Huda was here, p.11
Huda Was Here, page 11
‘Haven’t you noticed how Mr Nichols picks his nose when he thinks no one is looking?’ Omar said, laughing.
‘Or how Mrs Beatty pours Coke into her plastic water bottle and sculls it in class?’ Kholoud snorted and we all laughed.
But Huda didn’t. She walked with me at the front of the group, but kept her eyes on the road.
‘I have a bad feeling,’ she whispered. Her eyes darted up the street.
‘It’s all good, Buds. We’re not far from home now,’ I said, feeling relaxed and happy.
‘I don’t think we should walk this way. I don’t think we should walk together,’ my sister muttered quickly.
I wanted to tell her to chillax, like she always tells me. But the police car’s headlights flicked on, shining right on us and blinding me. I shut my eyes and stood frozen.
‘SPLIT!’ my little sister screamed at the top of her lungs.
On the Loose
The twins sprinted in one direction and Kholoud and Omar bolted in the other. Huda pushed me into a bush and then ran out onto the road to face the police car. She jumped up and down, waving her hands.
‘I’m here! I’m the Crimanimal! Come and get me!’
There was dead silence. But then came the sound of an opening car door. And another. I peered through the bushes. Two policemen stepped out of the vehicle. They left their doors open and the engine running. I glanced at Huda, who was still waving her hands in the air and leaping from side to side. Vomit rose to my throat and my head spun. There was my little sister on her own, using herself as bait to protect the rest of us.
The police officers stared at the small dancer in the middle of the road with her keffiyeh wrapped around her head. Then they looked at each other. One of them called to Huda to stand with her hands where they could see them.
Huda stopped flapping about and lifted her arms above her head. The police strolled towards her, one tilting his head and the other with his eyes narrowed. I could tell this wasn’t what they expected to find on their patrol tonight.
Each stride of their black lace-up boots hitting the bitumen exploded in my ears. I couldn’t leave my sister alone to face them. I took a breath, ready to leap between them and Huda. But before I could, Huda bolted down the road, her keffiyeh flailing in the wind.
The two police officers fumbled for a moment, unsure what to do. Then they scampered back to their patrol car and jumped in, hitting the lights. Blue and red flashes lit up the street as they rammed the accelerator and took off after my sister. I jumped out of the bushes just in time to see Huda leap from the road into an overgrown garden. She ducked behind a row of full-sized succulents. The police car slowed. I could see her from where I was, but I knew they couldn’t. Huda crept sideways and into the next garden, out of the sightline of the officers. Then she slowly hobbled backwards, making sure not to turn her back, and leaped onto a pathway between two houses, leading to a small parallel street. The police wouldn’t be able to follow her in the car, they’d have to go on foot. But they didn’t seem to know where she was. They stopped in front of the house Huda was in just moments ago, then slowly moved up to the next, and then the next.
Getting a chance to run before they came back, I dashed across front lawns to stay out of sight. When I saw the police car move further up, I bolted across the road and down the path to follow my sister. We rarely travelled through the small lanes on the edge of our neighbourhood. It was hard to know which way was home but, worse than that, I also knew my sister had a terrible sense of direction.
I sprinted up and down the road and then into adjoining streets, searching for Huda. I kept my eyes peeled for patrol cars, but still made myself just visible enough to Huda if she was hiding. There was still no sign of my sister. I slowed and walked, unsure where to search.
Eventually, I stopped and sat on a kerb, exhausted. I pressed the light-up button on my watch to check the time: 4:17 a.m. Morning prayer would be starting soon, and the sun would begin to rise. I needed to get us home before Mum knew we were missing and before daylight exposed us. Two kids wandering the streets at dawn would catch the attention of anyone on their way to work. I held my head in my hands, praying for an idea or a sign.
I thought I heard my name. I lifted my head and glanced up and down the street. Then I heard it again. I could hear Huda’s voice. But it was distant and fuzzy.
‘Akeal. I’m lost.’ Her voice was surrounded by static. It sounded like she was calling me from another dimension.
