HEART MADE OF STEEL

She kept her promise

I.J asked whose car they were going to use, Ian had told him they would take his car while Danika followed behind them.

“I’m not stupid dad. You might give her a signal to go to her house. You can use your truck, Aya and I will ride with mum"

Ian’s car was a double cab truck and Aya' seat was strapped in the back seat. They got it out and transferred it to Danika’s VW golf.

....

Danika followed behind Ian’s truck. The neighbourhood that the Kanye family took residence was a small quiet area with small family houses.

The driveway from the house's gate was short with only space for the two cars to park infront of the house. It didn’t look like it had a garage.

The all got down and followed Ian into the house. It was a typical house run by a man. The colours were dull. The curtains did not match anything in the house.

It looked like the man knew the things a house needed, the problem was probably that he grabbed the first thing his eyes landed on after entering a shop.

The excitement of having their mum home was palpable. I.J had a bouncy step. Ayana had a smile on her face. She spoke to Danika only. Although she said some words here and there, it was evident that she wasn’t talking so much.

Danika agreed to wash them when I.J asked. She was surprised that they did not bathe before going to bed. It seemed there was a lot that she thought was common but wasn’t really so to others.

After helping them wash up, brush their teeth she led them to bed. They had a simple room with a double bed that they shared.

After coaxing them to sleep she went out if their room quietly closing the door behind her. She went to the living room where Ian was sitting watching the TV with the volume muted.

The house was a three bed with a living room, kitchen and a dining room. It had a bathroom at the end of the small hallway on the right. The master bedroom was on the left, across that was the kid’s room.

Danika sat on the sofa with loud sigh.

“I didn’t know that it takes so much energy to place the kids in bed. How do you do this every day?”

“Thank you for today. I’m really sorry for I.J’s behaviour.” He wiped his face exhausted “That boy had given my parents so much trouble they brought them here because they thought that maybe being with his parent would help with his unruly behaviour”

Danika could not imagine the sweet adorable boy being mischievous. He was too loveable.

“So when did you get them back"

“When Evelyn passed i didn’t know how to deal with everything. Ayana was barely a week old and the grief of my loss was getting to me. So my sister stayed with us for a while but she had her own family to go back to so she left after a month.

“My mother came over for another month but she too wanted to go back to her house so she took the kids with her.

“They were okay I guess for the first year. But then as time went by they became aggressive and would turn everyone’s lives upside down.”

“So they brought them back to you. Do they stay far? Your parents”

“They stay in the countryside in a small village where everyone knows everyone. And I.J had caused trouble for most people there"

She smiled trying to imagine I.J causing trouble for the elderly people and then running away.

“Have you tried taking them to see a doctor?”

“You mean a shrink? No. My mum suggested I try to bond with them. I don’t know what to do. How do you bond with a child?”

She shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know either. She had even less knowledge about kids than he did.

“I’m the wrong person to ask for such advice”

“Why? Don’t all women have motherly intuitions?”

“Not me...I” she stopped then got up. She didn’t like the trajectory of their conversation. She needed to call her doctor and have a chat. Better, she could go there and see her in person.

“I need to get going. I will be here in the morning”

Ian could tell that they had entered forbidden waters so he quickly apologised.

“I’m sorry Danika please do not be upset. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable”

“No. Don’t sweat. I’m tired and really need to get going now”

“Alright. Thank you again for today. I really appreciate it”

They walked out and Danika got into her car then drove straight to her doctor.

...

By dawn I.J was awake. However he did not move or make a sound. Today he was going to see mum’s face first thing in the morning.

So he didn’t want to mess anything up. He knew he had to be good or that man would make things difficult. So he waited in bed.

He looked over at his sister.

Of course she has her head were the feet are supposed to be.

He sighed and shook his head.

The little girl didn’t know how to sleep properly. Right now she was sleeping with her legs folded under her and her head facing the foot of the bed.

I.J thought she resembled a little dumb frog.

Anyways she was sleeping but he wasn’t. He wasn’t going to miss the chance of seeing mum early in the morning.

There were sounds suddenly coming from the hallway. He held his breath.

Could mum be here already? No. It’s too early. The sun's rays aren’t visible yet.

He then realised that it was his dad getting ready for work. He lay in bed feeling anxious. What if she did not come? What if he and Ayana were tricked. Adults were good at that.

