The Seven, and their Wealth. II

V - Kiara.

'And over here, we have Sparkle Ranger and Flash-feet. These two will be getting us through the safari,' a tall man uniformed in khaki ranger attire spoke, introducing a pair of neatly groomed Arabian horses – one, chestnut brown while the other was grey – with a black leather saddle for each.

In the near sixty-minute drive from Centurion, Kiara eagerly pondered what Themba had planned out for the two. For someone whose romantic life was practically non-existent, this was a great sign. Themba was proving to be persistent and capable; Kiara appreciated the effort he had been putting in.

'So, are you guys good to go, or will we need a crash course in horseback riding?'

Themba glared over at Kiara, worried she might not like the suggested activity. His fears were laid to rest at the smile that creased her face.

'Why are you looking at me?' she chuckled. 'I am already clued up on this.'

'Oh?'

Kiara shrugged.

'What can I say? There are some things people do not know about me.'

'You seem to have a knack for surprising me Kiara.'

'It's what I live for,' she responded, before setting foot on the side of Sparkle Ranger.

They were given their helmets and protective pads which had to be worn throughout the ride, and after clipping them on, he aided Kiara in mounting Sparkle Ranger – even though she insisted that she could do it all on her own. He just had to be sure. They soon all set off along a path right through a forest of trees before reaching a watering hole area. A herd of springbok all calmly drinking from the large body of water, shielded by a group of large shrubs.

Themba had made up his mind on the possibility of such a day occurring. It was a long wait, and he slowly was giving in, but it would finally come. It was intimate; he was impressed most by how composed Kiara seemed to be. She was in full control of the horse, witnessing it with undulating hills as the backdrop. It was hard not to see this as a reward for his extensive waiting.

Admittedly, Themba had been worried about where he stood with Kiara. For starters, there was inconsistency on her side – one day she was for the idea, and the next day she would barely respond to any of his text messages. One day Kiara would abruptly FaceTime him and insist that they have these calls often, the next she would not even call back after leaving at least five missed calls.

Reading Kiara was hard, and she did warn him that things like this would happen, but he was adamant it would not be that bad. When you're in love, or think you're in love, with someone, their absence begins to sting because it's all you ever want – to be with them as constantly as possible.

'You doing good there?' Kiara asked, flashing a smile, and looking back at Themba.

The upbeat smile suddenly reminded him of why he was doing this in the first place. What started as an unsuspecting follow on her Instagram proved to be giving out what he could describe as his happiest moments. He still is in awe that a guy like him has been given the chance, despite having a particular reputation that preceded him.

For a moment, it all felt like it was all crashing in. After a wild night out and an even wilder ending to it, Themba's life would be shaken up with news that he would be a father – way before he ever intended to be one. It took out him out briefly, but Themba slowly found his footing and would solider through it all.

Now, it all seemed like a lifetime ago. Themba smiled back at Kiara.

'I wouldn't worry about me, because there's a giraffe right there,' he responded, pointing over at Kiara and directing her to a herd of giraffes that were serenely indulging in the leaves of the acacia tree.