"When is daddy coming back ?"
She asks as she sits down next to me and she folds her legs on the little throw blanket that I layed out on the grass for us to sit on.
"I don't know baby but he probably won't be back anytime soon, he seems really busy with Khumos dad."
I tell her and she only gives me a small nod before she looks away from me and she sighs as she plays with the grass.
"It's hot here."
"Is it?"
"Yes... way hotter than home."
"You know that this is where mommy grew up right? I used to love spending time under the shades here especially during spring because we didn't have ants that would bite all over us."
I say as I give her small little tickles trying to mimick the red ants that would bite the living hell out of me when I would try to get a breather outside,I hated that they were everywhere.
She laughs until she holds her belly as she topples over my legs and I start to laugh at this too as she begs for me to stop and I stop eventually and she just lays on my legs and she stares at me with nothing but a look of adoration in her eyes.
"Did you spend time with uncle Kghosi too ?"
She asks barely able to pronounce kghosi correctly because this child barely ever speaks Setswana and I don't blame her, I don't speak Setswana too when I am back at KZN if i am not speaking English I am butchering isiZulu together with Siya.
I smile as I brush her nose and her ears and her hair admiring her beautiful features...
I still can't believe how perfect she is and everytime I see her I just want to fall flat on my knees out of love for her.
"Abuti Kghosi left for boarding when I was in fifth grade, so I didn't get to spent much time with him like that but, everytime he came back home during the holidays we climb up trees, steal peaches from our neighbors and watch the stars at night together until the next morning..."
"Like I do with Banzi ?"
"Do you steal peaches with Banzi ?"
"No we stole oranges."
She confesses.
"We don't have orange trees at home."
"We stole them at gogos garden."
"Oh my gosh, I raised a rebel."
I joke and she smiles before I place a kiss at the top of her head.
"I like having a big brother."
She says and I smile at her too.
Coming from a woman with three older brothers, I loved every moment of it as much as I hated it just as much but I loved it a lot, I still do, I love my brothers.
"I love having big brothers too, they really are the best."
"Yeah, but they shout a lot too..."
She points and again I find myself agreeing with her because she's raising a valid point.
"They do shout a lot, and i am just a girl."
"I tell him that all the time, that I am just a girl and he always says that he doesn't understand me sometimes."
She vents and again, I nod my head.
"They never understand us Nkanyezi, they never do."
Vele they never do, mxm !!
"Sometimes mama, I just want to clear my head and ride my pony until I sleep."
Well said wena girl.
"You know what I don't blame you, because sometimes I just want to sneak away to the pantry and eat snacks until I fall asleep."
