The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay Read Free Book Online

shit! I should know all this! Will she know I’ve never kissed a girl before? Oh, Jesus, oh, oh, oh! Then quite suddenly Anna pulled away, her arms still about my neck. ‘Mr Butterfly!’ she murmured softly, then sighed. We kissed and kissed and kissed again and I was getting better at it by the moment and our lips parted. Oh, my God!
    Now I can’t say all this kissing and holding tightly didn’t affect the nether parts, the fire down below, because it did. But those were different times to today and I didn’t even have the courage to put my hand on Anna’s breasts, even through the material of her cotton dress.
    All good things must come to an end and Anna eventually pulled away from me. ‘You must eat, Nicholas,’ she said in a practical voice. ‘I have some ryst-tafel but it is not hot; also coffee, it is hot from the thermos.’
    I had been too miserable to eat the ample meal the restaurant provided before I went to work at the bar earlier and realised that I was positively starving. Whereas the misery of thwarted love left me without an appetite, love’s sudden recognition had the opposite effect and I wolfed down the rice dish followed by what remained of the peach pie of the previous night. Anna poured two mugs of coffee, handing me one.
    ‘Nicholas, mijn papa, he say you can have Vleermuis if you want , ’ she said suddenly. I remained silent, placing the mug of coffee on the packing case. Anna quickly added, ‘The papers he will give, they are yours, you don’t pay. When you are in Australia you can keep always that boat.’
    ‘Anna, will he let you come?’ I asked.
    Anna shook her head slowly, then burst into tears. We were sitting on the edge of the iron cot and I took the mug from her shaking hands, placed it beside my own and took her into my arms as she began to sob, her head against my chest. ‘I must stay!’ she sobbed. ‘ Mijn stepmother… mijn father… to look after them… Kleine Kiki, she cannot… she was only just turned thirteen… Mijn papa… he cannot… he is a man… I must… ’ She looked up at me tearfully. ‘Oh, Nicholas!’ Then she burst into fresh sobs.
    ‘Anna, Anna, don’t cry… it’s okay! You’re going to Australia. I’ll see you there.’ I put my hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. ‘Anna, I don’t want to lose you!’ I cried.
    I withdrew my arms and reached for my handkerchief to wipe her eyes. Her own was a wet ball clutched in her hand. ‘Here, use this,’ I said, handing her my handkerchief. ‘Now listen to me,’ I said, trying to sound practical. ‘When I get back I’m going to join up — I turn eighteen in nine days.’
    ‘Oh, Nicholas, we are going in seven days! I cannot be here for your birthday!’ she cried, distressed.
    ‘I’ll be at sea, silly!’ I joked. ‘We’ll celebrate it together in Australia.’ I hesitated, then added tentatively, ‘It can be sort of our engagement?’ Then with my heart in my mouth I asked, ‘After the war… will you… er… marry me, Anna?’
    To my surprise she giggled and kissed me smack on the mouth. Like whack! Then pulled back. ‘Of course! Mijn papa says after the war I must find a man just like you, Mr Butterfly,’ Anna said, laughing.
    I don’t suppose I knew what her reaction might be, but her ingenuous response came as a surprise. I guess I still had a lot to learn about women. Still do, as a matter of fact. In an attempt to recover I said, ‘Well then, it will have to be me. I don’t suppose there are too many butterfly collectors in my age group.’
    Anna clapped her hands, delighted. ‘Then I can be Madam Butterfly!’ she laughed, rising suddenly and plonking herself onto my lap, hands clasped around my neck as she kissed me all over my face. Oh, Jesus, she’s going to feel it! Here I was at the happiest moment in my young life and I had a hard-on that could have demolished a brick wall. I could feel it pressed against her thin cotton dress. It was pressing right