LOVE IN THE BAKING

UNDER THE CRESCENT MOON

Everyone knows the story of the father who goes to fetch milk and never comes back.

Moses was gone. His milk was another woman, but Thandie didn't want her kids to hate him. Hence, she told Meia that sometimes adults grow apart. One didn't want such a thing to happen when they fell in love, but one couldn't force the other to stay.

Meia didn't know how to process the information. She loved her father but didn't know if she still missed him. Absence didn't make the heart grow fonder in Meia's case. The images of Moses coming home slowly stumped themselves out of her mind. Meia noticed her mother's struggles. She knew Thandie's harshness was a result of that.

People only saw a child, but Meia had watched Eastenders and other soaps enough to know Prince Charming wasn't always all that.

Meia didn't need her mother to say more. They had gotten this far without her father, and they would continue.

Of course, she didn't keep the news to herself, and her motives weren't innocent when she stuffed it in her brother's face.

The little girl hated how Royal acted as if he had it all figured out. Meia didn't see why her brother played their mother's keeper.

"Shut up, Meia."

"It's true, though. Mom said Dad doesn't feel the same way about her, and neither does she."

"Shut up before I slap you."

"Stop it, Royal," Kenya said as she tried to push her brother away from his sister.

"Hey, what's this noise? Can't I have some peace in this house?" Thandie said from the girl's bedroom door. I'm listening. Can someone tell me what's going on?"

The kid's glances bounced from one sibling to another as they wondered who would muster an explanation.

"Belle Ange is asleep. I swear, if she wakes up, you'll carry her on your back to rock her to sleep. Now tell me, what's going on?"

None spoke.

"Okay, it's late. Royal, go to your room. Girls, lights out. I don't want to hear you anymore."

Royal walked out of the room. Thandie waited for the girls to climb into their beds before switching off the lights and following her son.

"Okay, Royal, now talk. Your behavior is tapping on my nerves. Since when do you beat your sisters? I won't tolerate it."

Royal smirked. All the black parents he knew punished their children that way, but they all claimed they detested violence and refused for their kids to reproduce it.

Thandie glared at him, "Get that expression off your face if you want to see it tomorrow."

SEE thought royal. The threat was real.

Royal lowered his gaze and lifted it, "I want Dad to come back."

Thandie sighed. There was no running away. Her kids needed answers; they deserved them, but the mother still didn't know how to say things, especially to her oldest child.

Some experts online advised to reunite the children with the other parent to explain things. Thandie didn't see herself calling in Moses and speaking to her kids in an assembly. Others advised to tell the children individually during a shared moment. Thandie had such a moment with Meia; perhaps she could do the same with Royal now that they were alone.

The instant wasn't ideal, but it seemed like a now-or-never moment for Thandie. "ㅡHe won't come back; he can't, Royal. Your father doesn't want to be with me."

"How about us? Doesn't he care about us?"

How could she answer him without painting Moses as a monster?