The Call of the 'Go-Away' Bird

By Clare Kerchhoff

The world is a lonely place when you don't have any friends, so you will understand why twelve-year-old Tia's face has frozen in a permanent scowl since her best friend, Nina, emigrated to Australia.

 

Forced to go on a school camping trip, she is stuck in the rain in a tent with three girls she is determined to hate: Thandolwethu the greedy drama queen; Kayla, the juvenile delinquent; and Gugu, the mouse.

 

A burst of temper alienates her from the boys in her soccer team, especially Ahmed, her childhood playmate; leaving her completely friendless.

 

But Nature softens the toughest seeds, and the ancient Magaliesberg that has borne the tragedies and heroism of South Africa's past has secret powers at work on Tia and the others.

 

Amidst the beautiful mountains, wrenched from WhatsApp and TikTok, the children find their senses re-awakened by the icy pools that make their skin tingle; by the startling, bright birds that flit amongst them; and by the delicious taste of salty butter melting in potatoes hot from the fire.

 

Inspired by the 'Go-away bird', they rediscover their imaginations and talents and return to the age-old tradition of trickery and revenge. The results are thrilling, hilarious, and infuriating. Tia grows boobs overnight; Tristan strips down to luminous green underwear; and their teacher, Miss Nightingale, unknowingly sits on top of one of the girls in the middle of the night.

It is when the four girls are punished for something they did not do, that Tia cracks open and finally begins to face her loss and loneliness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clare Kerchhoff
• Release date: Mar 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224670673

Clare Kerchhoff

Clare Kerchhoff was born in KwaZulu Natal in 1962 and grew up in Pietermaritzburg. After her best friend left for England when they were both eight years old, she found solace in climbing trees in their family garden, and reading in the children's library where her mother worked. Family holidays in the Drakensberg mountains, and the Natal and Cape beaches introduced her to wild spaces and the beauty of the South African landscape. In her adolescence, her parents' anti - apartheid work, which led to her father's three month detention without trial, and solitary confinement, increased her awareness of the political injustices of the country but also of the rich cultural heritage of all its people. With a Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching diploma from the University of KwaZulu - Natal, she taught high school English for a few years and then travelled in Asia, where she taught English as a second language in South Korea. She met her Australian husband in Thailand during this time. They settled in Johannesburg where they had two beautiful children who also developed a love of reading and of wild open spaces. Clare Kerchhoff now teaches music in Johannesburg but likes to escape to the mountains whenever she can. She writes poetry, songs, and various other works as a hobby. This is her first children's novel and she has written it particularly for South African children.

Book preview

Chapter One

Tia! Mrs Dlamini frowned at me. It’s about to rain. Find your friends and get into a tent.

She doesn’t want to be with any of us, ma’am, shouted one of the girls as I scuffed the ground with my shoe.

She’s missing Nina, added another.

I gritted my teeth. I was not missing Nina. I was not even thinking about her. Why did they have to remind me?

Make your choice quickly, Tia, warned Mrs Dlamini, Or you'll have to sleep with us in the teachers' tent.

I looked up to see some of the girls smirking and Miss Nightingale leaping towards me, her blonde hair swirling around her shaking head. Come on, Tia, I know you’re missing Nina but this is a good time to make new friends. I’m sure we can find some girls you’ll get along with. Folding me into her flowing dress, she dragged me towards a group of girls who were clinging to each other as if they were terrified of the approaching storm.

You can’t all fit in one tent! laughed Miss Nightingale as she peeled off two of the girls. Thandi and Gugu, you can go in a tent with Tia.

I pretended not to see Thandi screw up her nose while Miss Nightingale searched around for her fourth victim.

Kayla, what group are you in?

Kayla, with her hands in the pockets of her tight shorts, gazed around at the different groups of girls and then announced, I can’t decide.

The girls closest to me rolled their eyes and others giggled. Great! I thought. Nobody wants her either. I could see Miss Nightingale joining the dots in her mind and putting the two misfits together. Only, these dots were definitely not going to join. There was no way I was going to be friends with a juvenile delinquent. In fact, I had no intention of making friends with anyone. I didn’t need friends.

Kayla, join Tia’s group, demanded Mrs Dlamini. She was the tiniest teacher in the school but she took no nonsense. Now get to your tents everyone! She lifted her hands above her thick Afro as the first drops of rain splashed onto the dusty earth.

