The Tightrope

by Hiba Basit

  She opens her eyes. ‘Elizabeth Swan? You’re meant to save the governor’s daughter, Captain Sparrow, not kill her!’

  He eyes her suspiciously. ‘Who said?’

  ‘It’s just the way the story goes,’ she says.

  He tucks his sword into his belt. ‘No story is the same,’ he replies, walking towards the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice. Wise words, Annette thinks, as she lifts herself from the floor and walks upstairs.

  She pauses outside Mali’s door, her hand resting on the handle. She thinks carefully about what she is about to do: trespass into her territory, invade her privacy, probably break her trust, whether Mali found out about this or not. She’d never be able to look her in the eye and tell her that she could confide in her without feeling some terrible sense of guilt afterwards. And if life would permit it, guilt was something she could happily do without for a while. No, being there for her if she needed to talk was one thing, but going through her personal possessions to find out what she needed to talk about was another thing altogether.

  Annette removes her hand from the doorknob. Instead, she dials Mali’s number but it reaches voicemail. After leaving a message, she puts her phone away and retreats downstairs, hoping Matt has climbed a tree and jumped off it, hopefully knocking some sense into him.

  David pumps the left side of the bouncy castle situated in the garden, blowing it up as firmly as he can manage, whilst Matt attends to the other side. They continue to work in tandem for over an hour, taking five-minute breaks in between cold sips of lemonade and mouthfuls of pretzels. The sun glimmers above, draping the unfinished castle in a delicate orange glow. Matt looks up as Amelie runs into the backyard for the umpteenth time, asking if her castle is fit for the princess yet. David shoots her a stare, pointing to the sweat transpiring on his forehead, and she turns and rushes back inside without another word, most likely gone sulking to Annette. Just as he thought, Annette appears a moment later, barefoot, sipping lemonade through a straw.

  ‘Amelie’s getting impatient,’ she says, sitting down next to him.

  ‘We know!’ Matt snaps, ferociously pumping his foot pedal.

  David looks up, detecting tension between them. ‘Everything all right?’ he asks.

  Annette sips her drink. ‘Yeah, Matt’s just being a dick, is all.’ She gets up and walks back inside. Matt watches her leave, feeling David stare at him from the corner of his eye. He releases the foot pedal and gets up.

  ‘I’ll be back,’ Matt says, patting David on the back.

  ‘Whatever’s happened, don’t make her angrier than she is!’ David calls.

  Matt nods and disappears. Inside, he finds Annette sitting on the front porch, her lemonade replaced by a bottle of wine. He sits down next to her, resting his weight on his arms and squinting into the sunlight ahead.

  ‘Have you come to harass me some more?’ she says.

  ‘That was hardly harassment!’

  She takes a swig. ‘Whatever.’

  He sighs. ‘Can I have some?’ She hands the bottle to him. He takes a sip. ‘You know, Mel was really upset when she found out you’d lied to her.’

  ‘I said I’m sorry,’ she says.

  ‘I was too.’ She turns to look at him. ‘We care about you and David. I think more than you realise. Look, if someone in my family was going through crap, you’d be the first to announce that talking helps.’ She sighs, mulling over how her resolution to be more honest about her feelings has quickly plummeted down the drain, the only direction she knows to take it.

  ‘John said Mali’s at practice,’ she says, concerned about her whereabouts.

  ‘Yeah, she’s got a tournament coming up next month.’

  ‘Is that why she looks so stressed?’

  Matt glances at her in confusion. ‘Does she?’

  ‘I’m asking you.’

  ‘I haven’t noticed. I’ve been so busy with work and the baby. I’ve hardly seen her, to be honest.’

  ‘Keep an eye on her, that’s all.’

  He nods. ‘So, am I forgiven?’

  ‘You haven’t even apologised!’

  He laughs half-heartedly. ‘Do I need to?’ He wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close. As the guests inside begin to set the table, the sun vanishes behind the branches of distant trees, casting obscure pendulum patterns on her arms. She watches the rhythmic movement, mesmerised by the way the temperature on her arms changes with the shadows of the trees, from golden warmth to a gentle breeze.

