Simple Happiness

Chapter Twenty-Eight

That night, they all sat around Tamara's small dining table when dinner was served.

"Tamara, dear, thank you for taking care of our Liz," Liz's mother said. "I don't know if she could have managed to live well in Nairobi without you. She's lucky to have you as her friend."

Tamara smiled. "Don't mention it, Mom," she said. "Liz is like a sister to me. We always take care of each other."

"That's good," her mother said.

"Sis, does that beautiful car belong to your boyfriend?" Aidan asked.

Liz shot a glare at him.

"What boyfriend?" her father asked. "Harry is the only boyfriend I will approve of. With him by your side, I will have nothing to worry about."

"What are you saying, dad?" Liz asked. "There is nothing going on between me and Harry."

Her mother chimed in. "Child, Harry is a nice kid. He isn't rich but he lives well. He has a car and a house in Nairobi. You won't have to worry about being rejected and maltreated by your in-laws if you marry him. You will have a happy and peaceful marriage with him."

"How will I be happy and peaceful without the one I love by my side?" She got to her feet. "I'm full. Thank you for preparing such a delicious meal for us, Mom."

Aidan stared at his sister's plate. She lost her appetite because of my big mouth, he thought.

Tamara quickly finished the contents of her plate and joined Liz in her room. She was sharing the room with Liz. Liz's parents would take Liz's old room while Liz's brother would take the couch.

"Don't worry, you'll find a way around this problem," Tamara told Liz who was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"You think so?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, the great love between you and Ethan will help you overcome it," she said. "By the way, who's this Harry your parents were talking about?"

"Harry is our neighbor's son in the village. He has been pursuing me since high school but I never gave him a reason to hope for a future between us. I don't know how he coaxed my parents into paring him with me."

"That's serious," Tamara said. "But don't worry, you'll manage to get him off your back sooner or later. Just don't give in to your parents. When they see that you're serious about Ethan, they'll stop pushing you to marry Harry. If they don't you can secretly get married to Ethan."

Liz's face lit up. "Ah, what a brilliant idea!"

"Sis, can I come in?" Aidan, who was standing at the door asked.

Liz's eyebrow wrinkled. "How long have you been standing there? What did you hear?"

Aidan shook her head. "Nothing," he said. "And even if I heard something I wouldn't tell anybody. Sis, you can trust me. We're siblings."

"Siblings can also betray one another, don't you know that?"

"But I can't," Aidan said.

Tamara patted her on the shoulder. "I will go and check on your parents," she said. "Don't be hard on him. He didn't say what he said at the table purposefully."

"Thank you for believing in me Tammy," Aidan said.

Tamara stopped in her tracks and turned back. "Eh, Aidan, it's Tamara, not Tammy."

"Sorry, Tamara. I'll put that in mind."

Tamara smiled and walked out of the room.

"Come and sit," Liz said, patting on the bed.

"Sis, will you forgive me for that blunder?" Aidan asked when he sat beside her.

"Let's see," Liz said, touching her chin and narrowing her eyes.

"Sis, I..."

"Is there any mistake that family can't forgive?"

Aidan smiled. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

"Of course. Come here." She hugged him.

"Thanks, Sis. I'll always be careful with what I say, especially if it concerns you."

Liz smiled and touched his nose lightly with her finger. "You're a quick learner," she said. "Okay. Tell me, how's Imani?"

"She's fine. She went to school last week on Tuesday. During the vacation, I helped her with Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. She's not doing well in these subjects but she'll improve if she works harder."

"She will," Liz said. "I know she will."

He nodded. "Hmm..."

"Okay. Pick that duvet and pillow," Liz said. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Goodnight, Sis."

"Sleep tight."

Some minutes after Aidan left, her mother came in.

"Dear, are you asleep?" she asked.

"Not yet, but I'm feeling sleepy," she said, pushing away the covers and sitting upright.

"Then I will be brief." Her mother sat at the edge of the bed and took her hand. "Dear, please don't be angry with us anymore. We mean well."

"I'm not angry anymore, Mom," she said, yawning and closing her eyes. "Can I sleep now?"

Her mother hesitated for a moment then said, "Yes, child. Sleep."

Liz lay down and her mother tucked her in.

"Good night, dear."

"Goodnight, Mom," she said with closed eyes.

When her mother left, she took her phone and looked at her photos with Ethan. There was no trace of sleep in her eyes. She reminisced of their beautiful moments together as she looked at the photos.

---

Liz woke up in the morning and went to the living room. Her family was having breakfast. She stretched and yawned. "Good morning family," she said.

"Liz, I thought you were at work," her mother said. "It's past eight. You're late for work."

"Child, you shouldn't play with your job," her father said. "You went through many hurdles to get employed. You have to cherish your job. What will you do if you lose it?"

"Stop worrying, okay," Liz said. "I already applied for a two-day leave. Today we're going shopping for what Aidan will need to start a new life on campus. I will also accompany you tomorrow for his admission." She put her hand on Aidan's shoulder. "Aidan you have to make a shopping list. It'll be easier that way."

Aidan nodded. "But you don't have to worry about my admission. I can admit myself into university. I'm sure many students will come alone."

"No," his mother said. "We're coming with you. You don't know how hectic it can be. You can ask your sister."

"Ah, the queues are usually very long," Liz said. "You need us to help you queue at different stages of admission. Just thank God you have us. What will you do if you end up missing a room in the campus hostels? It's expensive to rent a room off campus."

"Fine. I understand," Aidan said.

Liz poured herself a cup of tea and took it with the homemade cookies made by her mother. After breakfast, they all went to a shopping mall in the neighborhood.

***