Hard out here | Carlos Sainz Jr

Chapter 20

The second the plane landed, Giovanna knew she was back home.

There was something about the atmosphere that comforted her. Maybe it was the Afrikaans women sending her tight-lipped everytime she'd look at them or maybe the greetings she'd receive from the airport staff.

After a long drive from Johannesburg to Pretoria, Giovanna thanked her Uber driver as he stopped outside the estate gate and paid for the ride before heading towards security.

"Môre meneer!" (Good morning, sir!) She greeted the pale skinned man in the security box.

"Môre! Hoe gaan dit?" (Good morning! How is it going?) He asked.

Giovanna leaned against the small building, "Dit gaan goed en met meneer?" (Good and you?)

"Goed goed. Wie is daai cute babatjie?" (Good good. Who that cute baby?"

"My dogtertjie." (My daughter.) Giovanna answered looking down at her chest where Liema was fast asleep in the sling wrap.

"Sy's baie cute." (She's very cute.) The man said getting a 'thank you' from Giovanna.

They continued to talk while Giovanna waited for her mother to pick her up. She would've walked to their house but it was on the other side of the estate and she had her luggage with her.

A white SUV appeared that Giovanna recognised stopping across the gate. "Aah daar is my ma. Ek hoop jy het a goeie dag meneer." (Aah, there's my mother. I hope you have a good day sir.) She pointed to the car.

"Jy ook!" (You too!) He said as he pressed a button to open the gate for her.

Giovanna rushed to the car where she put her suitcase in the back of the car before getting in the passenger side and greeting her mother.

"I want to go see Khanya and the others." Giovanna spoked up whilst playing with the hem of Liema's dress.

"Don't you want to sleep first? No jet lag?" Amila asked driving off onto the road that would lead them straight to the end of the estate. 

Giovanna shook her head in response, "Surprisingly not plus, it's still early in the morning. I have things to do and people to see, mama. Ke ngwanyana a busy." (I'm a busy girl.)

Amila huffed a laugh at Giovanna's words. "Utlwa wena." (Listen to you.)

Reaching the lake, Giovanna looked outside the windshield to see the lone house on the other side. One of the things she missed about Pretoria was the home she grew up in.

Being the only house on that side of the estate and being just a ten minute walk away from the golf course was the best thing Giovanna could ask for.

When her dad wanted Amila and their newborn daughter, Giovanna, to move in with him, Amila made a list of demands.

First, the house had to be up to her standards. If it short anything or had too much of something, she would refuse.

Secondly, the title deed had to be written in her name.

Lastly, it had to cost at least four million Rands which, if converted to Euros, would be €210 000 currently.

Which was how she ended up with a ten million Rand mansion at the edge of one of Pretoria's most prestigious estate.

Amila Faku, the woman you are.

Turning onto a gravel road that span around the circumference of the lake, they soon reached the rustic lake house perched up the bank just a few metres away from the dock. Amila parked outside on the driveway and helped Giovanna with getting her luggage inside.