The Birthmark by Beth Montgomery Read Free Book Online Page A

church?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Did we know about Jesus?’
    â€˜No. Tevuans had stories about their own gods. And the Gilbertese had different gods: gods of the sea, the earth and the dead. The Gilbertese had ancestor spirits and the Tevuans had legends, like the girl in the moon. Both people knew of ghosts and witches and evil demons. You know those stories.’
    Hector remembered all the ghost stories from when he was a child. He was still frightened by the story about the evil witch at Baringa who lured children away from their mothers, but he dared not admit it. Even though he felt the power of these old stories, he didn’t know whether he should believe them or not. ‘But are they real, Ibu, these ancestor spirits and ghosts?’
    â€˜They’re real if you believe,’ said the old man, ‘and if you feel ancient magic in your blood then they are true and real like you and me.’
    Hector grunted and cleared away the remains of their lunch. ‘I don’t know, I think I need to see a ghost first, before I believe,’ he said. Should he dismiss the ancient magic as superstition or put his faith in it?
    The old man looked at him with a tired expression. ‘One day you will understand, Hector. You are about old enough.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜Some people feel these things as children and others as teenagers. Some with Gilbertese blood are shamans; they know the spirit world.’
    Hector felt uneasy, as if a dark cloud had covered the sun. He shivered and changed the subject. ‘I met an Australian yesterday, a girl. She’s here on holidays.’
    His grandfather smiled.
    â€˜I’m going to show her the pillbox down near Lily’s house today.’
    â€˜You go with another girl, please.’
    â€˜Yes, I’m going with Lily,’ Hector was irritated. Didn’t his ibu know those old customs weren’t important anymore? The old man grunted and began washing the dishes.
    Hector said goodbye and left the house. Today had been a good day—his grandfather had felt like talking. Sometimes they would go weeks without his ibu saying a word. Hector was used to it, but no one else understood Riki’s strange behaviour. People thought his ibu was crazy and their reactions annoyed Hector more and more. Why couldn’t people just accept that the old man was different?
    The track from Hector’s hut was covered with potholes. He pedalled his bike expertly between them and took the turn that led downhill past where Lily’s cousins lived. He saw figures on the meneaba beside the house. It was Lily and her cousin Decima.
    â€˜Where are you going?’ Decima screeched.
    He hit the brakes and skidded to a halt. Black slush from the track sprayed sideways. ‘I was going to get Lil,’ he said looking at Lily.
    She turned away from his gaze.
    â€˜Remember, we said we’d take Christina to see the pillbox.’
    â€˜We’ll go soon. Decima’s coming too,’ she muttered.
    â€˜Aren’t you going to the hospital?’ he asked Decima. ‘Not today, Mum said she’ll be fine for a while. So I’m free!’ She grinned.
    Hector got off his bike and propped it against the meneaba . The girls were sitting cross-legged, playing cards. He climbed up onto the platform with them. Lily didn’t look too good. One side of her face was fat and her eye was dark and bloodshot. She must have had a fight last night. ‘Want to play last card?’ Decima asked. Her straight narrow features made her look serious, even when she was being friendly.
    â€˜Yeah, why not.’
    Decima shuffled the cards and began dealing them. Lily sat in silence. Hector tried to catch her attention, but she avoided him.
    â€˜Hector, you know anything about ghosts round here in Anbwido?’ Decima said.
    â€˜Ghosts, there are ghosts all over this island. That’s what my grandfather says.’
    â€˜Riki!