Asem – Jan Vermeulen
CHAPTER 1
Barries Barnard and his friends, Floris and Theo de Kock (two brothers),
along with his girlfriend, Lizette, are in Barries’s room in Barries and his
mom’s apartment in Houghton, when he tells them that he is going to
torture his father by giving him rat poison (rottegif). He has his most
prized possession on his lap: his blue-black Gibson guitar. His room is a
mess.
Lizette is in disbelief over this, but Barries says he already packed the
poison (gif) and that it’s his Christmas present (Kersgeskenk) to his father.
Barries believes his father never wanted him in the first place, but he still
does not know why. He compares his dad to a rat, saying a rat will
always be a rat. (Important for later in the story!)
Floris has this habit of blinking really fast when he talks about something
serious. He has really bad skin (probleemvel). He asks Barries why he
decided to only now go visit his father and Barries says it’s only to take
revenge (wraak) on him.
Theo asks Barries to rather sing something to them. Theo is the more
attractive (aantrekliker) one of the two brothers: he is a year older than
Floris, has a smooth (gladde), tanned (bruingebrande) face and steroid-
like upper body muscles (bolyfspiere).
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, Lizette tells Barries that she knows plenty of people whose fathers don’t live
with them anymore and they aren’t plotting their revenge on them. Barries
asks if their fathers often beat them with a belt buckle when they were
five years old. She replies that when a person’s father is drunk, they he
doesn’t always know what he is doing. (This tells the reader that Barries’s
father was an alcoholic.) He then asks if their father’s left them (weggeloop),
if their fathers also forget their birthdays: not a card or even a message via
cellphone. His father has not contacted Barries in eleven (elf jaar) years.
Lizette says at least his father is reaching out this year and Barries says he
won’t be falling for his father’s sudden conscience: when he is done with his
father, he will be taking on his mother’s maiden name (nooiensvan). Theo
wants to know if they will be calling Barries “Nellie” then; Barries doesn’t
find this funny. (This tells us that Barries’s mom’s maiden name is Nel.)
Lizette pushes the guitar off and jumps on Barrie’s lap (skoot) and they start
making out until Barries’s mom, Vera, unexpectedly opens the door.
Vera is not impressed with their flat/apartment (woonstel) smelling like
smoke again and asks Barries to pick up his clothes. (Vera knows that her
child and his friends smoke cigarettes and marijuana and yet she does not do
something to stop it.)
Barries says it’s because they stay in a pigeon hole (duiwehokkie) and his
mother tells him that he is ungrateful (ondankbaar). Theo compliments
Vera on how “sexy” she is looking and she touches her hair: this gesture tells
the reader that she is obviously liking the attention (which is slightly gross, but,
ja.) She tells Barries she is going out that evening and hands him a few blue
notes (a few R100’s) and tells him that he should get some pizzas, but
Barries replies that they are going to the club and that they are taking the
Mercedes. (Note how he is not ASKING his mom, he is TELLING her that he
is going out AND taking the car.)
Vera doesn’t want Barries to use her car, so Theo says he is legal (meaning
he is 18 and has a driver’s license) and he also has his own car.Vera’s
phone starts ringing and she leaves the room: Barries suspects that it’s his
father on the line because lately his mom has been doing that when the
father phones.
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED, PLEASE 2
CHAPTER 1
Barries Barnard and his friends, Floris and Theo de Kock (two brothers),
along with his girlfriend, Lizette, are in Barries’s room in Barries and his
mom’s apartment in Houghton, when he tells them that he is going to
torture his father by giving him rat poison (rottegif). He has his most
prized possession on his lap: his blue-black Gibson guitar. His room is a
mess.
Lizette is in disbelief over this, but Barries says he already packed the
poison (gif) and that it’s his Christmas present (Kersgeskenk) to his father.
Barries believes his father never wanted him in the first place, but he still
does not know why. He compares his dad to a rat, saying a rat will
always be a rat. (Important for later in the story!)
Floris has this habit of blinking really fast when he talks about something
serious. He has really bad skin (probleemvel). He asks Barries why he
decided to only now go visit his father and Barries says it’s only to take
revenge (wraak) on him.
Theo asks Barries to rather sing something to them. Theo is the more
attractive (aantrekliker) one of the two brothers: he is a year older than
Floris, has a smooth (gladde), tanned (bruingebrande) face and steroid-
like upper body muscles (bolyfspiere).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED, PLEASE 1
, Lizette tells Barries that she knows plenty of people whose fathers don’t live
with them anymore and they aren’t plotting their revenge on them. Barries
asks if their fathers often beat them with a belt buckle when they were
five years old. She replies that when a person’s father is drunk, they he
doesn’t always know what he is doing. (This tells the reader that Barries’s
father was an alcoholic.) He then asks if their father’s left them (weggeloop),
if their fathers also forget their birthdays: not a card or even a message via
cellphone. His father has not contacted Barries in eleven (elf jaar) years.
Lizette says at least his father is reaching out this year and Barries says he
won’t be falling for his father’s sudden conscience: when he is done with his
father, he will be taking on his mother’s maiden name (nooiensvan). Theo
wants to know if they will be calling Barries “Nellie” then; Barries doesn’t
find this funny. (This tells us that Barries’s mom’s maiden name is Nel.)
Lizette pushes the guitar off and jumps on Barrie’s lap (skoot) and they start
making out until Barries’s mom, Vera, unexpectedly opens the door.
Vera is not impressed with their flat/apartment (woonstel) smelling like
smoke again and asks Barries to pick up his clothes. (Vera knows that her
child and his friends smoke cigarettes and marijuana and yet she does not do
something to stop it.)
Barries says it’s because they stay in a pigeon hole (duiwehokkie) and his
mother tells him that he is ungrateful (ondankbaar). Theo compliments
Vera on how “sexy” she is looking and she touches her hair: this gesture tells
the reader that she is obviously liking the attention (which is slightly gross, but,
ja.) She tells Barries she is going out that evening and hands him a few blue
notes (a few R100’s) and tells him that he should get some pizzas, but
Barries replies that they are going to the club and that they are taking the
Mercedes. (Note how he is not ASKING his mom, he is TELLING her that he
is going out AND taking the car.)
Vera doesn’t want Barries to use her car, so Theo says he is legal (meaning
he is 18 and has a driver’s license) and he also has his own car.Vera’s
phone starts ringing and she leaves the room: Barries suspects that it’s his
father on the line because lately his mom has been doing that when the
father phones.
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