Sunday morning, dressed in similarly pattered African prints, Mr and Mrs Malvin pay a visit to Audrey in Morningside.
"Welcome people," Audrey teases as the couple step into the sitting room. A cursory glance at the pair points to a blissful stay together. She always knew Sheline would be safe with Moyo. A silent prayer pops up in her mind: this marriage should last the rest of their lives.
A fifteen-year-old maid walks into the living room, dressed in an apron, hair covered with a scarf.
"I miss your help around the house, but Juliet has been trying her best." Audrey points at the girl who genuflects towards the couple in greeting. She's meeting them for the first time.
"Oh, this is the girl you've been talking about." Sheline waves at Juliet. "Hello."
Juliet greets the couple again, asking if they'll like to eat, to which they requested snacks and juice.
The girl leaves for the kitchen.
Though done over the phone, Audrey gives a lowdown of the number of goodwill visitors she received days after the wedding – neighbours, church members and well-wishers. She goes on for about an hour. "People travelled from Harare, where we used to live before coming here."
Before she hired Juliet, many of her friends' daughters came around to help with errands, some asking to be invited on a part-time basis.
"Aww, how nice of them." Sheline tilts her head.
"Did you call to thank church elders who attended your wedding?"
"Yes, I spoke to them on the phone."
"Yes... you said so." Audrey raises her brows and touches her forehead. "I easily forget things these days."
"But did you visit any?"
"None yet."
"Oh, please do. Visit Mama Grace at least. And Deacon Esther. Thank you over the phone won't be enough for all they did."
Turning to Moyo, Audrey says: "Please go with her. She'll also take you to a few other places."
"I told her we have places to visit," Moyo quips, "but she refuses to leave the house."
"Please. You two can visit them now."
The urgency Audrey accords the visits lifts the couple to their feet. Moyo takes the lead, taking his wife on a drive around Morningside. The trip turns out a farewell visit of some sorts. After thanking the hosts, Sheline briefs them on her plans to leave for school, to which they offer prayers and, in some cases, gifts. The pair soon returns to Western Street where Sheline seeks to know more about Margaret.
Hardly have they settled to eat snacks when Sheline starts to talk.
"We've discussed much about auntie Maggi, but now that I'll be staying with her in Soweto, I need to know the kind of person she is. I believe—"
"There's no need to worry. Margaret and I grew up in Harare and..."
Audrey gets the hint that Moyo wants to know about Margaret. His doubt is understandable anyway. She begins a tale of her youthful days – stories Sheline had heard in bits and pieces but which now need keener ears. Audrey reclines on the chair, sharpens her tongue and recounts events of yore.
***
Audrey and Margaret, the only children, lost their parents in a motor accident. It then fell on Audrey, twenty, to look after her eight-year-old sister.
Their paternal uncle, Jude, brought them to his house, having separated from his wife. Being childless, the girls filled a void. He encouraged them to study hard, even willing to sponsor their college education, despite his meagre income.
Uncle Jude's railway technician job often took him away from home and that hampered his parenting role. Clear-headed Audrey faced her studies, taking to church activities. Teenage-warrior Margaret took to the streets, resisting Audrey's control.
"My future doesn't belong in the church," Margaret told Audrey point-blank. Showing immense talents in living off men, she spent much of her time in nightclubs and brothels.
When Audrey was about to wrap-up her advanced diploma course in social work, she met Sheline's father Patrick and they got married after courting for a year and four months.
Margaret, then cohabiting with one of her boyfriends, returned home to help with Audrey's wedding.
"Where did you meet such a loving man?" She couldn't believe a well-paid engineer could take to poor Audrey.
"He was a former student at my college."
"I wish I can be so lucky."
"Don't worry, your time will come."
Patrick, a flight-attendant, loved Audrey dearly but having a kid was a problem. A nine-year-long draught and several miscarriages preceded Sheline. He would later buy a house in Morningside, Bulawayo, on Audrey's advice.
Sheline was four when Patrick died in a plane crash.
***
Moyo shakes his head in pity learning about Patrick's death. Sheline stays calm; the passion Audrey now brings into retelling the events engulfs the young lady. Before today, however, Audrey never mentioned that Margaret frequented Harare brothels.
Sheline asks: "Where was Auntie Maggie when Papa died."
"She left for South Africa with a Transnet worker, claiming to be madly in love."
Sheline's eyes drop.
Audrey continues. "She's been there ever since. But I knew when she had a partner and got her first and second kids." Audrey was careful not to mention marriage. Margaret never settled.
"Did she finish high school?"
"I think so. She did." Audrey scratches her temple.
"Uh." Sheline sighs, apparently worrying about Margaret's personality.
"Your Auntie is calm now. With two kids, and having been in that country for over fifteen years, she's okay. She even attends church regularly now."
She muses over the reason she wants Sheline to stay with Margaret in Soweto, a township notorious for street protests and xenophobic violence. The risk will be higher if the girl stays alone in a foreign land. Besides, Moyo, who's recently been spending a lot, might find it tough to set Sheline up. Moreover, looking forward, Sheline, at twenty, needs to meet her aunt because death will knock on the door someday.
To straighten all dents and clear all fears, Audrey dials Margaret, handing over the phone to Sheline.
"Auntie, I'm still angry with you. After all the promises, you didn't attend my wedding."
"Sorry, dear. I had no one to look after my kids if I travel. I'm sure there'll be lots of events we'll celebrate in future."
Sheline stays quiet for a while.
"Are you still upset?"
"What can I do? It's in the past now."
Aunt and niece talk for a while, laughing and teasing each other.
"Your mom says you'll be coming over. I can't wait to have you here."
"Yes, I'm already packing. Let me give the set to my husband. He wants to speak with you."