  ‘I know this is a bit early,’ Matt says, interrupting her thoughts. ‘It just feels like a good time to ask you if you would like to be a godmother to our fourth and final child.’

  Annette smiles as warmth fills her once more. ‘I’d love to, Matt!’ she laughs, patting his chest.

  ‘Great. And David?’

  ‘He may want more status than a godfather!’

  ‘Right. I’ll keep that in mind. Better get back! Are you staying out here?’

  ‘For a bit longer.’

  ‘All right. I’ll call you when the cake is ready.’

  He returns inside as Annette leans back, surveying the street and passers-by. A man rounding a bend angrily toots at a group of kids who cycle carelessly across the road and nearly collide into the rear of his car. A woman bends over to pick up the banana skin that landed on someone’s lawn instead of the bin she was aiming at. Who are we all, Annette thinks silently, feeling like she’s looking at the world through a telescope. Suddenly, everything seems new and foreign, as if she’s watching humankind from above, physically and mentally reserved from the technicality of it all. It strikes her that people only distance themselves from something, whether they are conscious of it or totally unaware, if they find it frightening or threatening. Why, then, was she feeling this way? Why was she starting to feel lost in a world she had tried so hard to feel safe in?

  The faraway echo of her name forces her to stand up. She watches the sun in the sky for a little longer and then turns to go back inside.

  As the day comes to an end, Annette and David wave goodbye to their guests. Melissa thanks them for arranging the party, taking Amelie by the hand and leading her outside. Matt saunters downstairs, carrying John, who is fast asleep in his arms.

  ‘Thanks for today,’ he whispers. ‘The kids really enjoyed it.’

  ‘No worries, mate,’ says David, ruffling John’s hair. ‘See you all soon.’

  Matt walks down the front steps and opens the car door, settling John down next to Amelie. ‘Place a hand on your brother please,’ he says to Amelie. Then, he gets in the car, waves goodbye and reverses out of the driveway. Annette is halfway up the stairs when she hears her name. She reluctantly turns to a vigilant David.

  ‘You’re helping me clean,’ he orders, validating his statement by throwing her a dish towel. It lands at her feet.

  ‘We’ll do it tomorrow. Let’s just go to bed,’ she moans.

  ‘We have to drop Santana off at the airport tomorrow.’

  Annette reluctantly picks the towel up and lazily traipses downstairs. She looks at the mess in her home and groans. In the kitchen, David fills the sink with cleaning liquid and water and slips on a pair of green waterproof gloves.

  ‘I’ll dry then,’ she sulks, leaning over the counter and resting her head on top of it. He looks at her and grins.

  ‘What’s up with you today?’

  ‘Nothing. I’ve just had a rough day.’

  ‘You went shopping with Santana. How rough could it have been?’

  ‘Very,’ she laughs. ‘I’ve had a rough week, then!’

  He lifts an eyebrow. ‘Are you still thinking about Jonah and Melanie?’

  ‘Maybe,’ she whispers.

  He slips the gloves off and wraps his arms around her. ‘What can I do to help?’ he asks, warming her skin over her dress.

  ‘Let me go to sleep,’ she says, grinning. Then, she shakes her head. ‘I don’t think you can,’ she sighs, leaning into the warmth of
his torso.

  ‘Then I think you need to talk to Jordan,’ he says, and it sounds like a demand rather than a suggestion.

  ‘He can’t make Morgan reappear!’ she snaps. This is the first time she’s mentioned Morgan’s name. David steps back and watches her. She looks tired and worn-out and a spasm of guilt ripples through him for making her clean the house with him. He remains stuck for words when she throws the dish towel onto the table and ties the bin bag into a knot. ‘I’m going to take this out. Then, we’re going to bed!’

  ‘You go. I don’t mind clearing up.’ She smiles at him as he drops more dirty crockery into the water. The phone begins to ring as soon as Annette leaves. He curses out loud as he tries to locate it within the mess, the soapy water dripping from the gloves onto the floor. Finally discovering it underneath a pile of birthday banners, he places it next to his ear with his arm, trying to pull the wet gloves off at the same time. He frees one hand and answers.

