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6
“You bloody mampara! What were you thinking of, taking a jump like that? You don’t even like water.”
Daniel was sitting beside Tshepo, who was propped up in his hospital bed, looking as if he had awoken from a peaceful sleep. Miraculously, apart from almost a week of unconsciousness, all he had to show for his water-skiing accident were a few cuts and bruises and a slight concussion.
“I know, and that’s the amazing thing about it. When I took that jump, I soared, gliding through the air. Everything ceased to exist and for one perfect moment it was quiet in here.” Tshepo’s fist gently beat against his chest. “And in here.” His index finger tapped against his temple. “Then, bam! I came down like something shot from the sky.”
Tshepo loved to captivate his audience, whether it was in the boardroom, the living room or simply a one-on-one conversation.
“Eish, Daniel! You look like hell. What happened to you?”
“Flu . . . And Luke Bancroft.”
Tshepo spat out an expletive. “That wolf howling at your door again? What’s wrong with the man?”
“He’s just devious. Yoh, bra, I’m glad to see you alive and kicking.”
Tshepo turned a questioning eye on his friend. “Are you telling me that the papers haven’t been finalised?”
“Well, your guys are stalling.”
Tshepo let out a string of oaths. “It was all agreed at the board meeting and I left instructions for the final papers to be drawn up and sent to you. What the hell is going on?”
The answer came to them both at the same time.
“Bancroft!”
Tshepo thoughtfully nodded his head as he put certain facts together in his mind. “Don’t you worry, bra. Leave this to me.”
* * *
Later that afternoon Daniel, Nomvula and Mpho walked over to Lerato’s house. Lerato hugged her brother and kissed Mpho, who was then passed on to her Uncle Sam. He swung her into the air with gusto. The little girl squealed in delight and squirmed with excitement when he finally caught her in his arms. She planted a wet kiss on his forehead and wriggled her little body to be let down.
Mpho promptly disappeared into the den, which erupted with cries of joyful greetings.
Lerato smiled. “That’s Palesa and Lesedi. They love it when Mpho comes to visit,” she explained, and then, to Nomvula’s surprise, she found herself enfolded in a warm hug. Apart from Mpho and occasionally Asanda, Nomvula rarely had such close physical contact with another human being, especially not since her grandmother had passed away. She realised now that it was something that she missed.
“How are you doing? I’m glad you came.” Lerato’s kind eyes smiled warmly into Nomvula’s.
“I’m fine, thanks,” Nomvula replied automatically. “Here, these are for you.” She held out a bunch of flowers that had almost got crushed a few seconds before.
“That’s so thoughtful of you.” Lerato nudged her brother. “You see, this is what you do when your sister cooks for you.”
Daniel protested, “I might as well just grow you a garden then – I’m here all the time.”
“My point exactly!” said Lerato emphatically. “Nomvula, this is my husband, Sam.”
“Nice to meet you.” Nomvula extended her hand.
Sam took it and smiled warmly. “Welcome to our house,” he said in a voice that was rich and strong. His hair was in a short, neat Afro and he sported a bushy moustache above lips that seemed to curl into a smile readily and quite frequently. Nomvula liked him immediately.
Next she met the couple’s thirteen-year-old twins. They were lovely girls who seemed to have inherited their father’s sunny temperament and their mother’s energetic enthusiasm.
Nomvula had never thought that families like this really existed. These people were kind and caring, and obviously very happy. This was what had been missing from her life for so long: this laughter, this joy, this incredible lightness of being.
They didn’t wait long for supper to be served as it was quite late in the day and everyone was starving. Nomvula didn’t have to worry about Mpho at all, because the little girl’s cousins monopolised her completely.
“They think she’s a real live doll,” said Lerato, shaking her head as she watched her daughters threading ribbons into Mpho’s neat plaits. “And the little one soaks it up. She loves the attention.”
They were all sitting in the small back yard, relaxing after their big meal and enjoying the slight breeze.
Lerato turned to Daniel. “Are you coming with us to East London this year?”
“No, too much going on at work right now. I can’t afford to leave.”
“But we can still take Mpho with us, though?” Lerato asked, and then added, “Nomvula is very welcome to come too.”
“Yes, we’d love to have you,” her husband echoed.
Nomvula felt a bit trapped. Lovely as these people were, she was still trying to settle down in her new role without being counted as part of their family already. It would be ungracious to just turn them down, so she searched for a tactful way to say she didn’t really want to go. Daniel saved her.
“By all means take Mpho with you. And of course Nomvula is free to go if she wants to, but she can also take the week off if she’d rather do that.”
Everyone looked at Nomvula.
“I’d love to come, but I think I should grab the opportunity for some personal time. But thank you very much.”
“Oh well, next time,” said Sam affably.
“Then both of you will have to come,” insisted Lerato.
“Ja, ja! We’ll see. I’m going to play,” said Daniel, and off he went to engage in some loud rough-and-tumble with the girls.
Lerato shook her head. “Just when you think they’ve finally grown up.”
Sam chuckled beside her and finished off the last of his beer. “Looks like fun. Think I’ll go join them.” He picked up a discarded soccer ball and joined Daniel and the girls.
The men made themselves a small makeshift soccer pitch and each had one twin on his team, with Mpho joining whichever side had ball possession. Daniel managed to score against Sam and Lesedi, after which he pulled his T-shirt over his face and ran around screaming “Laduuuuuuma!” much to Mpho and Palesa’s amusement. Adorable, thought Nomvula as a smile spread from right inside her to her face.
* * *
The next day Nomvula started her dance classes after dropping Mpho off at her playgroup. The dance studio was part of a large health complex which Lerato had recommended to her. As she walked past the various rooms with
