Loving you and knowing you

A good wife and a good husband come from the Lord, which is why it's said 'A women who honors the Lord should be praised. I don't know whether she loves the Lord like I do, I got curious and a song played from the background, it happened that it was one of her favorite songs and happened to be mine too.

This track is a well-known in French but a South African Gospel artist has re-arranged the song in English. She sang the song.

"Loving you and knowing you make my heart feel so complete, 'Lindy'

"Loving you and knowing you make my heart feel so complete, 'J. R

"Loving you and knowing you make my love feel so strong, come what may you belong to me eternally, 'Lindy'

"Loving you and knowing you make my love feel so strong, come what may you belong to me eternally, 'J.R'

"You bring me joy and you make my dreams come true, you bring me hope when I have no one to lean on! 'Lindy'

"You bring me joy and you make my dreams come true, you bring me hope when I have no one to lean on! 'J.R'

"You are the one I love! 'Lindy'

"You are the one I love! 'J.R'

"There's no other one that compares to you! 'Lindy'

"There's no other one that compares to you! 'J.R'

"You are the love of my life, you are the I breath! 'Lindy'

"You are the love of my life, you are the I breath! 'J.R'

We both sang the song like two love birds.

"You sing so lovely…" I complemented her. She has such a wonderful voice.

"You too also have lovely voice." she said

"Where did you get that voice from?"

"From my dad, he's an orchestra."

"So you live with both your parents?"

"No actually I live with my Aunt my mom's younger sister."

"Wow ok. I suppose you do sing with the church choir." I assumed.

"I'll answer that question, when you answer mine first."

"But I came up with the question and you did not!"

"But I do have a question for you… what do you do at church?"

"Um… if you want to find out what I do at church I prefer that you arrive a little bit earlier for your tutoring, then we'll go to church together."

"Oh, Ok weekday services?" She asked "I would love to come."

"Let's go it's getting late, and the paint must have dried out now!"

"Yeah let's go." we walked towards my home. I felt so much alive, walking besides her was something I always have wished for.

I opened the door for her to come in and we were just in time for dinner, I closed the door. The look on mom's face she was happy, that I brought a girl home to meet them.

"Mom, Mom it's not what you think." she had a huge smile on her face. The look on her face, was a proud face.

"Wow my dear, she is so pretty… she'll make a wonderful daughter in law." She continued admiring her.

Father was astonished about mom's reaction; I thought that because he knew my story better than mom he was going to back me up!

"My dear, you made a loud noise… what's the occasion." By then Lindy is frightened, she's all shaky.

"My love its Joe's girlfriend". She acclaimed. The poor girl couldn't even utter a word to her defense.

"My dear, welcome to the Radebe's home, please make yourself at home." Father said whilst pulling a chair for her to sit on.

"… um … thanks …" poor girl was puzzled.

"Dinner is ready," said mom I kept on knocking my head to the wall, they wouldn't give me a chance to explain myself. But I had to raise my voice.

"Guys please, stop!"

And Moos found this hilarious, he wouldn't stop laughing.

"Mom and Dad this is…"

"… Lindiwe Maseko…" father finished my line. And she was surprised. First it was Moos then cometh mom, and now it's my father. They all acted strange. I wonder what Moos said to them when we were out.

"Mom I'm hungry. And this aroma is killing me! Please may we say grace! I'm starving". He requested. And they mingled at the table, and whenever I wanted to comment. They wouldn't give me chance to explain. How could I claim someone else's girlfriend? Moos was having his moment. Things were going just fine for Moos for he kept on laughing, and enjoyed his dinner. But even so I could not comment Lindy was also enjoying herself. Mom couldn't stop telling funny stories of how I was, as a young boy. Mom then spoke of how jealous I was when she had twins. Musa stopped laughing, dad held mom's hand. I looked at Lindy.

She asked "So where is the other one?" It was now silent at the dinner table. But I had to step in and do damage control.

"She's not here… as you can see for yourself."

"What happened to her?" she asked

"She's dead!" Musa couldn't take it; he just left his food and went upstairs to his room.

"Am sorry to hear that… I'm really sorry if I had known I wouldn't have continued asking… I"

"It's been five years since she passed on." Father spoke, his voice was hard, You could tell that he wasn't feeling good. As a man he tried to be strong for his wife and children. No one could see the pain written all over his face, as man he had to summon courage.

"Oh my God, How is Moos taking it!"

"Not quite well." Dad was comforting mom, she was trying hard to be strong but she couldn't hold the tears, they kept on flowing down her cheeks like endless streams.

"I think I have to go!" she suggested.

"Ok let me walk you out… I'm sorry about everything."

I walked her out. On our way out she was so tense she blamed herself for the tension at home.

"Hey don't be sad." I tried comforting her so that she doesn't take all the blame.

Sighs "I don't know Joe…your brother locked himself in his room, your dad is calming your crying mom… it's my entire fault… I"

"Hey don't blame yourself; it might not be today or tomorrow but eventually they we'll get over it!"

"I don't mean to pry… please tell me I don't mean to open up healed wounds; what really happen to her that is so sad?"

"OH!" I took a deep breath… I could feel my eyes being soaked in tears. "It's so sad Lindy… the state we found her in was devastating", my eyes were teary; I was shaking held my hands and took a deep breath. She hugged me.

"I'm sorry Joe, am really sorry." she consoled.

"I don't know why some men… can be so that cruel? They strangled her into cold blood that was the last time we saw her; she died at a young age Lindy! She was only thirteen only thirteen years old, full of ambition but they… decided …"

"…to end her life at a tender age…" Musa spoke. I did not realize that Musa went out instead of going to his room.

"Moos, you don't have to..."

"No J.R, I have to move on, we have to make peace with the fact that she's not coming back! But she's with the Lord."

"How did she die?" asked Lindy.

"I'll tell you the story of how a mortal man can be, this world is full of scumbags, it would have been a better place if men would stand forth and serve the Lord! If you would go to churches today, you'll find only a few men and the maximum number in the congregation are women and children... but when you want to find the maximum number of men just go to Bars and Taverns, you'll find them there!" he expresses. "The prophet Isaiah calls them heroes of the wine bottle; they are doomed, 'you are brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks'."