HEART MADE OF STEEL

New Arrangements

The four found a good spot and sat down to talk.

"Hi. I'm Ian Kanye. That's my son Ian Junior and thats Ayana whom you've already met" Ian introduced. It was weird looking at the three people infront of him.

His son kept his eyes fixed on the lady he worried she would be offended. His daughter was acting like a koala.

"Nice to meet you Ian. I'm Danika Dlamini"

"This is crazy huh"

"You can say that again" they both chuckled.

Ian tried again to take Ayana but the little marshmallow would not let go.

"Just let her be. I don't mind holding her"

“Can I sit next to you?” I.J looked hopeful.

“Yes yes, come sit here" she shifted so that the boy could sit next to her.

“Okay honey I’m going to hold you on my lap now, is that okay?”

The little girl was hesitant. She thought the lady wanted to get rid of her.

“I promise. I just want us to sit more comfortably”

After an internal struggle she finally agreed..

“You have beautiful kids"

“Thank you. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience we have caused you”

“Its okay. This has helped me a lot.”

Ian did not understand fully what she meant. She had her own life that she lived and it was none of his business.

“Mum I’m hungry”

She looked down at the boy. He was so adorable she wanted to touch his face. Her heart gave a painful leap when he called her mum. It was something she knew she could never be.

“You haven’t eaten anything?”

“No, dad was busy with Miss Molly he forgot to feed us"

“Ian!”

“It’s the truth. Mum are you going to watch Miss Moli ruin our lives?”

She wanted to laugh. The boy’s words did not match his cute face.

“How old are you”

“Six"

Nor did his words match his age.

“He’s got a sharp mind. Why don’t you get them some food from the kitchen. Ask if they can make food for the little Princess, some mash, juice the likes” she wondered what infants ate. He was the father he knew what to get.

Ian got up already moving towards to kitchen when he stopped in his tracks. He patted his pockets looking confused.

“What’s wrong?” Danika

“I think I lost my wallet”

“Oh my goodness, there are pickpockets here?” The place was a high profile getaway place so such incidents were rare.

“Miss Moli took it" I.J

“What! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought you wouldn’t believe me just like how you didn’t believe that we would find mum.”

“What do you mean she took it. Are you lying to me I.J?”

“No"

“Why don’t you use my card?”

She got her credit card out and passed it to the man.

“Oh no! I can’t accept it" he rushed to decline the offer.

“But I’m hungry. So is Aya"

“Ian. If you want to spend time with her I suggest you keep that mouth shut" he said fiercely.

“You can’t let your ego get in the way of what your kids need. I’m not offering you anything. This is for the kids who are hungry. We can work out how you can recover your bruised ego after they are full"

Ian was rendered speechless. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish. She only c****d her eyebrow saying 'And now...what are you waiting for?'

He took the card and hurriedly left.

“Mum?”

It felt strange having a child she did not know call her that.

“Yes dear"

“You won’t leave us right. Grandpa said you were my mum. I’ve been waiting for a long time for you"

She was confused. What he was talking about was probably a figment of a young mind.

“I won’t leave you dear" she rushed to say when she saw his eyes watering. Even the little girl on her lap had changed her breathing, her chest heaving up and down.

“I want mama" she said

“See. Even Aya wants you. Do you know that she’s never spoken before in her life. The first time she said something was to you, her mum"

Danika felt a headache coming on. What the boy was saying was alarming. The girl could not speak till now? Why did they keep insisting they were her kids? Was this God’s was of mocking her?

Ian waited for his order to be made. He cast worried glances at the table where he had left his kids and Danika. He realised now that the little guy had just wanted to get rid of him so that he could talk to the lady.

“Man you are a man amongst man. A real man. Admitting to your mistake like that and asking for forgiveness? That’s dope”

A guy next to Ian commented. Ian simply nodded his attention at the table some meters away from the kitchen.

“Had it been me, I would have denied knowing the b!tch I mean who in their right mind would prefer that flat base compared to all those curves. Man some bug must have entered your brain through your ears" another man added. Now all he wanted was to take his food and go.

“Don't be too hard on him women are work! Even with all those curves maybe the dude was being yelled at or maybe she is high maintenance”

“How long do I need to wait"

I should have placed the order and then come back after the set time.

“Five more minutes”

“Is there anything I can take for now, especially for the little girl”

“Alright here take this"

He took the tray and bid fare well to the gents.

“Here you go" he placed Ayana’s food on the table. Danika took the small bowl of creamy mashed potatoes and placed it in front of her.

