Upon getting home Adam found the neighbor Ms. Mvelase, a bald headed chubby woman kneeling on dark brown soil, tending her daisies with a mini-shovel and gloved hands. A mid-heightened fence demarcated her soil yard from the Perkins’s concrete one. She and Adam greeted each other with hand-waves once he entered through his home’s single gate.
“how was school?” Ms Mvelase asked, went up her fat feet. Her black dress carried soil on the knees.
“it—it was good. Why di—di—didn’t Kar…Karabo come in today?” he stemmered his words, as always.
“oh, he’s been under the weather a little,” she said. “but he’ll be okay.”
“I hope so.”
“oh, he will. It’s just flu, that’s all.”
“te—tell him I wisshhh him a spee—speedy recovery.”
“I will Adam.” Ms Mvelase smiled. “and greet your mama for me.”
+()++()++()++()++()++()+
He entered the house and found his mom laying on the couch watching an omnibus of a show she watched last night, what these jobless people do all day. What is there to do anyways? Clean up the house, tide up the space you in. But Ms. Perkins hadn’t cleaned anything, even herself. The bowl she was eating from was still on the table, empty and dirty.
“Mom.”
“hello, boy,” she replied and changed the channel.
“Mam’ Mve—Mvelase says I shh—should greet you.”
“Ah, that one,” she pursed her lips. “I had went outside and she saw me. Why didn’t she greet me then? Anyways,” she got up from the couch and sighed. She looked like she’s just woken up from a deep sleep. “you came at a right time. I need you to help me with something.”
“not now, Ma,” Adam pushed himself towards his bedroom. “I have an assign—assignment.”
“Assignment? I thought you were done with that,” said the red haired mom.
“they gay—gave us another one — another one. Another sub—subject. Math.”
“Adam, you know you can’t lie to me,” she said, wanted to laugh but suppressed it to a hard smile. “I can read you.”
“Oh, darn.” Adam looked down and also smiled. He took off his big glasses. “okay fine.” he wanted to tell her about Brodus but remembered the punch on his tummy. “it’s… Its for a client?”
“client?”
“this chick…af—afraid she’ll fail so…she asked me to…you—you know.”
For a quick second there he thought this lie would fail too…until Mama started nodding. “how much she pays you, this leaner?”
“100,” he said hastely, the only amount he thought of in the moment.
She stood in silence for awhile, possibly pondering. “Adam..” she began.
“it’s only this—this one time, Ma.”
“don’t let it affect it your own school work.”
“It won’t,” he said.
“don’t let the school find out you writing for these learners. If they do, you on your own. I won’t be attending parents meetings because of you.”
That night he finished writing Brodus assignment and slept early, didn’t hear Rick, his dad, arriving from work late at night, didn’t hear the engine of the car outside. But he felt something even when he was asleep (he subconsciously thought it was a dream)…something a heat rolling above his body. Then that thing carried on to his room, going over everything.