1976

Chapter 6

Nobody mentioned Henri's absence at the table during breakfast. Though I did notice the disappointment upon Mrs Muller's face. The couple ate in silence and soon, they were off to work. At times I was tempted to knock on his door. Just to make sure that he actually was still alive, but then I thought, it's none of my business and perhaps he is sleeping. As I clean the master bedroom, I notice photo frames, some with Henri with his parents and others with his grandparents. He looked so Happy, and seemed to have lived an adventurous childhood. And I notice the smile spreading across my face.

It's Thursday, which means I need to collect the laundry. I gather the laundry from the basket in the master bedroom, and when I walk out of the room, I'm standing across Henri's bedroom. Just standing there, wondering if I should knock or not. And for some reason, I imagine him lying in his bed in the blankets, with a book in hand, sipping from a hot mug of coffee. I shake my head in embarrassment, thinking I should just leave him to his business and wash the laundry when he's left.

I leave through the back door and head to the park to meet with Lindiwe. "Took you long enough, he's hurting my thighs." She says grumpily, sitting on the bench with a little baby boy upon her lap. But the boy seems to be more amused the more irritated she is by him. "Maid responsibilities." Is all I said and I sit beside her on the bench. The little boy looks to me with such eager eyes and immediately he reaches his arms towards me. I'm not one for children since the last incident, but I take him from Lindiwe's embrace anyway. Just to spare her the pain for a few moments. "He likes you." She says impressed by his comfortability with me.
"Yeah I guess so. But when he cries, I'm giving him back to you."

"Deal."

We sit in silence and watch the neighbourhood take on its routine. Delivery trucks drive by, heading to the mall just down the road. It's peak hour for maids and caretakers as some push strollers with each other and chat as they do so. Gardeners are under the sunlight, getting their hands dirty as they plant and extract plants from the ground.

"So,how's it working for the Muller's? "

"It's alright. Though they're an uptight couple..." I say, not sure if I should mention last night, or Henri.

"And the son?"

"How do-"

"Lwazi, I've been here longer than you. Plus I saw him enter the building on my way to fetch the little one." She pinches the boy's cheeks playfully.

"He's..." I try to think of something to say, but I can't. And instead I play with the little boy's hands.

"He's handsome." Lindiwe says cheekily and her eyebrows bounce up and down when she looks at me. But I look at her surprised. Either by the fact that she thinks Henri's handsome or that she's attracted to Afrikaans men.

"Oh come on, you know I'm right."

"He's...different." is all I say.

"Mmhmm, okay. There's something you're not telling me."

And there's a pause in conversation as I play with the child. And I'm growing fond of his charisma whenever he mumbles strange baby vowels.

"He's not so bad." I say.

"Who, Henri?"

"No, the child."

"Oh." And again there's silence.

"Okay, you're not telling me something. What's going on?"

"It's nothing."

"Kak! Something happened."

And I look at Lindiwe in shock,
"Don't swear in front of the child!" But she waves her hands carelessly at the child and she turns her body to me completely. I roll my eyes at how adamant she is of me to tell her. But I give in and decide to tell her.