“Here you go baby" her voice was soothing.

The little girl just stared up her.

“Go on. Eat"

“Mama eat" she whispered softly. Her voice pulled at Danika’s heartstrings.

“Mum she wants you to feed her"

“Oh" she took the small bowl and scooped a spoonful bringing it to the munchkin’s mouth. She opened wide, much to Danika’s happiness. She did not know that it would be fulfilling to feed a child.

Ian watch in amazement. These children did not resemble his kids. These children were smiling, talking and laughing. Most importantly they were cooperative. Obedient.

“Ian honey pass me the water I think she’s full"

“Alright” “Okay" both father and child responded. Everyone paused.

“Dad. You are not her honey. Its me. Okay?”

“I’m sorry. I..here" he passed the bottle to I.J. “I will get the rest of the food" he stood up and left.

“Mum?”

“Hmm?”

“You promised that you wouldn’t leave us alone ever again”

The look in his eyes, so trusting, so naive. He did not know the cruel world they lived in. This boy was hoping that she would uphold her promise. And ...she had made the promise. But. This was too complicated.

For starters she was going to be destabilised by the whole experience..

The new life that was free from worries and pain would be disrupted. Secondly this wasn’t a decision that she could make alone. She did not want to break his heart.

“I.J this is something we have talk with your dad first okay?”

“I understand. But if he agrees will you come stay with us"

Thinking this was just a child talking, she agreed. Seeing him smile, being happy made her happy which she did not fully understand.

“Really. You won't change your mind. Adults lie you know"

She laughed caressing his cheeks.

“I won’t, I promise”

Ian came back with steak, stuffed chicken breasts and wings, sausages, fries, a variety of dips, some slices of fresh buns, juice. There was fresh garden salad, yoghurt with fruit and more water. His hands were full.

“Oh my, Ian! All his food?”

Thinking that he may have overstepped some line using her card like that he rushed to explain. “I collected the invoice I will send that amount straight to your account”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant who will finish all this?”

“I didn’t want you to be troubled if I brought something you didn’t like or were allergic to" she saw he was awkward and decided to put him out of his misery.

“Its alright” she laughed “Sit. Lets eat"

Ian looked at his kids. This was one rare moment. They were laughing and eating.

So much.

Ayana.

She never spoke before. How did she find this lady. He took his phone out of his pocket and sent his sister a text. This was just unbelievable.

The food that they had thought was too much decreased slowly but surely.

“I haven’t eaten this much in a long time" Danika laughed rubbing her belly. She sighed “Ayana you keep putting food in my mouth. Do you want me to burst?”

“No" she shook her head vigorously.

“Aya baby come to daddy. Just for a few minutes” the sun was slowly doing down.

They would have to go home soon.

She decided it was time to move to her earlier position. Playing koala on Danika’s neck. She puffed her checks refusing to let go.

“Dad is it time to go home?”

“Soon I.J. You should say goodbye to miss Danika”

“She’s mum. She won’t leave us. She promised. Dad I want mum to come and stay with us"

“I.J you know that she’s not-"

“NO!” he screamed. Both adults jumped. Things were getting difficult and Ian knew that saying goodbye was going to be a huge task. Danika also noticed that the children were slowly getting agitated.

“Calm down I.J. I won’t leave you I promised. But I can’t go with you right now” the munchkin on her neck was already sobbing quietly. I.J had glassy eyes. He wanted to hold it in. He could not breakdown, if he did then his mum would not come home. They had to know he was serious.

“But I can visit you"

“No. I want you mum. Please don’t leave us.”

The two adults looked at each other. Danika was restless when she saw him pained like that. Her heart hurt.

“How about you choose. I can come with you to your house and spend the night there then leave in the morning or...I can come tuck you in, leave but then visit you tomorrow. You are on school holidays right?”

I.J nodded thinking it over.

It would be nice if mum came to spend the night. However she would leave in the morning.

But if she left after Aya and I sleep we can just pretend she’s sleeping in dad’s room. She will come back in the morning.

“I choose the second option with the condition that you will be the first person I seen when I wake up”

Danika looked at Ian. He shrugged his shoulders indicating it was her decision, he was fine with what she decided.

“Alright. We have a deal little buddy"

“Really" his smile was dazzling. It was so beautiful it made the two adults sad.

“Can we go now" he jumped up. Pulling her hand so that they could leave already.

“Slow down okay" she laughed. She got up making sure the Koala was safe. Ian sent the dishes back to the kitchen on their way to the cars.