After The Tears

by Faure, Michelle;

  Auntie frowned at him, clutching a wet shirt, the water dripping down onto the ground. Unathi could see her mind ticking over. She probably didn’t believe him. She was the suspicious type. Unathi knew his father would hear about this when he came home. Oh well, he thought, walking on, I’ll deal with that later.

  Unathi was getting closer to Busi’s house. He kept checking for Parks’s taxi, and for the lurking presence of Parks himself.

  With relief Unathi arrived at Busi’s front door, and after a final check of the road, he slipped the key into the lock, opened the door, and moved into the dim interior of the shack.

  Unathi shut the door and looked around. The house was just as Busi had left it. Her bed was unmade, the sheets stripped off and lying in a pile next to the bed. Drawers were pulled out of her bedside cabinet, as if she had dressed in a hurry. Some items of clothing were lying on the floor. Unathi noticed that the cupboards in the kitchen were bare. Busi’s grandmother’s bed was well made and empty. On the kitchen table was a half-drunk cup of black tea and an empty plate, strewn with a few white bread crumbs.

  Unathi shook his head. He opened the fridge. It was empty.

  I wonder how long this has been going on, he thought. Busi must have been starving.

  He found a plastic bag and walked over to Busi’s cupboard. He felt strange as he began to sort through her things, but then told himself that it was the only way. Busi was in no state to help herself and, besides, with Parks on the loose, it was too dangerous for Busi to be out and about.

  Unathi had his back to the door and was gently folding some of Busi’s clothing when he had the idea of using Busi’s school bag. He lifted out the contents of the bag onto the bed – just a couple of school books – and packed the clothes into it. Just then he heard a noise at the front door. Unathi froze, then looked around as he heard the handle turning. It seemed to him that his heart stood still in his chest. The only place he could think to hide was under the bed.

  As Unathi dropped to the floor his last thought was, why didn’t I lock the door behind me? He didn’t even have anything with which to defend himself against Parks. He should have heard the taxi pulling up outside. He must have come on foot. Unathi’s heart raced. He needed courage.

  The door opened quickly and someone stepped into the room.

  “Busi!”

  It was a woman’s voice. Unathi looked up.

  Busi’s mother, Khanya! Relief flooded over Unathi as he peered at her over the top of Busi’s bed. She was frowning at him, the door still standing wide open behind her.

  “Close the door, Auntie,” was all Unathi could think to say, adding, “Close it quickly!”

  Khanya turned and did as he said. Then she turned back to Unathi, dropping her heavy suitcase on the floor as she did so. “What are you doing here, Unathi?” she asked, moving towards him as he stood up from the floor, “And where is Busi?”

  Unathi sat down heavily on Busi’s bed. “I’m so glad you are here, Auntie,” he said, rubbing his hand over his face. “Something terrible has happened.”

  Unathi told Khanya all he knew about Busi’s situation. Khanya listened intently, her brow furrowed. Then she turned to Unathi and said, “Let’s go to her now, Unathi. Come with me. Quickly. And keep an eye out for this Parks. I don’t know him, so you will have to watch out for him.”

  Unathi grabbed the school bag and went out of the house. He looked up and down the road. The coast was clear, and so he called Khanya, and the two of them began walking back towards Unathi’s house.

  They were walking quickly, Unathi constantly looking over his shoulder, when they turned a corner and walked straight into him.

  Parks.

  Unathi stepped back. “Parks!” he said, shocked, looking up at the big man towering over him.

  “Hello, boy,” said Parks, gripping Unathi by the arm and ignoring Busi’s mother. “Where are you coming from?” He pulled Unathi closer. “And where is Busi? I know you know, boy! Tell me!”

  Unathi felt pain in his arm where Parks was holding him very tightly.

  “Let him go,” said Khanya as she laid her hand against Parks’s chest and pushed. Parks did not move an inch, but he glared at her for a minute. Then, choosing to ignore her, he looked back at Unathi.

