I'm more than just the second wife

9

Both of us were too tired to start the paint job on Saturday  we just moved her things into the garage and covered the floor and decided to do it on Sunday. Which is how I ended up with an impatient 5 year old jumping on my bed at 6am to wake me up. "Koki come on wake up! Koki! Koki!" She then knelt next to my head and tried to pry my eyes open as I pretended to still be asleep. When she finally gave up I opened my eyes and pounced on her blowing raspberries on her tummy filling the room with her giggles.

"Koki, it'll be you and I forever right?" She asked as we lay on the bed side by side catching our breaths. "Yes nana, forever." I replied. Her smile spread wider and her big eyes crinkled at the sides. "You promise?" I nodded before picking her up and we headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

"Let's make pancakes Koki and can Onami come for breakfast?" Zanda asked as I placed her on the counter and she got up and reached for the ingredients in the cupboards and handed them to me. "Sure thing nana, tell anti  Sim she's welcome to come too.

Sim, Onami, Zanda and I were gathered around the kitchen high chairs having breakfast and the kids were having an animated conversation whilst Sim looked troubled, I wanted to ask what was wrong but I'd wait until the children left because they're too nosy for their own good.

We finished eating breakfast and the two ran out to help Bab'Gumbi, our old neighbor the kids were very fond of,take the cattle out to grazing grounds. Herding cattle with him over weekends was their favorite pass time because he taught them loads of skills like stick fighting, picking edible fruits in the forests, setting traps and he'd tell them folktales. Bab'Gumbi normally walked them home at midday because by then their short feet would be tired and they'd be thoroughly worn out.

As soon as the door slammed I turned to Sim waiting for her to tell me what was on her mind. "Onami's dad just got retrenched. He's coming back from Joburg tomorrow. What'll we do? We have another baby on the way and what can I do with my office admin diploma in this god forsaken place?" She said trying hard not to cry but her eyes were glossy and red. It took a lot to make Sim cry so when she did I worried.

"Please don't worry. We can figure something out. He does plumbing right and with the construction of the school coming up he can work there and the clinic also needs a plumber and extra hands on the grounds staff. You can take up the receptionist position. Cebi is going to nursing school and we were looking for someone to take up her position. I guess we're done looking!"

She started crying from relief. This must have been weighing heavy on her shoulders. "Thank you so much my friend! This means so much to me. I'll never forget this." She then engulfed me in a hug still crying. We sat there until I got her to calm down.

From then on she seemed lighter. We played some 80's music and got onto painting. We got through the first layer on all 4 walls. She wanted one wall to be dusty pink, one violet, one white, and all that'd be on it would be her name and her fairy lights that's  the one her headboard rested on and the last one I wanted to use as her growth chart and and she could scribble on it. We'd used baby proof paint on it. Just as we took a break to let the paint dry and make something to eat our two rascals barged back inside looking a mess but what was new. "Koki one of the cows had a calf today!" Zanda screeched "and it was so funny watching it try to stand but it kept falling over" Onami added as they began imitating it and laughed between themselves. We clearly were no longer part of the conversation even though they started off telling us the story.

"She'll be my daughter in law someday." Sim said looking at them fondly. "Your son will pay a million cows for my baby's hand in marriage!" I teased "Don't worry we'll pay a million and one. Didn't you hear his father is the new plumber in town and his mom's the new hospital receptionist. They can afford your measly dowry price." She jabbed right back causing us to breakout in guffaws of laughter.