’s a superstar,” I tell Rose. “Isn’t he?”

  “Thank you so much, Rakwena,” she gushes. “Emily will be so grateful.”

  He manages a small smile. “Sure; whatever.”

  Rose and Wiki hurry to the library, which has just opened its doors, and Rakwena sits beside me with a scowl on his face.

  “Oh, there’s Kelly,” says Lebz, jumping to her feet. “I wanted to ask her something about…” She leaves without finishing her sentence.

  I lean back against the bench. “Let’s hear it.”

  Rakwena turns to me. “What?”

  “The lecture about how I shouldn’t invite people over to your house without your permission.”

  “I’m not going to lecture you.” He stretches his long legs. “I think you know it was wrong, and you won’t do it again. There’s no need for me to punish you this time.”

  I poke him in the ribs and he laughs. “Idiot. What could you possibly do to me?”

  “You have no idea,” he says, and a strange chill runs down my back.

  I remember my grandfather’s words. For the first time I consider the possibility that Rakwena could hurt me. I know he wouldn’t. But if he wanted to, he could. I look at him out of the corner of my eye. The blue sparks, the telekinesis that could throw me against a wall and break me in half… What other powers does he have? Exactly how dangerous is Rakwena Langa?

  “Connie? What’s wrong?”

  His expression is so concerned that I feel guilty for doubting him. “Nothing! I have to go to the library. I’ll see you at break.” I get up and walk away. I’m torn between the deep-seated certainty that I can trust Rakwena and the gnawing feeling that there are things about him I’m afraid to find out.

  The next two weeks are tough, to say the least. Lebz, Wiki and I try to study together, but most of the time we end up discussing the Puppetmaster and Wiki is losing his patience.

  He’s not the only one – my grandfather has never been this tough on me. I leave his house with a blinding headache after each practice session. When I stagger into the house the day before my meeting with Emily, Dad almost has to carry me to the sofa.

  “Don’t you think you might be overdoing it a bit, love?” he asks, his brow wrinkled in concern. “You don’t have to get top marks in everything, you know.”

  I might laugh if I weren’t in so much pain. I close my eyes. My head is expanding and contracting and I’m afraid it might split open.

  He puts a hand on my forehead. “I think you need to take it easy.”

  I open my eyes very slowly. “Can I have some water?”

  He rushes off to the kitchen and I lean back against the cushions. I’ve improved a lot, but I don’t know if I’m ready for tomorrow. It’s a good thing Rakwena will be there – I’m going to need him to hold Emily down.

  I turn onto my side and my gaze rests on a newspaper lying on the coffee table. It’s the latest GC Chronicle. I sit up quickly and immediately regret it – sharp pain slices through my head. I lie down again and reach for the paper. I’ve never seen a tabloid in the house. Dad prefers academic journals or something sensible like The Reporter. I unfold the paper and look at the front page story. Another exclusive; this time accusing the CEO of a major local company of fraud. There are no twelve-year-olds with necklaces in the photo, but still… I can’t help wondering where the little rag is suddenly getting all these big stories. Last week they exposed a drug ring at a junior secondary school. Not one other paper carried the story.

  Dad returns with a glass of water. “Not half bad, that paper,” he remarks, handing me the glass.

  I sit up slowly. “If you say so.”

  “Well, it is a little seedy, but lately they’ve had some incredible exclusives,” he goes on, impressed. “Who would have thought?”

  “Not me.” I gulp down the water. “Thanks. I think I need to go to bed.”

  “No supper?” He touches my forehead again. “You should eat something, love. You’ve been working all day.”

  “I’ll have something later, I promise.” I get to my feet and offer him a placating smile as I shuffle to my room. “I just need to close my eyes for five minutes.”

  My phone wakes me up about two hours later.

  “Are you ready?” asks Lebz.

  “I don’t know.” I yawn and stretch, feeling much better. “We’ll have to see. Hey, did you get the latest Chronicle?”

  “Of course. Nothing there.”

  “I’m not so sure. I know there was nothing obvious, but I’m starting to get a funny feeling about that paper. How do they get all those stories that bigger, better papers can’t get? It makes no sense.”

  “Maybe they’re bribing people,” says Lebz impatiently. “Who cares? It’s got nothing to do with the Puppetmaster.”

  “I guess not.”

  We chat for a bit longer, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s a connection somewhere, a clue that I’m missing.