  “I said, let him go!” said Khanya. Parks ignored her, and Khanya continued speaking, raising her voice. “I don’t think you know who I am,” said Khanya, her voice steady and strong.

  Parks looked back at Khanya, who stood, frowning angrily at him, her arms folded across her chest.

  “I am the mother of Busi,” she said. “I am Khanya … and you, yes, I know you. You are Parks!” Khanya paused as Parks released Unathi, and turned towards her.

  “You are the man who made my under-age daughter pregnant, are you not?”

  Parks blinked, and was about to speak, but Khanya silenced him. She put up her hand, and shook her head.

  “Get out of my way, Mister,” she said, as she took Unathi’s hand. “I have no time for you now. Come, Unathi!”

  Khanya and Unathi strode in the direction of Unathi’s house, neither looking back at Parks. He stood as if glued to the ground, his mouth hanging open.

  Suddenly Khanya whirled around. “And you’d better keep away from my daughter!” she shouted, as they walked away. “I am here now. Busi is not alone any more. Keep away from us all!”

  Unathi was impressed. After a few paces he looked back. Parks was still there, looking after them. But he had made no move to follow them.

  Just before they turned the corner Unathi saw Parks unlocking his taxi and climbing in. For a moment Unathi thought he was going to follow them, but then the taxi drove off in the opposite direction.

  He and Khanya walked on to Unathi’s house, and after looking around one more time, Unathi unlocked and opened the door.

  Chapter 19

  “Mama!”

  Busi flew into her mother’s arms when she saw her walking through the front door. The two women clung to each other, both of them sobbing. Unathi stood awkwardly by, grinning. He dropped Busi’s school bag and went to put the kettle on.

  When he came back into the room, carrying two cups of strong, sweet tea, he was surprised to see Busi and Khanya standing far apart. Busi looked angry.

  “Busi,” Khanya was saying to her daughter with her arms outstretched, “please let me explain why …”

  “No,” said Busi fiercely, “I don’t want to hear now. You’re too late. And it’s all your fault …” Busi’s voice trailed off, and she sank down into a chair and dropped her head into her hands.

  Busi’s mother approached her slowly, speaking soothingly. “I understand how you must feel, my child,” she said softly, “and maybe later there will be time for me to tell you why I could not come before.”

  Khanya stood behind Busi and put her hand on Busi’s shoulder. “For now you must tell me one thing, Busi,” she said, stroking Busi’s shoulder slowly. “Where is your baby, my child?”

  Busi pulled away, and lifted her face, wet with tears.

  “She’s safe, she’s alive.” Busi took a deep breath, and then sighed, looking away from her mother. “You are too late, Mama. Too late. You took too long to come. And I didn’t think you would want me to keep the baby, anyway.”

  Khanya stood in silence, her head drooping.

  Busi turned and looked up at her. “Why didn’t you come, Mama? I begged you to come. For so long …” Then Busi looked away.

  Khanya turned to Unathi and took the cups of tea from him. She gave one to Busi, who absent-mindedly took it, and sipped from it. Khanya pulled a chair closer to Busi and sat down.

  “Listen, Busi,” she said, leaning closer to her daughter, “and I will tell you.”

  Busi remained silent as her mother spoke. Occasionally she would raise her tear-filled eyes to Khanya as she m
entioned some or other fact. Gradually she allowed her mother to reach over and touch her hands, still stained with mud.

  “Your father left me for another woman very soon after we arrived in Jozi,” began Busi’s mother. Then she looked down, paused and drank deeply from her cup of tea. “It wasn’t long before he moved away from me and went to live with her. He had his job already, but that woman took all his money. He gave none to me. I had a few cleaning jobs, but I struggled to find full-time work. I begged him for money to send back to you and Gogo, but it was like he didn’t care. He thought only of her.”

  Unathi shifted uneasily and moved away to his bedroom, leaving the two women alone.

