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    Danger Signs
    Danger Signs
    Danger Signs
    Ebook126 pages1 hour

    Danger Signs

    By Jenni Francis

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Jordan is deaf. He's been deaf all his life. It doesn't stop him doing anything he wants to do, and he's really good at doing a lot of things. It's just who he is.

    But Sando, his older brother is very conflicted. It seems to Sando that everything revolves around Jordan.

    Keri and her friend Mereana are holidaying at the same beach town as Jordan and Sando. They make friends with the brothers and meeting Jordan is a revelation for the girls. Learning sign language is fun.

    There have been a spate of burglaries in the town, and Sando's bike is taken making him even more upset. One evening, they stumble upon suspicious activity. Over the next few days, as they are drawn deeper into danger, Sando is forced to revise his attitude towards his younger brother. Sometimes, having an alternative way to communicate can be a life saver.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJenni Francis
    Release dateOct 3, 2015
    ISBN9780473324971
    Danger Signs
    Author

    Jenni Francis

    Jenni Francis lives in New Zealand. She lives on five acres, with an orchard, sheep and a river. She has a cat named Tui, who is very greedy, and who doesn't love children. Which is a shame, as she has twelve grandchildren.Jenni has been writing for about 20 years, and loves to write children's stories. She has six books of the 'Keri' series published so far, and is writing book seven. The main character, Keri, finds herself in difficult situations. Her friends don't always agree with what she does, but they are always there for her in the end.She also has a book of short stories for boys. Not girls.

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      Book preview

      Danger Signs - Jenni Francis

      Danger Signs

      Falling on Deaf Ears

      ©Copyright 2015 Jenni Francis

      Published by Jenni Francis at Smashwords

      P O Box 89

      Matakana

      Auckland 0948

      New Zealand

      http://www.jennifrancis.com/home.html

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Also by Jenni Francis

      'Losing William'

      'Fire Island'

      Dedication Page

      This book is dedicated to Sophie. Live strong sweetheart.

      It's also for Cameron Marr and Fraser Marr. You taught me so much!

      Thanks

      My sincere thanks go to:-

      Paula Erpf, long time friend and colleague, who put me right on some issues. It's been a while since I was involved with deaf culture and education.

      Kate Greenaway, who has read the last two books and made suggestions for changes to layout and editorial mistakes. Very much appreciated.

      'The Last Page' book club, which has read and commented on the last two manuscripts.

      And to Tracey Lawton, from The Village Bookshop in Matakana. The acid test.

      About Jenni Francis

      Other books by Jenni Francis

      Connect with Jenni Francis

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1 - Sando

      Chapter 2 - Keri

      Chapter 3 - Sando

      Chapter 4 - Keri

      Chapter 5 - Sando

      Chapter 6 - Keri

      Chapter 7 - Sando

      Chapter 8 - Keri

      Chapter 9 - Sando

      Chapter 10 - Keri

      Chapter 11 - Sando

      Chapter 12 - Keri

      Chapter 13 - Sando

      Chapter 14 - Keri

      Chapter 15 - Sando

      Chapter 16 - Keri

      Chapter 17 - Sando

      Chapter 18 - Keri

      Chapter 19 - Sando

      Chapter 20 - Keri

      Chapter 21 - Sando

      Chapter 22 - Keri

      Chapter 23 - Sando

      Chapter 1

      Sando

      The door slammed shut behind him, shaking the house.

      Even Jordan could hear that, he thought with small satisfaction.

      Muttering, cursing, swearing, but not loud enough for Dad to hear, he heaved up his bike and flung himself over the bar. The rain sleeted onto his face. He squinted to see ahead along the road.

      At the corner shop he threw his bike to the ground, shook his jacket to get rid of the worst of the rainwater, and pushed into the shop. A sign at the door for the local paper said 'Thieves Strike Again'.

      Can I have a packet of batteries like this please? Sando handed over an empty packet to the shopkeeper.

      Oh, so sorry, we don’t have that here. You go to the chemist for that.

      More cursing as he slammed out of the door. The rain was falling harder and his trainers were completely soaked. The chemist was another kilometre away and as it was Sunday, may not even be open.

      Bloody hell! Sando picked up his bike again and turned towards the town. No one was around, no cars on the road. Why? he raged. Why me? Why do I have to be responsible for damned hearing aid batteries. I’m not the deaf one! Stupid sign language, stupid speech therapy, stupid speak clearly, stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!

