A woman came and sat next to her, she smiled at her.

“A girl or boy?” the woman asked.

“A girl,” she answered.

“Sweet, makorokoto!” the woman exclaimed.

When people saw a new born baby they would say makorokoto (congratulations). The woman made Tatenda feel uncomfortable so she stood up and walked further. She suddenly found herself at a spot with grass and a pond. A perfect place to place her baby, she thought. She looked around to see if she was alone. When she saw no one else around, she placed the baby gently on the grass and looked at how peaceful she was sleeping.

“I’m sorry baby, but I can’t afford you. Your father rejected you and my family too,” she said touching her baby’s fingers. Tears ran down her cheeks. Why was this so hard to do? She turned and ran as fast as she could, got in a taxi to Harare and drove away. While in the taxi, she thought about why she dumped her baby. She had mistreated her own child but her parents never abandon her in an unknown place. She was heartless, she thought. She had no choice. It was the only thing to do.

*****

Around sunset in the park, a baby cried when Aunty Musa was with her children. After school, she always took the children for a picnic in the park. They were disturbed by the noisy cry of a baby.

“Did you hear that? It sounds like a baby,” Aunty Musa said. She listened carefully, the baby was crying a lot.

“Mama, here she is,” ten-year-old Ray said.

Aunty Musa ran to where Ray stood near the pond. She saw a baby covered in a baby blanket wearing pretty clothes. Who would abandon a baby her? She thought.

“What a sweet baby, some women are heartless,” she said trying to stop the baby crying. Ray and Tinotenda stared at the baby then started touching baby’s fingers. Aunty Musa cuddled the baby and motioned the children to go home. Ray and Tinotenda carried the basket of food and blanket and walked while Aunty Musa followed.

“He was lucky to pick a new baby,” Aunty Musa said. She sat in the driver’s seat while Ray sat in front with her and Tinotenda sat in the backseat with the baby. She drove, excited now that she was blessed with another child, her husband would be happy. She couldn’t have any more children after Tinotenda, she had cancer. Aunty Musa stopped at the OK mini market along the way and got out of the car.

“Don’t close the windows and watch the baby Ray,” she said closing the door behind her.

She went inside the supermarket bought everything she needed for the baby: vests, pampers, rompers, baby powdered milk, bottles, baby toys and bottle tits for the baby. It felt like she had her own baby. She put her groceries into the boot and drove home.

They arrived home in time for Aunty Musa to start cooking supper, but the baby needed changing, she had messed her pampers. Aunty Musa undressed the baby and bathed her in warm water, the baby smiled at her. She then noticed the umbilical cord protruding from the baby’s navel and knew that that bay had been born that day. As her husband, Timothy, entered the house, he saw Ray sitting on the sofa with a baby in his arms.

“Whose baby is this?” he asked harshly.

“Mum picked her at the park,” Ray answered.

“Musa, Musa –” he hissed angrily. “What are you doing with this baby? Who is her mother?” He shouted and walked to the corner of the room.

“I found her in grass at the park, we can take her as our own,” she said calmly.

“No, no, we must take her to the police, we can’t keep her. We don’t know her parents,” he said shaking his head.

He went to the bedroom. Aunty Musa prepared dinner and milk for the baby. She seemed to enjoy it, when she had Tinotenda, Ray was only five-years- old. The baby fell asleep after she had been given something to eat and a bottle. Aunty Musa put her in Tinotenda bedroom. There was an extra bed in her room.

They ate supper quietly that evening, Timothy didn’t talk, he seemed angry about the baby. It was uncomfortable, but they ate in peace. Afterwards, Aunty Musa washed the dishes while Ray and Tinotenda went to sleep. Timothy went to bed also and she followed after she finished with the dishes. She tried reasoning with Timothy about the baby until he finally agreed to take her as their child. Aunty Musa named her Thandi, her late sister’s name.

***

Tell us what you think: What do you think will happen now? How will the mother explain this to Rudo?