The Demon of Dakar aka The Demon from Dakar

Eighteen

The darkness unsettled her. She tripped on roots that stuck up, a branch whipped her in the face and she stumbled. Since she had called Hugo and told him that Patrik was all right, a fear had taken root in her that he was injured or that he had injured someone else. But surely Patrik wouldn’t fight with a knife? It was an impossible thought, that her Patrik would deliberately stab someone.

She ran straight there-or what she thought the best way was, since her fear had confused her. She felt as if she was too late.

When she finally arrived at the community gardening area, the last ounce of courage left her and she started to cry. Suddenly she thought of Jörgen, Patrik and Hugo’s father, and about how unfair life was.

A shadow dislodged itself from the dark. Patrik came toward her. How big he has become, she thought.

“Hi Mom,” he said, and she started to cry again.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“What is happening? I have to know! Why do you do this? Now when everything…”

“Everything is fine, Mom. It’s only that the police have their own ideas about stuff.”

Patrik told her what had happened the last two days and Eva was amazed at how calm he was, how clearly and methodically he proceeded from event to event.

When he finished his story she was struck by how unreal everything was, that they were standing in a community garden in the middle of the night, with the smell of earth and with the occasional mosquito buzzing around their heads, talking about violence and a world she couldn’t imagine.

Is this my Patrik, she thought. Is this our life? Our neighborhood?

“Shouldn’t you tell this to the police?”“What the hell do you think?”

Eva bounced at the hardness in his voice.

“But if you-”

“They won’t believe me, you know that. And Zero will go crazy, and so will his brother.”

“But drugs, it seems so-Have you done it?”

Patrik shook his head.

“I don’t want to lose control,” he said.

Eva believed him instinctively. It would be so unlike Patrik. He wanted to have control, as he said. He hated the unexpected.

“Let’s go home,” she said, suddenly steady and grateful that he was fine.

To her surprise, Patrik did not protest. He just stood up without a word and started to walk. She watched his silhouette.

That is my boy, she thought again and again. That is my boy.

When they got home Hugo and Johnny were sitting at the computer playing games. Patrik walked straight to his room and closed the door behind him.

“Thanks for staying,” Eva said.

“We’ve been having a good time,” Johnny said. “Isn’t that right, Hugo?”

The boy nodded while he concentrated on the game.

“Would you like anything before going home?”

Johnny shook his head. Despite the late hour he did not feel tired. In fact, he felt the opposite. The trip to Eva’s had livened him up. His own apartment held no attraction for him, but he realized he should get up and leave them in peace.

“We’ve had a good time,” he repeated. “Did you find out what had happened?”

“Not really,” Eva said. “We’ll see tomorrow. I think Patrik has to spend some time alone and think it out.”

“Are you going to the police?”

“I’ll probably call them tomorrow. We’ll see.”

Eva sat down on Hugo’s bed.

“You should get some rest,” Johnny said.

Johnny drove home with mixed feelings. Other peoples’ problems were nothing he needed and now he had fallen into one. He didn’t want to be pulled in and Eva had not made any further attempt to do so. He was grateful for that. He would not have had the energy to stay all night and comfort her.

At the same time he felt uplifted. He had done something for another human being who clearly trusted him. Eva had hugged him before he left. He laughed out loud in the car.

On the last stretch before home he thought about her. How brave of her to raise two teenagers on her own in this world.