The Arrangement

Family time

We woke up at twelve pm on the dot. As soon as we got downstairs, the door opened and two tiny beings rushed to our embrace. "Hi guys!" Sino had Kelvin in her arms. She rose with him on her hip. "Hi princess."

"Hi mommy. Daddy i missed you" Zothile smiled at me. I heard Sino chuckle but it had no humour. "Bon-"

"No."

"Yhoo askies. Milicent" she rolled her eyes at Sino."Thetha. (Speak)"

"Thank you for bringing my babies back to us safely."  She just shrugged. "Okay well, I have to go. I have a date."

"How come I didn't know about this?" Sino asked. I decided to take the kids bags up to the room Zothile will use. "Baba wait!" Two sets of feet ran in my direction. We walked up the stairs together, as they told me about their Christmas. "Daddy, where are the chrissmas decorations?" Kelvin asked me when I opened the door. "Yes daddy. Where are they?"

"I don't have them." They gasped. "Whyyy" Zothile climbed on the bed while Kelvin struggled because of his height. I picked him up and placed him in the middle before I proceeded to unpack their clothes. "Because my family wasn't here. So I didn't wanna spend Christmas alone." I pulled more dirty clothes.

"Don't you guys have clean clothes?"

"Nope." They shook their heads. "Okay thathani LA. Put it in the laundry basket in the bathroom." I gave them each a handful of clothes. We got most of their laundry in the laundry basket. "I am tired and hungry." That was Zothile who threw herself on the bed.

"Yeah, I'm tired and hundry too." Kelvin copied his sister. I helped him climb on the bed. His struggle was jus too cute.

"There you are." I turned to the sweet melodical voice. "Mama come lay with us." Zothile helped Kelvin take his shoes off. "No baby I'm sorry, I just woke up."

"Okay." They got under the blankets. "Daddy..."

"Yes princess?"

"Please tell us a story."

"Zothile you know you can't sleep in the afternoon because you are gonna be a pain at night." Sino said. "But mommy I'm tired."

"I'm sorry my love, you have to stay up now."

"But mommy. Why does Kelvin get to sleep?" I turned to the now asleep boy. "Siya please wake him up. Come on Zothile." Sino walked out.

"Okay, daddy let me close one eye then. I promise I'll stay awake." Zothile turned to me. "Nope. Your mother said to follow her." She pouted and turned to the side. Looking exactly like her mother. I couldn't help but smile at that. "Why are you skilling dad?"

"You are adorable. Just like your mother" she just huffed and hopped off the bed. "Zothile!" Sino shouted from afar. "Coming." She ran with her socks on. I scooped Kelvin in my arms, he stirred and threw his arm around my neck. "Wake up Kel."

"Mmmm" he turned away from my face. I carried him downstairs and placed him on the couch in the far end of the living room, in front of the sliding door but just far enough. I walked to the kitchen to find Sino rummaging through the cupboards. "What's up?"

"Where's the food?"

"At the shops." She turned to me with her hands on her waist. "That's not funny."

"I'm being serious."

"Mmmm. We need to buy food Baby."

"Yeah we will- wait. Say that again"

"Say what?" She smiled shyly. "No, you know what you said. Say it again." I advanced to her. "Siya-"

"That's not it."