  Khanya continued. “I didn’t want to tell you, Busi. I knew it would break your heart. Just like mine was being broken. I kept hoping for better work. I kept hoping that your father’s heart would soften. I prayed so hard for that.” Khanya looked up at her daughter. “But it never did. I sent you what I could. I should have told you and Gogo both the truth. I see that now.”

  Busi looked up at her mother and held her gaze.

  Khanya continued. “When I heard that you had fallen pregnant, I felt desperate. I did not want to tell your father. I thought he would get angry and that would make the situation worse. But when my mother got so sick I went to him. I begged him. I begged him.”

  Khanya fell silent. Softly she said, “Thank God his heart softened a little then. He promised to help me come home.” Khanya shrugged her shoulders and a little smile played on her lips. “And here I am, my daughter. Here I am.”

  Busi leant towards her mother and her mother leant towards her, and they held each other tightly for a long while.

  “But Gogo is dying, Mama,” said Busi, looking up into her mother’s face. “She is so very sick.”

  “No,” said Busi’s mother, looking down at Busi, and shaking her head, “that’s not so. I went to the hospital before I came here. She’s going to be all right, Busi. I’ve seen her. She really will be all right. She will come home again.”

  Busi couldn’t believe it. She smiled at her mother through her tears, and allowed her mother to wipe her wet cheeks. Khanya stood up, walked to the school bag and picked it up.

  “Now,” she said firmly, “you need a good wash, my child. Wash yourself clean and put on clean clothes, and then we can talk.”

  Khanya called Unathi and he led them to the bathroom. Khanya turned on the taps and mother and daughter stood deep in thought as the water ran into the bath and the white, frothy bubbles rose high out of the water. Then Khanya smiled lovingly at Busi, gave her a towel and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

  She found Unathi sitting in the lounge, staring though the window. She knew what he was thinking. For Khanya too it was a burning question: where was Busi’s baby?

  Chapter 20

  Parks lurched up the path, dreading having to open the door and face Thandi’s rages and tears. The paving stones were playing tricks on him and he stumbled. He couldn’t remember how many whiskys he had knocked back at the tavern to drown his feelings of shame and humiliation.

  Thandi rushed to the door as he opened it. “The baby’s bottle,” she said. “All warm and ready. Where is the baby?”

  “Busi’s mother was there,” he said. “And I couldn’t see the baby anywhere.”

  “You were always a quitter!” Thandi screamed at Parks. “You should have forced them to give it to you.”

  “I don’t know where it is, Thandi. It’s gone. And they’re watching out for us. It’s over.”

  Thandi gripped his arm and squeezed it. She was surprisingly strong. “We will watch. We will go to her house and we will take the baby when she is out.”

  Those words sobered Parks up. He remembered the last terrible scene when Thandi had come home with a baby. Someone else’s baby. Luckily it had been sorted out, and they had not pressed charges. But it had been a close thing.

  “Thandi. We can’t take it. Remember what happened last time.”

  “This is different. This baby is yours.”

  “But, Thandi, she is the mother, she–”

  “You’re not listening to me!” Thandi shouted. She threw the baby’s bottle onto the floor, and it bounced and rolled under the table. “You bring me that baby or else you’re out!” She headed towards the glasses. Last time she had flown into a rage with him she had broken them all. He grabbed her, pulled her back.

  “Thandi! Her mother mentioned the police! You don’t want that again! Remember when they locked you up for the night!”

  He could see his words had hit home. Her face crumpled. “You’re so selfish,” she said. “You would have got the baby if you cared for me. You don’t love me – you just use me for my money.”

  “That’s not true, darling,” said Parks, stroking her cheek. But it sounded unconvincing, even to him. How had he landed up like this? He should have taken it as a warning when Thandi’s uncle had hardly wanted lobola. He had just wanted the marriage to go ahead, even though they were both so young and hardly knew each other. And then he had discovered after the wedding that Thandi was three months pregnant.