  I get up and walk to the kitchen. Dad has fallen asleep in front of the National Geographic channel with his glasses on. I take them off and put them on the coffee table, turn off the TV and then go to the kitchen to warm up some leftovers.
The nagging feeling hasn’t gone away. There’s a link between the Puppetmaster and the GC Chronicle, I’m sure of it, but I’ll have to figure that out later. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

  I’m nervous. Lebz and Wiki keep telling me not to worry. Rakwena says nothing – he knows as well as I do what we’re up against. The day speeds past, and before I know it school is over.

  “Should I come with you?” asks Lebz, as we walk towards Rakwena’s car. “I could just… you know… watch.”

  I give her a look. “You know you don’t want to see this.”

  “It can’t be that bad.” She puts on a sporting smile.

  “It’s better if you’re not there – she might get dangerous.”

  “I know.” She winces. “I can’t tell your dad you were attacked by a dog again.”

  “Go home and get creative.” I push her towards the gate. “It’ll be better this time – we’ll be in Rakwena’s house, where it’s safe. And she won’t have any back-up.”

  Lebz nods, relieved. I can see her emotions are in turmoil. She feels guilty for abandoning me, but she also knows she’ll only be in the way. “Good luck, Connie.” She wraps me in a sudden, awkward hug.

  “Thanks. Get out of here; you’re making me nervous.”

  She smiles weakly and turns away just as Wiki comes running from the library.

  “Glad I caught you,” he pants. “Here! It’s been updated.” He shoves the yellow file with all his supernatural notes into my hand.

  “When did you find time between all your study sessions?” I ask in surprise.

  “Connie, you should really stop underestimating me,” he replies huffily. “Good luck!” He runs off after Lebz.

  Rakwena is waiting in the car. I slide into the passenger seat, still holding the file.

  “I’m not sure you’ll have time to check your notes once we get into the action,” he says dryly.

  “I know, but Wiki went to so much trouble.” I fasten my seatbelt.

  We stop at the Main Mall to pick up Rose and Emily. Rakwena parks at a distance, behind the cathedral, and I walk round to the Mall. Rose is standing at the bus stop opposite the Mall. There’s no sign of Emily. As soon as Rose spots me she hurries towards me, head down, lips pursed.

  “Hey, Rose. Is Emily running late?”

  “Um, no.”

  I’m picking up a wave of panic. “Did Amantle find out we were meeting?”

  Rose shakes her head. “Emily’s not coming. She’s gone!”

  “Gone?”

  “Her parents sent her to her grandparents in Ramotswa. They think Amantle’s got us all on drugs or something, and sending Emily out of town for a while will keep her out of trouble.” Rose bites her lip nervously. “She was happy to go, anyway. She’s scared.”

  “I don’t blame her.” I’m disappointed, but also relieved. Ramotswa is only a few kilometres away, but at least Emily is safely out of the Puppetmaster’s clutches. Then I remember her necklace. As long as she’s wearing it, she’s connected to the Puppetmaster. I mention this to Rose as we walk back to Rakwena’s car.

  “Maybe the distance will make it more difficult for him to control her,” she suggests, but she sounds dubious.

  Rakwena is just as sceptical. “Ramotswa isn’t far,” he says. “The Puppetmaster can find her.”

  I ignore the uneasy feeling in my stomach. “Well, her grandparents are probably stricter than her parents – she won’t be allowed to go gallivanting at night.”

  “We hope,” he mutters, and Rose’s eyes widen in dismay.

  “Don’t worry.” I reach into the backseat to pat her knee. “Just stay in touch with her and keep us informed.”

  She nods, and I face forward again. I don’t want her to know it, but I’m worried. It’s good that Emily has been separated from the other girls, but she’ll never really be safe with that noose still around her neck.

  Monday is the first day of exams, and for the next two weeks I have no time to think about anything else. I hate exams. I get stressed and anxious and lose my appetite, and after all that trouble I don’t even have a string of distinctions to show for it. Wiki has all but disappeared from our lives, spending every free moment in the library.

  I don’t see Rakwena much, either. For the first time I realise that he’s in Form Five, and his exams are more important than ours. He’s not doing Form Six, so he won’t be coming back to Syringa next year. The thought fills me with panic.

  I have my last exam on a Thursday, so on Friday I get to sleep in. I’m curled up in bed, blissfully ignoring the rays of sunshine pouring into my room, when I hear a familiar noise outside. It’s Ntatemogolo’s old Toyota Venture. He must have bought it a century ago or something; it’s rusting in so many places. It’s a yellowed cream white colour, and it makes the most terrible crk-crk-crk sound when it moves.

  I open my eyes and lie still, listening. The car rolls to a juddering stop in front of the house. I rub the sleep out of my eyes with a disappointed yawn. I was really hoping to stay in bed till noon today, just because I can, but I know Ntatemogolo didn’t come all this way for a casual visit.

