MORNING SERIAL

THAT his mother… I could not bring myself to even think of it.

I wanted to stay silent. I wanted this all to be too much to be correct, but there was no other explanation.

And then I said, “I know where your father is, Furkan.” “What did you say?”

“He has employed me to help him look for you. I did not know at first. But here, now, I know it to be true.”

Furkan’s demeanour changed, as if his flesh had turned to rock. “My father, you say?” Something made me put my hand on Furkan’s shoulder in an attempt at some kind of support for him, and he did not flinch at it. He was softening, and then to my surprise he reciprocated the gesture, and he put his hand on my shoulder.

“I knew this was coming,” he said. “I have felt something recently. Being here, looking after my people – I have felt something coming. A quiver in my blood.”

“I can take you to him,” I said, and he looked up at me with a jolt.

“Of course, right, it is the Russian you work for?”

I nodded. He was tearful, and rubbed his eyes clear and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He even took a few deep breaths. I could not think of Tara, could not speak of her. The horror of all that was a dense silence to me as I stood locked with this man. I just looked at Furkan, and saw in him my safe passage out of Famagusta.

The two of us, with Furkan driving, set off out of Famagusta and toward the house.

When we got there the place was deserted and Furkan began to show the first signs of frustration and a lack of coolness, stomping around the house and waving his arms.

“Wait,” I said to him. “He will be down in the woods.”

We headed round to the ridge, and there was Tara’s car, empty with the driver’s door ajar. Furkan looked confused. There was an anger bubbling up inside him. He glared at me.

“I have no idea,” I said.

He went off ahead of me toward the wood, down the shale track. I ran to catch up and led Furkan into the woods.

> The Golden Orphans by Gary Raymond is published by Parthian www.parthianbooks.com