The Arrangement

Adorable family.

The movie ended and the kids wanted food so we went to McDonald's. While walking to it, the two seemed to click and were talking about the movie and anything and everything. "Daddy! A balloon! Can we get one each?" Kelvin shook my hand and tried pulling me towards the balloons. "What about food? You no longer want it?" He shook his head no and pouted. "Then let's get food." He looked down. "Hey! Maybe we'll get toys at McD's" Belle said to him and held his hand. "I feel like these two are gonna cause us problems." A soft voice said besides me. I turned to the woman I adore.

"As long as they don't squabble, I'm okay with it all." She laughed and hit my arm. "Be careful what you wish for." She said. "No I'm serious. With you by my side. Im confident we'll conquer it all." She just smiled and looked away. "You look beautiful."

She seemed stunned by my words. "I-uh...th-thank you" I was about to reply. "Oh my goodness Crystal!" A sharp voice screeched. We both turned to the left where a tall skinny figure was approaching. "Hiii!" She moved to hug Crystal who looked like she's in shock. "H-hi...Phenyo" they separated

"Oh good! You still remember my name." Crystal let out a fake laugh. "Ahh. How could I forget."

"I don't know. I mean you left and never looked back. Life seems to be treating you well." She said with hidden anger or maybe jealousy in her voice. "Not all that glitters is gold Phenyo." Crystal said and the woman, Phenyo, just smiled. We stood for a minute in silence. "Well," Crystal clasped her hands together and shrugged, "We'd better get going." She looked at me.

I nodded my head and we bid the woman goodbye. We turned and walked to our children who seemed to be engrossed by the water fountain. "Come on kids. Let's go." I said to the pair playing with the unclean water. We went to Wimpy and had lunch there.

A few hours later.

We had gone to the arcade, bought some clothes and food. It was around 7pm when I drove Crystal and Belle back to their homestead. "Would you like to come in?" My adoring wife asked me as I parked inside the yard. "I-i-i uhm...sure." I couldn't bare the look in her eyes, she has always been my weakness and she damn sure knew how to use that to her advantage. "Great." She smiled widely.

Even as I knew that I had no for of backup, no arms on me and that I was entering enemy compounds, I smiled back at her and pushed all the warning signs to the back of my mind. The kids had fallen asleep already so as we exited the car, she took Kelvin and I took Belle. She led the way through smaller houses surrounding the bigger one that we seemed to be heading to.

As we passed by her family, I couldn't help but notice them tensing up and watching with unsure eyes. Crystal, who was oblivious to all of this, just smiled and greeted everyone. As we neared the larger house, light and loud chatter became louder and brighter. We found the door open. "Molweni" Just hearing her speak her mother tongue had me feeling and thinking unholy thoughts. "Molweni Bantwana bam."

The only elderly lady said. Her voice sounded familiar to me. "Bazali bam. Lo nguSiyabonga Xhakaza. Nguye utatawabantwana bam. (My elders. This is Siyabonga Xhakaza. He is the father of my children.)" She just said it like its a normal way to greet family. They all stared at me, making me uncomfortable but I made sure to leave as little emotion, as possible, on my face.

The soon broke into smiles and greeted me. "Sanibonani Bantu abadala. (Greetings my elders.)"

"Makhulu kukho izinto emotweni. (Granny there are things in the car.)"

"Oh, ithi ndithumele oNdinani bazilande. (Oh, well let me send Ndinani and them to fetch them)"

"Enkosi. (Thank you.)" She turned back to me. "Let's go." I turned out and waited for her. She led us to the far side of the house and unlocked the door to the hut she stood in front of. I don't know where or how she got the key, managed to balance Kelvin and still unlock the door with ease. We entered and I was hit with a whiff of her scent.

She placed Kelvin in the bed and I followed suit with Belle. As we walked out, after covering them with blankets and ensuring that they are in the centre of the bed, she turned the bedside light on. I closed the door  slightly. She let out a sigh. "What's up?" I brought her in closer to me. "Its...*sigh* Why did I take so long to come back home? Maybe...maybe if I stayed, Zoe would still be alive."

"Everything happens for a reason. God knows why he took her back. Maybe, she, no I know that she has a purpose where she is. And she is watching over us." I held her tight as she cried. "Every birthday has been so hard. I always blamed myself for her passing. How she'd react to certain things? I'll never know? What kind of person she is? How will i ever know!" She sobbed on my chest, trying not to wake the kids up. Hearing her cries broke my heart.

"Through it all, I remember my father telling us that we should always be thankful to God. Makuvume yena, kulungile." We stood together, just embracing one another. "Its getting cold. Let's go in." She suggested after a while. We checked on the kids before heading to what I learnt is the main house.

"Oh bantase." Milicent greeted us, she was walking with Crystal's younger sisters. I had forgotten their names. "Aww squiza sethu." The older looking one said. I smiled at them and greeted back. "Masihambe Amahle. UMa usthumile." As soon as the younger ones were out of eye sight, Milicent began once more. "Isn't it a bit dangerous for you to be here?" She stared at me. "No. I am safe here."

"Mmm" she hummed and then walked off. "What was that about?" Crystal asked me. "I have no idea." I tried to play it off like it didn't bother me. She just held my hand in hers and continued to lead us to the living room. We found her family eating and watching TV. "Sinothando khamenzele ukutya. (Sinothando get him something to eat.)" Crystal stood and walked back to the kitchen. I just stared at her, question after question racing through my mind. I then turned to look at her grandmother who just shrugged at me and continued watching TV.

Sinothando?
Has a beautiful
ring to it.