“Let me see that one,” Anton said. He was lying on Ella’s bed and she was at her study table. She handed him her painting of a yellow weaver. 

“Wow! You even put the immature bird and the nest shape. You could seriously do a bird guide, Ella.”

“One day.” She took the painting back. “So, do you think their marriage is over then?”

He’d been telling her about the conversation he had with his mother at the waterfall. “I don’t know. What do I know about marriage? I’ve kissed two boys and one girl. I don’t even know if I’m gay or straight.” 

“Hey! You kissed me once. In Grade 2. Don’t you remember?”

“You stole my chocolate! I was trying to get it back.”

“Eeyew! Don’t tell anyone that. Just so you know, I count it.” Ella went back to the drawing of a mophane tree she was working on. “Maybe your father’s thing with Dana is okay. Maybe they agreed about it.”

“If they did, they shouldn’t have. Even if they have some sort of weird ideas about marriage, my father made a promise and promises shouldn’t be broken.” Anton held up his arm. It was covered with red dots. “This thing is even giving me a rash.”

Ella inspected the rash. “I still think you should talk to your dad. Tell him what you saw. Maybe he has something to say in his own defence. You’re judging him without hearing the evidence.”

Anton accepted that Ella was probably right. Why didn’t he just go and talk to his father? They talked about all sorts of things; why couldn’t he ask him about this? He suspected the answer was as easy as: He didn’t want to know that what he saw was exactly what he thought it was. He didn’t want his father to stop being his hero. 

Ella’s grandmother poked her head in the bedroom door. “You staying for dinner, Anton?”

“No, but thanks, Granny T. It’s some big deal dinner because Claire isn’t going to fail Grade 8 after all. They expect me at home.”

“Okay, next time then.” 

At home, Anton was happy to see his father had cooked dinner, and not Claire. Instead of going into the kitchen to help as he normally would have, he shouted that he needed a shower and slipped into his room. He was not ready to be alone with his dad. Once he heard his mother and Claire arrive, and when they called dinner was ready, he came out. 

His mother had bought non-alcoholic champagne and she made a toast. “To Claire, whose hard work has paid off!”

Anton had got straight As ever since he’d started school and never had a party with fake champagne. He wasn’t jealous of this celebration of Claire, though. He was happy she would at least be able to write matric. 

“So, Anton, how was your day? You’ve been quiet lately,” his father asked. 

“Fine.” He pushed his plate away. “Can I be excused? I’ve got homework.”

“Ant, let me see your arm.” His mother looked at the rash. “How long has that been there?”

“A few days. It’s nothing. I think I got it in the bush.”

He rushed off to his room. He put his earphones on and was listening to Elaine singing You’re the One on repeat. He had his eyes closed so hadn’t noticed anyone had entered his room until he felt a touch on his arm. He jumped and saw it was Claire.

“What’s wrong with you, Nerdboy?” Claire said. “You’re acting so weird. Are you in love?”

Anton laughed. “No. Like no.”

“Then what is it? I know those ones made a big deal about me only just passing. Are you jealous? You shouldn’t be. It’s nothing. You know it’s that squeaky wheel gets the grease thing, right? They know that you’re a star.”

Something about Claire’s sudden empathy and kindness made Anton start crying.

“Hey! Now you’re scaring me. Do you have cancer or something? I really cannot deal with cancer just now,” Claire said. 

Anton laughed at his sister’s complete self-centeredness. He wiped his tears away. “I don’t have cancer, and after hearing your response, I can only be thankful for that.”

“Then what is it. You’ve been weird ever since last Saturday. What happened?”

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you need to seriously promise that you will not freak out.”

“God! Such a drama queen! I doubt there is anything in your pathetic life of picking at fungus in the forest and following a softball team that you do not even play for that would cause me to freak out.”

Anton sighed. Claire really did not know herself. “Last Saturday, when Dad said he was at his office, he was actually at Ko Gae kissing Dana.”

“What? Dana? Like, that cute waitress?”

“Is she cute? I don’t think she’s cute. But yes, that Dana.”

Claire flopped backwards on the bed, her head hanging off the bottom. “What the hell?! So did you ask Dad about it?”

“No. I talked to Mom.”

“You told Mom? Nerdboy, why? Why on earth would you do that?”

“I didn’t tell her. I just asked her how things were going in their marriage. She said they weren’t.”

Claire sat up. “This makes me so sad. I don’t want to be a child of divorce.”

“You know, Claire, not everything is about you? What about Mom? He’s cheating and lying to her.”

Claire thought about it for a bit. “You need to talk to Dad.”

“Why me? I told you. Now you can talk to him. You’re the oldest. This is exactly the sort of thing that the oldest child is supposed to take care of.”

“He won’t take it well coming from his daughter who he adores. He needs you. You know man-to-man is the way these things need to be done. You need to talk to him.”

Anton rolled his eyes. Ella was right; Claire was not going to be helpful. “I’m not actually a man.”

“Yeah, but you’re man enough. Until you talk to Dad, keep your mouth shut. Tell no-one anything. Especially Mom. Of course Ella knows, right?”

“Yes. She was there.”

“It doesn’t matter. Ella keeps secrets likes she’s paid to.”

Anton wondered what secrets Ella might have about Claire that she was grateful Ella had kept for her. Anton hoped none. He’d feel betrayed if Ella kept Claire’s secrets away from him. And then he remembered that was exactly what he was doing to his mother. 

Tell us what you think: Is it wrong to keep secrets from the people we care about? Or is it kind?