The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo Page A

in his tracks. Sade’s mind somersaulted. School? She had been at her own school—Presentation High—just over a week ago. Already it seemed in another lifetime. She had been so happy in her class with all her friends. Her teacher, Miss Okoya, was very strict but really liked her. She had never imagined going to another school. Both Mama and Mama Buki had been boarders there when they were young. Presentation High was the only high school to which she had ever wanted to go.Now, overnight, all these people were forcing her to do all these things she didn’t want to do, to go to places she didn’t want to be. Suddenly she knew just how angry Femi felt.
    “I don’t want to go to school here,” she wanted to cry out. “We won’t be staying here forever! Papa only sent us here to be safe with Uncle Dele!”
    But her voice remained trapped.

CHAPTER 19
WELCOME
    ANOTHER SHOCK AWAITED THE CHILDREN when Mama Appiah took them back to the flat. The first face Sade saw behind Mrs. Graham was Kevin’s. He grinned as soon as he saw them and it wasn’t a friendly grin. The twins looked up, then continued playing with their Legos. Stepping into the room, Sade realized that Iyawo-Jenny was there too.
    “I was hoping you’d be back before I left. How did it go?” she asked.
    “Aahh! I can see you’re all washed out! Kevin, go and put on the kettle, there’s a good boy.” Mrs. Graham put her arms around Sade and Femi.
    “When are you going to tell them then?” Kevin almost crowed. He didn’t move from where he was leaning on the television, leering at them.
    “Don’t you be so nosy, my boy! Go and do as I say!”
    Kevin sloped away, his tongue click-clocking to sound like a horse trotting off.
    Iyawo-Jenny led the children to the sofa.
    “I came round to tell you that we’ve managed to find you another foster family.” The words floated in Sade’s head for afew seconds, not making sense. Why another foster family ? They were just getting used to being with Mrs. Graham, even if Kevin didn’t like them.
    “You remember I explained that Mrs. Graham was only able to take you on a temporary basis? It was an emergency to start with and that’s why Mrs. Graham helped us out.”
    “They’ve been lovely children, no trouble at all,” said Mrs. Graham.
    “Mum!” Kevin yelled from the kitchen. “Your kettle’s boiled.”
    “I’m going to take you to Mr. and Mrs. King tomorrow. Their children are grown-up, so you’ll each be able to have a room to yourselves.” Iyawo-Jenny looked earnestly from Sade to Femi. “I’m sure you’ll like them too.”
    “I will still come to see you there,” Mama Appiah reassured. “So don’t worry!”
    The adults were all smiling. How could Mama Appiah say ‘don’t worry’? They were surrounded by strangers in a strange land in which Uncle Dele—the only person who really knew them—had disappeared.
    “The Kings are from Jamaica and Mr. King is very interested in Nigeria. You’ll get on well, I know,” Iyawo-Jenny encouraged. “And now that your permission to stay has been sorted out for a while, Mrs. King will organize for you to go to school.”
    Sade said nothing. With everything sorted out, what was there to say? They were simply being parceled up again and sent on to another address.
     
    Mr. and Mrs. King lived in a quiet road of redbrick houses with arched doorways and small front gardens behind hedges, not very far from Mrs. Graham’s flat. As they stood next to Iyawo-Jenny, waiting for the door to open, Sade knew from Femi’s drooping figure that he was as miserable as she was. But Mama would have expected more of her.
    You must help your brother, Sade. Sorrow is like a precious treasure, shown only to friends .
    Sade imagined a string pulling up her head like a puppet.
    The lady who invited them in had an open, pleasant face. She seemed quite tall but that might have been because her thick gray hair, drawn back from her light brown forehead, was piled up high