He drew R500 and saw how much he had left for the rest of the month. He thought about Duncan Blake sitting there in the interview room and saying: 'How much for all of this to go away?'
'I'm not for sale.'
'This is Africa. Everybody is for sale.'
'Not me.'
'Five million.'
'How about ten?'
'Ten can be done.'
And he had laughed. He should have taken the fucking money. Ten million would buy a lot of booze; ten million and he could have bought a fucking BMW and smart suits too, and a R150 haircut and whatever it was Anna saw in the little shit.
He would buy some booze.
His cell phone rang as he walked back to his car. He didn't look at the screen, just answered.
'Griessel.' Sullen. Brusque.
'Captain, this is Bill Anderson ... Is this a convenient time?'
His first thought was that someone had taken Rachel again and he said: 'Yes.'
'Captain, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how you thank a man for saving your child's life. I don't know how to thank a man who was willing to put his life on the line, who was willing to be shot at to save the daughter of someone he's never met. It's not something I have any training for. But my wife and I want to say thank you. We owe you a debt we can never repay. We're on our way to South Africa - our plane is leaving in two hours' time. When we get there, we would like to have the honour of taking you to dinner. As a gesture, of course, as a small token of our immense gratitude and appreciation. But right now, I just want to say thank you.'
'I... uh ... I was just doing my job.' He couldn't think what else to say. The call had come too suddenly, there was too much going on in his head.
'No, sir, what you did went way beyond the call of duty. So thank you. From Jess, Rachel, and myself. We would like to wish you the very best, for you and your family. May all your dreams come true.'
He sat in his car in front of the autobank. He thought about Bill Anderson's words. May all your dreams come true. His only dream had been that Anna would take him back. Now he had fuck all.
Just the dream of getting drunk.
He started the car.
He thought about Fritz's words, his son's dream. Wet & Orde.
And Carla, who had gone to work in London, because she wanted to come back and buy a car and go to university, and both of them dreamed of a sober father.
He turned the car off.
He thought about Bella, and Bella's dream of owning her own business. Alexa Barnard who said she had dreamed so long of becoming a singer. Duncan Blake: Africa took everything I had, all my dreams ...
And Bill Anderson. May all your dreams come true.
He opened the cubby hole, took out the cigarettes and lit one. He thought. Of many things. Lize Beekman's lyrics ran through his head. As jy vir liefde omdraai. If you turn around for love.
He sat like that for a long time while the world raced past down Long Street. Then he turned around.
Benny Griessel blew the R500 on flowers. He delivered the first bunch to Mbali Kaleni's ward. They wouldn't allow him in. He wrote her a message on a card. You are a brave woman and a good detective.
Then he went to Rachel Anderson and put a bunch of flowers down on the bed beside her.
'They're beautiful,' she said.
'And so are you.'
'And those?' she asked about the other bunch of flowers in his arms.
'These are a bribe,' he said.
'Oh?'
'Yes. You see, I have a dream. I'm going to start a band. And we are going to need a singer. And I happen to know a great singer who's right here in this hospital,' he said.
'Cool,' she said, and he wondered whether he could introduce her to Fritz.
Chapter 51
From: Benny Griessel [mailto: bennygriessel2@mweb.co.za]
Sent: 16 January 2009 22:01
To: carla805@hotmail.com
Subject: Today.
Dear Carla
Sorry I am only writing now: My laptop wouldn't connect with the Internet, it was a lot of trouble, but it's fixed now.
It was a long day and a difficult one. I thought about you and missed you. But I did meet a famous singer and I was promoted. Your father is a Captain today.