Surrender

Timing/Date: late August 1996, shortly after Pietr comes home from the hospital
Setting: Val & Rianne's home, Koffiefontein
.
Rianne sits at the kitchen table.
Pietr sleeps in her arms.
Val says, “Be in the yard.”
Kisses her hair.
Robert picks at his food. Mumbles.
“What did you say?” Rianne growls.
“I said you should give the baby up.”
“Excuse me?”
“He's going to be a burden his whole life and you and Val just can't afford to support him like that. You're barely making it as it is.”
“You think I should give my son away.”
“Rianne, be reasonable. He's never going to be normal. He'll never hear. He'll never /talk. Who /knows what else will be wrong with him. It's tragic, but it might be better for him to grow up in a different family. A family with more means to care for him.”
“Val! Come here for a moment.”
Her husband strolls over, eyebrows raised.
“Take Piet.” Hands over the sleeping bundle.
Rianne stands, crosses the room, seizes Robert's collar, and yanks him to his feet. Drags him to the front door, stuffs him out. “You're not welcome here anymore. I don't care you're my brother. Don't you /dare come back.”
“Rianne ….”
She slams the door.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Koffiefontein
Category:Pietr
Category:Pietr (ficlet)
Category:Rianne
Category:Rianne (ficlet)
Category:Val
Category:Val (ficlet)
Category:Robert
Category:Robert (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images