  ‘Hi, Matt! Mate, I can’t hear you properly. I think I just put foam in my ear!’ he laughs, but suddenly stops. ‘Bloody hell! Sure, we’ll be over soon.’ As he rushes out of the kitchen, nearly slipping on the foam-covered floor, the clock hits midnight.

  ‘Get in the car,’ he orders Annette, who is busy separating plastic from paper.

  ‘Why?’ she asks, sulkily turning towards him.

  ‘I’ll tell you in the car. Get in!’

  She runs across the grass towards the car. ‘What about Santana?’

  ‘She’s asleep. We’ll be back before she has to leave.’

  ‘David, what’s going on?’

  He turns the engine on and secures the seatbelt. ‘It’s Mali,’ he confesses, hastily reversing the car out of the driveway. ‘You may have been right to worry about her after all.’

  Annette taps the doorknocker as quietly as she can, hoping John and Amelie don’t wake up hearing the sudden noise. Matt opens the door and lets her in. Inside, in the darkness illuminated by a solitary fluorescent lamp, their home appears even more cluttered than her own, with Amelie’s presents piled high into a corner, wrapping paper strewn across the floor and over the settee, the birthday banner hanging loosely off the wall with paint or cream smeared over it, so that the words are almost unrecognisable; for all people know; today could have been a very early Christmas celebration.

  Melissa is talking on the phone when she glimpses Annette in the doorway, signalling that she’ll be with her in a minute. Annette turns to Matt as David enters.

  ‘Mali isn’t back yet?’ she finally asks, giving gravity to the words.

  Matt nods. ‘We called her friend and her mother picked up. She said she had seen her in the city centre today. I said that was impossible since she’s been at practice with Ellie. She said Ellie had gone to her father’s place for the weekend and there wasn’t any practice until next week.’

  ‘So she lied about going shopping?’ she asks, but Matt’s anxiety hints it’s more than that as he chews his lip.

  ‘Ellie’s mother said she wasn’t on her own. She was with a guy.’

  ‘She has a boyfriend?’ Annette guesses, becoming more puzzled by the second.

  ‘No! Ellie’s mother said the guy looked very similar to her gym teacher.’

  The atmosphere instantly thickens around them.

  ‘Why didn’t Ellie’s mother stop them?’ David asks.

  ‘She said she didn’t know it was him for sure,’ Matt explains.

  ‘Who cares? If he appeared a lot older, it doesn’t matter who the hell he is!’

  Matt rubs his face using the palms of his hands, evidently thinking the same thing as David, but not knowing what to do with it. His face is etched with worry and fear as he speaks. ‘I don’t know why she didn’t stop her or why Mali is hanging around with this guy. I just want to know where she is right now.’

  Melissa enters and leans against him. Matt wraps his arms around her, as David did to Annette in their kitchen moments ago.

  ‘Mel,’ Annette calls, using a tone that makes her look at her. ‘I’m sure she’s fine. Try not to stress. It’s not good for the baby.’

  ‘I know,’ she mumbles. ‘Why would she lie to us though? If she’s going out with that guy, I swear… he’s a fucking old man –.’

  ‘We don’t know anything yet. Ellie’s mother could’ve been mistaken,’ Matt cuts in.

  ‘Shall I make us something to drink?’ David asks, trying to ease the tension.

  ‘Black tea would be good, mate. I’ll help you.’

  As they both disappear into the kitchen, Annette helps Melissa to sit comfortably on the sofa. ‘What are you thinking?’ she asks, recognising the look in her eyes.

  ‘I just hope she’s safe. That she hasn’t gone and done something stupid. I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming.’

  ‘You’ve got a lot on your mind right now. If she said she was going to practise, there was no reason for you not to believe her.’

  ‘But I knew something was going on. I just never asked her.’

  ‘You did?’ Annette is suddenly aware of her heart beating faster.

  ‘Yes. I even said to Matt to keep an eye on her and then we got preoccupied with the baby.’

  Annette contemplates whether to mention her own appraisal of Mali’s recent strange behaviour, about how informed she was concerning the GO cases, particularly clued-up with Andrei’s involvement with the orphans. She decides against it.

