Wat nou?

Hoofstuk 3:

Salomay:
Voordat ek my oë oopmaak, probeer ek eers sin
maak van wat gebeur het. Daar was a
ontploffing, as gevolg van ’n bom, en ek was
seker dit was a terroris se daad. Die klank van
wiele op die pad laat my oë oopvlieg.

Ek was in die agtersitplek van ’n kar.
Iets keer my om heeltemal regop te kom. Wit,
plastiek bande is om my gewrigte vasgemaak.
Daar is ’n beweging voor my en ’n paar
grasgroen oë bekyk my in die truspieël.
“Let me go,” skree ek op hom.
’n Donker wenkbrou lig stadig. “What accent is
that?”
Ek gluur hom aan en probeer hom in die
agterkant van sy stoel skop, maar daar is een of
ander harde laag wat my keer om enige skade
aan hom te doen. “It’s my accent. Now stop the
car and let me go.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Ek sweer dat as ek kon het ek al lankal die deur
oopgeruk en by die kar uitgespring. Maar ek
kan nie, aangesien die vark my met cable ties
aan die sitbelt ding vasgemaak het.

“Listen,” begin ek en haal diep asem. “Just let me out and we’ll go our separate ways.”
“I think not.”

Mislike blerrie ding.

“Why did you kidnap me, then? If you’re
planning to send out a ransom, you should
have gone for someone who’s loaded with
money.”
Sy oë ontmoet myne weer in die truspieëltjie.
“I’m not giving anyone a ransom.”
Ek sug en laat my kop teen die stoel val. “Then
why am I here?”
“You overheard my conversation. It was
supposed to be private.”
Ek gee hom ’n bitter kyk. “You’re looking for
privacy in a mall?”
Hy was still vir ’n oomblik. “To be fair-“
“Ag, regtig, man!” onderbreek ek hom in Afrikaans.
Hy frons vir my in die spieëltjie, nie seker of ek
hom nou net gevloek het nie. “You’re a bloody
terrorist. The word ‘fair’ doesn’t even exist in
your vocabulary.”
He haal sy skouers op. Daar was nog ’n
oomblik se stilte.
“You got a name?” vra hy my.
Dit kon nie seer maak om te antwoord nie.
"Salomay."
"I’m Keith.”
“Weird name.”
Alles omtrent die blerrie situasie was weird.
“Tell me about it.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“I won’t guarantee an answer, but yes.”
“Do you enjoy blowing up malls?”

Keith:
My eyes flicked to the rearview mirror and she
steadily met my gaze. Just like that, she had
managed to break through my walls entirely.
Do I enjoy blowing up malls?
Obviously, the answer was no. Or yes. No. I
didn’t enjoy blowing up malls but I had no
choice. She didn’t understand. If Dayne found
out that I couldn’t go through with it, what
would he do to me?
Get rid of me, because I would be a liability.
The thought terrified me. He was the only
person I had in my life.
“Does it bother you that you just killed
people?” she went on.
“Yes, it does.”
That shut her up.