‘Are you there? Help me.’ She was becoming more panicked. I jumped to my feet and scanned around me. I looked upwards and into the trees. Nothing.
‘Can you hear me? Over and out!’
Over and out. The penny dropped. The walkie-talkie in my bum bag. I quickly unzipped the bag and pulled it out, almost dropping it as I clicked the red talk button on the side.
‘Huda! I’m here.’
‘Oh my God. I thought these walkie-talkies didn’t work or something. I wouldn’t have been surprised if that ratbag Fadey gave us bodge equipment.’ I could hear the relief in her voice.
‘Where are you?’
‘I don’t know. I kept running from the cops but didn’t have time to think about where I was going.’
‘It’s okay, as long as you’re safe. So what can you see around you?’
‘Houses.’
‘What do the houses look like?’
‘Like houses, Akeal! What do normal houses look like?’ She was losing her temper.
‘Okay, but can you see anything that stands out? Anything distinctive?’
‘I see a trampoline in someone’s front yard. One of the houses has overflowing junk mail. There’s a car parked on the street.’
I rubbed my forehead and took a breath. This was going to be harder than I thought.
‘Can you see the street sign?’ Another voice blasted through the walkie-talkie, and it wasn’t Huda’s. But I recognised it.
Silence.
‘Can you see the street sign, Pip-Squeak?’ it asked again.
‘Fadey! Is that you?’ I asked, relieved.
‘Yeh, bro, it’s me. I have the third walkie-talkie. It’s a three-way set. Pip-Squeak, can you see a street sign?’
‘You may refer to me as Huda and I … I … don’t know,’ my sister stuttered.
‘Well, walk to the end of the street. To the corner. Then tell us what the sign says,’ Fadey said.
‘Okay, going now,’ Huda muttered.
‘So how’s it all been, bro?’ Fadey asked me, as Huda made her way to find the street sign.
‘Things have been all right. We toilet-papered the library tonight.’
‘Oh man, I hate that place. You should see the fines I still get from one overdue book three years ago. They never give up. So how’d Pip-Squeak get lost?’
‘Cops came and sprung us on our way home.’
Fadey laughed.
‘Your second brush with the law and here I am to save you!’
I laughed too, even though we both knew it was more serious than funny. Then Huda’s voice cut in.
‘Sorry to interrupt your little catch-up, boys. But I’ve found the street name.’ I heard Huda sounding out the letters. ‘M-u-l-l-i-g-a-n D-r-i-v-e.’
‘Mulligan Drive? Fadey, where’s that?’ I asked.
‘She’s not even in the suburb anymore. How’d you get all the way over there, Pip-Squeak?’
Huda didn’t bother answering, so Fadey kept talking.
‘Okay, if you’re where I think you are, there should be a big white house on the corner and a tennis court across from it?’
‘Yep.’
‘Good. You need to walk past the tennis court, then take a left and go all the way down until you reach a small roundabout.’
‘Left is the hand you don’t write with, Huda,’ I jumped in.
‘Once you get to the roundabout, go right and you’ll hit the main road. You’ll see the shopping centre from there,’ Fadey told her.
‘Okay, got it.’ I could hear my little sister already jogging.
‘I’ll meet you at the shops in a few minutes, okay, Buds?’
‘Yep,’ my sister panted.
‘Fadey, thanks again. We owe you big time,’ I told him as I began my own sprint towards my sister.
‘Nothing to thank me for, bro. We’re practically cousins!’ He chuckled.
‘But one more thing, Pip-Squeak.’ Fadey paused. ‘You really think I’d give you bodge walkie-talkies?’ I could tell he wasn’t really asking.
‘Can’t talk now. Running,’ Huda puffed.
We arrived home just before sunrise, expecting to find all my siblings back in their rooms, fast asleep. But there, sitting on the patio, was Omar. He was cracking his knuckles and tapping his foot nervously. My big brother stood when he saw us slink into the backyard.
‘Thank God you’re okay.’ He wrapped his arms around me and Huda, pressing us both into his armpits. I struggled to breathe, but Huda was the first to push away.