      By the time he reached the chemist he was completely soaked. And completely wild.

      The pharmacist was at the door, closing up.

      No wait, please! Sando yelled as he leapt off his bike.

      Sorry son, we’re all closed down.

      No! I’ve got to get these batteries. They’re for my brother’s hearing aid. He can’t hear a thing without them.

      Oh, young Jordan? Sure. The pharmacist unlocked the door. Wait there, he said. I have to unset the alarm, and anyway, I don’t want you tracking rainwater all over the floor.

      He pressed a few buttons on the key pad. A shrill sound emanated from it briefly.

      Okay, the pharmacist said as he bustled around the shop. Let me see, which one does he use? Good boy, your brother. Wish more kids were like him. Very well mannered and polite.

      Yeah, Sando muttered. This is the kind he uses. He held up the empty packet.

      Yes, that’s right. Now, how did he come to run out? That isn’t like him.

      Sando shuffled from foot to foot. Ah, someone used them in a computer game thingy.

      Oh! And that someone is now dripping all over my floor, right? That’s $13.00 thanks.

      Sando choked. That was going to leave him $2.00 until pay day, which was four days away. He handed over $15.00 and took the miserly $2.00 change.

      Here, the pharmacist said. I'll put them in a zip lock bag so they don't get wet.

      He shuffled around in a drawer, pulled out a crumpled bag and put the batteries inside. Zipping it closed, he passed it over to Sando.

      As Sando turned to go, the pharmacist said, Oi, how about saying ‘thanks’!

      Yeah, thanks. Sando stomped out the shop and dragged his bike off the footpath. He gunned his bike across the road. Knacker! Arbuckle! Pissant! he yelled at no one in particular. Flick-nicker! Shoebun! Toe-rag!

      He raced across the intersection in the middle of town, narrowly missing the back of the only car around. Water spray from the car’s back wheels replaced what he’d left on the floor of the shop. The fury grew.

      Recklessly, he turned his bike towards the wharf. Down the short road, past the Clubhouse, onto the wharf. Juddering along the uneven planks. Past the large bollards. He aimed at a space between the small bollards at the edge and sailed off the wharf into the sea.

      He and the bike landed separately. The tide was at its lowest. Sando lay back in the water, stunned. Then he started to laugh. He laughed and laughed until he was weak. Small waves washed seawater into his mouth and he choked. Then he felt around for his bike, dragged it out and flopped onto the grassy bank.

      A while later, as his emotions calmed, Sando stood and pushed his bike up the bank to the edge of the wharf.

      The rain was heavy and the wind had come up by the time Sando turned into his street. Along the road, past his house, a man was unloading the contents of a car onto the footpath as two children ran from the car to the house with bags and boxes. Sando slowed to bump over the curb and then noticed the two girls who ran shrieking from the house to the car to collect more luggage. They looked to be about his age.

      Stupid, screaming girls. That was all he needed.

      Chapter 2

      Keri

      It was raining heavily by the time we arrived at the beach house. We peered through the foggy car windows at a small, ordinary looking place.

      Not too flash, is it? said Dad.

      Humph. Beth was unimpressed.

      Well, let's leave the gear in the car for now, and check out the house first. Keri and Mereana, can you get the boys out of the back? Don't let them dawdle in puddles before we get them inside.

      You get William and I'll get Nicky, I said to Mereana.

      Thanks a lot! She scowled at me. William had been kicking the back of her seat most of the way down, and she was ready to throttle him. Right you, come on, run, she said to William as she set him on the path. They raced off to the front porch to wait while dad found the keys.

      Okay Nicky? I asked.

      He nodded, unsure. Since William had gone missing last year, Nicky had become even more quiet and reserved than he usually was. William, being so much younger, had returned to his normal cheeky self, but Nicky, at seven years old, was a lot more cautious in new situations.

      Come on, I said. We'll have fun here. Promise.

      He climbed out and we ran through the drenching rain to wait with Mereana and William.

      The house had that sad, neglected look of an infrequently used holiday home. It had bare wooden floors with a couple of carpet squares, some mismatched lounge furniture, and an old Formica table in the dining area. Beth sighed.

      Look! William shouted. "Here's our bedroom.

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