Page 49 - My Home on the Earth

gobsmacked to hear she’d paid for this apartment; it’s not rented as I thought...’
Listening to his mum, as her mind drifted from one topic to another, he turned off the camping stove and with a sigh said: ‘OK, Mum. Let’s get it over and done with.’
Feeling uneasy, he swung his rucksack over his shoulder, grabbed two bulky plastic sacks and followed his mum to the kitchen door and out to the landing. Forever looking back, Marissa led the way, nudging the trolley down each step until they reached the exit door. Outside, in the courtyard, she opened the wooden gate. To their right, the bus stop and main road. To their left, a stretch of water enclosed by a low wooden fence. She beckoned him to follow her. Walking by the water’s edge, John had the feeling he was a refugee escaping a war zone. Keeping to a track, they walked past blocks of concrete buildings until they reached a road. Gigantic advertising hoardings towered over them and led to a pair of rusty wrought-iron gates. At the sight of them, John edged closer and stared, speechless. Before him, lay a derelict factory and he couldn’t hide his dismay. ‘Now I am in a war zone.’
His mum ignored his remark and yanked at a wire fence. Sliding through a narrow gap she told him to replace it whenever he entered or left. He manoeuvred the trolley through and flung the plastic sacks inside before squeezing through himself. They walked across a yard, weaving in and out of scattered bricks and debris. The way
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