There was a point where knew he would have to put his ridiculous views aside and start getting things done, and Elijah could not help but feel prouder of himself. Seeing Naledi again certainly did go a long way, but that was the just the start for them – in what he proposed would be their inevitable reunion.
Naledi failed to give him a proper answer. It was fair. Elijah ambushed her, trying to get his answers too while giving his to Naledi. Just like how he was not rushed into talking to someone, he also refrained from rushing Naledi – he was patient enough to give her time. Naledi would respond, she always does.
It did not hurt that he saw Andrew and Andrea again. Those little rascals, he laughed. Only he knew how deeply he missed them. Car rides with the three of them were the best thing ever.
After an enjoyable date, Elijah walked Naledi to her car before heading home, feeling confident.
***
As the sun was setting, he pulled into the driveway behind his father's Mercedes Benz S-Class. He knew they were back from their meeting because the lights in the study room were on. It was their habit to spend their evenings in the study room either reviewing work content before calling it a day.
He took off his jacket and hung it on a nearby coat rack before tossing his car keys in a bowl.
'Elijah,' he heard his name being gently called out from the study. At first, he had planned to immediately head up the stairs to waste the remainder of the day on video games. However, he unwillingly made a beeline to the study.
Alice sat in a comfortable leather office chair, which provided a supportive embrace to her back. She was completely absorbed in her work, her reading glasses perched on her nose, and her eyes glued to the computer screen in front of her. Musa, on the other hand, occupied the seat opposite Alice and was busy skimming through a set of neatly bound documents. He seemed to be deeply engrossed in the contents of the documents, occasionally making notes on a notepad placed beside him.
As they both worked, the soft and melodious voice of Frank Sinatra's music filled the room, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The classic songs seemed to complement the work environment, allowing Alice and Musa to concentrate without any distractions.
'Oh it is you, I was wondering when you'd be back.'
'Yep. It's me.' Who else could it possibly be? ' How'd the meeting go?'
'Fantastic,' Alice smiled. 'We've seen growth in the first quarter of the year, and analysis points out to more for the second. How was the gender reveal party?'
'Rather boring, but good food, nonetheless. Oscar and Fhulufelo will be having a boy.'
'Oh that's excellent news! We must go get them gifts during the week.'
Elijah had been eagerly anticipating his meeting with Naledi all week. He had planned his entire day around it, starting with a stop at his cousin's house in Glen Vista for a gender reveal party. However, his excitement was dampened by the fact that his cousin had other plans for him. He was trying to set Elijah up with some of Fhulufelo's friends, going as far as to point out that Elijah was single before introducing them.
It was frustrating, at best.
'They are very thrilled, a gift would be ideal.'
'Well that's good for them! Musa, we should go pay them a visit sometime, don't you think?'
'Of course,' he spoke for the first time. 'It would be nice to go pay respects to people that are actually making progress with their lives.'
Elijah's mood took a turn for the worse as his father managed to easily upset him once again. After the day he had, this was the last thing he needed. Even Alice's smile disappeared as she understood the implications of Musa's statement.