  ‘Let’s just see what happens when she gets back,’ she says. As if on cue, the keys clatter in the lock and the front door opens. Mali tiptoes inside, closing the door without a sound. She almost passes them before noticing the kitchen light.

  ‘Hi,’ she says, smiling, before a look of concern clouds her face. ‘Is everything OK?’ Hearing her voice, Matt walks into the room, David following closely behind.

  ‘Where have you been?’ Matt asks.

  ‘Gym practice. I’m sorry it’s so late.’

  ‘We know you weren’t at practice.’

  ‘Dad, of course I was!’

  ‘With Ellie? Because her mother said Ellie hasn’t mentioned any tournament coming up next month.’

  Mali looks at her father as if he’s crazy. ‘Fine. Ellie got kicked out of gym class, but she didn’t want her mother to know. You can call her and ask if you want. Is that all?’

  Matt makes a beeline for her. ‘Hold on. Why are you so late back?’

  She shrugs, looking at the floor. ‘I went shopping with a mate and then went back to his place.’

  ‘His place?’

  ‘Yes, Dad, I do have friends of the opposite sex!’

  ‘Ellie’s mum said she saw you with a guy today.’

  ‘So what? Who is Ellie’s mum anyway, police patrol?’

  ‘Who is this friend?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  ‘Who is it?’ Matt’s voice sounds unnaturally calm, given that his face is red with rage. ‘Mali?’

  ‘I don’t need to tell you everything,’ she says, running upstairs and slamming her bedroom door shut.

  ‘I think that’s our cue to leave,’ Annette says, rising.

  Melissa places a hand on hers. ‘Can you talk to her?’

  ‘Sure. Get some rest now!’

  Outside, Annette climbs into the passenger seat and leans her head against the window, closing her eyes for a moment. David watches her.

  ‘What do you think you know?’ he asks, interrupting her brief reverie.

  ‘If Ellie’s mother is right, I think Mali may have got herself in a bit of a situation.’

  ‘Are you going to tell Mel?’

  ‘I want to talk to Mali about it first. I know I won’t be able to stop her from seeing the guy, but I can try and make her aware before he tries anything with her.’

  ‘Don’t you think it’s better if we tell the school? Get him reported?’

  She sighs. ‘Not better for Mali. She’ll say we went behind her back, probably won’t talk to any of us. Then, who wi
ll she turn to? It’ll be him and he’ll have the perfect opportunity to take advantage of her.’

  David brakes at a traffic light, although there is no traffic to be seen at two o’clock in the morning.

  ‘I’m thinking about what she said to you about Andrei.’ He glances at her in the mirror. ‘I hope this has nothing to do with that.’ But the minute his words register in her mind, she’s already realised what’s happened, her thoughts frantically sending alarm bells jolting through her body, silently alerting her to what’s to come next.

  The heat is blazing as Annette drags the luggage bags towards the car and hauls them inside. The sun burns the back of her neck as she bends down to tow Santana’s profusion of bags and boxes. When she pulls away, her necklace catches on one of the bags and splits from her neck, landing onto the floor of the car. She bends down and feels for the chain, her hand grazing what she hopes is a woolly glove or a sock. Feeling her skin start to prickle beneath the heat, she curses, drags the luggage back outside and dislodges the rear car seats so she can get a better view of what’s hiding. Her necklace hangs loosely from the fibres under the seat, the locket open and dangling sideways. Frustrated, she pulls it free and snaps it shut, enclosing the broken chain in her palms as she notices David making his way towards her. He eyes the car first and then the mound of luggage.

  ‘Was there an earthquake?’ he jokes. ‘Silent one, obviously, since I didn’t hear anything.’

  ‘I’m just struggling with the suitcases,’ she says, feeling flustered.

  ‘What did you do to the car?’

  ‘My necklace fell under the seat.’ She glares at the sun. ‘This is more like the Aussie weather! They could have warned us about the damn humidity!’

  Santana comes skipping out, a Capri coloured vest and khaki shorts highlighting her profile. ‘The sun has done wonders for my tan. It’s never like this in New York. Not even in the summer!’

  David grins. ‘Well, now that you know your way around, come and visit any time you like.’