Onderwêreld deur Fanie Viljoen | Op soek na ‘n plek wat mens tevrede laat voel met jouself | English Summary | Onderwereld

 

Onderwêreld deur Fanie Viljoen

Op soek na ‘n plek wat mens tevrede laat voel met jouself

Sergeant Botha takes Greg to the police station in Bergville so that he can make a statement. The statement takes a long time because Sergeant Botha is detail- oriented. Inspector Cele arrives with documents in her hands. She says that she ran Doc Pienaar through their system, and he came up – he has faced an insider trading charge before but got away with it. Greg is with the police until midday. He thinks about how it has been a week since Eckhardt’s disappearance, as well as how he changed for the worse over the course of the year. Inspector Cele pages through the statement and says that she believes that Doc Pienaar is in the office today, so she sent someone over to arrest him. The two officers tell Greg to sit in the waiting room for someone who will be taking him back to school. He asks to get something to eat and goes to the café nearby. He thinks about how what is to come – Doc’s interrogation, as well as the media storm that will surely brew. He has a coke and a doughnut while watching Bergville residents go about their day.

When Greg returns to the police station, he gets to witness Doc emerge from one of the police vehicles. “You little pest! I will get you, Greg. My people will get you,” screams Doc Pienaar as he sees Greg, his face twisted in convoluted fury. His shoe is missing, and his shirt is riddled with sweat stains. They drag him into the police station and one of the uniformed officers steps out of the station. “He’s a wild one,” chuckles the officer. He takes Greg back to Lawson College, but before they can pull away from the station, Greg’s mother blocks the path behind them in her 4x4. She explains that she was at Lawson, where she was told that the police took Greg away. She also witnessed Doc Pienaar’s arrest, but nobody could tell her why. She is adamant about taking Greg out of Lawson College, lamenting ever agreeing with his father on that decision. They embrace and Greg holds onto his mother who weeps into his chest. He thinks about how small she appears in her vulnerability. She has already lost a son; she cannot lose another. He suggests that they go back to school so that he can pick up some clothes and go to Clarens with her for a few days.

He cannot wait to arrive in Clarens before he explains the entire situation to her. Doc Pienaar’s arrest is the top news story on television news. A spokesperson from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases talks about their partnership with the Centre for Disease Control in the creation of a vaccine against the virus cultivated by Doc Pienaar and his accomplices. The vaccine created by Pienaar and his cronies, PUM, was proven to be effective against the virus; however, the NICD and the CDC are adamant about creating their own. Greg’s mother’s shoulders shake as she considers informing Greg’s father of the developments. Greg reassures her that it is okay to tell his father and later that night, Greg tells Nicole the whole story too.

Greg’s mother appears calmer at the breakfast table the next morning. He feels better that he no longer has to carry the burden of this knowledge by himself. Greg is surprised to see his father step into the dining room of the guesthouse looking as fierce as ever. However, he is even more surprised when his father shakes his hand and without saying a word, pulls Greg in closer for a tight hug. “I am happy you are okay, Greg,” his father says. They eat in silence for a bit before Greg’s father begins asking questions. Greg notices his father’s attention drift from time to time, strangely relishing the irony of the CEO of a large communications company struggling to communicate with his son effectively. Greg asks to be excused because he wants to go for a walk and his mother offers him a few notes from her purse.

Greg wishes for peace of mind after messing everything up, worrying if it is too late to make a success of this year. He wishes he could go back to how he was at the beginning of the year, back to a time where something in him craved the validation of his father. He wonders if he will still face impossible expectations considering the mess that he finds himself in. Does Greg have to buy his father’s validation with his achievements? He decides that he will try again. At this time in the morning, the various stores and galleries in Clarens are still closed, but Greg enjoys the small town’s charm. He believes that Clarens makes people feel satisfied with themselves. He stands in front of the Addy Hoyle Fine Art Gallery, staring through the block windows. “While Zeus, ruler of Olympus, lies sleeping in the wings of Hypnos, his son Heracles’s ship is yet again beached on the island of Kos.” Greg recognises the quote and the voice, seeing the reflection of a person standing behind him.

SummariesKeroshan PillayComment