The house was hauntingly quiet when I entered. The rays of sunlight flooded the house in all directions. It was much brighter than the hospital. That is for sure.
What I had not expected was a little girl sitting on the living room couch reading a book on how to negotiate with a businessman.
"Naledi?" I asked and she looked up from her book. I didn't expect her to be here she was supposed to come in a week along with her father who I'm guessing is currently taking a nap but I guess I mixed up the dates.
"Good afternoon Mr Hudson, I would like to have a chat with you. It's very important." Naledi said. She closed the book and held it in her hands before she sat up on the couch.
I looked at her confused. "Okay..." I said and began making my way to the couch.
"No, let's go to your office. It's more suitable for our chat." Naledi said.
"Okay then. Lead the way." She hopped onto her feet and indeed led the way to my office where she sat on the other side of my table and gestured for me to do the same.
"Oksy what would you like to talk about?" I asked her.
"Well due to unfortunate circumstances I'd like to live in America and be homeschooled." Naledi said.
"What unfortunate circumstances?" I asked in concern.
"My sister and possibly my nephew is going to die. I want to be here." Naledi said. I winced at her words. It pained me to hear such words especially from a young girl like her.
"Lerato and Santiago are going to be fine. They are—"
"No they are not. Lerato has been in a medically induced coma for two weeks. After those two weeks she's supposed to wake up. She hasn't and it's been two months, two weeks and three days now. Santiago on the other hands needs surgery but he wouldn't survive it whether he got it or not. Conlusion they are both not going to wake up."
"Stop that. They will be fine have hope." I tried to convince her even though she had some pretty valid points but still I couldn't allow myself to think like that. They were still alive that's all that matters.
"That's not the point. I want to be homeschooled only until I have to go back home."
"Okay... did you ask your parents?" I asked her and she shook her head no.
"Funds are a problem but it won't be for you. According to Forbes magazine your net worth is five hun—"
"Okay!" I chuckled and she grinned sheepishly. She loved being a little miss know-it-all and she loved making people uncomfortable even if she doesn't mean to do so deliberately at times.
"I'll make sure you are homeschooled but only if we ask for your parents for permission first." I said to her. She nodded.
"That could be done."
"And you're going to have to be more positive about your sister and your nephew, okay?" She nodded to that too.
"If anything does happen to Lerato just know that she was ready for it." Naledi said and began to walk out of the room. The child always seemed to have more knowledge than an actual adult.
"What do you mean?" I asked her.
"She told me, she was ready to die for my nieces and nephews. She said when the day comes I shouldn't let myself drown in sorrow, I should rejoice the birth of her babies and be the best aunt in the world. She said she loved them more than life itself and would do anything for them."
"When was this?" I asked her.
"The day she left to come here. She was happy to come see you though. You make her very happy." With that she left.
I smile graced my face as the door closed behind her. She might have not known it but I needed that.
I needed some clarity. Clarity that even after all my mistakes Candy loves me. Clarity that Candy wanted to be with me not just because of the fact that we were having babies together but because she was happy with me even though I had caused her so much pain. And I got all that clarity from a girl who wasn't even a teenager yet.
Might be surprising to many but not to anyone who knows Naledi. She isn't your usual little girl. She understand things a way that no one does. She has a fascinating mind and the way she sees things is truly remarkable.
I stood up from my chair and stretched. I spotted the book Naledi was reading on the chair she sat on, opposite me. It was a gift from Tristan as a joke when I was starting out my Real Estate business. What Tristan doesn't know is that I actually read it and even took a few pointers from the book.
I chuckled when it dawned upon me that I was the businessman Naledi was learning how to negotiate with, using this very book.
Why am I not surprised? I thought to myself as I left my office for my bedroom.
I opened the door agonizingly slow. I hadn't been in this house in almost three months. I've depended on everyone to bring whatever I need to the hospital if I needed anything. I've avoided being anywhere near the house because of how it would feel without Candy being here with me. When I walked through the front door I felt emptiness for a while before I spotted Naledi and she made me forget about all that emptiness but as I opened the door I was reminded of that emptiness, sadness and sorrow.
The door opened and revealed the master's bedroom. Candy designed this bedroom herself. From the ceiling to the floor and every bit of furniture in it.
Everything reminded me of her because the room was all her even though she tried to get me to contribute to it but when I would her lips would curl in disgust and I would laugh reminding her why she was the better one at decorating our room. She gladly took on the task and it looks amazing.
Like a home. An empty home without its owner, that is. I shook of the thoughts and went to refresh myself. I took my longest shower in almost three months. I even took my time in shaving off the beard that I had grown out.
Once I was satisfied with my appearance I started packing the clothes I would need for the next two weeks. I even took the liberty of packing Candy a change of clothes for when she wakes up and some of her toiletries.
With the bag in hand I headed off to the nursery. The nursery was a brightly coloured room with wall paintings of animals and famous cartoon characters. There was four baby cribs which meshed into one. We had the cribs specially designed for the quads. They could be four cribs or you could take out each division to make it one huge crib incase the quads wanted to play or something. I would've gone for the normal cribs but Candy wanted to plan for every eventuality.
I haven't been here in ages. Even before Candy went into labour, work was hectic, I hardly had time to come in here because I spent all my time with Candy or at work.
I walked towards the rocking chairs and sat on one of them thinking about what Candy said when she was resting them out in the store.
*Flashback*
"Oh this is the one." Lerato said as she sighed in content rocking the chair back and forth.
"We'll take two of those." I told the salesman and she nodded before walking away.
"Justin?" She called out with her eyes closed.
"Yes love?"
"Can you imagine us rocking our babies on this chair while looking out the huge window in their room? It seems so magical and picture perfect think about it." She said with a distant look in her eyes.
"It won't be 'only an imagination' for much longer. Only a few months left." I said as I kissed her cheek and rubbed my hand on her belly.
"Yeah only a few months."
*End of Flashback*
I smiled at the pleasant memory.
I noticed her camera on the table next to the rocking chair. She loves her camera and she carried it everywhere. Sometimes she'd take random pictures but the pictures would look so professional like she studied photography. She was good at what she did and she knew it.
I picked up her camera and switched it on. I notice her laptop also on thetable so I switched that on too. Her laptop came to life. I typed in the password and gained access to her laptop.
Once I did that I transferred all the files on her camera to her laptop. The transfer was completed in a span of minutes and so I went through the files.
Candy loved showing me the pictures she took and would occasionally print them out and put the pictures in her office.
I viewed a folder which held pictures of me walking backwards to fade her in Central Park. There was one where I was sleeping on her lap. She took the picture after I fell asleep while watching The Notebook with her. There was a few other photos before I moved onto the next folder.
For my Husband.
That was name of the folder. Unlike the other folders this one had one long video and dozen pictures with small captions and letters, with names and dates.
My hand hovered over the enter button as my heart raced faster than the cheetah. I was curious about the folder and so I did what any desperate human would do:
I opened it...
*****