‘We’re fine. Nothing we couldn’t handle.’ She winked.
‘Did everyone else get home okay?’ I asked my brother.
‘Yeh, they’re all back in their rooms. But listen …’ Omar paused and sat back down on the patio step. ‘This can’t happen again.’
‘What do you mean?’ Huda’s tone changed.
‘What I mean is, tonight needs to be a wake-up call. As your big brother, I’m telling you both now – no more. I understand why you started doing this, I understand that we all want Dad home. But we can’t risk our family being ripped apart even more. Imagine what it’ll do to Mum if you’re caught and taken away.’
‘We’re smarter than that, Omar. We know what we’re doing.’ Huda glared at him and her voice trembled.
‘I don’t care. This isn’t a game.’ Omar stood and ran his fingers through his hair.
My little sister shook her head in protest, but I spoke before she could.
‘I get where you’re coming from. We’ve been careful the whole time, but tonight we let our guard down. That kind of mistake won’t happen again. And I honestly can’t see any other way for Dad to come home.’ This was the first time I’d spoken so firmly to my big brother. I could tell he was surprised from the way his head lurched into his neck.
Huda gave me a half smile and grunted, but Omar’s eyes widened.
‘Enough is enough. Me and Kholoud discussed it. If we find out that any of this crime stuff is still happening, we’ll be telling Mum. End of story,’ he said flatly.
Then he turned around and walked inside.
In Broad Daylight
I strolled down the canteen queue adjusting the velcro on my high-vis vest. Today was the warmest day we’d had in weeks and all the little kids wanted to buy icy poles.
‘Straight line and only one at a time. No pushing in,’ I called over the excited voices.
I’d been canteen monitor for almost a week and missed my lunchtimes shooting hoops. But Mum said it was good for me to volunteer my time to help the school. She said I’d realise the importance of helping others when I was a bit older. I eyed the basketball court over the heads of the six-year-olds. It didn’t feel like it was good or important right now.
The schoolyard was packed full of kids enjoying their lunch. Laughing, running, eating and playing, like they had no problems in the world. Like they got to sleep through the night without having to creep through the streets. Like they weren’t forced to wear a highlighter-yellow vest at lunchtime.
Through the glare and sunshine, I spotted Huda sprinting towards me. She was glancing over her shoulder as she dodged kids rolling on the grass and playing tag. My sister was out of breath by the time she reached me at the front of the canteen line. She bent over and gripped her knees, panting.
‘Aren’t you meant to be in lunchtime reading class?’ I asked.
‘I had an idea,’ Huda said, lifting her head to take a deep breath.
A couple of kids tried to push to the front of the queue to get their icy poles.
‘Oi, back of the line, you two!’ I pointed at them and then jabbed my finger to the end of the long queue. Their shoulders slumped as they slowly shuffled back to wait their turn.
Huda gripped me by the arm.
‘Listen. Mum will be after me soon, but I had to tell you. I had a brainwave.’
‘Huda, the last time you had a brainwave Suha ended up having to go to the doctor to pull an earplug out of her nose.’
Huda giggled.
‘That was so funny. Who would’ve thought she’d actually stick it up there? Remember when Dr Carey pulled it out – it was all squashed and covered in snot! Anyway, point is, we’re not doing any crime tonight. It’s too risky with Omar being a sook.’
I almost felt relieved, but Huda kept talking.
‘Just now they forced me to read a book about a little baby who crawls through a cat flap and his mum thinks he’s missing.’
‘Um, okay. I don’t get where this is going.’
Huda glanced over her shoulder.
‘What I mean is – we need to commit a crime in daylight.’ My sister paused and licked her lips. She lowered her voice to a whisper.
‘After lunch, we have assembly. Make sure you get your name marked off on the afternoon roll call. Be the last one in the line as you walk to assembly hall. When no one’s looking, slip away from your class and meet me behind the maintenance shed.’
‘That’s too risky. I won’t do it.’ Before I could say anything else, Huda dashed across the lawn and back towards her class.
