Onderwêreld deur Fanie Viljoen | Sluimerende grys selle, Polyfilla en ringtones | English Summary | Onderwereld

 

Onderwêreld deur Fanie Viljoen

Sluimerende grys selle, Polyfilla en ringtones

Greg’s loud polyphonic ringtone chimes shrilly through his pillow, but he would rather sleep. However, when he sees his girlfriend Nicole’s name on the caller ID, he contemplates the possible earful he could get from her because he hung up on her and decides to answer the call. When Nicole asks if Greg is still in bed, he explains that he sleeps until Eckhardt wakes him up. Nicole asks after Eckhardt, which makes Greg uncomfortable ever since that night at Jeffrey’s. He changes the subject and asks her how things are in Johannesburg. Nicole misses Greg and she tells him that she had an erotic dream about him. She describes the dream: a party hosted by her family to which Greg’s family is invited. When things get too festive, the two of them slip away. With the lights off at the swimming pool, kissing and straddling of lower bodies ensues, before someone switches on the swimming pool lights and every single party guest stands around the edge of the pool, looking at Nicole and Greg.

Greg groans at the interrupted scene, but Nicole adds more to her story, saying that her father was white with shock, while her mother simply asked, “Nicole, should I bring you a condom, my child?” Greg laughs and jokingly asks her if her mother is still so worried that Nicole will make her a grandmother and Nicole says that her mother was of the mind to give her birth control pills as early as grade seven, probably plotting and scheming to have their domestic worker grind them into powder before adding it to Nicole’s school lunch. Nicole must attend to something else when her mother calls, but before hanging up, she begins to allude to a rather difficult question she has for Greg. Uncomfortable, Greg knows what she is trying to ask and tries to think it away; however, Jeffrey’s Bay makes it difficult to forget – how would he know that the child is his?

His swirling thoughts make him momentarily forget that Nicole is expecting an answer to her question and he pieces together a hesitant “Of course, Nicole, you know I will not drop you”; wondering if the tremble in his voice is apparent. He comments that they have nothing to worry about because they practice safety. After an awkward silence, Greg looks at the time and cuts the phone call short because he is late and must get ready for school. He takes what he needs for a shower and heads out, bumping into a dormmate named Thomas Jean, TJ for short. In the hallway, Greg sees people already dressed in their black pants, white shirt and yellow ties, ready for another day of school at Lawson College. On his way to getting ready, one of the prefects reminds Greg that he should be on service, babysitting the grade eight learners. Greg forgot, but he hopes that they sorted themselves out without ruining the place. After taking care of his hygiene, Greg goes to knock on Eckhardt’s door. He opens the door without waiting for an answer and finds an empty room – window open, laptop on his desk and the bed made but with obvious evidence that someone had been sitting on it.

Confused, Greg calls Eckhardt’s cellphone, only to hear the familiar sound of Eckhardt’s ringtone echoing out from somewhere in the room – Connected by Stereo MCs. The sound is dulled as if it is coming from inside something that is closed off. Greg approaches Eckhardt’s cupboard and finds the cellphone on his neatly folded clothes, with the caller ID “G-4 ce” flashing on the screen.

SummariesKeroshan PillayComment