Stars Aligned

Insert 76

Narrated

Jade strutted inside the house after her school bus had dropped her off. She threw her bag on the floor by the door and continued to walk into the kitchen where her nostrils were welcomed by an amazing aroma of freshly baked cookies.
Jade: Ohh cookies!
Sino turned at the sound of her older daughter. She took the last plate of cookies from the oven and places it on the counter.
Sino: Hey sweetie, how was school?
Jade: Mom, school is school nothing new just boring and weird kids.

She groaned and took a cookie from the platter before biting on it and humming.
Sino shook her head at her and took off her gloves before walking over to Jade and planting a kiss on her head. The little girl was fierce for an eight-year-old.
Sino: Go change and check up on your sister and brother before you start. . .
She clapped the hand that was going for another cookie. Jade pouted and sighed.
Sino: Before eating, go on now.
Jade: Fineee!
She groaned and walked out of the kitchen with her head lowered over her back.

Sino: Watch where you going Jadene!
She yelled over for her like every damn day, but the amused smile on her face remained.
Soon as she was clearing everything out of the way so she could start with supper, Siya walked into the kitchen with a loose tie and his jacket unbuttoned. Sino upon seeing the tired look on her husband reached out and took off his suit.
Siya: Sthandwa sam.
He smiled warmly at her. No matter how tired he was, he still made effort to please his wife or make her feel acknowledged.

Sino: Siya, why are you overworking yourself this much.
Siya: I learn from the best.
He raised his eyebrows in debate with her. She rolled her eyes and placed the blazer on the stool, before taking his tie off completely.
Sino: I don't overwork myself and-
Siya wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her rambling mouth. She smiled over his lips, her own arms flailing to drape around his neck.
Siya: You wake up to make breakfast and help the kids get ready for school then make their lunch boxes on top of that you drop Khakhu and Thando at the daycare.

He raised his eyebrows at her to argue with everything he had just asked. And she was going to argue with him;
Sino: How about you? It's not like you don't help the kids get ready for sleep every night, or wait don't you also help do their homework and drop Jade at school every morning before you head to work? I don't know, I'm just guessing.
She acted obliviously and reached up to kiss his lips again.
Jade: Keep it PG, please!
As she strolled into the kitchen for those delicious cookies that she was promised before by her mother.

***

Siya: Jade, bring your bag I want to see your books.
It was after dinner and the whole family had now settled in the living room, with the tv playing some cartoons that Khakhu cried so much for. Jade was playing with her iPod when she heard her father. She sighed and shoved the iPod to the side before getting up and running up the stairs to retrieve her school bag. Jade was a smart kid, always did her work at school. She paid attention to her teachers and studied while at home. She was not worried about her dad checking her books it was something he did from time to time.

Sino observed as Thando, the youngest daughter of the household crawled over to Khakhu and immediately knew that a war was about to immerse. The two didn't get along at all, Khakhu being his four year old was so petty with his things and didn't like to share with his little sister. Thando on the other side just loved to provoke her big brother every chance she got. The two year old girl had a mind of an old she-devil.
Sino: Thando, woza baby. (Come)
She stretched her arms for the little girl to crawl back to her.

Thando giggled while shifting her tiny body to turn and look the other way so she could crawl back to her mother. Sino cooed as she met her halfway and picking her up before she settled her on her lap. Jade made her appearance and handed her back to her dad.
Siya: Proud of you kid, keep it up and I might just buy you that new phone you want so much huh.
Siya said as he analyzed through his daughter's books and getting impressed with his findings. Jade squealed and threw her arms around Siya and hugging him.

Jade: Thank you baba, yayyyy! You are the best.
Siya chuckled and patted her back a little.
Siya: Well, I didn't I will buy it now. I'm still observing okay?
That didn't matter to Jade at the moment, as long as she was going to get it anyways. That phone was her ticket to creating a personal space that was hers alone. Jade didn't know how to make friends, it was one of the many things that she struggled with. She had been asking for the phone from Siya for so long but he refused, saying something about her being too young to own a phone.

It was that one time she invited a boy for a school project, her father got all protective and denied her any access to the internet. Jade smiled at her mother because she knew that there was no way her dad suddenly changed his mind over books. Sino winked at her while playing with Thando. Thando kept making baby sounds and playing with her mother's braids. Sino pryed the little girl's hand from her braids as she tried to put it in her mouth.
Sino: Eat this baby, you don't eat mommy's hair okay?
Sino gave her the pacifier instead.

***

The kids had gone to sleep, it was just the parents cuddled up on the sofa. Both of them were too tired to get up and go to their own bedroom to sleep. The torture of going up the stairs was too much to comprehend. Plus it was too nice being cooped up in each other's arms. The tv was still playing in the background but the volume was reduced to the lowest level. Siya's fingers absentmindedly played with his wife's braids.
Sino: We not going to sleep her are we?
Siya: As long as I'm beside you, I don't care.
Sino looked up at him, and his expression was one that was serious. She smiled at him.
How she loved this man.