Decently clothed and wallowing in chagrin, Simon Thambisa did not hear the first knock.
"Mr. Thambisa, Sir?" Pearl called and knocked again, "Are you well?"
Simon cleared his throat: "I am well, Miss Chabalala. I am resting."
A long silence followed his curt reply than another timid knock.
"Sir, may I come in?"
Simon sighed. He got up, walked to the door, and opened it.
"Yes? What is it?"
Pearl stood looking oddly uncertain. "I need to speak with you, Sir. To apologise."
"Apologise?" This sounded good...Sounded like the soothing balm his male pride sorely needed! Simon stepped back and aside, letting her in.
"Yes, Sir, I am sorry. You see..." She looked up at him, "Sir may I sit down?"
He nodded and gestured at the freshly-made bed, and Pearl sat down, primly folding her hands on her lap. "Sir, the reason we came back...We were on our way, and Thali asked what people do in church, and I said: we thank God."
"Mr. Thambisa, Sir?" Pearl called and knocked again, "Are you well?"
Simon cleared his throat: "I am well, Miss Chabalala. I am resting."
A long silence followed his curt reply than another timid knock.
"Sir, may I come in?"
Simon sighed. He got up, walked to the door, and opened it.
"Yes? What is it?"
Pearl stood looking oddly uncertain. "I need to speak with you, Sir. To apologise."
"Apologise?" This sounded good...Sounded like the soothing balm his male pride sorely needed! Simon stepped back and aside, letting her in.
"Yes, Sir, I am sorry. You see..." She looked up at him, "Sir may I sit down?"
He nodded and gestured at the freshly-made bed, and Pearl sat down, primly folding her hands on her lap. "Sir, the reason we came back...We were on our way, and Thali asked what people do in church, and I said: we thank God."
Simon made a brusque gesture, then waved her on.
"Thali said, what she wanted to thank God for was you, and then I knew we could not go without you, Sir."
"Miss Chabalala..."
"Please Sir, let me finish. You don't want to go, I see that, and there will be reasons and good and righteous ones - and I think the reason I wanted you to go...I wanted to feel like a family, Sir. I was selfish. I was thinking of what I wanted, not what was right. So I want to apologise."
"Pearl." How right her name sounded, "Pearl when I was a small boy my parents belonged to a church. It is not a good memory for me."
"Sir I understand that now. I realised, when Thali spoke, that what I wanted to thank God for was you, also." She lowered her head and examined her hands.
"Pearl, I was thinking, Isaiah told me you want him to go to school."
She lifted her head, her expression brightening: "Yes! And Thali too. I am taking them tomorrow. To the doctor first, then the school."
"They need things; pajamas and school uniforms, shoes, so I think we go to the shopping center this afternoon and buy what they need?"
"Yes Sir!"
"Simon, please Pearl, Simon."
"Yes, Simon! I am thinking you need some things too, Sir. Simon, I mean, Sir!" She giggled. "Some new underwear?"
"Thali said, what she wanted to thank God for was you, and then I knew we could not go without you, Sir."
"Miss Chabalala..."
"Please Sir, let me finish. You don't want to go, I see that, and there will be reasons and good and righteous ones - and I think the reason I wanted you to go...I wanted to feel like a family, Sir. I was selfish. I was thinking of what I wanted, not what was right. So I want to apologise."
"Pearl." How right her name sounded, "Pearl when I was a small boy my parents belonged to a church. It is not a good memory for me."
"Sir I understand that now. I realised, when Thali spoke, that what I wanted to thank God for was you, also." She lowered her head and examined her hands.
"Pearl, I was thinking, Isaiah told me you want him to go to school."
She lifted her head, her expression brightening: "Yes! And Thali too. I am taking them tomorrow. To the doctor first, then the school."
"They need things; pajamas and school uniforms, shoes, so I think we go to the shopping center this afternoon and buy what they need?"
"Yes Sir!"
"Simon, please Pearl, Simon."
"Yes, Simon! I am thinking you need some things too, Sir. Simon, I mean, Sir!" She giggled. "Some new underwear?"
TO BE CONTINUED
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