We shared a nice long bath. She washed my back with her soft, wet hands as her breasts collided with my back and our toes touching. Making love was not a priority for me. I wanted to take that time to spend with her, get to know her better, since I failed to do that in the beginning. After the bath she put lotion on me and helped me get in her white, soft robe. We enjoyed dinner on a tray in bed and I fell asleep afterwards. I was awoken by a soft kiss on my neck and she was all dressed up.

“Going somewhere?” I asked.

“I’m back already sleepy head, but I want us to go somewhere.”

“With this robe?”

She chuckled, “No silly, I went shopping and I got you things you might need.”

“Well as long as it’s not pink, I’ll wear it.”

“Says a man who wore a shirt ‘till the label got erased.”

“Hey that’s vintage, Mam! All vintage stuff’s like that. Come here and tell me where you’ve been. I grabbed her by her waist and she sat on my lap.

“First I went to buy groceries, mostly vegetables for you.”

“Vegetables? I only eat meat!”

“No sweetheart not if you want to get dessert. And by dessert I don’t mean custard or jelly or ice cream… I mean this dessert.” She unbuttoned her shirt, exposing her cleavage in a pink bra.

There was a knock on the door and a voice said: “Miss Smith, there is a call from Doctor Jordan’s office.”

“Tell them to call back babe please.” I said.

“I can’t honey, I have to take it. Besides, we can’t skip right to dessert before we get to the starter.”

She buttoned her shirt, kissed me on my neck and left, leaving me feeling very hot between my legs. When she came back, she brought breakfast tray with her and she took off her shoes and got in bed with me.

“Babe, before we eat I need to ask you something?” she said. By then I had already stuffed bacon and lettuce in my mouth. “Have you ever gone to any check-ups, I mean after the accident?”

I shook my head in embarrassment.

“Sbu! Why?”

“It’s not like there was gonna be anyone to take me. Besides, what’s the use? I’m just a cripple and no amount of check-ups can help me walk again.”

“Nonsense! You get so dumb sometimes I keep asking myself where you got your qualifications. Now eat up, we are going to Doctor Jordan and he’s also referred us to Doctor Naidoo, he’s a Physiotherapist.”

She prepared me for the doctor afterwards. It felt good to get in a nice, warm tracksuit and sneakers for a change. The doctor scolded me for taking so long before coming for a check-up, but he was very positive about the possibility of me walking again. It gave me a little hope. We went to Dr Naidoo afterwards, who agreed on house calls and we set up a date for her first house call. We then headed to my home afterwards. To my embarrassment, Solly was busy beating up his Mom and everyone stood there watching.

“Mama! What’s going on?” I inquired from my mother.

“Hey gape Solly o tlogile a hlasetse mmagwe from six o’clock in the morning demanding money.”

“So, bo malome? All these men just watch and watch and do nothing?”

“Everyone says she deserves it and I agree. She is the one who raised him like that, let her deal with it. The police will come sort it out.”

I asked myself too many questions, a thirty something year old man still demanding money from his mother? How disgracing. I asked Mama for the kids, promised to bring them back before dawn. She hesitated at first but in the end she packed things for them. They looked very happy to see me. Before we left I saw Pearl slip something in my mother’s hands while Aunt Matlakala looked at them with disapproving eyes. Solly, by then, was insulting everyone in the yard and threatening to shoot them all. When we left a police van was parking outside.

Fentse looked very happy and excited as we drove off. We first went to the park, where we found everything set up, lots of goodies for us and the kids. I watched Pearl and the kids feeding the ducks and Fentse running back to me crying whenever she thought one duck was eyeing her.

We later went to the house, the kids nearly went crazy when the car parked outside. They ran straight to what used to be their bedroom. When I got there I was surprised to find the room painted in pink and there were two single beds, pink carpets on the floor as well as toys.

“When! How?” I asked shocked.

“I always hoped that we could fix things and maybe your kids could come visit too.”

I was just speechless. I was very tired from all the up and down and so I asked her to take me to bed. Once she tugged me in bed she kissed me softly on my lips.

“Thanks for giving us a second chance.” She whispered.

“Thanks for everything.”

We shared a passionate kiss and the girls burst in the room giggling.

“Papa! Papa! Ke nyaka cream.” Fentse demanded.

“Well I promised miss thing here some ice cream, so we have to go.” Pearl said.

“Don’t let them bully you.”

“I won’t, I just asked her for a tablet.” Filwe answered and giggled.

Pearl put the TV on for me and left with the kids. The fact that they got along made me feel so happy. I woke up after some hours and it was very quiet in the house. Something on the news caught my attention.

“This is E-news at seven and I’m Rose Perteson. It has been reported in the early hours of the morning that a truck collided with a taxi and a Citreon C3 on the N1 South yesterday at around midnight. The collision caused a fire and some victims died on the spot. What grabbed the police’s attention during the investigation; Sarah October’s ID as well as her passport were found at the scene of the accident. There were no survivors.

I took my eyes off the screen my head was racing. If Sara died in the accident then who was this woman who claims to be her and where the hell did she take my kids?

***

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