‘Don’t let me – I mean Dad – down!’ she called as she jumped over a kid eating his lunch.
Miss Olsen checked our names off the roll after lunch, then asked us to line up. I slowly stood from my desk but bobbed down to tie my shoelaces to buy some time. When I’d finished tying the last knot, all the kids were already at the door, waiting for me. When I joined them at the end of line, we began our walk to the assembly hall. Like a colony of ants making their way to the nest, every year level in the whole school marched in the same direction. I spotted Huda’s class ahead of mine, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Taking a deep breath, I lunged towards the drink fountains and shoved my head down to the tap. I pretended to take a sip of water but kept my eye on the groups of kids and teachers pushing past. My tongue was dry; on any other day I could have drunk a whole litre in one go, but I barely managed to swallow a single drop.
The last group of kids shuffled past and I took one final pretend gulp before lifting my head to check if anyone else was still around. The school was empty. I darted to the oval and then sprinted across the cricket pitches towards the maintenance shed. I saw Huda before she saw me. She wasn’t even behind the shed; she was standing right in front of it.
‘A bit risky standing here for everyone to see you,’ I said, pulling her behind one of the big gum trees next to us.
‘No one’s here. They’re all crammed into that stinking hall like sardines.’ Huda waved her arms around to show me what I already knew.
‘Yeh, but we’re gonna get busted if we’re caught wagging assembly,’ I said, glancing back towards the classrooms.
‘Chill out, bro. I haven’t been to assembly since term one. I always do this.’ Huda grinned. Her dimples looked even deeper today.
My jaw almost hit the ground.
‘Yep, no one notices. Once they give you a certificate at the beginning of the year, they never give it to you again. That means no one notices if you’re missing. So I usually just come and sit here on the lawn and watch the magpies. Since Mum’s been working, sometimes I go home and watch TV.’
I gulped. Huda grabbed me by the shoulders.
‘Don’t stress, Mr Peterson always gives a six-hour speech about the school values and by the time everyone finishes singing the school song and anthem, they give out three hundred awards and have the class performance …’ Huda’s voice trailed off. ‘Listen, we’ll be back before anyone can say boo.’
‘Back from where exactly?’
‘Back from the best idea you’ve ever heard of!’
Huda stuffed her hands in her pockets and strolled behind the maintenance shed to the metal gate leading to the street. She stood on her tippy-toes, pulled the latch and shoved the gate so it creaked open. Then my sister stepped out onto the footpath.
I didn’t move.
‘Are you kidding me? You want us to just walk out of school?’
Huda cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.
‘Did you think I asked you to meet me so we could have a warm cup of cocoa? Stop being ridiculous! You know we have a mission to get on with.’
I ran my palm across my face.
‘I don’t feel good about this. It’s broad daylight.’
Huda grunted. ‘At first you sooked about it being too dark. Now you sook about it being too light. Honestly, Akeal, does anything make you happy?’
I tried to form words but nothing came out.
‘Just hurry up.’ My sister strode down the footpath and then crossed the road – without looking.
I turned back to the school. I had received a certificate in term one, and Huda was right, no kid ever got an award twice. If we were back before the assembly finished, no one would know we were ever gone, I thought. I took a deep breath and jogged after her.
‘So what’s the plan then?’ I sputtered once I’d caught up to her. She was walking towards home.
‘Not exactly sure. Need your help to iron out the details,’ my sister said, looking up at the blue sky.
‘Okay, so what was that thing you said at lunch about the baby and the cat flap?’
Huda stopped walking and looked at me.
‘I need you not to freak out. Promise me you won’t freak out.’
‘What is it?’
‘Remember how I said we would never do anything serious like kidnap someone? Well, I’ve changed my mind. I think we should kidnap someone.’ My sister pressed her lips together and shut one eye, waiting for my reaction.
I felt my eyeballs pop out of my head.
‘Forget it. The deal was we don’t hurt anyone.’ I turned around, ready to head back to school, but Huda grabbed my arm.