They told you ‘don’t cry i will buy you a big aeroplane that you can pilot’. How can a six year old child pilot a plane. They thought children were dumb.

After he listened to his dad going to the bathroom then back to his room across from theirs, it was finally quiet when he left.

Too quiet.

However dad would not leave them alone, he knew that.

Or was the new nanny come helper home? He heard his dad making plans a few days back to hire someone who would watch over them and keep the house clean since his uncle and aunt weren’t around for the school holidays.

He waited nervous inside the blankets. After what seemed like ages, the door slowly opened. He shut his eyes. He didn’t want to see anyone who wasn’t his mum first thing that morning.

The person moved to their bed and sat in his side. Then he felt her hand on her forehead. It was his mum! He jut knew it. That felt like the touch of a mother. His mother.

His heart swelled with happiness. She kept her promise she was here. Here for them.

He heard her chuckle then there was movement.

“Baby Ayana can’t sleep properly” she whispered while fixing her. Probably placing the doll's head the right way and stretching her legs from under her body.

Then he felt her settle back where she had been sitting. Then the soft caressing of his face started. It was a bit ticklish but he forced himself to be still. If he moved she would stop.

He didn’t want her to stop.

“Seems like they are tired from the day before”

Then he felt a feather light kiss on his forehead. She moved away then out of the room.

I.J wanted to jump on the bed with glee. He got a kiss.

A kiss! On the forehead!

Mum caressed his face and kissed him. It felt so good. Now he wanted to see who was going to mock him saying he didn’t have a mum.

He was going to show everyone at school!

He decided he could not wait anymore so he got down from the bed then entered the kitchen. The sight before him made him smile.

Mum was cooking in the kitchen.

He stood at the entrance and stared at her. She was so beautiful. She was like what most mums wanted to look like.

At one point he heard Aunt Mini saying that the perfect woman was round in the right places. Whatever that meant.

He smiled, not only was his mum pretty she was round in the right places too. Maybe daddy would like her too and ask her to stay with them.

That would be great.

“Oh my God Ian. You scared me. How long have you been standing there?”

Danika held he chest as she heaved breath after breath. Turning around to find a small person staring at her had made her heart jump.

“Not long. Good morning mum"

I.J didn’t like it when people called him Ian. He didn’t like his name. It was mainly because it was his dad's name.

The same dad who did not want to believe him. He didn’t want to accept that he had a mum who was not the woman he was previously married too.

That made him furious. However, when mum called him Ian, he realised he didn’t mind.

“Morning baby. Did I wake you up? I tried to be as quiet as possible”

“No. I came for breakfast I'm hungry”

“Come on then. Sit here. There you go, your plate and spoon. I cooked traditional porridge for you and didn’t add anything to season it with.

“What would you like, peanut butter, lemon, milk-"

“I want what mum chooses"

“Oh. Um..lets see"

She picked up the peanut butter bottle and used a spoon to scoop it into his bowl then poured the hot mealie meal porridge into that bowl.

After stirring it sufficiently so that it was mixed thoroughly she blew it so that it could cool.

Ian Junior watched in amazement. He hated peanut butter with a raging passion but this was mum's choice so he was going to gobble it down with a bright smile on is face.

Grandma used to blow his porridge the same way mum was doing but he had a feeling mum’s porridge was going to taste better.

“There you go. Eat slowly okay. Don’t dig in too much its scalding hot. Let me go check on the princess”

“Thanks mum"

Danika walked to the bedroom that I.J and Ayana shared.

She was surprised to find her awake. The little girl was sitting on the bed clutching the blankets to her chest.

“Good morning baby" she whispered. “Why didn’t you come out"

“Mama"

Danika smiled with a pained heart. How she longed for someone to call her that. Someone who was really her child, her own flesh and blood.

She took the little bunny to the bathroom and washed her. She looked at the clothes in the drawers and sighed in disappointment.

A baby girl has a wide range of clothes and colours to choose from. Ayana’s clothes were dull and did not suit a cutie like her.

She got a fresh diaper and the baby jell then got down to getting her dressed.

Why is she still in diapers she asked herself.

They went to the kitchen then joined the little man for some porridge.

As the day progressed they played some games, watched cartoons, cooked and washed dishes together.

I.J could not hide how happy he was

His mum had spent the whole day with them, that was amazing. But dad was about to come home from work. Was she going back to her house.

Did they arrange this as a way to butter and cover for the time she wasn’t going to come back ever again?