Asem deur Jan Vermeulen | Chapter 23 | English Summary

Asem deur Jan Vermeulen

Chapter 23 Summary

Olga explains briefly that she has broken up with Stef and will need to stay with Barries for a while but her final destination is Windhoek. Olga managed to get herself a fake ID from Butcher. She mentions something about the police being on her tail; however, she does not elaborate, instead of telling Barries about the hitchhiking she had to do to arrive in Johannesburg. Eager for some personal hygiene, Olga asks to be shown the bathroom. Olga claims she asked Paul for Barries' address. When he asks why she didn’t just call him directly, she tells him that she threw her phone away to avoid being tracked. While she’s in the bathroom, Paul calls Barries and asks if Olga’s with him. Neither accepting nor denying it, Barries listens as Paul explains that she may have stolen his 9mm and that he should just quietly call the police if Olga does, in fact, make an appearance.

After the call, Barries inspects Olga’s bag and finds the gun, his stolen wallet and a cell phone. Fillie Booysen never was the thief Paul thought he was. Barries drives to the hospital and is told that his mother sustained brain damage and will never be the same again. She will require dedicated care and intense physiotherapy. Barries says he’ll manage to take care of his mother; however, his demanding high school life will simply make that impossible. He heads back home and prepares something to eat for himself and Olga. Seemingly under the influence of something, Olga presents herself to Barries, naked, and tells him that would like to have sex, but he questions her on the contents of her bag, which includes drugs that she purchased from Butcher. In a moment of weakness, Barries finds himself pressured into partaking of the same hard drugs Olga is.

They then have sex and the rest is a total gap in memory. When he came to, Barries was alone and Olga had made off with most of the valuables in the house. He takes his mother’s Mercedes and heads out, finally reaching Butcher’s shop. Upon entry, Butcher had already trained his shotgun on Barries' chest. Initially, Barries is merely trying to find answers about Olga; however, Butcher reveals his role in the incident with Barries' mother. Greatly angered, Barries leaves the shop and returns with the 9mm pistol he had confiscated from Olga. Pressing it hard into Butcher’s mouth, Barries finds himself at a vital crossroads.

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SummariesKeroshan PillayAsem, EnglishComment