CHAPTER ELEVEN
Z
Asa's fifth puzzle picture is almost half way though and I'm happy to find him alone on his table. I can't remember the last time I came home and didn't find 'Father'. And although I'm secretly starting to warm up to him, I'd rather continue limiting his presence from Tendai and I.
"Looking good" I say taking a sit across Asa and he says nothing. I begin searching for pieces who's colours resemble the part that's done. There aren't many in the smaller piles so I dive into the heaped pile with at least a hundred pieces.
"Which comrade liked picture puzzles?" I probe not expecting to get a name. I simply used the puzzle to bring in the comrade conversation seeing as we both had an encounter with one in the past week.
"Bob" he says. Obviously taking me by surprise. "Oh really?" I continue encouragingly. He gets the hint and shares a little more.
"Bob is the brain. Like the intelligence in every government he has to see things coming but he doesn't always do."
"Does he get into trouble with boss when he fails"
"He will eventually"
The pieces I've been isolating from all piles seem to be moving Asa at a high speed and this makes me happy and sad at the same time. I can clearly get this child to talk about anything so long as he's building these picture puzzles. What will I use when he's completed them? I can't help but think this is also therapy for him. Having heard and witnessed so much, he must be using this game as an escape.
"Do you have bad memories about the gang?"
"Organisation" he corrects, then proceeds to explain it was not possible for him to have regrets since he was never actively involved in anything the organisation did.
I then ask if he ever witnessed anything that disturbed his spirit. He keeps quiet for a while, flipping and turning two pieces he obviously thinks belong together.
"I saw them hitting a distraction once but I was scared for a little while. My mother's car drove in then boss told the comrades to stop. They told the destruction they'll do worse to him if he breaths a word then had him leave through the back so that my mother wouldn't see"
"How come your mother couldn't see?"
"Zizo promised her no business will be conducted in our house but he was lying all the time. When mom found out the truth, she dumped their relationship"
I feel better about Ella's parenting just from hearing this. A big part of me gravitated to mom's opinion about her but I can feel my mindset shift a little.
Not knowing how to ask about him following a former comrade and bringing in my personal experience; I end up sitting in silence and occasionally helping with the picture that's coming together almost too quickly. I can already make out some parts of it, like the tires piled up on top of each other next to a broken down bus. And with only the bottom left corner of about twenty pieces missing, Asa stops and stares at the almost complete photo. Then from nowhere, he gets up, slaps the picture - breaking apart a few pieces then walks away frustrated.
"Asanda!" I call after him and he stops and looks back at me.
"What happened now?" I ask with a frown and a little annoyance at this child's on and off moods when it comes to these puzzles.
"I already figured that one out" He says deadpan.
"This picture?"
"Yeah" he says then continues on his tracks, leaving me confused and planning a meeting with all the family elders.
YOU ARE READING
My Son
Mystery / ThrillerA young man learns that his identical twin recently discovered he has a nine-year-old child. Upon meeting the little boy, he realises the baby mama might be mistaken about which of them is the biological father. To spare his twin the truth of his po...
