boy.”
“What’s his name?”
Another shrug.
“Was it the same boy who gave you the message before?”
Silence.
“What’s he look like? Is he tall? Or short?”
More silence.
“Is he white? Black?”
Continued silence.
Sade lost her temper.
“I know it’s from Lizard Eyes,” she screamed. “It’s that Errol Richards, isn’t it? Even if he didn’t give it to you himself! I told you to keep away from him, Femi, didn’t I? I’m going to tell Papa that you’re getting mixed up in bad company!”
“I’m not!” Femi shouted back. “You don’t know anything!”
“You’re going to make trouble for us. The immigration people won’t give Papa his papers because of you!” Her voice was spiraling out of control. She hadn’t meant to get carried away like this. She heard herself beginning to yellabout Marco—and Bonzo dying because of him. Femi’s eyes filled up with tears, and he turned his back on her.
A waft of shame overcame Sade, and she fled back to her room. It was Lizard Eyes she should be shouting at, not Femi. Trembling, she stuffed the parcel into her rubbish bin. Lizard Eyes was getting at her again. He was beginning to use her little brother! But what could she tell Papa? The past was the past, and better left alone. Nor did she want to accuse Femi unfairly. Who could say what Papa would do? If he let loose his temper and overreacted, he might make matters worse. It wouldn’t only be Femi who would be embarrassed. She would be too.
Sade sat down at her desk and spread out her books. She picked up her pen, trying to concentrate on what she had to do. But the disc, wrapped in gold paper and dumped in her rubbish bin, kept troubling her. She hadn’t even let herself look properly at the cover with its picture of her favorite group. It wouldn’t do any harm, would it? One voice in her head said, “Don’t be so uptight! Cheer yourself up, girl!” Another said, “No way are you taking anything from Lizard Eyes!” With these voices arguing inside her, she wouldn’t get any work done at all. Finally she pulled out her Discman from her drawer and then let her hand slip into the bin. After removing the disc, she returned the cover to the bin, in case Femi came back. She just wanted to play the track once. Then she would be able to concentrate on her work.
M ONDAY 29 TH S EPTEMBER
10:30 P.M .
All evening I’ve been thinking: Who is Lizard Eyes using as his go-between? Last time Femi told me that it was an older boy who said we looked alike. Is it someone in my year? My class? I don’t know why, but I’ve suddenly started thinking about James Dalton. He was an A student until last year. He even came to Ms. Nichols’s book club in year eight, although he kept it a secret from his other friends. Ms. Nichols used to announce, “I want to see you after school, James Dalton.” She made it sound a bit like he was in trouble, but actually she was reminding him about book club! He was really good in the group. He picked up clues in books that the rest of us missed. Ms. Nichols said that he would make a good detective. Mariam teased me that I fancied James more than the books, but it wasn’t like that. It was just more fun with him there. Then things changed in year nine. He came to the club only once, right at the beginning. Next thing, James had dropped down to B set, so we hardly saw each other, except at tutor time. Once or twice I spotted him in the same crowd as Lizard Eyes. I was amazed. Why would he want to be friends with someone so crude and flashy? But mostly James hung out with his own crowd, so I didn’t reallythink that they could be that close.
Well, maybe I was wrong. I don’t know if I’m any good as a detective, but tomorrow I’m going to find out.
11
Miss Daddy’s Girl
“What makes you think James will listen to you? Shouldn’t you tell your dad?” Mariam asked earnestly after Sade described her plan. They sat on a bench in the playground, waiting for
“What’s his name?”
Another shrug.
“Was it the same boy who gave you the message before?”
Silence.
“What’s he look like? Is he tall? Or short?”
More silence.
“Is he white? Black?”
Continued silence.
Sade lost her temper.
“I know it’s from Lizard Eyes,” she screamed. “It’s that Errol Richards, isn’t it? Even if he didn’t give it to you himself! I told you to keep away from him, Femi, didn’t I? I’m going to tell Papa that you’re getting mixed up in bad company!”
“I’m not!” Femi shouted back. “You don’t know anything!”
“You’re going to make trouble for us. The immigration people won’t give Papa his papers because of you!” Her voice was spiraling out of control. She hadn’t meant to get carried away like this. She heard herself beginning to yellabout Marco—and Bonzo dying because of him. Femi’s eyes filled up with tears, and he turned his back on her.
A waft of shame overcame Sade, and she fled back to her room. It was Lizard Eyes she should be shouting at, not Femi. Trembling, she stuffed the parcel into her rubbish bin. Lizard Eyes was getting at her again. He was beginning to use her little brother! But what could she tell Papa? The past was the past, and better left alone. Nor did she want to accuse Femi unfairly. Who could say what Papa would do? If he let loose his temper and overreacted, he might make matters worse. It wouldn’t only be Femi who would be embarrassed. She would be too.
Sade sat down at her desk and spread out her books. She picked up her pen, trying to concentrate on what she had to do. But the disc, wrapped in gold paper and dumped in her rubbish bin, kept troubling her. She hadn’t even let herself look properly at the cover with its picture of her favorite group. It wouldn’t do any harm, would it? One voice in her head said, “Don’t be so uptight! Cheer yourself up, girl!” Another said, “No way are you taking anything from Lizard Eyes!” With these voices arguing inside her, she wouldn’t get any work done at all. Finally she pulled out her Discman from her drawer and then let her hand slip into the bin. After removing the disc, she returned the cover to the bin, in case Femi came back. She just wanted to play the track once. Then she would be able to concentrate on her work.
M ONDAY 29 TH S EPTEMBER
10:30 P.M .
All evening I’ve been thinking: Who is Lizard Eyes using as his go-between? Last time Femi told me that it was an older boy who said we looked alike. Is it someone in my year? My class? I don’t know why, but I’ve suddenly started thinking about James Dalton. He was an A student until last year. He even came to Ms. Nichols’s book club in year eight, although he kept it a secret from his other friends. Ms. Nichols used to announce, “I want to see you after school, James Dalton.” She made it sound a bit like he was in trouble, but actually she was reminding him about book club! He was really good in the group. He picked up clues in books that the rest of us missed. Ms. Nichols said that he would make a good detective. Mariam teased me that I fancied James more than the books, but it wasn’t like that. It was just more fun with him there. Then things changed in year nine. He came to the club only once, right at the beginning. Next thing, James had dropped down to B set, so we hardly saw each other, except at tutor time. Once or twice I spotted him in the same crowd as Lizard Eyes. I was amazed. Why would he want to be friends with someone so crude and flashy? But mostly James hung out with his own crowd, so I didn’t reallythink that they could be that close.
Well, maybe I was wrong. I don’t know if I’m any good as a detective, but tomorrow I’m going to find out.
11
Miss Daddy’s Girl
“What makes you think James will listen to you? Shouldn’t you tell your dad?” Mariam asked earnestly after Sade described her plan. They sat on a bench in the playground, waiting for
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