Tacomina

•More problems

At dusk she looked out her rusty apartment in Pretoria. It was not too bad,nor was it even grand. Just big enough. Just an open space,with a bathroom that spews cold water than hot. With a toilet with a damaged lever. She tried her best. It is clean , even though it is rusty,she cleaned it good. With the walls freshly painted by herself of course just before José was born. She could not afford a crib so he slept on her single bed. She turned away from the window when she heard a knock on the door.

She opened partially,only for the person to push her out of the way. Bulldozing their heavy weight into the small space.
He looked at the small table. The bed. The built in small kitchen unit and the bed. Finally the baby,pursing his lips he taunted

", Taco...Taco...Taco".
She looked at her landlord. He always spells doom for her.
"Mr Rosary".she nodded ,hiding her baby with her body.
"My dear,rent has increased. Again. By R500.00". He had the audacity to act melancholy with a grin on his face.
She paled",Mr Rosary I barely am able to pay the R2000.00 that would be too much".she cried.
"I know my dear. I know. You already owe me ,R270.00 from last month's rent. So I don't know. People are looking for a place to stay and pay".he shrugged.

"Please ,I have a baby. I am doing the best I can in these circumstances".She cried on her hands and knees. Tears streaming down her cheeks.
José sensing his mother's distress,started crying also.

Mr Rosary looked away ,face palmed himself.
"Fine,fine,fine. Why am I so nice?".he mumbled.
"Okay!Okay! I have a lady that needs a house keeper and companion. She is old and smells of old lady perfume. The pay is well good. I will give you her number and you can call her. " he gave her the piece of paper. Then he left. His weight making noise down the hallway as he goes merrily to bring the news of doom of increased rent to unsuspecting tenants.
She clasped the paper in her dainty hands.
"Mrs Rusav."

The following day in the early morning,she found herself and José by the door of Mrs Rusav's double story white house with Caesar stone pathway and glass house with sliding doors. 
She rang the doorbell. It was cold. She pulled José's blanket closer to his nose. The door opened to a beautiful old lady with grey white hair in an elegant bun.
The Lady looked at the baby then blinked.
"Tacomina Ndlovu?".she asked.
"Yes ,we spoke on the Phone".Taco smiled despite her nerves. She did not tell Mrs Rusav she had a child. Much less a new born.
"Please enter. It is cold outside".She said in a heavily accented Russian voice.
"Thank you".The house was white,black red and metallics in theme. With a marble tile floor with a glass railing and a show stopper chandelier when you entre immediately. Couple that with a floor length seven by five foot mirror,just opposite the door. 
"Follow me".Mrs Rusav instructed.
She indicated for Taco to sit on a recliner love seat. She Offered",Tea,coffee,juice?".
"Water is just fine thanks".answered Taco. The lady smiled.
She left. She picked up José ,removing the receiving blanket and only left him in a polyfin. Fixed him up. She fixed the pillows on the couch and laid him there. Kissing him on the cheek softly. She covered him up.
"So Tacomina,why Tacomina?".Mrs Rusav asked.
"My mom loves Taco's ".she smiled looking at the lady who had given her a hot chocolate and jub-jubs. She hadn't had such delicacies in a long while.

"So ,who is the beautiful baby?".She asked .
"This is my son,José . He is only three months old. I had no one to take care of him today or any other day. But I promise he won't be trouble . I just need the money".she pleaded.
Mrs Rusav looked away.
Sympathy clawing away at her insides ."Where are your parents or his father? How old are you?".She asked.

Tacomina sighed. Eyes shinning tears."I am nineteen. My parents kicked me out when they found out I was pregnant. I was in university then. I still am ,but I dropped out. No one funds a girl who couldn't keep her virtue. I was at a party , it was a fresher's. I did not want to go ,but I had to I guess. Peer pressure. Then in the morning I am naked on someone's bed. Bleeding and in pain. No one was there. I do not remember a thing. So I moved on. Then I found out I was pregnant. They kicked me out. A year later,I am a college drop,a waitress and baby sitter,which is ironic cause I need one right about now."she laughed at her pathetic self."But most of all. I am a mother to this beautiful angel,my beautiful son."She cooed.
"You really love him don't you?".Mrs Rusav asked in melancholy.
"With every fibre of my being."She answered.
Mrs Rusav smiled.
"You are hired. I need a house keeper from seven am up to nine am when I leave to go somewhere. I return promptly at two in the afternoon. I expert lunch and the dishes to be clean,the laundry and uhm just dust a little ,cause the cleaning company comes once a month to do. Spring clean. I need dinner at promptly five pm. Then leave for home.I want you to check on my mother when you do. Make sure she takes  her medications and accompany her around .Payment is R750.00 per week." She explained.