Death Trip

‘Thank you, Joh

It was a nice smile, thought Ma

‘Magda, who is Daniel?’

She looked at him, shocked for a few seconds as her eyes searched his face in a panic. Then they softened and the pained, numb look returned as her face drained of all colour. She stared down at the hot chocolate.

‘Daniel was my eldest son.’

‘He was also my father’s?’

‘Yes.’

‘What happened to him?’

Magda kept her eyes on the table as she spoke.

‘Daniel was twenty-one when he decided to go off on his travels. He also wanted an adventure and he signed up for a volunteer programme at NAP. He spent three months moving around Thailand, working on various programmes until it was nearly time for him to come home. He had one week left. It was Christmas. Jake and I arranged to join him to spend it together. Alfie couldn’t come; he was working on a case. I didn’t mind, I thought it might be the last time my sons would want to holiday with me.’ She looked fleetingly up at Ma

‘Afterwards we were all going to come home together. Daniel was going to go to university later that year. I booked for us to stay in a place on the beach. Patong Beach in Phuket. I thought it would be a good place for all of us—not too quiet for the boys, a nice pool for me. It was a lovely Christmas. It had been a great evening—lots of carols on the beach, lots of hugs. So many things to look forward to, with Daniel going to university, Jake doing well in his exams, learning to drive, playing his sports; we were really happy. We talked of everything, about when they were boys, about their father. We even talked about finding you. Both of the boys wanted to.’

She looked up at Ma

‘We knew we had to get out.’ She looked up at Ma

‘I would have given my life for his but I could not stop him. He said to me, “I love you, Mum”, and he was gone, swallowed by the water. We found his body four days later.’

She stared at Ma

Ma

14

Burma

The next morning Saw had not returned and the five set off under the leadership of the three deputies. Toad was leading A

‘This is it, Lucas. This is our chance.’ Jake spoke to Lucas’s back as they pulled themselves up the steep hill. Lucas didn’t answer; he seemed to be finding it tough going. Jake looked back at A

Handsome came alongside and ordered Jake and Lucas to walk quicker. Jake pretended to have a burst of speed but Lucas couldn’t manage anything. He had been walking slowly all morning and he’d been quiet. Jake waited till Handsome passed before he spoke to Lucas.

‘Hey, Lucas…Wassup, dude? You all right?’ He seemed to be stumbling more than walking.

Lucas answered but he didn’t turn around.

‘Just so fucking tired. I’ll be all right.’