  Parks had been furious, even more so when Thandi wouldn’t tell him who the father was. But he had had his suspicions. Thandi had been brought up by an aunt who never went out of the house, and an uncle who threw money at Thandi as if he was paying for some terrible sin. When Thandi’s uncle had died a few weeks later and left them his money, Thandi had refused to go to his funeral. That’s when he knew what the uncle had done.

  But he, Parks, had still felt lucky. He had never imagined being rich. And now here he was with lots of money. It had felt like his life was beginning again. He had even accepted that he was going to be father to another man’s child.

  Then the accident had happened …

  Thandi started to cry.

  “I need that baby,” she said, “and I need you to get it for me. Otherwise I don’t know what I will do.”

  “It’s going to be OK,” said Parks, as he fetched her a drink and soothed her. He felt a deep relief that her rage, like a storm, had passed. She would not kick him out, at least not now.

  “You are so good to me, Parks – I don’t deserve you,” she said. “We will be a real family soon, with a baby, and everything will be different, I promise.”

  Chapter 21

  Unathi had made scrambled eggs and sausage for them all by the time Busi came out of the bathroom. They sat down together around the table and ate hungrily, washing the meal down with large cups of tea.

  When the table was cleared and the plates had been cleaned and put away, Khanya turned to Unathi. “Busi has told me where her baby is,” she said in a clear voice, turning to smile gently at Busi.

  Busi sat quite still, and looked down at her hands. She was frowning, and Unathi could see tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

  “I am so proud of you,” said Khanya gently, sitting down next to Busi on the sofa and putting her arm around her. “You made a very brave and difficult decision. You put your baby first, and made sure that she would be safe and taken care of.”

  Then Khanya stood up, and turned to Unathi. “I know you should be at school, Unathi, and I am very grateful for everything that you have done for Busi today. There’s just one more thing I need to ask you to do.”

  Unathi stepped forward, clasping his hands together in front of him. “It’s nothing, Auntie,” he said with a shrug. “During exams most kids stay at home anyway when they’re not writing. I have no exam to write today.” Then Unathi smiled at Busi, and added, “I’m just really glad you ran into me today, Busi. I wish you had asked me for help earlier.”

  “But I thought you–” She stopped.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she said. “Nothing at all.”

  “So,” said Khanya, gathering her handbag
and putting on her jacket, “can Busi stay here with you for a few hours?”

  Unathi nodded. “She will be safe here.”

  Khanya moved towards the door, stopping on her way to look at Busi. “Things are different now, Busi. I am back for good. Together we will deal with everything.”

  Busi looked up her mother and nodded.

  Khanya continued, “And Gogo will be coming home soon as well.” Then, smiling broadly, she said, “Don’t worry, Busi. We will get your baby back, you’ll see. And together the three of us will cope absolutely fine.”

  With that Khanya opened the front door and went out.

  After Busi’s mother had left Unathi glanced towards Busi. Busi sat curled up on the sofa.

  “What do you feel like doing?” asked Unathi, moving to the television. “Shall we watch?”

  Busi nodded, and Unathi put on the television.

  Busi and Unathi sat together and watched some shows. Unathi spoke every now and then, to tell Busi some bit of gossip about school. Busi listened and smiled. She was so happy that Unathi was here with her, looking at her like he used to. But her thoughts were also far away, with a small baby girl wrapped in a fluffy pink blanket.

  * * *

  A few hours passed. Unathi had turned off the television and sat quietly next to Busi, who had fallen asleep on the sofa. He was startled by the sound of voices and footsteps approaching his front door.

  He stood up and moved the curtains a little so that he could peer out. He was relieved to see Khanya and another woman walking up the path to the front door.

  Quickly Unathi opened the door. “You’re back,” he said. “Busi is sleeping.”

  Khanya led the way in. “Yes,” she said, nodding towards her companion behind her, “and this is the social worker dealing with Busi’s baby. Busi has had a very exhausting time. It’s good that she is sleeping.”