Anthem, Silent

Ivy

“Slaap, my kindjie, slap sag, (sleep my child, sleep softly)

onder rose vannag. (under the roses tonight.)

Eers die armpies om my nek (First your arms around my neck)

en dan warmpies toegedek, (and then warmly covered in bed),” I awoke to gentle singing, lulling me away from sleep as my heavy eyelids parted in lazy effort. 

“Môre vroeg, as God wil, word my kindjie gewek; (Early tomorrow, God willing my child to wake.)
Môre vroeg, as God wil, word my kindjie gewek. (Early tomorrow, God willing my child to wake.)

Slaap, my kindjie, slaap sag, onder eng'le se wag; (Sleep my child, sleep softly, with Angels at watch;)
Hulle toon jou in 'n droom kindjie Jesus se boom. (They show you in a dream, Baby Jesus’s tree.)” The deep silky voice continued as I let out a pained grunt at the raging headache that immediately greeted me. 

I felt the soft kiss of a pair of lips on my cheek before the voice continued singing, “Slaap nou soet, hulle wys jou 'n droomparadys, (Sleep softly, as they show you Paradise,)
Slaap nou soet, hulle wys jou 'n droomparadys. (Sleep softly, as they show you paradise.)” 

I closed my eyes at the feel of his lips on my skin, and the way that dominant and strong voice of his suddenly sounded gentle and swaying as I remembered what had happened. Or had it all been a bad dream? It most certainly didn’t feel like it. 

“Good morning, my soet Ivy,” he greeted me as I felt him gently brush my cheek. I stayed as still as a board, keeping my eyes on the ceiling with the fancy canned lightings that were nothing like I had ever seen. The lights were bright, letting me know that I wasn’t at my apartment and I wasn’t at a hospital. It looked too fancy. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, I tried to feel whatever pain he had put me through. I kept praying that it had been a bad dream and the reason that I was lying beside him now is that I somehow lost consciousness the moment I opened the door and he brought me to wherever this is. I tried to feel my right hand, but I couldn’t even wiggle my fingers, not from pain, but from a certain numbness that made my right hand feel as if it were the size of big air balloon. My right ear felt the exact same way, and it made me feel dizzy, but also a bit delirious, like all I wanted to do was giggle at the strange feeling. I felt like I would float away. 

I gasped, “don’t let me float away,” I rushed out to say suddenly, my voice croaking out with a hoarseness that scratched at my throat. 

He chuckled, “and let you get away from me? Never.” He answered me, however I refused to face him. “Did you like my lullaby? I know you don’t understand Afrikaans but it was the Brahms Lullaby. Ma used to sing it to me every night, and I guess watching you sleep made me want to sing it for you until you woke up.” He pressed a kiss to my dry and chapped lips, “you’re so beautiful…” he croaked out, his face now hovering over mine, blocking my view of the ceiling that I had been finding entertaining ever since I woke up. 

I looked into those blue eyes of his that shined down on me with admiration that was suffocating. It made me feel shy, he made me feel like I was the Mona Lisa, and like I was art he could spend an eternity studying. God, I couldn’t breathe. My lungs filled up with air, but the way that he peered down at me as if he were willing to suck every bit of it into his, filling himself with me; made me feel like whatever he felt for me; it would last forever. 

I swallowed, “wha…what happened?” I found myself asking, needing to break him away from looking at me and admiring me. 

He smirked, his smirk dark and ominous as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. “It definitely wasn’t a dream,” he began, running his tongue along his bottom lip, “but, guess what?” his smirk turned into a grin that only portrayed an excitement that only a child could have. It caused goosebumps to rise on my arms as my eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat.