Oranges Missing Chapter Tristan

MIRIAM

When Moses died, it was time for a new beginning, the Israelites were free, and the laws had been set before them. It was the turn of Joshua to hear from God. God said to them, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.’ Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. No matter how many times I read Deuteronomy, I cannot get my head around it. He tried so hard and for so long, only to be told he cannot experience his own achievement. In what way is this fair? Is God really good to all who follow him?

For the next few weeks I made sure to visit Melanie as often as possible. With exception of Elsie, she was the only person whose company I enjoyed. At school, I was not liked. At church, I was liked too much. I didn’t have to meet any expectations when I was with her, I could be myself. She was perfect in everyway.

If I were to be sent from school into the fiery pits of hell, I probably would not notice. The others are so immature. In an RS lesson once, I once heard someone ask how many people fed with five loaves and two fish. They were ignorant, and they ignored me. However, there was nothing I could do. I could see how easy it would be to start a war between my mother and the teachers. As I was walking home I saw two boys sitting on a bench. I say boys, although they were more likely in their early twenties. Both were blonde but one had curly hair, while the other had straight. Just as I was almost out of sight, I saw the straight-haired one take the hand of Curly, and kiss him. I barely registered it until I was through the front door of my mother’s home. I suddenly realised what I had seen, and was shocked that I had walked past, without feeling any disgust or uncleanliness. I began to think that my time with Melanie was softening me up, making me weak. I made a note to tell her the next day.

The next week, Straight-hair turned up at our school, as the new music teacher. I made a note to myself to not talk to him, except to answer the register. After explaining to us about a walking bass, we set to work in groups of seven or eight. When I tried to play out the bass-line of one of my favourite pieces, Lord I lift your name on High, Mr Sairs (I knew his name by now, and I can't keep calling him Straight-hair) came over and mentioned that it was the wrong genre, but that he loved the song too, and that he used to sing it when he was in primary school, and that he loved to sing the tenor part. I wanted to know more about the song in harmony, as we only ever sang it in unison, but I resisted. 'Yes', was all I could say. A boy called out to him, 'sir, who was that man you were with the other day? Was he your brother?' 'No' was the reply, as he went over to another group.

A few weeks later my mother came home with a bag of oranges, complaining about someone as usual. Today, she complained for an hour about Mrs Perryson going on holiday and shutting the bookshop. Mrs. White was also around for afternoon tea. As I went up the stairs I overheard them talking. A teacher at my school had decided to end his own life, and that the school was having to deal with enquiries from the police, and complaints from parents. 'Good riddance. How shameful employing someone like that anyway.' I heard my mother say. I had decided something, the time had come for me to tell her how I felt when with Melanie, and finally answer her questions about the amount of time I spend with her. I decided to get it over with. I wanted to be nice to her. But sometimes, trying to be nice just isn’t enough.

Ham went to find his father and saw him lying on the ground, drunk and naked. He told his brothers and tried to help cover up his father, but could not do it. Noah, seeing what his son had done, cursed the sons of Canaan. Ham had tried to be nice to his father. His reward was for him and his descendants to be the servants of mankind.

Tristan