Her Soldier

Chapter 9

"Hey mummy!" I sang enthusiastically as I welcomed her at the door with a big fat hug and held her tightly, "how was work? I hope you had a lovely day, and regardless, I want to know how your day went and please don't spare any details," I was buttering her up and hoping that I could put her in a good mood so that she wouldn't freak out too much when I tell her that I invited Zack Ryder. I wouldn't exactly tell her that I invited him but I would make it seem like I'm asking for her permission and practically beg until she says yes. I know I have my work cut out for me because my mother isn't easily swayed.

She looked at me with a suspicious eye like I was acting strange - and I was. I'm not like this, ever, and I don't greet this enthusiastically. I mean, sure I get happy but not to this extent. She knows there's a reason, "what's up with you?" she asked me before she sniffed the air and looked at me with wide eyes, "Did you cook?"

I nodded my head, grabbing her bag and bending down to let her take off her heels so that I could take them for her, "yes I did and I cooked your favourite. I made you pap, chakalaka," I popped my mouth for extra effect as I felt myself salivate at the thought of what I had cooked, "some shisa nyama," I told her prideful as I followed her into the kitchen and she gasped at the sight.

"How did you do this?" she asked me in surprise as she looked at the food I had prepared and professionally laid for us to sit down and eat.

I hid my burnt hands. I had burnt myself when I was trying to start the fire so that I could braai the meat to get it just perfect. If it wasn't for one of the security guards who were patrolling the estate, I wouldn't have hands at this point. He saw me and took pity on me so he came over to help me braai the meat perfectly and as a thank you, I handed him a R100 (Rand) note and a plate of meat for him to go eat with some of the men, "I have my ways," I settled on telling her, "sit mama and enjoy this," I urged her as she sat down around the kitchen island and I sat down next to her as we both dug into the food.

"You don't cook much," my mother told me and I didn't. I despised cooking because whenever I cook I find it difficult to eat my own food for some reason. So I don't cook, and I prefer when she cooks because she does it best. She cooks the best food and everything is always so perfect, "so what is going on?" she asked me, getting straight to the point as she ate with her hands, not bothering to use the utensils I had laid out.

I also didn't bother to eat with the utensils. Eating a meal like this required your hands because this was way too delicious, and even though the pap kept burning my fingertips I kept blowing on them for relief before going right back in.

"OK, well mummy, you know how I'm such a good girl," I began with a charming smile and batting of my eyelashes hoping it would soften her up if my food didn't work.

"Mhm," she said with a suspicious pout and raised eyebrow as she bit into the wors, "talk. What do you want?"

"Well...you know how things have been going with Zack," I began as I placed my hands on my lap so I could pay full attention to her and gauge her reaction to every word that I said, "and you know how my life has, somewhat gotten better since he's come into it and we've been sending these letters to each other."

She nodded her head, "yeah, what's wrong?" she asked me.

"Well, you see mama, please don't be upset," I began nervously and she tilted her head and I knew it was best to just continue and let it out there, "so in two weeks’ time Zack is supposed to take a bit of a vacation because he's been at base for six months now," I made eye contact with her as she drank from her glass of sparkling water, "and-ok, so we were talking on the video call which I told you we would."

She just nodded her head, not saying anything.

"And I asked him if he was excited to finally get off the battlefield and go back home, and he told me that he wasn't going to go back home because there wasn't a need to because he didn't really have anything there," my palms were getting sweaty, "and so I think...that with how he's helped me, I'd like to help him as well."

"By doing what?"

"I think that maybe it would be a bit of a fun idea to have him come here," I finally said and looked into her brown eyes wanting to see the change in them but they were just blank, "he won't be here for long, mama. It's just that he really needs someone in his life, someone like family of course and I was really hoping we could use this time for the both of us to get to know him and he can... you know, explore South Africa a bit. What do you think, mama?"

She looked away from my eyes and back down at the plate, "so that's why you did all of this?" she asked me and I nodded my head and nervously bit on the inside of my cheek, "you do realize that he's a soldier, right? And you know that soldiers suffer from PTSD and all sorts of mental issues because of what they witness on the battlefield, Duduzile?" she said matter of fact, and I realized that I hadn't thought of that because I trusted Zack.

"But he looks ok."

"Well of course he'll look ok until he's waking up in the middle of the night reliving traumas and next thing you know we've been killed by some man from the US Army and nobody cares to investigate the murder because we were the ones who were stupid enough to let this man into our home."

"But, mama, he doesn't have to stay in the house, he can stay at a hotel."

"When we bring this man over here he'll be whose responsibility? Actually he'll be my responsibility because who'll be paying for that hotel room, Dudu? Who'll be paying for the plane tickets? Who'll be making sure that he eats and he feels comfortable? I know you don't have a penny on you because you don't even have a job. I have to do all that. Have you thought of that?" she asked me and I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I shook my head.

"No, I didn't," I responded when I realized that a lot had to go into it and she doesn't even know that I told him to come already. It doesn't sound like she's going to be ok with this.

"How do we know that we're safe around this man, Dudu?" she asked me, still continuing her onslaught of questions, "just because someone writes you letters doesn't mean that they won't hurt you. You don't know this man, Dudu."

"I know I don't mama, but please..."

She kept quiet, shaking her head with a huff as she concentrated on the food, "mama, it'll be only for a week then. Zack has become my friend and I know you don't trust him but I do. I just want to give him something to look forward to. You know how hard his life has been," I told her, reminding her about everything that I've told her about him.

She sighed, picking at the food before she turned to look at me, "this guy is a lot older than you."

"I know mama, but I promise it's only friends," I held my hands together, begging her.

She gave me a pointed stare, "fine," she let out in a heavy breath, "he can come visit for a week or two if I like him," I jumped from my chair and threw my arms around her as I smiled widely.

"Thank you, thank you, mama!"

"He'll be staying in a hotel," she said pointedly, "I'll book him at the Michelangelo hotel," she told me as I refused to let her go.

I grinned nodding my head but didn't let her finish as I rushed to my bedroom wanting to write the good news to Zack. I was finally going to meet him. 

I was finally going to meet Zack Ryder, the soldier.