A Mother's Pride

Chapter 6

Chris' POV

"Hey Mavis, how was your day?" I say to my maid as I walk through the door.

"It was okay, lonely..." She pauses but I know that she wanted to say more.

I know that she wanted to say that it was lonely without Mmampho. Those two were close, as if they had known each other for years. Mind you, it was just a few months. Their bond was tight and I feel like my woman, again I mean, Mmampho could be herself around Mavis.

When she was back in Thello, she was not really herself. She lied to people to fit in. She also had an emotional mask so that people would not see how she really felt. She lied to me too when she first met me but I was happy when she told me that I was the second person she ever opened up to.

Truth be told, I was hurt to find out that I was in love with a person that had not been honest with me or who did not trust me. It made me feel like she did not see a future with me and that she only saw me as her "current man". I thought she did not wish to spend the rest of her life with me, but I was wrong. She did, she just had insecurities, she was scared that I would leave her if I knew the real her. She was just a broken woman who had been hurt in the past by the only person she thought would be there for her forever. Who happens to be my best friend. Small world.

Mavis would make her laugh and I would smile, knowing that she was happy and carefree. Not worrying about people judging her or whatsoever, not worrying about what her kids are going to eat. She discovered her love for blueberry muffins here, Mavis helped her discover that. In a way, I helped her discover that and I could not be happier.

"How was yours?" Mavis asks.

"Same old, same old. I have a business trip near my sister's so I have to go there and I will be back on Wednesday evening. I am going to leave tomorrow morning okay?" I ask as if I need her permission.

Why do I feel so vulnerable?

"Okay Chris."

"Can I drop you off at home?" I ask.

"Uh, no it's fine. I will catch a taxi." She stutters, as if there is something that she is hiding. Would I be meddling if I ask why she just answered me awkwardly?

"Are you sure you're okay?" I ask.

"Yes," she answers, her eyes not settled on me. She has always been a bad liar but I will let her be.

"Okay, at least let me give you transport money." I say as I take out R200 from my wallet that was in the pocket of my blazer, then put it back there.

"Wow, okay thank you Chris. There is no saying no to you huh?"

"Yes." I firmly say and she giggles as she goes back to whatever she was doing in the kitchen.

I go upstairs to pack for my trip to Nina's.

The universe! How the heck am I supposed to cope going to the place where I first met the love of my life?

It seems like just yesterday that we met.

I had heard loud laughs as Joseph and Baki got into the house that night. The loud laughs were phenomenal but it seemed like the person laughing had no idea why she was laughing, but I knew I loved the sound coming out of her mouth.

"Shush!" I heard Joseph command.

Who was this woman?

I thought to myself before I slept, "It's probably someone that was too drunk at Joseph's tavern and they had no idea how to take the person home."

And I was right.

The laugh she released, it was like she let it out occasionally, like it wasn't something that came out often. She laughed so much like it had been a while since she laughed or that it would take a while before she could laugh again. It was done passionately and it was the last thing I heard before diving into my dreams.

When I walked down the hall to the kitchen in the morning, I spotted her. Even though she was in the simplest clothes ever, she rocked them. But who was she? I wanted to go and introduce myself but was scared that she was going to sass me.

She looked fierce and spiteful, like she would be able to challenge me.

I stood in front of her, saying hi but she was deep in her thoughts to hear anything that I uttered. I wondered what she was thinking about. I wondered who she was.

She finally got back to her senses and stammered, "h...hi."

I told her my name and she did the same. Mmampho is what she said her name was. When she told me that, I got to notice that her name means "Gift's mother." Perfect isn't it?

I think I was already attracted. There was just something about her that I could not really put my finger on.

We had breakfast and I was so thankful that Joseph said that I must drop her off. I kept looking at her throughout breakfast, but hoping that it does not make her uncomfortable in any way. I was interested in getting to know her.

Our drive to what she said was her house back then was okay I guess. The sound of her voice captivated me and made me smile, I just wanted to know more. Unfortunately for me, all that she told me were lies, well, except the fact that she has children, and was single.

I dropped her off. On my way back, I kept thinking about her. The way she smiled every time she responded to my questions but she answered with full confidence. Almost like she was telling me the truth. She was being fierce and strong, a little bit sass behind the answers she gave, like she did not want me to ask further questions. But also, she couldn't stop fidgeting with her fingers, which made me think that the strong and sass was all fake and a mask.

Enough with the flashbacks. This woman has taken over all of me. She left and she took every part of me with her, including my heart. I miss her so much and I wish she was here with me today. She would probably want to go with me to Thello to see Nina.