  I get out of bed and go to open the door in my pyjamas. Ntatemogolo comes up the walkway. “Morning, Ntatemogolo.”

  “Morning, Connie.” He glances at the empty spot where Dad’s car is usually parked. “He’s at work?”

  I nod. “Come in. Do you want some breakfast?”

  “Breakfast?” he snorts as he walks past me into the house. “It’s ten o’clock, my girl – I’ve been awake for hours. Close that door, we have to talk.”

  I close the door, stifle a yawn and follow him into the living room. “Is everything OK?”

  He ignores me. “How were the exams?”

  I frown. “Fine.” Surely he didn’t come here to ask me that.

  “Did you study hard?”

  “Yes, Ntatemogolo.”

  “And you think you passed everything?”

  “Yes, Ntatemogolo.”

  “Good.” He seems relieved to have that out of the way. “Now, on to serious matters. You remember when we spoke, before all that business with the second necklace. We talked about the GC Chronicle.”

  I perch on the armrest of one of the chairs. “I remember.”

  “I found out a few things about Gabathuse, the young man who runs that paper,” he says. “He’s a rascal, that one. He’s the reason those young girls are in this mess.”

  I slide off the armrest into the chair, now fully awake. “What do you mean? How is he involved in this?”

  Ntatemogolo sighs and shakes his head. “Not long ago, he was in debt and the paper was struggling. Gabathuse started bribing people for information. Word got around among the shady characters in town that he was looking for hot stories, and a wealthy stranger got in touch with him. They struck a deal. The stringer would provide exclusive stories, and all Gabathuse had to do was find five smart youngsters who could assist his benefactor with a big project he was working on.

  “Gabathuse was acquainted with Amantle’s father and knew about her group of friends. When the girl’s father invited him to a party at his home, Gabathuse asked if he could bring along a friend who was new in town and eager to make business contacts. This mysterious friend, of course, was the Puppetmaster.”

  My heart leaps. “So you know who he is?”

  Ntatemogolo shakes his head. “No, my girl. Gabathuse himself doesn’t know much about the man. He doesn’t even know his real name. He calls him John. Just John, no surname. He doesn’t know anything about him except that he’s rich.”

  “But he knows what he looks like, at least.”

  Ntatemogolo shrugs. “Tall. Thin. About forty, with glasses. A vague description that could fit many men. Gabathuse only met him in person at the party; before that they communicated by phone. He might recognise him if he saw him again, but I don’t think this John would be foolish enough to let that happen. He could have changed his appearance. He might even have been in disg
uise.”

  I bite my lip to keep myself from swearing out loud. I can’t believe that we came so close, only to end up with nothing!

  “Don’t be disappointed,” my grandfather says gently. “We’ve made progress. Now we know how the Puppetmaster found the girls.”

  “You’re right.” I sigh, suddenly feeling exhausted again and eager to get back to bed. “At least we know something. But if Gabathuse can’t lead us to the Puppetmaster, then we’re back to where we started – relying on the girls.”

  He nods. “They will lead us to him eventually. Now that he has lost Rose and Emily is out of his reach, he might panic.”

  I look at him. “Ntatemogolo, how did you find out all this stuff about Gabathuse?”

  “He told me, of course.” He pulls a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket.

  “Dad doesn’t like people smoking in the house,” I remind him.

  “He’s not here, is he?”

  I shrug; I’m not getting into it. I’m much more interested in how he got his information. “Did you just call the guy and ask him questions? Does he know you?”

  “A lot of people know me.” He lights the cigarette and inhales deeply. “I just asked for a moment of his time. He was happy to oblige. I convinced him to tell me things he wouldn’t normally have revealed.” He smiles around the cigarette.

  “You didn’t… do something to him, did you? Something… you know… magical?”

  He chuckles. “Don’t worry, my girl. The young man is fine. As far as he’s concerned, we had a long talk about the history of this country. I always tell these youngsters that they should spend time with their elders, get to know where they come from. Otherwise we end up with a generation like yours… can’t speak your own language properly, can’t use a single proverb…” He shakes his head, but his eyes are twinkling.

  I refrain from rolling my eyes.

  He gets to his feet, blowing smoke rings. “This Puppetmaster is powerful, but he’s human, and humans make mistakes.” He touches my shoulder gently. “Remember that.”

  I walk him to the door and wave him off, feeling slightly more optimistic. He’s right. The Puppetmaster is flawed, like the rest of us. One of these days he’ll slip, and we’ll finally catch him. I just hope it happens before he finds Emily.