Simon walked back into the kitchen where a humming Pearl was drying and putting away the dishes,
He sat heavily at the table.
"Pearl."
She turned smiling, "Yes?" She stepped towards him at the sight of his face, the horror in his eyes.
"Mr- I mean, Simon, are you alright, Sir?"
"What did the children tell you about where they came from, Pearl? How they were living on the streets, sleeping on my doorstep?"
Pearl stared at him in confusion. "I...Well, Isaiah said...He said he took care of Thali, that her mother had died, like his father. I think Isaiah's mother had run out on them long ago, so when his father died Isaiah was alone."
"But where were they, Pearl?"
"On the street. That is what he said. They lived on the street, they begged. Some shopkeepers gave him food for cleaning, taking out the trash. They scavenged."
"Where were they before that, Pearl, did you ask yourself that?"
"Simon? I don't understand..."
"Thali told me they were in a home. A Children's Home and a couple took them, adopted them."
"They were adopted?"
"It sounds like that."
"But...I don't understand!"
"They took them for ice cream one day and went to the bathroom. They abandoned them, Pearl. Like dogs. They abandoned our children. Left them alone, two little ones in a shopping center, in a place they did not know."
A nameless rage filled Simon's throat; a soundless scream, a terrible pain that burned his eyes dry. He was shaking, clenching his fists on the table. "I wish to kill them, Pearl. I wish to kill. I have never wished such a thing before."
The terrible agony unfolded his gut, and he lurched to the sink and spilled out his supper, vomiting horror and tears, sobbing out Pearl's lovely stew. And she was beside him.
He sat heavily at the table.
"Pearl."
She turned smiling, "Yes?" She stepped towards him at the sight of his face, the horror in his eyes.
"Mr- I mean, Simon, are you alright, Sir?"
"What did the children tell you about where they came from, Pearl? How they were living on the streets, sleeping on my doorstep?"
Pearl stared at him in confusion. "I...Well, Isaiah said...He said he took care of Thali, that her mother had died, like his father. I think Isaiah's mother had run out on them long ago, so when his father died Isaiah was alone."
"But where were they, Pearl?"
"On the street. That is what he said. They lived on the street, they begged. Some shopkeepers gave him food for cleaning, taking out the trash. They scavenged."
"Where were they before that, Pearl, did you ask yourself that?"
"Simon? I don't understand..."
"Thali told me they were in a home. A Children's Home and a couple took them, adopted them."
"They were adopted?"
"It sounds like that."
"But...I don't understand!"
"They took them for ice cream one day and went to the bathroom. They abandoned them, Pearl. Like dogs. They abandoned our children. Left them alone, two little ones in a shopping center, in a place they did not know."
A nameless rage filled Simon's throat; a soundless scream, a terrible pain that burned his eyes dry. He was shaking, clenching his fists on the table. "I wish to kill them, Pearl. I wish to kill. I have never wished such a thing before."
The terrible agony unfolded his gut, and he lurched to the sink and spilled out his supper, vomiting horror and tears, sobbing out Pearl's lovely stew. And she was beside him.
Pearl had arms around him, and Simon Thambisa turned to bury his face in her shoulder and felt for the first time in his life the consolation of a loving embrace.
MC
MC
TO BE CONTINUED
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