After lunch with my dad and my kids, I went to see how Vimbai was doing. Instead, I found her mother sitting on the veranda. She was not alone, but with Nomsa. Sarah looked angry and sad. I knew Vimbai had told her mother and given her own assumptions which would make it bad.

“Anna, I need to talk to you and it’s good Nomsa is here too,” she said.

Nomsa twisted her eyes at me. I kept lighting my shoulder so she could see I knew nothing. Sarah looked at me, then at Nomsa furiously, with no smile.

“Sit down, it’s serious,” she said.

“Vimbai told me. The question is why didn’t you tell me?” she asked anxiously.

I look down ashamed and it is as if I betrayed Nomsa but they had to know anyway. Nomsa would hate me. Nomsa pinched my back secretly, then I wanted to scream but closed my mouth with the pain inside. Nomsa stared at her confusedly as if she doesn’t know what was going on.

“What did she tell you?” Nomsa voice jumped high.

“Ask Anna,” she said, looking at me. Nomsa looked at me strangely with anger.

“I told her, I am sorry,” I looked up at them.

“How could you?” she shouted, standing up.

“Oh, you didn’t want her to tell me?” she hissed, standing up too.

I stood up; I could see fire in Nomsa’s eyes. Sarah clicked her tongue and clapped her hand once. If it’s said step daughters never like their step mother, it’s true, but Sarah isn’t a bad person. She accepted Nomsa as her own child. She treated her as she treats Vimbai.

“I have been playing mother roles to you. Vimbai is my first born, but you hated me because I’m not your mother,” she shouted.

“Sarah…” I pleaded.

“Whatever you think,” Nomsa said annoyed.

“I have been your mother for how many years?” Sarah pushed her away.

“Hey, you want Baba Bobby to know this. I only told Vimbai because it’s a miracle to me. Nomsa, she is your sister. I know you love her. This memory haunted me, that is why I told her,” I said loudly and looked at Nosma.

“Ma Bobby, we were only kids. It’s not Nosma’s fault. I am the eldest who was there, but at least we found her at the right time. Vimbai coughed, she didn’t need us to make her vomit water. If she had swallowed water, we wouldn’t know how. It’s a miracle,” I said gently.

Nomsa sat on the chair. Sarah looked at me, then sat down harshly. Nomsa felt guilty and looked at the ground shyly. Sarah breathed thrice slowly, then looked at us both.

“I am not angry, you could have told me when it happened,” she said calmly.

“We were afraid maybe you would see it the wrong way. Nomsa, she is your sister and Sarah is your mother,” I said sincerely.

I looked at Nomsa; she showed her face changing and with an apologetic look, like someone caught stealing. Nomsa always used to say Sarah mistreated her. It was not like she was the first to have a step mother. We all did and not all step mothers are bad. I would always remind her.

“I am sorry, Ma Bobby,” she said looking at her.

“It’s okay. I am not angry. I just wanted you to be honest from the start. I wouldn’t want your father to know, you know how it is,” she said.

Vimbai appeared when she called her. She sat on the chair where I was sitting. She looked angrily at Nomsa and me. If she had a voice, she would have spit poison, but she respected her eldest.

“Darling, no one is at fault and nothing happened to you. Forgive Nomsa and Anna for what they did to you,” she said, holding her hand.

“I won’t forgive Nomsa. No wonder she always shouts at me,” she said angrily.

“I am sorry for shouting. I didn’t know how you would take it. That’s why I didn’t tell you; I am sorry,” she said remorsefully.

“Baby, it’s not good bearing grudges. Forgive…” Sarah pleaded.

“Okay, I will…I forgive you Nomsa,” she said, holding her hand.

The two sisters hugged each other. I felt the peace in my heart. At least I no longer needed to hide this secret; I hated the fact that I had kept it since Vimbai was a baby. But now we always talk about it without having an argument. Things like this are hard to bargain in my closet. A secret always comes out. They have ways to be found.

Tell us: Do you think it’s good to keep secrets?