Twenty-Four

He is dressed in an impeccable black suit, and looks quite handsome as always, but he has a subdued and almost worried look on his face as he approaches them. His bungalow is down the incline, a short distance from Ira's place.

"Just heard on the news that the lady lied about being assaulted by Mr. Chris Bawa, Ira," he says, his voice filled with regret. "On my way to the office, but I saw your cars and decided to stop over and apologize for setting the cops on Chris at the hospital."

"That's quite alright, Rupe," Ira says gently.

"It's okay, Rupert. I guess we all took quite a hard stance. Only Rammy had a different mind," Effe says softly.

"Thank you very much, both of you. And whenever you see that man again tell him I'm sorry, okay? I feel quite embarrassed for coming down so hard on him."

"Actually, he's here. He's in the Boys Quarters. He would be staying here for a while," Ira supplies.

"Oh, really? Then I can personally apologize to him. I don't think I welcomed him well yesterday."

"Yeah, yeah. But come inside first, Rupe. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, not yet. Thought I'll grab a coffee and a sandwich at the canteen later."

"Then wait. Let me slip into something more comfortable, and then I'll prepare us some breakfast," Ira says.

Rupert looks deeply into Ira's eyes, and there is warmth and admiration in his look. It makes Effe clear her throat meaningfully, and they all laugh.

"Okay, Ira. I'll wait," Rupert says.

They walk to the main house and Ira goes straight to her bedroom. Effe and Rupert remain in the living-room area and make light conversation. After a while, Ira joins them in a fetching peach trouser suit.

"Sorry, folks. Realized I ran out of ingredients. There's enough at the Boys' Quarters. Let's go over there and conjure up something to eat," she says.

A moment later, they enter the Boys' Quarters, and their noses are met with the most exquisite scent of something quite sweet and delightful permeating the air. Ira stops with shock on her face as Rupert sniffs the air.

"Wow. Something smells really good in here!" he exclaims brightly.

"Don't tell me Chris created this culinary nasal masterpiece!" Ira says, stunned. "They must be in the kitchen. Come on, guys!"

The sight that meets their eyes stuns both sisters.

Chris is now wearing a black jeans and a T-shirt. He has shaved, and he looks so absolutely stunning and so handsome that they simply stare at him.

Junior, his mouth smeared with sauce and a long trail of a noodle disappearing fast into his mouth, is holding out a stew-smeared plate to his father.

"Oh, please, Daddy, Daddy! Just one tiny weeny little small scoop, pleeeeeeease!!" he moans.

Chris chuckles down at his son, his cheeks dimpled by that lovely smile.

"Champ, you're going to burst! You've taken too much already!" he says reluctantly. Rupert rushes into the kitchen.

"Whatever it is, I want a plate!" he says with a self-deprecating smile. He begins to apologize effusively for what happened the previous day, but Chris shakes his head gently at the South African.

"That's okay," Chris says. "You did what you had to do."

Rupert smiles with relief and offers his hand and Chris shakes his hand.

"Now, please, can I have some of the noodles?"

The saucepan of noodles is still sizzling on the gas cooker. Chris picks up a clean plate and scoops noodles into it, and then hands it to Rupert. Next, he takes Junior's plate and gives him more noodles.

Ira stares into the saucepan, her eyes wide with shock at the sight of the noodles and sauce and bits of meat mixed so tantalizingly and looking so appetizing. Effe leans against the door-frame and stares at Chris with an unfathomable expression on her face that simply testifies that this is a Chris she has not seen before. Surely this cannot be the same man who was so paranoid when it comes to the affairs of the kitchen! The food smells really great, and to see Junior asking for more noodles really throws Effe off-guard.

Ira fills a plate with some of the noodles, and she places it on a plastic table in the middle of the kitchen. Rupert, Ira and Junior begin to eat their noodles with much relish. Ira suddenly stops munching and looks up at Chris, who is leaning against the cabinet with his arms crossed.

"CB!" Ira says, awed. "Surely this is the best noodles I've ever tasted. Wow! How did this miracle happen?"

Rupert nods profusely.

"You mean he cooked it? My goodness, no!"

Effe puts her head to one side and regards Chris for a moment. Without a word she walks into the kitchen, reaches for a plate, scoops the last bits of noodles into it, and picks up a fork. She stands next to Chris, forks some noodles into her mouth and eats silently, and as she tries another forkful she is stunned, like the rest of them, and she turns to Chris with questioning eyes.

"I had a cell mate in prison. A chef from Egypt," Chris explains. "He was extradited a few months before I was released. He used to cook at the prison kitchen. I was bored most of the time, and we became friends. He taught me how to cook, and I had such a great time learning."

"But you hated cooking," Effe says softly. "You didn't want to have anything to do with a kitchen."

Chris looks at her, and she sees quite suddenly that his eyes are once more wary, and absolutely unfriendly, and once again she is staggered by his obvious mistrust of her.

"I was all alone in prison. I had no visitors. It was fun learning how to cook. The time I spent in the kitchen helped me to take my mind off some painful things."

There is a note in his voice that makes them all stop eating and look at him. His words pierce Effe's heart. The sadness, the agony, the incredible hurt in his voice suddenly reminds her of the anger she felt toward him, the anger that made her alienate him in prison. This anger ensured that she never visited him, and he never saw his son.

Chris moves out of the kitchen into the living-room, and sits down in an armchair.

Silently they continue to eat, but Junior leaves his plate and, licking his lips, follows his father into the living-room area.

And when Effe goes to stand in the doorway, she sees her son pushing his father's hands aside and climbing onto his laps. He sits sideways, slips his arms around his father, and puts his head on Chris' chest. The big man closes his eyes and leans back, putting his arms around his son.

Effe sees the pain etched deeply on Chris' face, even when he smiles lovingly at his son. She gives a shuddering breath, and suddenly she does not taste the sweetness of the food anymore. Her heartbeats increase, and she wishes she can go to him and soothe the bitterness from his soul.

I should have visited him, at least for the sake of his son...oh dear Lord!

Junior reaches up and touches his father's face lovingly.

"You look sad, Daddy! Please don't be sad. Everything is going to be alright. I pray for you every day. God is going to make everything alright, Daddy," Junior says tearfully.

Chris wipes the tears from his son's face.

"Thank you. Thank you, my boy."

Father and son smile tearfully into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Daddy."

"Oh, Junior!" Chris breathes tremulously. "I love you too. You won't believe just how much I love you, boy!"

Effe cannot take it anymore. She turns and rushes back into the kitchen. Rupert and Ira look at her, startled. She says nothing as she puts her plate down, and then she brushes tears from her eyes quite savagely, and takes deep breaths in abject misery. Rupert stands up and approaches her. She looks at him through eyes half-blinded with tears.

"Yes?" Effe mumbles

Rupert points to her plate of noodles.

"Oh, you can cry. But can I finish your noodles?" Rupert says in a kind voice, obviously taken aback by her tears.

Effe and Ira both laugh then, and the pain slowly leaves Effe's eyes. She picks up her plate and smiles at Rupert.

"No, Rupert. I think I want to finish this," Effe says quaveringly.

"Oh, bother!" Rupert says, disappointed, and the sisters laugh again.