Moyo receives the phone and, upon exchange of pleasantries, accepts Margaret apologies. "My wife can't wait to join you there." He finds Margaret easy to talk to.
After the call, the couple's worries tank, especially Moyo who just can't imagine paying another rent in South Africa.
"From all Mama has said, you'll be okay in Soweto. People say the place is tough, so staying with a family member will be safer."
Those words soothe Sheline, but as they brace up to leave Morningside, she keeps looking back at Audrey with fondness.
"Will you visit me in South Africa?" Sheline asks of her mom.
"We'll always talk on phone. You sound like a student already. When are you leaving?"
"A week from now."
"Oh." Audrey casts a loving look on her daughter again, feeling proud. Turning to Moyo, she says: "Take me with you to the station the day she'll be leaving."
"Okay, ma."
***
The week before Sheline departs Bulawayo is a busy one for Moyo. He spends the better part of his time thinking about her needs, comparing her to the students he met at the local university.
Ticking her lists, he visits Bulawayo Mall to pick up a second-hand laptop as well as notebooks, groceries and magazines.
"Must you buy all these? I can always get them over there."
"You need the laptop for lectures. It will help a lot."
She looks around, wondering how he got to know. "Thank you, anyway, but an iPhone or Galaxy phone would have been better."
"Another smartphone?"
Moyo bites his lower lip. Her current phone is good enough. His isn't even as cool. Is he not overdoing this shopping thing? The more he buys, the higher her taste. If he had waited for her to demand the laptop, this smartphone request wouldn't have come up.
All the same, he takes a second trip to the mall, bringing her along, to pick the new phone. On inquiring, his jaw slackens at the price of an iPhone. "A thousand dollars?"
"Yes, sir. It's on a discount this weekend," the lady says with a smiley face.
Moyo's eyes widen as words drop from his mouth unthinkingly. "American dollars or Zimbabwean dollars?"
"American dollars, please."
Moyo scratches his chin. The price tag is more than his monthly income. And his ten-year personal savings have been halved in two months. This isn't the time to embark on luxury purchases. "We'll see you soon." He walks away from the store. Sheline follows suit.
"I didn't plan for this," Moyo says with a regretful frown, but she's not worried. Changing phones isn't a priority.
Three days to departure, Tobi arrives at his brother's Rhodesville Estate residence to help his sister-in-law. He brings loads of goodwill messages from Moyo's parents whom Sheline sometimes chat with on the phone. "Get her a bus ticket," Moyo tells his brother. Taking a flight is out of the question.
Departure day, the couple, along with Tobi, loads the vehicle with luggage and heads to Morningside to pick Sheline's mom. If Audrey had any iota of doubt about Moyo's family commitments to Sheline's education, Tobi's presence quells it.
They arrive at the bus station early enough for the morning trip scheduled for 7:15 am.
"Please take your seat," Moyo says to Audrey who drops to the bench nearby. Sheline perches beside her mom.
The long queue of travellers to Johannesburg steadies Moyo's flailing thoughts. He's not the only one whose wife is heading to South Africa. He asks Tobi to fetch some airtime. "Also get us something to drink."
Tobi dashes to the store wondering when Moyo will help him get a job. He soon returns with the items.
Audrey dials Margaret, informing her of Sheline's trip schedule, confirming what's already known to the latter. The Soweto woman promises to be at the Johannesburg Park Station by half-past five arrival time.
"You're going to a place where your mother hasn't been." Audrey begins what sounds like a farewell message. "Be careful and wise. Don't mix with the wrong people and be watchful of the friends you keep. Do remember the daughter of whom you are and know the home where you were raised."
Sheline drops her face as those words echo aloud in her head. A few months back, it felt like a burden to leave her mom's house for Moyo's flat. Now she has to also stay away from her husband for a yet unfamiliar place. This is a daunting journey. But it's one she always desired growing up. It's her best chance to pick a degree. Once kids arrive, schooling will be tough.
"Always remember that you're married." Audrey's words intersperse Sheline's thoughts. "Don't go around dressing like wayward campus girls. Call your husband always and let him know your activities. And look for a good church to worship. I'll always be proud of you..." Tears fill the mother's eyes.
"I'll always be the same Sheline, Mama. I'll not let you down." Sheline struggles to fight back her own tears.
Audrey's words gladden Moyo. It's always heart-warming that the old woman encourages uprightness. When a mother-in-law is decent, correcting an errant wife is half addressed. His respect for Audrey climbs up a notch.
"Take this airtime." Moyo hands over a paper to Sheline. "Call me when you get there."
"Okay."
Considering it the appropriate time to show off his grip on ladies fashion, perhaps to also give Audrey a hint about the clothes he recently bought his woman, Moyo flashes a smile at his wife. "I thought you'll put on clogs instead of this half-inch sole." He points at her kitten-heels.
Sheline flinches. "So, you know clogs?"
"Aww, what do you think of me?"
They both laugh.
Sheline turns to Audrey. "Mama, he bought me four pairs of shoes. I was surprised. And many clothes, different designs."
"Uh?" Audrey's lips curve into a wry smile as she nods at Moyo.
Sheline moves closer to her husband, hugging him closely, a sight most pleasing to the old woman. "May you two live together for the rest of your lives," Audrey says, coughing.
As Sheline's eyes gloss with tears, Moyo fights his with several blinks. Tobi lodges a Fanta bottle in his mouth, looking away.
Soon, Sheline joins others on the queue as passengers move into the waiting bus. She waves at the trio who braces up to leave the station. This will be the first of many trips she'll make to South Africa, her first out of Bulawayo – a symbolic journey indeed. Sheline is heading to an unknown world that will shake the foundation of her marriage, a world that will forever change her.