Gugu sprinted past Mrs Dlamini like an impala while I shuffled behind the less athletic Thandi. When we reached the tent, Kayla settled herself on her mattress right in the doorway and started brushing out her long hair. I stumbled over her and unrolled my mattress and sleeping bag in the far corner. By now, the storm was raging like a spiteful teacher confining us to our tents and our forced companions.

Kayla tied up her hair and then sprayed herself and the rest of the tent with deodorant. I wish we could see the boys, she said. Why is their campsite so far away?

When she got no response, she tried a different approach. I love the Magaliesberg Mountains. Do you know how old they are?

I really didn’t care and Thandi was too busy helping Gugu fix the zip in her sleeping bag so Kayla answered her own question as if she were reading from a text book. The Magaliesberg Mountains were formed over two billion years ago which means they are one hundred times older than Mount Everest and half the age of the earth.

Show off, I thought as I huddled in my own sleeping bag trying to concentrate on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which I had brought to read for the fourth time. Thandi and Gugu continued to ignore her as they giggled and talked to each other in Zulu.

"Seriously, you girls are so boring," Kayla huffed before she finally fell silent. I escaped to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry where Harry and his friends were fighting a boggart, but just as the boggart became Professor Snape in a lacy dress and carrying a huge crimson handbag, Thandi shrieked.

Kayla! If Mrs Dlamini catches you, you’ll get detention for weeks!

I looked up to see Kayla tapping on her cell phone. She knew as well as the rest of us that cell phones were forbidden on camp.

You will too, for smuggling in chocolates, she retorted.

Thandi shrugged and took a bite of her Bar One chocolate. Who are you messaging? She gobbled noisily leaning towards Kayla, Is it your boyfriend?

Kayla hesitated for a moment, and, for the first time I noticed her chewed fingernails which flew briefly to her mouth before she replied, Yes.

Thandi nearly choked. Serious?! You have a boyfriend?

Of course.

Who is it?

If you really want to know, Kayla cleared her throat, It’s Ahmed.

The captain of the soccer team? Thandi gawped. Some chocolate dribbled out her mouth.  Wow! He’s super cool.

I was not as impressed. Ahmed and I had known each other since we were toddlers. Our mothers were friends and we had spent half our lives together, usually playing soccer. I couldn’t imagine what he saw in Kayla.

Snack time, came a shrill call from Miss Nightingale and I dived out the tent to get away from Kayla.

She followed straight after me and would not keep quiet. The storm had stopped but it was still drizzling and there were ankle deep puddles everywhere. As we paddled across to the kitchen area, Kayla pointed into a tree and cried, Hey, there’s a Paradise flycatcher!

Although I was trying to ignore her, I could not help turning my head and glimpsing an orange-coloured bird with a bluish head. It must be a male, she continued. They have the really long tails.

I looked away. Why did she have to know about birds? I didn’t want to talk to her in the first place but I especially did not want to talk to her about birds.

I moved away from her, reached the food tent and tried to grab my snack so I could make a quick getaway, but Miss Nightingale took hold of my hands and made me look into her big blue eyes.

I see you’ve settled in with your friends. She gave my hands a squeeze. I knew you would. They are all such interesting girls. She let go and took hold of Kayla, Are you okay, Kayla? Remember, you can always come and talk to me if you need to.

I’m not a baby, retorted Kayla wrenching herself away.

Part of me couldn’t help admiring her spunk. I would never talk to a teacher like that. But what was wrong, I wondered. What did Miss Nightingale know that I didn’t? Anyway, why should I care? I didn’t like her and I didn’t want to know anything more about her.

By the time we were all back in our tent, shaking the rain from our hair, Thandi had already gobbled down her sandwiches and was eyeing mine. I shoved them in her direction, ignoring my mother’s voice in my head telling me I needed to eat.

You’re so greedy! exclaimed Kayla as Thandi took a bite out of them. Don’t you care about your weight?

Thandi stuck her tongue out at Kayla then muttered something to Gugu.

You’re being rude, moaned Kayla. I can’t understand Zulu.

Well maybe it’s time you learnt. Thandi swallowed half the next sandwich before continuing a bit louder, And actually you’re the one who’s being rude. You said that I was fat.

Kayla rolled her eyes and waited for a translation but Thandi remained stubbornly silent.

I had always spoken to my great granny in Zulu so I had understood from their conversation that Thandi was sceptical about the relationship between Ahmed and Kayla, but I wasn’t going to translate for Kayla.

"We were wondering when you and